#13 Joe Grzenda

Lefty who wore a plethora of uniforms and rode many minor league buses....Like most of his trade began as a starter and settled in bullpen specialist.....a case of work late in his occupation   A model persistence, toiling for 20 years.....plied his vocation in 19 different cities....Brief work assignments for the Tigers (1961), KC Athletics (1964, 1966) and NY Mets (1967) gave him enough calendar time to exceed rookie status…..landed in Twins AAA Denver club in 1968 and met one Billy Martin…..Martin liked what he saw enough to give the 32 year old a spot on the 69 Twins….served court as a backup reliever added 3 saves…..late spring transaction sent him to the Nation’s capital in 1970….numbers regressed to +5 ERA and 6 saves….a rare instance of player liking skipper Ted Williams, who returned the feeling….Teddy Ballgame’s faith in Joe was rewarded the following year….1971:  armed with a new weapon AKA “slip pitch” Joe put together his best season by far…..In 52 games an ERA of 1.92 lowest on the staff…..plus added 5 saves…..6th save was in sight were it not for the forfeit of the Senator’s last game as fans stormed the field of play before the last out…..in the mayhem Grzenda personally kept the last ball used in play…..Joe relocated but not to Texas….One of several vets acquired by St Louis in an Over the Hill gang business model….However his effectiveness using the slip pitch significantly evaporated resulting in opponents hitting over .400 against….as the season progressed Cards reversed course and retooled with a youth movement in their bullpen….released but was game enough at age 36 to return to minors…..endured two more years of bush leagues before hanging up spikes…..flash forward 34 years later at the Nationals first home game, he caught the inaugural first pitch from George w. Bush using the same ball from retained from 1971…..Excitable, colorful and quotable, best quip focused on his long minor league career “I’d like to stay in baseball long enough to buy a bus,” pause “then set fire to it.”….after 21 years left baseball altogether opting to be a deputy sheriff….passed away 2019   

#14 Phillies Rookie Stars Pete Koegel Mike Anderson Wayne Twitchell

Close inspection on the back of the card shows the making of a formidable front basketball team....and maybe they should have tried.....Phillies of the early 70s were in full rebuild mode with a few stars and future HOFers in the wings, but aside from that some short it largely missed this crew.

Pete Koegel  standing at 6’ 6” was an applicant in the derby to be the regular Phillies backstop with offensive capabilities....A location of stop gap applicants....Slow start but built a solid body of work in minors during 1970-71....was able some MLB time with the Brewers and then Phillies but neither excited critics....was able to stay in Philly for the during of 1972 but was used very little....any chance of career enhancement ruined by the arrival of Bob Boone....bounced along a couple of farm systems with rapidly diminishing returns.

Mike Anderson Billed as the doppelganger of Greg Luzinski, who was just called up and would make inroads.....Sizeable man 6’ 2” .....Massive minor league stats seem to promise great things.... In the major leagues you could die of encouragement and like several other Philadelphia fledglings fell on his face in 1972....relegated back to minors....Anderson returns to Philly for next stint but lost time to injuries....relegated to 5^th or 6^th outfielder or pinch hitter....numbers passable at best but a near shadow of AAA figures....trail took him to St. Louis, Baltimore, and then a final return to Philly.

Wayne Twitchell  Another tall timber.....boyish looks on a 6 ’6 ½” frame..... Like Pete Koegel plucked from the Brewers system....In absence of other alternatives was thrown into the competitive MLB breech of 1972 and given a swing man role with an occasional start....Came out with 5-9 W-L record....followed up with an all star season in 1973 and 2.50 ERA good for 3^rd best....13 wins put him a four way tie for club lead....but after last game injury altered the hopeful upstart was never the same....started 1974 on DL and once returned ineffective, a tract continued next year....ERA improved greatly but work load was shrunk to mop up only....pitching woes return and stay in 1977 splitting time between Phillies and Montreal.....released by Expos after next year....Signed by Mets for 1979 then sold to Mariners....both resulting in a inflated ERA....grant free agency but with no takers.

Close inspection on the back of the card show the making of a formidable front basketball team....and maybe they should have tried.....Phillies of 1972 were in full rebuild mode with stars and HOFers in the wing, but it missed this crew....Pete Koegel  standing at 6’ 6” was an entrant in the derby to be the mainstay Phillies backstop with offensive capabilities....A location of stop gap applicants....Slow start but built a solid body of work in minors during 1970-71....was able some MLB time with the Brewers and then Phillies but neither excited critics....was able to stay in Philly for the during of 1972 but was used very little....any chance of career enhancement ruined by the arrival of Bob Boone....bounced along a couple of farm systems with rapidly diminishing returns.

Mike Anderson Billed as the doppelganger of Greg Luzinski, who was just called up and would make inroads.....Sizeable man 6’ 2” .....Massive minor league stats seem to promise great things.... In the major leagues you could die of encouragement and like several Philadelphia fledglings fell on his face in 1972....relegated back to minors....Anderson returns to Philly for next stint but lost time to injuries....relegated to 5^th or 6^th outfielder or pinch hitter....numbers passable at best and a near shadow of AAA figures....trail took him to St. Louis, Baltimore, and then a final return to Philly.

Wayne Twitchell  Another tall boy.....boyish looks on a 6 ’6 ½” frame..... Like Pete Koegel plucked from the Brewers system....In absence of other alternatives was thrown into the competitive MLB breech of 1972 and given a swing man role with an occasional start....Came out with 5-9 W-L record....followed up with an all star season in 1973 and 2.5 ERRA good for 3^rd best....13 wins put him a four way tie for club lead....but after last game injury altered the hopeful upstart was never the same....started 1974 on DL and once returned ineffective, a tract continued next year....ERA improved greatly but work load was shrunk to mop up only....pitching woes return and stay in 1977 splitting time between Phillies and Montreal.....released by Expos after next year....Signed by Mets for 1979 then sold to Mariners....both resulting in a inflated ERA....grant free agency but with no takers. 

#15 Walt Williams

A member of the South Side Sox....line drive hitter, not usually one to go yard....came out of Houston’s developmental program only NL experience was as a Colt .45 for 10 games 1964....passed through via St Louis Cardinals farm without a promotion despite twice hitting .330 twice first in the Texas League then PCL (good for league best).....Surfaced with Pale Hose by way of minor trade....First two year a reserve hitting near .240 remarkable but slightly better than team BA at the time...a major upgrade in 1969 exceeding .300 and for the only time escaping the collar of part-timer.....thereafter a flurry of see-saw years; 1970 a downgrade in BA to .251 and playing time...return to proficiency in 1971...lost time again in 1972 plus .249 BA....traded to Cleveland for 1973....his one put up a solid BA and a complementary career high of 38 RBIs.....Often put in leadoff hitter which limited RBI production...demonstrated base skills in minor but it transferred the MLB....traveled on to NYY but mired on the depth chart....left American to extend career over the border and overseas in Japan....Utilizing the smaller Japanese ballparks hit 44 home runs, pop that he had never shown before in the states.... Dabbled in minor league managing mid 90’s for Texas farm system.....Passed away in 2016.....has a grandnephew Mason Williams, presently a MLB journeyman....his nickname same as his granduncle “no neck”              

   

#16 Mike Jorgensen

Up and coming 1^st baseman that could also play outfield....good glove but needed playing time.....outside of some regular work with early editions of the Expos, mostly a platoon player that quietly kept himself on MLB rosters for 18 years....Raised and cultivated in the Mets organization who engaged in back and forth transfers from minors then to the show.....a case of a quality, one individual Rusty Staub, swapped for quantity Ken Singleton, Tim Foli, and Jorgensen.....Gave the Expos solid remedies to positional aliments.....close to being regular 1^st smacker and showed a little pop during first two years and gold glove award.....caveat being a BA hovering near .230.....standout season came in 1974 sporting a .310 BA and increased runs driven in....ensuing year brought career best in HRs and RBIs but a 39 point drop in batting was telling of downgraded future....hung on north of border until traded to Oakland in 1977....another franchise at the time with the help wanted sign out.....took the free agent route to Texas then a second go-around with the Mets and eventually the  Braves covering the period from 1978 to 1984....last stop St. Louis was fleeting although some endearment between him and took place...held several positions in the franchise up to an interim Manager spot in 1995....Only MLB player to be born on the day Babe Ruth died.....Last at bat came in the 1985 World Series.

#17 Dave Duncan

A  pitcher's mentor and best friend.....Signed in 1963, toiled as an Athletic franchise trainee for years....A cog in the changing of the team’s fortune.....Duncan along with other multiple A’s mainstays found their path to the Fall Classic and tasted success....Others found individual stardom, it eluded Duncan....Solidly built, earned a fast track to KC with an outstanding 1964 at Fresno.....Once up however started slow.....Had to fight competition from Phil Roof, Larry Haney, Frank Ferandez for playing time....while his power and RBI numbers did rise over time Duncan lacked the ability to consistently maintain an acceptable batting average (.219 career)....with the ascendency of Gene Fury Tenace (also waiting in the wings) in the 1972 World Series, his tenure involving 11 years with KC/Oakland organization halted after 1972 with a trade to Cleveland....hit 109 homers, one for every 26.5 at-bats....Cleveland provides playing with a slightly less congested talent field but Duncan remains underwhelming at the plate at best.....made expendable and shipped to the Baltimore Orioles for an exchange for  aging Boog Powell.....in nearly 600 at bats over the course of two season Duncan fails to eclipse a .205 BA.....still armed with enough skills to be offered as trade bait Duncan is swapped to White Sox....Active player status concludes by failure to make the Chisox roster out of spring training.....All is not lost.....His iconic status was obtained through being a pitching coach....was a great agent of change within the science....incorporated extensive charting and data recording.

#18 Juan Pizarro

Prolific Puerto Rican pitcher.....21 years in organized ball most of them with some major leagues going back to the late 50’s.....Career of several acts....starting trajectory was of a talented protégé but failed to meet expectations early on, found a short window of prime only to be later sent to the minors.....having  relied upon by big clubs for instant starting support.........Story began in Milwaukee 90 miles north of Chicago but was mired under underwhelming performances and the Braves’ pitching depth.....Teemed with talent but couldn’t make the right pitch at the right time.....Personal godsend was a trade to White Sox to whom he gave his 3 best years collecting his career bests of 19, 16, and 14 wins at different intervals....an injury shortened his 1965 and lost his rotation spot in 66....embarked on stops to Pittsburgh, Boston, Cleveland, and Oakland in the span of three years failing to firmly establish himself....was released and signed by Angels farm club in Hawaii for 1970...went undefeated and quickly flipped mid season to the Baby Bears....change or scenery did not fit him....shelled in first Cub outing, sent down to AAA Iowa and continue to struggle.....was able to more successfully contribute to the Northsiders cause in 1971 getting another mid season call up and procuring seven wins vs. six losing decisions....netted a full season in 1972 but was unremarkable succumbing to weight issues....while he still could win in minors or Mexican league and get the call from Cubs, Houston,....could not mount a moment of longevity at the top level....but a 1974 Pittsburgh call up yielded an excellent 1.88 ERA...... Did finish his career with two fine years in the Mexican League ending 1976....the man knew how to pitch if he was focused and in shape....date of demise February 18, 2021