1969 Topps: 1978

Showing posts with label 1978. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

#430 Johnny Bench AS - Cincinnati Reds

All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970. Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.

Building the Set / Card #639

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Richie's Sports Cards)

On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. After about 90 minutes of walking and buying, while running low on funds, and even lower on stamina, I found a nice display of vintage Topps star cards at Richie's Sports Cards, from Manalpan, New Jersey. I quickly and easily picked up six more star cards needed for our set from Richie's, my fourth stop of the show. This is the fifth of those six cards and it cost around $27 after a discount, making it the most expensive All-Star card I purchased for our set build.

The Card / Reds Team Set / Pete Rose Puzzle

Johnny Bench was a 14-time All-Star, going to the All-Star Game each year between 1968 and 1980, and then again in 1983 to honor the end of his career. He was the starting catcher for the National League All-Stars in 1969, batting seventh and receiving starting pitcher Steve Carlton (#255). Bench got the scoring started for the National League, hitting a second inning, two-run home run off Mel Stottlemyre (#470). He'd single in the third off Blue Mood Odom (#195), draw a walk against Denny McLain (#150) and line out against Dave McNally (#340) in the sixth, before being replaced by back-up Randy Hundley (#347).

The stock photo used in the background behind Bench has yet to be identified, but the article linked below figured out by combining the background photos on this card and Ken Harrelson's All-Star card (#417), a full action scene showing a mystery play emerges. The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130). The back of Bench's card features a patch of dirt behind Rose's photo.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (9): 1969-70, 1974-79, 1981

1970 Topps #464

1974 Topps #331

1975 Topps #260

1978 Topps #700

1981 Topps #400

Sources:
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#429 Willie Horton AS - Detroit Tigers / #431 Bill Freehan AS - Detroit Tigers

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

#425 Carl Yastrzemski AS - Boston Red Sox

Building the Set / Card #638

September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Richie's Sports Cards)

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. After about 90 minutes of walking and buying, while running low on funds, and even lower on stamina, I found a nice display of vintage Topps star cards at Richie's Sports Cards, from Manalpan, New Jersey. I quickly and easily picked up six more star cards needed for our set from Richie's, my fourth stop of the show. This is the fourth of those six cards and it cost a little over $13 after a discount.

1960 Topps #390
The Card / Red Sox Team Set / Carl Yastrzemski Puzzle

Carl Yastrzemski appears on three cards in the set (#1, #130 and this card) and his image appears on the backs of 10 All-Star cards in the form of a puzzle. Fittingly, the final card back I needed to complete my Yaz puzzle is on the back of this card. The completed puzzle is shown below, in its slightly lopsided glory.

Yastrzemski was an 18-time All-Star between 1963 and 1983, going to 15 straight Mid-Summer Classics between 1965 and 1979. The starting American League outfield for the 1969 All-Star Game was Frank Howard (#170), Reggie Jackson (#260) and Frank Robinson (#250), with Yastrzemski, Tony Oliva (#600) and Willie Horton (#180) getting the nod as the starting outfielders in this Topps subset. Yastrzemski replaced Jackson in the top of the sixth inning in the 1969 All-Star Game, and he'd fly out to left in his only at-bat against Jerry Koosman (#90).

The article linked below identifies the black and white photo behind Yaz as coming from a World Series subset card found in the 1960 Topps set. That's Luis Aparicio (#75) trying to field the ball for the White Sox, with Nellie Fox behind him. Jim Landis is on the card too, but Yastrzemski's head blocks him here.

Topps All-Star Card Appearances (5): 1968-70, 1978, 1980

1968 Topps #369

1970 Topps #461

1978 Topps #40

1980 Topps #720

Sources:
Baseball Reference

Sports Collectors Daily - Mistaken Identities

#424 Pete Rose AS - Cincinnati Reds / #426 Curt Flood AS - St. Louis Cardinals

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

#381 Ed Kranepool - New York Mets

Edward Emil Kranepool
New York Mets
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height: 6'3" Weight:  205
Born:  November 8, 1944, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, June 27, 1962
Major League Teams: New York Mets 1962-79

World Series Appearances: New York Mets 1969, 1973
Died: September 8, 2024, Boca Raton, FL (age 79)

Ed Kranepool played in 18 major league seasons, and his complete list of career transactions from his Baseball Reference page is extremely impressive:

At the end of his career, Kranepool had amassed 1,853 games with the Mets, still tops in franchise history. He was a member of the original expansion Mets in 1962 at the age of 17, an All-Star in 1965, a World Series winner with the Miracle Mets in 1969 and a top pinch-hitter for the club during the latter part of his career between 1974 and 1979.

Primarily a first baseman, Kranepool's best season came in 1971 when he drove in a career high 58 runs and hit .280 with 14 home runs. He owned a lifetime batting average of .261 with 118 career home runs. Kranepool was the original all-time hits leader for the Mets with 1,418, but he's since been surpassed by David Wright (1,777) and Jose Reyes (1,491). He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1990.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set / Card #618
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. My second stop was the aptly named Vintage Sports table. I always appreciate a dealer with clear signage explaining their pricing method, and Vintage Sports had a marker in their selection of 1969 Topps cards laying out that cards without a sleeve were $1 and cards with a sleeve were $2. I had one "high number" in a sleeve, and that was a whopping $4.

I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop. This was the 24th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 59th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

A great-looking card of the legendary Met, and Topps used a photo that works really well with the set's design. The cartoon on the back of the card highlights Kranepool's status as the dean of the Mets' roster, and he'd go on to play another decade with the club.

Accuracy Index: Kranepool's card earns the standard +5.

1969 Season
Kranepool was the most regularly used first baseman for the Mets, making 97 starts at the position, but losing playing time as the season progressed to Donn Clendenon (#208). He batted .238 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs. From his SABR biography, written by Tara Krieger:

"Spring Training, Gil Hodges (#564) wanted you to lead by example," Kranepool said of early 1969. "He built the ballclub around leadership. First, we had to get over .500 - we never got to the .500 level before - it's the only way to win the game. The team that makes the fewest mental mistakes does. We didn't beat ourselves; we had good pitching and defense; we started to play well. We did get to .500, beat L.A. and San Diego, and went on a 10-game winning streak."

. . . The Mets finished the year with a league-best 100-62 record and swept the Braves in the three-game divisional playoff to win their first pennant and face the 109-win American League champion Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. Though Kranepool played all three NLCS games against Atlanta - and batted .250 - Kranepool was benched in favor of the right-handed-hitting Donn Clendenon for all but one of the Series' five games (the only game started by a right-handed pitcher). Kranepool made it count, hitting a home run off Dave Leonhard (#228) in the eighth inning of Game Three. After 800 defeats - most of which Kranepool had witnessed himself - the Mets were crowned world champions.

1963 Topps #228

1965 Topps #144

1975 Topps #324

1978 Topps #49

1980 Topps #641

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1963 Topps #228
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18): 1963-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2020 Topps Archives Snapshots #AS-EK
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 210 in the Beckett online database as of 1/25/26.

Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog

#380 Stan Bahnsen - New York Yankees / #382 Pat Corrales - Cincinnati Reds

Thursday, January 22, 2026

#338 Del Unser - Washington Senators

Delbert Bernard Unser

Washington Senators
Outfield

Bats:  Left Throws:  Left Height: 6'1" Weight: 180
Born:  December 9, 1944, Decatur, IL
Drafted:  Drafted by the Washington Senators in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1966 amateur draft, June 7, 1966
Major League Teams: Washington Senators 1968-71; Cleveland Indians 1972; Philadelphia Phillies 1973-74; New York Mets 1975-76; Montreal Expos 1976-78; Philadelphia Phillies 1979-82

World Series Appearances: Philadelphia Phillies 1980

Del Unser played 15 seasons in the majors, and was an everyday center fielder for the Senators, Indians, Phillies and Mets between 1968 and 1975, but most fans will remember him for his late-career pinch-hitting prowess that contributed to the Phillies' first World Championship title in 1980. Unser first earned regular playing time with the Senators in 1968, and although he batted just .230 with a home run and 30 RBIs in his rookie season, he finished as Rookie of the Year runner-up to Stan Bahnsen (#380). He batted .286 with a league-leading eight triples in 1969 and overall spent four strong seasons with the Senators. Dealt to the Indians prior to the 1972 season, Unser's stay in Cleveland would last one year before he began his first stint with the Phillies in 1973. He'd bat a career-high .294 with the Mets in 1975, essentially his last full season as an everyday player.

After two and half seasons in Montreal, Unser was reacquired by the Phillies in 1979 via free agency and he'd settle into an almost full-time role as a pinch-hitter. He batted .455 (5 for 11) in the 1980 postseason, with two clutch pinch-hit doubles helping the Phillies defeat the Royals in Games 2 and 5 of the World Series. Unser retired in 1982 with a .258 career average, 179 doubles, 42 triples, 87 home runs and 481 RBIs. He'd serve as a coach with the Phillies between 1985 and 1988, and then as the team's farm director between 1990 and 1999.

From the 1980 Phillies Yearbook
Building the Set / Card #615
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop. This was the 21st of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 56th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Unsleeved, this card cost less than $1 after a dealer discount.

The Card / Senators Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Unser's rookie card, and most importantly, as celebrated I think a few times over on the wonderful and prolific Night Owl Cards blog, this could be the first baseball card to feature an actual photograph taken at night. I had always known of Unser because of his heroics while with the Phillies, so it's even cooler to know he graces a landmark baseball card. The back of the card explains how Unser's hot spring in 1968 led to him landing a regular job with the Senators on his way to a solid rookie campaign.

Accuracy Index: Unser's card scores a +5, although I'd give it a few extra points for the night-related awesomeness.

1969 Season
Under new manager Ted Williams (#650), Unser played in 153 games and had one of the strongest seasons of his career. His 57 RBIs would ultimately be the second highest total of his career, behind the 61 he drove in with the Phillies in 1974.

Phillies Career
On November 30, 1972, the Indians traded Unser and minor leaguer Terry Wedgewood to the Phillies for Roger Freed and Oscar Gamble. Unser would be the club's opening day center fielder in 1973 and 1974, batting .276 overall in 278 games with 22 home runs and 113 RBIs. On December 3, 1974, Unser was packaged with Mac Scarce and John Stearns in a trade with the Mets that brought the Phillies Don Hahn, Dave Schneck and most importantly, reliever Tug McGraw (#601). Unser would return to the Phillies for a second time, signing with the club as a free agent on March 29, 1979.

Unser played all three outfield positions and some first base during his second stint with the Phillies, but his biggest contribution was as a pinch-hitter. He'd set a record on July 10, 1979, hitting his third of three consecutive pinch-hit home runs. Unser's heroics in the 1980 postseason are well-known to all Phillies fans. Along with his two huge pinch-doubles in the World Series, Unser's pinch-single off the Astros' Ken Forsch in NLCS Game 5 tied the game, and he'd score the eventual winning run a few innings later in the top of the 10th. In 550 games overall with the Phillies, Unser batted .268 with 55 doubles, 28 home runs and 158 RBIs.

He was manager John Felske's and Lee Elia's (#312) first base and hitting coach for four seasons. And in his role as the team's farm director in the 1990s, he helped oversee the development of Mike Lieberthal, Jimmy Rollins and Scott Rolen, among many others.

1970 Topps #336

1975 Topps #138

1978 Topps #348

1980 Topps #6

1982 Topps #713

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #338
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14): 1969-82
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1982 Topps #713
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 79 in the Beckett online database as of 1/18/26.

Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
The Phillies Room

#337 Marty Martinez - Houston Astros / #339 Reds Rookie Stars

Saturday, January 17, 2026

#286 Dock Ellis - Pittsburgh Pirates

Dock Phillip Ellis
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Both Throws:  Right Height: 6'3" Weight:  205
Born:  March 11, 1945, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, January 14, 1964
Major League Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates 1968-75; New York Yankees 1976-77; Oakland Athletics 1977; Texas Rangers 1977-79; New York Mets 1979; Pittsburgh Pirates 1979

World Series Appearances: Pittsburgh Pirates 1971; New York Yankees 1976
Died: December 19, 2008, Los Angeles, CA (age 63)

Dock Ellis pitched in a dozen major league seasons, primarily with the Pirates, where he was an All-Star in 1971 and helped lead the team to five pennants in six seasons between 1970 and 1975. On June 12, 1970, Ellis threw a no-hitter against the Padres, later admitting he threw the game while under the influence of LSD. Ellis' best season statistically came in 1971 as he was 19-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 31 starts. He threw a career-high 226 2/3 innings, striking out 137 as the Pirates eventually defeated the Orioles in the World Series. Ellis was also the starting pitcher for the National League in that year's All-Star Game.

He had a number of memorable run-ins throughout his career both on and off the field, and admittedly struggled with substance abuse. Dealt to the Yankees following the 1975 season, largely in part to a complete fall-out with Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh, Ellis was a 17 game winner for the Yankees in 1976 and pitched in his second World Series. He won American League Comeback Player of the Year honors for his first season in the Bronx. Following his criticism of Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner, Ellis was on the move again before the 1977 season, this time shipped to Oakland. He finished up his playing days with the A's, Rangers, Mets and a brief return trip to the Pirates. In 345 career games, Ellis was 138-119 with a 3.46 ERA and 1,136 strikeouts in 2,128 inning pitched.

Building the Set / Card #611
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop. This was the 17th of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 52nd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Sleeved, this card cost less than $2 after a dealer discount, a bargain for the rookie card of a relatively well-known pitcher from his era.

The Card / Pirates Team Set / Accuracy Index +5

This is Ellis' rookie card, and given the player boycott of Topps during the 1967-68 seasons, it's impressive Topps was able to get a picture of him in his Pirates uniform. His minor league successes are highlighted on the back of the card. I was surprised to see this card has never been reprinted.

Accuracy Index: Ellis' rookie card earns a +5.

1969 Season
Ellis made his debut with the Pirates in 1968, and earned a spot in their pitching rotation out of spring training in 1969. He was 11-17 with a 3.58 ERA in 35 games, including 33 starts. Ellis struck out a career-high 173 batters, second on the club behind the 213 strikeouts from Bob Veale (#520).

1971 Topps #2

1972 Topps #180

1977 Topps #71

1978 Topps #209

1980 Topps #117

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1969 Topps #286
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12): 1969-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2021-22 Topps Project70 #874
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 82 in the Beckett online database as of 1/6/26.

Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia

Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database

#285 Don Mincher - Seattle Pilots / #287 Jose Tartabull - Boston Red Sox

Thursday, November 20, 2025

#25 Roy White - New York Yankees

Roy Hilton White
New York Yankees
Outfield

Bats:  Both Throws:  Right  Height: 5'10" Weight:  160
Born:  December 27, 1943, Los Angeles, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent, July 1, 1961
Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1965-79

World Series Appearances: New York Yankees 1976-78

A switch-hitting, lifetime Yankee, Roy White bridged the gap between the waning years of the Yankees dynasty of the early 1960s to the resurgent dynasty of the Yankees teams of the late 1970s. The club's starting left fielder for ten seasons between 1968 and 1977, White was an All-Star in 1969 and 1970. Playing in all 162 games in 1970, White attained career highs in the triple crown categories, batting .296 with 22 home runs and 94 RBIs. He was a solid presence in the Yankee line-up during their lean years in the early 1970s, and later, a key member of the team that won American League pennants three years in a row between 1976 and 1978. White's last great year came in 1976 when he batted .286 with a career-best 31 stolen bases, while leading the league with 104 runs scored. He won World Series rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. He left the Yankees following the 1979 season, playing three more seasons in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, and retiring in 1982.

In 1,881 big league games, all with the Yankees, White batted .271 with 1,803 hits, 160 home runs, 758 RBIs and 233 stolen bases. He later served as a coach with the Yankees in two stints (1983-86, 2004-05) and was a minor league hitting coach in the Athletics' organization.

Building the Set / Card #596
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Vintage Sports)

I found 28 commons needed before moving on to my third stop. This was the 1st of 28 total cards bought from Vintage Sports, and the 37th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. Even with the clear signage, I still received a dealer discount, and this card cost less than a dollar, a bargain for a Yankees card.

The Card / Yankees Team Set / Accuracy Index +1

This is the exact same photo used for White's 1968 Topps card. The write-up on the back of the card highlights his strong 1968 season, noting he led the Yankees in runs (89), hits (154), doubles (20) and RBIs (62). His 20 stolen bases tied him with second baseman Horace Clarke (#87) for the team lead. White's bWAR of 4.4 was the highest among all Yankee position players, topping Mickey Mantle's (#500) 2.7 mark.

Accuracy Index: It's a great posed shot at Yankee Stadium, but the card scores only a +1 due to the repeat photo usage.

1969 Season
White made 125 starts in left field for the Yankees, and was named to his first of two All-Star Games. In 130 games overall, he batted .290 with seven home runs and 74 RBIs. He connected for 30 doubles and had a solid .392 on-base percentage, the best mark of his career.

1966 Topps #234

1968 Topps #546

1975 Topps #375

1978 Topps #16

1980 Topps #648

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1966 Topps #234
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (14): 1966, 1968-80
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions #152
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 253 in the Beckett online database as of 11/11/25.

Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia