#218 Eddie Kasko

Red Sox skipper sandwiched between Dick Williams and Daryl Johnson…helmed winning teams starting 1970 but a victim of bad timing with dominance of Baltimore in his first two years....Best chance for postseason came in 1972 as the Orioles stumbled into a tight 4 way race with Tigers, Yankees, and Red Sox....problem was with the boycott lost games early season were not played leaving an uneven schedule....Red Sox had one game less than the AL East winner Tigers....Red Sox fell short by ½ game.....next season Kasko had his record with 88 wins but was let go with one game left in season...did not manage again....was an infielder 1957 to 1966 for St Louis, Cincinnati, Houston, and Boston....stayed with Red Sox organization to manage AAA teams in Toronto and Louisville. 1967-69....finished his baseball calling as a long time scout.

#219 Rennie Stennett

One of the very impressive rookies to participate in the Pirates championship year…the latest newcomer with a terrific .353 BA in rookie year….Started and tore up AAA then called up to replace an injured Jose Pagan…..despite outstanding numbers excluded from post season…Seeing potential became well entrenched in Pirates line up to the moment of their next WS victory in 1979, staying while others were traded…end result was mostly positive, a bit wavering, sometimes outstanding and one time historical….outstanding like his .336 BA in 1977….historic being his 7-7 day against the woeful Cubs in 1975 who were defeated 22-0….lesser moments were hitting a subpar .242 in 1973 and producing same in his last two years in Pittsburgh 1978-79…after being a member of the “We are Family” Pirates, tried his luck with the Giants with no change in BA; a .242 average.   One of the very impressive rookies to participate in the Pirates championship year…the latest newcomer with a terrific .353 BA in rookie year….Started and tore up AAA then called up to replace an injured Jose Pagan…..despite outstanding numbers excluded from post season…Seeing potential became well entrenched in Pirates line up to the moment of their next WS victory in 1979, staying while others were traded…end result was mostly positive, a bit wavering, sometimes outstanding and one time historical….outstanding like his .336 BA in 1977….historic being his 7-7 day against the woeful Cubs in 1975 who were defeated 22-0….lesser moments were hitting a subpar .242 in 1973 and producing same in his last two years in Pittsburgh 1978-79…after being a member of the “We are Family” Pirates, tried his luck with the Giants with no change in BA; a .242 average....left majors after 1981 and played in Mexico and tried a comeback in AAA Wichita 1983.  

#220 Jim Perry

Hard work and perseverance rewarded by the Cy Young Award two years prior….extensive up and down career but owner of 240 wins…brother of Gaylord Perry....one of the greatest brother duos in the history of baseball, 529 win, 10 short of the Niekros....Jim, two years the elder, started 1959 Cleveland....quickly established himself in his second season by being tied for the AL top spots in Wins...1961 was not kind however as Perry had a 10-17 record and led the AL in earned runs surrendered....Jim spends one more full campaign in Cleveland with a 12-12 result....traded to the Twins early 1963....spends the next several season in a cornucopia of pitching roles....starter, spot starter, situational reliever, with limited results skippered by managers absent of the knowledge of how to fully utilize his talent....situation was so marginal that he was put on waivers with no takers in 1964...later on he was also turned down when left available for the 1968 expansion draft (not alone, Jim Palmer wasn’t taken either).....career salvation came in the form of Billy Martin....Returned Perry to a prime starter only....Perry paid out big time with 20 win season....Perry continues to roll without Martin in 1970 taking 24 contests.....Gaylord tallied 23 in the NL, the highest brother total....1971 was a fall, Perry goes .500 with 17-17 record....surrenders the most home runs and runs for that year....turned in a losing record in 1972 but was able to control the gopher ball and lower ERA....1973 traded to Detroit and then the following year united with his brother in Cleveland....together won 38 games, Jim tallying 17 ....1975 both brothers tail off and are traded midseason to different teams.....Jim finishes up season and career in Oakland....most interesting game in his career is a tie between winning two games in one day (vs Seattle 1969, closing 2 inning an unfinished contest and then a complete game) or going up against his brother in 1973....Son is a professional golfer....215 career wins.

#222-221 A.L./N.L. Playoffs

Personal recollection of the Championship Series: None....I knew Oakland had ran away with the AL West but their destiny was a 3-0 sweep to the Orioles was the same result as the two prior years since the inception of the Championship Series....Orioles scored 5 runs in each and manhandled to upstart A’s....Most of the O’s staff rested, with Mike Cuellar and Jim Palmer carried most the work load with complete games....National League Playoff pitted SF Giants against the Pirates...The Giants were the only team that was coming off the only real pennant race of the season...San Francisco drew first blood with a Gaylord Perry complete game victory...notable in that it was the first time a team wasn’t swept in  the league championship playoff...Game 2 Pirates comeback with a vengeance shelling Giant starter John Cumberland...Pirates score 9 runs five of which came off of Bob Robertson’s 3 home runs.....pitching ruled in game 3 as Bob Johnson out dueled Juan Marichal 2-1....in the deciding 4^th game neither Gaylord Perry or Steve Blass pitched well but the Pirates out slugged the Giants 9-5 to take the series....a swan song for the Giants whose franchise would be staggered by age, bad trades, and injuries in many coming years. 

#230-223 1971 World Series

Since 1959 Topps set aside cards depicting the World Series....1971 a close series, Pirates bent on upsetting and dethroning the 1970 champions, Orioles....Historic in that it  shone the spotlight on the legend of Roberto Clement 15 months before his untimely death.....Baltimore coming into the series  boasted 4 20 game winner...a feat likely never achieved again....Pittsburgh coming off a relatively sedate pennant race breaking persona of good but a also ran that dogged them for decade since their 1960 WS crown.....The start was a standard script of expectation...Game 1 the birds use their veteran savvy to overcome a 3 run defecit with five runs....second game an Oriole beat down at 11-3....A reprise of the 1970 WS is in the works....Historic with  the rescue work by Steve Blass who threw a 3 hitter and takes game 3 by a score of  5-1....Game 4 the first WS night game ever....Horrible start for Bucs and the victim is lefty Luke Walker who yanked after only two outs....enter rookie Bruce Kison who only allow one hit in 6 1/3 innings...Pittsburgh has now evened the series....Game 5 is a two hitter thrown by secret weapon Nelson Briles redeeming his season and his last WS performance....So far all home teams win....Series returns to Baltimore....Orioles pull out all stops, Palmer starts, Dobson middle relief, and McNally closes in a 3-2 extra inning win....Blass takes the hill in Game 7 against Mike Cuellar....Cuellar pitches well but surrenders a home to Clemente in the fourth and a run scoring double to Jose Pagan...Orioles come back with one run but it not enough....Pittsburgh take game and match...MVP Roberto Clemente who had a hit in every game (a feat he also did in the 1961 WS)....Not a miracle but unexpected result....personal recollection indifferent to 1971 baseball season in general (the Twins took a nosedive and no other team I had strong attachment with)....watched the last game of the series and went outside afterward and threw a baseball at my pitch back.  

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#231 Casey Cox

Swingman sometimes starting sometimes relieving....started in bullpen circa 1966 but in later years never fully defined in a specific role....his dual role was a pleasant addition as Washington vaulted to a winning record 1969....like his employer the triumph was short lived....1970 both Cox (now mostly a starter) and the Nats regressed....Casey’s ERA was 1.5 runs per higher than his career averager.....1971 returned mostly to the Pen in a fireman by committee situation....Packed his bags to Texas with the franchise but was in effect being phased out of MLB employment....acquired by Yankees for a few innings late in the 1972 pennant race....pitched one game for Yankees in 1973, mostly worked in AAA Wichita....Cool name.

#232 Giants Rookie Stars

The trio spent the entirety of 1972 in the bigs to replace various vacancies....Chris Arnold was never more than a short term call up...played exclusively for Giants in 1971-76....hit well in the minors exceptionally at times....in hitter friendly PCL slugged at a .343 clip in 1971....mostly was on the SF bench thereafter....Starting in 1978 played three years in Japan.....Jim Barr.....graduate of the famed USC baseball....drafted six times at various stages in his development....drafted same year as teammate Dave Kingman....workhorse type pitcher....pitched over 200 innings five consecutive years....1972 collected only 8 wins but a strong 2.87 ERA....best run was 1974-76 the victor in 13, 13, and 15 games respectively.....lost effectiveness starting 1977....Angels invested free agency dollars on Barr in 1978 with poor to average dividends....returned to Giants in a middle relief role....won 101 games.....Giants rookie of greatest impact rookie of 1972 was Dave Rader.... took over the starting backstop due to the departure of Dick Dietz....voted #2 in NL ROY honors....career became a roller thereafter....hit poorly 1973 dropping 30 points....rebounded nicely for the remainder of his San Francisco days raising his cumulative BA by 19 points....starting 1977 played on a different team over the next four years....St. Louis, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia, and Boston in that order....finished his last year with a .329 BA.

#233 Jay Johnstone

Baseball’s equivalent to a class clown....sometimes labeled a flake but really more of a prankster or comic impressionist....good at all off field talents....favorite comic routine involved putting a pillow under his shirt which initially was an impersonation of Babe Ruth which then eventually morphed into LA manager Tommy Lasorda....decent hard working ball player at times... ...had ups and down and despite comedic tendencies adapted and overcame....nevertheless an extensive career of 15 full and 5 partial seasons....optimal performance came from a platoon role and being allowed to hit in natural line drive style.....Born November 20^th 1945 sharing it with eventual teammate Rick Monday who was one year his senior...best practices were displayed in Philadelphia....one of the team’s best hitters mid 1974 to 1977 hitting over .300 and partook in 75% games....a slump in early 1978 started the frequent shuffle of teams with pinch hitting/part time status....stopped playing 1985.....When Jay was made they broke the mold.....one of a kind....started in the Angels organization.

#234 Ron Taylor

Canadian born....lengthy, solid baseball career.... a doctor, after playing days were over.....Ron earned a doctorate, after playing days were over.....like Royal Gail Hopkins a highly educated man....Ron’s story begins in Cleveland’s organization with a cup of coffee 1962....traded to St Louis with initial good results increasing his rank as a bullpen specialist circa 1963....mediocre seasons followed and eventually sold to Houston....redemption care in the form of his acquisition by the Mets....instant impact and established himself as NY’s save leader for several years and viewed as the prime of his career....instrumental in Met unexpected playoff and World Championship 1969....awarded the first save ever in a NLCS, got the win in the second game....picked up save in game 2 of 1969 WS....while his work load and save total remained stable in 1970 his ERA crept upwards....1971 brought much of same sans save opportunities...sold to Expos but never played for them....released late in Spring training  and picked by the Padres who used him early on in 1972 eating innings in blow out loses....hence the start of his second career.

#235 Merv Rettenmund

Developed so well that the Orioles jettisoned valuable veteran Frank Robinson to LA....with good reason the prior two seasons output combined to a .320 BA....1972 looked bright but it turn out to be the arrestor hook of his career....a couple of injuries and his batting average plummeted to .233 with significant losses in home runs and runs batted in....was able to redeem 1974 to a .262 BA....with teammates like Don Baylor ascending, Merv was expendable and traded to the Reds....Difficult team to gain playing time and he placed at 5^th outfielder....never hit well in the Queen City....spent later season in Southern California first San Diego then Angels mostly in a pinch hit role with some success....became one of the top hitting coaches in the 90’s and 00’s....now out of coaching for the past 11 years.