A Man Called "Motormouth"

Like Mickey Rivers last week, I remember this guy more for his role with the Yankees in the late 1970s:

Card #528 -- Paul Blair, Baltimore Orioles

Of course, Paul Blair was a platoon player and late-innings replacement by that time, but his value to the Yankees at the time was larger than what his numbers may have shown. His nickname "Motormouth" came from his talkative nature, but when he was at his peak, his glove could do quite a bit of talking all by itself.

However, before helping the Yankees in their mini-dynasty years, he was a regular on a very good Orioles team that was in the postseason six times between 1966 and 1974. He possessed great speed, which allowed him to play shallow in the outfield and still get to balls that were hit deep. That skill earned him eight Gold Glove awards, including consecutive awards from 1969 and '75. During the 1973 season, he was elected to his second and last All-Star game.

Despite being an integral part of those powerhouse teams, Blair seemed to be footnotes in several great moments that involved others. In 1969, he would be the first batter to face Nolan Ryan in what turned out to be the only World Series game in his career...and hit a ball that was memorably caught by Tommie Agee. During his Yankee days, he was sent into the outfield during a game against the Red Sox in 1977 by Billy Martin, which then led to a televised confrontation in the dugout between Martin and the guy Blair replaced, Reggie Jackson.

Now THAT is Noticeable...

This card looks a little off.

While the condition may leave a lot to be desired, the picture on this card is a real eyesore:

Card #587 -- Rich McKinney, Oakland A's

Let's look past the fact that Rich McKinney looks a little bit like Owen Wilson here. This photo is such an obvious airbrush job, it refuses to let me flip through my 1973 binder without stopping to look at it again. The green color is wrong, and so is the perspective of the logo on his cap. Even a six-year old kid with crayons may have been able to do a better job here.

Rick McKinney had spent the '72 season with the Yankees after two with the White Sox. He was traded after the season as part of the deal that brought Matty Alou to the Bronx. He was used only sparingly in Oakland, spread out over several positions and at DH but never being more than a part-time player. After several trips to the minors and short trials with the club through 1977, McKinney was out of the game. He never managed to appear on another Topps card after 1973, nor did he get into any of the A's postseason series.

Playing the Field Since 1876

...and unable to win it all since 1908.

(My sincere apologies to the Wrigley Faithful.)

The National League began play in 1876 with eight teams. Over the years, the original teams moved around or went insolvent. Less than 100 years later, this was the only one of those teams still playing in its original city:

Card #464 -- Chicago Cubs Team Card

Their beginnings actually predated the National League. Just as that league was built from the ashes of the collapse of the National Association in 1875,  Chicago's franchise was founded by William Hulbert in 1871. They were on track to win the 1871 pennant when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed the ballpark, incinerated all the team's possessions and kept them from playing again until 1874. So, the team was literally raised from the ashes itself.

In 1876, they were called the Chicago White Stockings. They won the very first pennant that year and were a dynasty in the early years of the game. They went through another dynasty era at the beginning of the 20th Century. However, after their 1908 team won the World Series...well, let's just say time has been frequently cruel to those who have rooted for the team since.

While many of those years have been marked by bad teams, there have been a few times where the team got close enough to win a title for their fans, only to lose in ways that have tested the tremendous size of those fans' hearts and stomachs. In 1969, they were a team of destiny...until another team decided to take that title for themselves. In 1984, a new generation of bleacher bums suffered through a tremendous season that ended in heartbreak (for them; fans of the Padres have much better memories). Then there was 2003.

As of right now, the Cubs still haven't even made it to the World Series since the end of World War Two. Their fans deserve to see them get there, however. While other fans of long-time drought teams like the White Sox and Red Sox celebrated their championship seasons, it went little noticed that the Cubs had been waiting even longer.

This team photo features the 1972 team. They finished with their best record since 1969; however, this time they weren't in the heat of the race, finishing in second but 11 games behind Pittsburgh. They began the season with Leo Durocher as manager but fired him midseason. The team began to systematically dismantle the veterans from the '69 season and the '73 Cubs finished below .500, setting the standard for the club for the rest of the decade and into the next. The Cubs didn't have another winning season until 1984.

A "Quick" Post Today

As a young fan of the New York Yankees during the late 1970s, I definitely remember this guy:

Card #597 -- Mickey Rivers, California Angels

The photo here seems to be a little overexposed. It also looks like it was taken at the same session that produced his 1972 Topps card. The poles that rise to the left of his head support the halo at Anaheim Stadium that made for some really great '72 Topps cards like this one.

"Mick the Quick" had begun playing with the Angels in 1970 and was still a part-timer when this photo was taken. He finally became the team's starting center fielder in '74 and showed his speed by winning the league's stolen base crown the following year. After that, he was traded to the Yankees for the '76 season and responded with a career year. He would spend three full seasons in the Bronx, and each year ended with a World Series appearance. In 1979, he was traded to the Texas Rangers and remained with them until 1984. When he retired, Rivers had a respectable .295 career average.

It May Still Be Winter, But it's "May" in Our Hearts

Dressed up in his black warm-up jacket, Milt May looks like he's just a little intense here:

Card #529 -- Milt May, Pittsburgh Pirates

Or maybe he's just annoyed that the darned photographer is keeping him from taking pitches during Spring Training. What is noticeable, though, it May's name written onto the tongue of his shoe. It begs the question about whether some wiseguy ever asked him what he did with the cleats when June rolled around.

At the time, Milt May had been the backup catcher to Manny Sanguillen since entering the league in 1970. Sadly, tragedy struck the Pirates after the '72 season when Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash. As a result, Sanguillen was named to replace his old friend in right field and May was slated to become the regular catcher. Unfortunately, Sanguillen couldn't adapt as well to his new position and went back behind the plate. May was placed back in his backup role and would be traded to Houston after the '73 season. Since the Astros needed a starting catcher, May settled right in to the role. He only spent two years there, but was placed into the record books during his time there. While many know Bob Watson was credited with scoring the millionth run in baseball history, it was Milt May who drove him in by knocking a three-run homer. 

In 1976, May was traded to Detroit, where he would play through 1979. Further stints with the White Sox, Giants and Pirates (again) would follow before May retired in 1984. He later became a coach, hitting instructor and scout for several major league clubs.

May's father was former major league player Merrill May, who was one of three players nicknamed "Pinky" in the 1941 Play Ball set. That set's use of nicknames as part of the card was neat, but "Pinky" doesn't seem to be a manly name for an athlete, let alone three of them in a 72-card set.

If You Can't Say Anything Nice...

There's the old saying that if you can't say something nice about somebody, it's better to simply say nothing at all. So, when researching this guy:

Card # 559 -- Barry Lersch, Philadelphia Phillies

Wikipedia has two paragraphs on Barry Lersch. The longer one explains a game he pitched in the minors. Baseball-Reference shows that he was among the league leaders in 1971...in losses, home runs allowed and walks per 9 innings. Yikes. 1973 was his last year with the Phillies...in '74, he would pitch one game for the Cardinals. After 1 and a third innings, three hits, five walks, six runs allowed and a 40.50 ERA, his baseball career was over.

I'm reminded of what Topps legend Sy Berger had to say about writing biographies of some players: "What am I supposed to say...This guy stinks?"

Fortunately, the picture gives me a little bit to run with. Taken at Candlestick Park, it shows Lersch delivering a shot to a Giants batter (Chris Speier?). The ball is shown over the batting helmet, which makes an interesting image over the reflected light. Judging from Lerch's record, I'm going to guess that this batter wasn't exactly quaking in his cleats, but it's a nice shot anyway.

A Man Called "No Neck"

Walt Williams was known as "No Neck" because of his muscular frame and short (5' 6") stature. That's not as evident in this photo, which shows him turning his head:

Card #297 -- Walt Williams, Cleveland Indians

However, there's a problem, and it isn't Williams' fault at all. It's Topps': the "S" from his old White Sox jersey is still showing despite an airbrushed Tribe cap.

Walt Williams originally came up for a short trial with the Colt .45s in 1964. However, he was soon placed on waivers and claimed by the Cardinals. By the time he made it back to the majors in 1967, he had been traded to the White Sox, where he spent most of his career. After the '72 season (as shown on this card) he was traded to Cleveland but only stayed there for '73. Two more years followed with the Yankees and then another two in Japan before he called it a career.

Among baseball fans, he may be best known for his nickname. With card collectors, he is remembered for appearing as one of the few current players in Brendan Boyd & Fred Harris's The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubblegum Book. As for the caption under his 1969 Topps card...it referred to his nickname.