#120 Bill Freehan

A star of his time....A superstar? HOF? probably just short on both based on hitting fluctuations....however he is the prime AL Catcher most of the 1960s.....and his quality play went well into the 70’s....A one team man, typical of the Detroit Tigers, with his likewise peers being Kaline, Stanley, and Gates Brown....Even better, prototypical  hometown hero, born and raised in Detroit....obtained a degree in history from University of Michigan....Tremendous run of 10 consecutive years being named to the AL All Star team 1964 -1973 and being best in the league from 1966 on....adding 1975 makes up 11 all star games....Was omitted in 1974 because  he was split between catcher and 1st albeit it was his best year in the 70’s.....also in the mix was a run of 5 gold glove awards..... Came to Tigertown at age 21 as a part timer in 1963....earned regular status the following year earning accolades for .300 being the first El Tigre to do so in over 30 years....hit 200 home runs (100 at home and 100 on the road)....while a great relationship between himself and the city was established, it became strained after his tell all book (ala Ball Four) came out around the time of Denny McClain’s 1970 suspension.... while his power and RBI production was down he did a rare thing in 1976, achieving a final season BA higher than his career average at age 34....even if he had a couple of off seasons Freehan would rebound to prominence and usually the Tigers fortunes followed suit.  

#121 Ed Sprague

Well traveled pitcher....never found sustainable success for any given stretch of time.....a career of call ups and demotions....neither a starter nor reliever....more successful was son Ed who played 11 seasons from 1991 to 2002....signed by St Louis and by virtue of the 1967 Rule 5 draft turned in a decent rookie season with recently settled Oakland A’s taking a solid seat in the bullpen by committee....Lost effectiveness in 1969 and banished to minors all of 1970....sold to Cincinnati for 1971.....a fall call up that year and stayed with Reds in 1972 albeit in a limited role....wore 3 team uniforms in 1973, 4 if AA Tulsa Oilers are included....overcame the nomad existence with his best season Milwaukee Brewers circa 1974....utilizing his swingman role compiling 7 wins and 2 defeats with a minuscule 2.39 ERA....Career hit a wall thereafter going 1-9 in the next two seasons....passed away January 2020....his September call up in 1971 won a game and shut out the opposition in 11 total innings.      

#122 Larry Biittner

Longevity appeared in MLB 14 seasons and stepped up to the plate nearly  3500 times....patron saint of  journeyman everywhere....did things well;  serviceable bat, solid fielder, fine work ethic...pinch hitter or platoon player, good team guy....a definite cog in a given team but usually just short of an everyday player status.... studied under Ted Williams, Whitey Herzog,  Billy Martin in first three seasons....started as the part of the Senators/Rangers started a youth movement along with Burroughs, Harrah....moved along to Montreal then to the northside of Chicago....Found his high watermark of employability and overall performance was 1977 as a Cub....in 138 games hit .298 plus a personal best show of pop with 12 home runs....Biitner’s strongest attraction was with the Cubs and his time on the north side his largest body of work........good sized but was prototypical line drive hitter sometimes puzzling his skippers, Teddy Ballgame for one........Along with the lack everyday work the other snakebite in his career may have been his consistent employment by teams mired in the second division or basement of standings .....The exception was 1981 with Cincinnati who finished at a total of 24 games above .500....the caveat wa  the strike season was split in two...neither half being eligible for the playoffs, and no postseason for Larry...next year Reds lost over 100 games....more than frustration that’s downright foiling....Despite unusual spelling of last name it was pronounced Bit-ner.....Rumor has it that Topps printed 3 1973 Larry Biitner cards for one of everybody else...not true just saying.

       

#123 Ed Acosta

Eduardo Elixbet Acosta....a short timer....As a Padre only completed the back portion of 1971 and a full season in 1972....impressive SD debut, having been acquired from the Pirates along with John Jeter in a deal for Bob Miller, throwing a complete game shutout against the Phillies August 24^th....strung along a series of strong starts resulting in 2 more complete games and season end 2.74 ERA.....chief liability was his age.... did not start playing baseball until age 21...was 23 upon starting to play organized ball....Released twice by Pittsburgh (first time) and Houston before first MLB game for Pirates.....Poor start out of gate in 1972 relegated Ed to mop up work in mostly losing efforts...sent down in 1973 did hang around Friar’s AAA Hawaii club for two years....won 14 games in 1973 but did not earn a call up.....ended with a season and portion in the Mexican league 1975 and 1976. 

#124 Yankee Rookie Stars

Yankee Rookie Stars...none shown very bright all had a September call ups in 1971...most prestigious of the bunch was Rusty Torres who held some promise sporting a .385 BA and 1.115 OPS....burdened with struggles at the plate with an anemic career.212 batting average....did eked out part time MLB labor alternating with demotions to the bush leagues, last year being 1980........In 1972 the switch hitter couldn’t carry his promising  debut ...As a  full time Yankee flopped to .211 BA and a slugging average cut by over a half.....Discouraged Yankees trade Rusty to Cleveland who were looking to fill multiple vacancies in an outfield overhaul...another failed venture as his BA sank to .205 in 1973....Eventually Torres is shuffled to California then Chicago White Sox then finally the Royals....hit .266 with 11 homers with Pale Hose but at age 29 he was too aged to stick around....finished career in AAA and Mexican league.... Roger Hambright....No further future in MLB....had a 3-1 mark with Yankees in Sept 1971....prior had a decent AA season....from 1972 to 1974 found himself shuffling between AAA to AA....Entered into Mexican League thereafter....last professional season  was 1977 won 21 games south of the border....Lasting legacy was the Nickname “Stump” bestowed by Thurman Munson in Hambright’s brief time as a Yankee.... Alan Closter.....by 1972 was well traveled long time Yankee farmhand....A rule 5 draftee to Cleveland and soon found himself a Senator and then returned for his second Yankee stint...all within a few months in 1966....injury plagued career....his MLB career was 2 wins 2 losses all coming in 1971....had a brief unsuccessful call ups for NY in 1972 and Atlanta in 1973....kicked around in minors thereafter concluding in the 1975 season...fair numbers but too old to for a big league return.

A quick update

Hello to all who view, I had to put things on hold for the last month.   Still around and healthy knock wood.  I will be posting again in the second week of March.

#125 Dave Cash

Part of the Pirate youth movement....Location Second Base replacement to the venerable Bill Mazerowski, vanguard of the 60’s ...Starting in 1966, Cash breezed through Pitt’s farm system with solid numbers.....Late season call up in 1969....Midseason call up 1970....Took over 2^nd base in 1971 although playing time was slightly restrained by military service...in 1972-73 had a steady role but sometimes took a back seat to the also talented Reggie Sennett....Seemingly accepted a trade to the lowly Phillies....entered a new phase of careers not achieved in Pittsburgh...became a prolific leadoff man leading the NL in at bats in each of this three years there.....Led NL hits one time....Better yet Cash becomes a catalyst for better things....in addition offered excellence in fielding, speed, and on/off field headship....Coined the phase “yes we can” among the Phillie collective...catapulted them from cellar dweller to a full-fledged contender resulting in a playoff berth 1976....top of his game, took the free agency route to land in Montreal...partially because he felt underappreciated, partially to enhance his coffers in the new found source of income....Reprised his role as an agent of change for the better...continued his everyday durability for two more years, turned valued reserve in his third hitting .321....returned last go round was with Padres who were gambling with a veteran laden squad....a return to regular work at second base but his .227 BA and poor spring training in 1981 spelled the end of his stock and trade in the MLB....dabbled in managing intermittently along with various roving coaching but since gone into full retirement.    

#126 Bart Johnson

Standing 6’5”tall Bart’s pedigree is one of athletic proficiency....Maybe the best athlete on the White Sox roster....Representative of new breed of player....floppy haired, outspoken with the brash declaration to be able to play a position spot when not pitching ...ala Babe Ruth....and/or play professional basketball in the off season....Ala as Dave DeBusschere did a decade earlier on south side of Chicago....had 22 point per game average as a BYU cager, drawing the eye of Seattle Super Sonic coach Bill Russell....Chose baseball where he felt he could excel....Up and down career greatly hampered by injuries....Debut with White Sox at age 19 in 1969....Career went on the upswing with the arrival of pitching Johnny Sain circa 1971....W-L record of 12-10 as both a fifth starter and their top reliever....Considered the hardest Pale Hose thrower at the time, more impressive given his peers were Terry Forrester and “Goose” Gossage....multiple injuries resulted in a disastrous 1972 start going 0-3 with 9.22 ERA... Strangely turned to being a position player after being demoted to the minors....hit very well, a combined BA of .316 for single A Appleton and AA Knoxville (interestingly he did not pitch at AA) which added credence to his personal position player claim ....nevertheless reverted back to the mound in 1973...appeared to have made a partial return to glory with a 10-7 record in 1974....Unfortunately lost out on the entire 1975 season due to a spring training back injury....career lost momentum from there on....went 13-21 with an elevated ERA over the next two year....had brief forays in minors for next three years....went into scouting but also tried a comeback in 1985..passed away in April 2020... It’s not a good thing if your nickname is “Toys in the Attic”....Which aside from being an early Aerosmith album the term is a metaphor for insanity...hmmm....interesting baseball journey.

#127 Duffy Dyer

Serviceable substitute catcher for most of his career...MLB start was as a third stringer on 1969 miracle Mets....had an extended MLB career around not only because of the high demand for catchers but his excellent handling of pitchers and defensive skills....closest to being a regular was 1972 as he had to step up for an ailing Jerry Grote....with the #1 spot put up several career highs with his bat.....later stops included the Pirates, Expos, and Tigers....Final MLB line was 30 home runs, 178 RBIs, .221 BA over 14 year span....Like so many backstops went into managing after playing...stops included all levels of the minor league....has a 1-7 MLB managing record as three time fill in Resident in the Phoenix area....In recent years has been spending summers in Kenosha Wisconsin managing a College summer league team....real name is Don Robert Dyer for his nickname Duffy was from an old radio program.

#128 Eddie Watt

Quietly and unassumingly one of the most consistent relievers in the AL....his prime was buoyed by a second to none starting staff that established a complete game took off a tremendous burden....usual was well rested between appearances....started off for Orioles in their historic WS run of 1966....was a swingman in the rotation 43 games with 14 starts.....9-7 record....set several career highs in rookie year....Despite his contribution no post season work....with complete games being the norm in the WS, he wasn’t needed.....1967 starts a run of exclusive fireman role and stingy ERAs under 2.5 runs a game....A vital part of a mop up crew by committee....his role kept his total saves lower than average....Two campaigns stand out....1969 saved 16 games along a 1.65 ERA both personal bests.....1971 sported a 1.87 ERA despite a mid season injury that may have effectiveness.... with 11 saves accounted for half of the O’s season total....had pinpoint control by walking only 8 batters in his 40 innings....1972 and 1973  surrendered more work to eventual successors like Grant Jackson and Bob Reynolds.... Acquired by the Phillies in a cash only deal 1974....Still led the club in saves but ERA ballooned....Going for youth, released by the Phillies.....scooped up by the Cubs but was relegated mostly to the minors and an unsuccessful 6 game trial in Chicago....In an effort to return to the majors played two years in Padres AAA club in Hawaii...With his prospects diminishing went into a four stint of managing...Once recognized as a good hitting pitcher....hit .302 in rookie season but as his role of a late inning specialist limited plate time....went 1 for 32 from 1968 on.