#15 Bill Campbell

Its big Bill Campbell, well he is 6'3 and in the 70's that was pretty big in my favorite Red Sox uniforms. The dark blue cap and the solid looking 'Boston' on the front of the jersey just make an unbeatable combination unlike the current version while nice just isn't as good.  Here we see him at the Oakland Coliseum though we don't know if a game is on or not since nobody went to A's games in the late 70's! Dare I mention the April 17 game against the Mariners and the 653 fans who showed up. 

Campbell himself was signed by the Twins and debuted for them midway through the 73 season. In 76 he made no starts but still won 17 games tying an American League record. During the season he lead the league with 78 appearances, one stretch in August he appeared in five straight games, and threw 167.2 innings. After just his fourth season he signed with the Red Sox where he went 13-9 in 69 relief appearances. The season pictured here saw him only take the mound 41 times and ended the season with a 4.28 ERA. Another off year in 80 and a return in 81 he signed with the Cubs but his career wasn't the same after all those innings from 74 to 77. His WAR went from 12.8 to a -0.3 from 1980 to the end of his career in 87. During those 8 years he through 523.1 innings while from 73-79 he threw 706. So all those innings took their toll. 

#14 Dave Cash

Back in the 1970's the Pittsburgh Pirates had a Thunderdome style flight for 2nd base between Dave Cash and Rennie Stennett. Stennett won it. Cash was sent to the Pirates division rivals the Phillies. 

Here we see him after he signed with the Expos in 77, appearing in his warm-up jacket at Candlestick with a giant Marlboro ad in the background. 

A good fielder he was also a part of the Padres attempt in 1980 to get old-as mentioned in the John Curtis post-and he was brought in to improve their defense. While he provided the glove they wanted his offense slipped and by the end of the season he was riding the bench and he was released at the end of the spring of 1981. 

#13 Ron Pruitt

Even though Pruitt was 27 years-old in the pic he looks about 10 years younger but at least you could see him unlike his 79 card where he was in his catcher's mask. Drafted by the Rangers, in the 2nd round, out of Michigan State in 1972 he debuted with the Rangers in 75 and was sent to Cleveland in December of 75 for John Ellis. In 77 he had his most at-bats with 219 and hitting 2 homers and 28 RBI's. Pruitt spent most of his career as a backup outfielder and catcher appearing 162 as an outfielder and 89 as a catcher. 

Traded to the White Sox during the 1980 season he made his big impression on me in 1982 with the Giants'. On September 30 against the Astros at Candlestick Park Pruitt came up as a pinch-hitter for Johnnie LeMaster in the bottom of the 9th. With two out and two on Pruitt his a single to center driving in Darrell Evans and Jeff(ry) Leonard to win the game 7-6  and those would be his only two RBI's for the Giants' but it was a memorable moment because his game-winning hit kept the Giants' dim post-season hopes alive. 

Another appearance in 1983 and soon he was out of the game but for one moment he made quite an impression upon a Giants' fan. 

The 79 card:

#12- John Curtis

For some reason I was in awe when I first saw this card sometime in early 1980. Curtis is seen pitching at Candlestick Park with the Giants' second baseman Rob Andrews in the background. Thanks to Andrews I can narrow down the date to June 16, of 79 when four things had to happen: 1) John Curtis pitched, 2) It was an afternoon game, 3) it took place at Candlestick and 4) Rob Andrews was playing 2nd base. Curtis pitched a complete game win over the Cardinals giving up just five hits and one earned run. 

Curtis was a journeyman lefty who was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the 1968 draft and pitched for them from 1970-73, then it was on to St. Louis and went to the Giants' in 77. In the season shown on the card he went 10-9 with a 4.18 ERA. He threw 3 CG and 2 shutouts that year. Much to the chagrin of Giants' fans he signed with the Padres who were attempting to win the pennant by going old-Dave Cash, Willie Montanez, Aurelio Rodriquez. It didn't work. In 82 he was a late season acquisition of the Angels but didn't appear in the postseason. A couple more seasons there he left after the 84 season as a free agent and that brought an end to his career. 

#11 Jimmy Sexton

All I remember of Jimmy Sexton was his odd name-I could't help but laugh-and he played for the A's in 1982. Other than that not much. He was a fielder who didn't hit much and had a short career in the majors as a backup infielder. 

Nice picture of the classic Astros' uniform taken during spring training of 1979. What else is there to say? Other than his peach-fuzz mustache made him look like Larry Bird. 

#10 Denny Martinez

One of the best shots in the set is found on this card as Martinez is shown throwing at the Oakland Coliseum, though we don't get to see the ball coming out of his hand. 

Martinez was coming off a 15-16 session for the pennant winning Orioles and wasn't a fan favorite because of his record even though he lead the team in innings with 292.1, complete games with 18, and was second in shutouts and K's. He had no decision in the ALCS and pitched poorly in the World Series which the O's lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

The next few season were inconsistent with an injury marred 80 but an excellent 81 (14-5, 3..32.) then a couple more poor seasons even with the team winning the World Series in 83 over the Phillies though he didn't make any post-season appearances. 

In 86 he was sent to the Montreal Expos after a couple of more horrifying seasons with ERA's over 5. In Montreal he lived up to his potential. In his 8 years with the Expos he won 15 and 16 games two times each. In 91 he had a meager 2.39 ERA which lead the league as did his 9 CG's and 5 shutouts. One of those shutouts was a perfect game at Dodger Stadium 

With the Indians he made another post-season appearance going 1-2 in Cleveland's pennant winning season that fall short against the Braves. Spending a coulee of short stuns with the Mariners and the Braves he retired and is now the bullpen coach with the Astros. 

#9 Steve Braun

Pinch-hitter Steve Braun is shown here at the old Comiskey Park on a dark looking day. Drafted by the Twins Braun was a 3B, 2B, OF and occasional SS. An average fielder he was a lefty with modest power but always with a good average. He suffered the fate of the good but not great player when he was taken in the Expansion Draft by the Seattle Mariners and in 78 was traded to the Royals. With Kansas City he was mostly a reserver but he made enough of an impression of manager Whitey Herzog that after a brief stay in Toronto he was signed by Herzog's new team the Cardinals in 1981. Spending the last five years of his career there he was again mostly a sub but in 1982 he did pick up a ring when the Cards beat the Brewers in the World Series.