Alou Brother (Part 1)

There were three Alou brothers in the major leagues during the 1960s and '70s. All three appear in the 1973 Topps baseball set, and here's the first to appear on this blog so far:

Card #132 - Matty Alou, New York Yankees

Matty was the middle brother of the trio. The photo is obviously airbrushed: not only is he wearing a Yankees home uniform but obviously not at Yankee Stadium (seen on many other 1973 Topps cards), the interlocking "NY" logo on his chest is way too large and doesn't match the wrinkles on his uniform. The logo on the hat's also way too large.

Alou is shown airbrushed here because he had split the 1972 season between St. Louis and Oakland before being traded to the Yankees in the offesason. He would finish the '73 season with St. Louis again. In 1974, he would play for the Padres but released a couple of months into the season and finished his career with three seasons in Japan.

Yesterday, When I Was Young

I featured a Jim Palmer card from the Boyhood Photos subset a little while back. In that post I mentioned how that photo from his youth didn't show him playing baseball, which seemed strange on a baseball card. There was one player shown in his boyhood uniform, though:

Card #342 - Sam McDowell, Boyhood Photo

Sam McDowell was the very first player I featured on this blog. He was winding down his major league career in '73, so the before/after pictures are quite a contrast.

The back of the card mentions that Sam began playing baseball as an outfielder, but was converted to pitcher once his arm power was discovered. That was a better deal than my own switch from outfielder to pitcher during my Little League days. However, in my case, I was brought in because I fielded fly balls as if they were live grenades.

Double Play Starter?

This is a great action shot.

Card #42 - Mike Andrews, Chicago White Sox

While sidestepping a sliding runner, Andrews is preparing to throw to first for a possible double play. However, the runner's number poses a question...who is that? Andrews is wearing a White Sox road jersey. With his opponent sporting pinstripes and a dark helmet, you'd think he was playing against the Yankees but there's a problem: the 1972 Yankees didn't have anybody who wore #33. Andrews was also on the Chisox in 1971, but the Yankees didn't have a player who wore #33 that year either. However, the Indians wore pinstripes on their home uniforms in '71, which would make the runner Rick Austin. Unfortunately, Austin never played against the White Sox at all in the '71 season. Besides, the runner's helmet looks more blue than the Indians' black hats of '71. Unless the photo was taken in a Spring Training game against the Yankees, I'm at a loss for identifying the runner.

Mike Andrews was probably best known as a member of the beloved 1967 Boston Red Sox team. '67 was Andrews's first full season and he would remain with Boston until 1970, when he and Luis Alvarado were forced to trade their Red Sox for White in exchange for Luis Aparicio. 1973 would be Andrews's final season. He was released by the White Sox midway through the year and signed with Oakland. During the '73 World Series he would be forced by owner Charlie Finley to sign an affidavit saying he was disabled after making two errors that contributed to the team's loss in Game 2. After pressure from his teammates, manager and the press, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn overturned the document and he was allowed to play Game 4. However, he grounded out as a pinch hitter and sat the rest of the Series. It would be his final major league appearance.

In 1984, Andrews became chairman of The Jimmy Fund, a charity that raises funds and awareness of children's cancer that is closely tied with the Red Sox players. He holds that position today.

Aker's Aweigh...

Sorry for the bad pun in the title. It would have been perfect if the player was also a Navy veteran.

Here's a great picture, with the ivy-covered Wrigley Field walls as a backdrop:

Card #262 - Jack Aker, Chicago Cubs

Aker appears to be warming up for a possible trip to the mound (even if he's just posing for the Topps photographer). While it looks like the stadium's grounds crew was on strike that day, it's because of a little missing paper on my card. I do like the Cub logo patch on Aker's right sleeve, though.

Jack Aker was a closer in an era where they received little respect. He pitched in 495 games between 1964 and '74 but never started one. Instead, he was sent out late in the game, either to try and get the win at a stressful moment or to mop up when the starter had no gas left. In those days, closers' roles were appreciated by managers and fans who understood the finer points of the game, but casual fans (and baseball card collectors) were likely to see them as pitchers who couldn't last an entire game. It was a different time indeed.

Aker had come to the Cubs in 1972 after stints with the A's, the expansion Seattle Pilots and the New York Yankees. 1973 was probably his worst season statistically, so Aker split the '74 season between the Mets and Braves before managing in the minor leagues beginning in 1975. He later served as pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians.

In Jim Bouton's book Ball Four, Aker was mentioned as the Pilots' union representative due to his experience dealing with A's owner Charlie Finley during his days with that team. Bouton added that he was elected unanimously. The position didn't last long, as he was traded to the Yankees on May 20th of that year.

Great Player...But a Great Broadcaster? You Decide

Perhaps better known to fans today from his job as a broadcaster for baseball games, but he was also a very good ballplayer.

Card #230 -- Joe Morgan, Cincinnati Reds

The picture is obviously a Spring Training shot, as he looks to be posing on a neighborhood field. Seriously, he looks like he's taking a swing on the same field where I played my high school games.

(Edited to add: Reader Wrigley Wax says in the comments below this may have been taken at Shea Staium. While the shot has more trees and smaller buildings than what I remember seeing while visiting the Flushing, Queens area...I will admit that I was there much later than when the picture would have been taken. I'll allow that the neighborhood may have been more suburban in '72 than it was by the 1990s. In any case, Morgan's road uniform suggests he could be in any of the National League parks except Riverfront Stadium. Thanks for the info.)

In a Hall of Fame career, Morgan was one of the finest second basemen in major league history. When the Houston Astros traded him to the Reds after the 1971 season, his presence in the lineup made Cincinnati much more dangerous. With Morgan batting right behind Pete Rose, he presented a threat because of his power, speed and glove. Among his achievements: eight straight All-Star appearances as a Red, back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and '76 and back-to-back league MVP awards in those same years.

After going back to the Astros in 1980, Morgan continued to be productive as his career wound down. His leadership on and off the field with San Francisco in 1982 won him the Comeback Player of the Year award. He would reunite with Big Red Machine teammates Rose and Tony Perez on the 1983 Phillies and return to the World Series. Retiring after the '84 season (spent with the Oakland A's), Morgan went into the broadcast booth, where he remains today. Although he has now spent more seasons describing the action on the field than he did taking part in it, Morgan has become a polarizing figure among fans. There are fans who appreciate the insight a Hall of Fame player can bring to a game as nuanced as baseball, but there are also many who don't care for his analysis.

"Beep, Beep!"

While the tilt of the field on the card may say "1970s substance abuse issue," the Atlanta Braves uniforms exemplified the times as well. From the shade of blue to the Indian feather on the sleeve to the red lower-case letter "a" on the cap, they were a product of their times...more colorful than the staid uniforms the team brought with them when they moved from Milwaukee, yet louder than the more conservative threads Ted Turner gave them as he began calling them "America's Team" on his TV station during the 1980s.

Card #15 -- Ralph Garr, Atlanta Braves

While it can be safely assumed that a man nicknamed "Road Runner" would be fast, Ralph Garr was also a good hitter during the early 1970s. From 1971-'75 he was among the top 10 hitters in the National League five times, winning the '74 batting title. He could hit to all fields as well, which made it hard for opponents to defend against him when he walked to the plate. His speed also helped him stretch hits; he led the league in triples during both 1974 and '75.

Then, after the 1975 season, Garr was traded to the White Sox. Although he still managed to hit .300 during his first two years there, his speed wasn't as evident. Fortunately, the American League was more of a hitter's league so he fit right in. As his abilities began to fade with age, Garr would end up in California at the end of the 1978 season. He remained with the Angels until 1980.

He retired with a lifetime .306 batting average. Not bad for a guy remembered for his speed on the bases, even if he never did win a stolen bases award during his career.

Look at the Vet

This is a nice shot of Tommy Hutton on thefield at Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia. The angle and perspective give the feel that he's larger than life, similar to the way the players are shown on 1933 Delong cards.

Card #271 -- Tom Hutton, Philadelphia Phillies

Tommy Hutton is better known today as a baseball announcer, but he played from 1967 through 1981 for four different teams. He had short stints with the Dodgers in 1967 and '69 but never had the chance to play regularly there and was traded to Philadelphia after the '71 season. During his Phillie days, he was renowned for his ability to hit well against the Mets' Tom Seaver. In 1977, he played for both Canadian teams, first as an original Blue Jay and then with the Expos, the team he would remain for the rest of his career. His broadcast career started when he retired.

One last thing...Hutton was named to the 1972 Topps All-Star Rookie team but was not given the trophy icon on his card. While this can be explained by the fact that Hutton had a "Rookie Stars" card in the 1967 Topps set, that's really not an adequate reason, considering Lou Piniella had been featured on three multi-player rookie cards between 1964 and '69 and still had a trophy on his own 1970 Topps card.