Graphology

Graphology is the study of handwriting.  Supposedly, your scrawl actually says something about you.

It’s something that I’m rather interested in. I’ve actually got a small library of books on the subject.

And that’s really ironic, as my handwriting is, without a doubt, the absolute worst I’ve ever seen.  I’ve had people ask me whether it’s shorthand, or Arabic. When I was in college, I liked nothing better than having someone ask me for my notes.  Mwa-ha-ha.

I also have had my handwriting analyzed before. The graphologists usually tell me I have “something to hide.”

What does this have to do with baseball cards? Well, every couple of years or so, Topps puts out a card with signatures. So, let’s put on our graphologist hats and analyze the heck out of these guys.

My Big Book of Graphology says that Bill didn’t finish third grade.

Billy Sorrell was up for three years, none of them in consecutive years, and none of them with the same team. That last bit is probably why he’s not wearing a cap on this card. Heck, who knows where he’s going to be playing next year, right?

Overall, Bill had 165 at bats, and hit a decent .267, with five homers. Not totally sure why he wasn’t given more of a chance. By the way, 135 of those at bats were with the hapless, brand new Royals.

Also, that rather tentative, what-the-heck-am I dong-here look? It’s on all three of Billy’s card.

Ditto Joe.

Joe Moeller was up for eight years, all with LA. He was the youngest player ever to start a game for the Dodgers, at just over 19 years. Joe finished 26-36, with an ERA a little north of 4.00.

Though 70, Joe’s still in baseball. He works as an advance scout for the Marlins.

Some interesting tidbits about our Joe:

• He was born in Blue Island, IL
• He won the junior national title in archery
• The Red Sox gave his parents $5,000 for “first rights” while he was still in Little League

That last one’s totally illegal, by the way.

And Tony.

Tony Oliva was an excellent baseball player. He led the AL in average three years, runs once, and hits five times. He was also Rookie of the Year and an eight-time All Star. 

I always thought he had a decent shot at the Hall. Unfortunately, he never got more than 47% of the vote. If his balky knees hadn’t given him so much trouble, he’d probably have made it easy. He was, though, part of the inaugural class for the Twins Hall of Fame.

Tony was also a huge fan favorite, and sounds like a genuinely nice guy.
     

My Big Book of Graphology says that Manny learned how to write cursive on the planet Zoltak.

Manny Mota was a real favorite of mine as a kid. Not totally sure why. I think I loved those pure hitters. Manny was one. Matty Alou was another. Maybe these guys just reminded me of myself. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a “pure hitter,” but it was true that about all I could do was hit singles.

Manny finished with a career average over .300 (.304, to be precise). And he did that over 20 years in the bigs. His last eight were strictly as a pinch hitter, having more at bats than games in only one of those eight. When he retired, he owned the record for career pinch hits.

Hard to believe he’s only 75. I swear he was already that old when I watched him play back in the ‘70s. Would you believe he was a coach for the Dodgers for 33 straight years?

Did you know that Reginald had an IQ of 150?  You can always tell those guys. They have those crazy genius-guy signatures – like that “M” on Reginald’s. 

Bet you didn’t know “M” stood for “Martinez” though. Reggie is actually three-quarters Latino. Here are some more great fun facts about Mr. October:

• He attended Arizona State on a football scholarship
• He was the second pick in the 1966 draft (the Mets made Steve Chilcott number one)
• He hosted his own TV show on Nickleodeon
• The eponymous Reggie bar was originally called the Wayne Bun

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Ron was part of a little-known experiment in which the government tested LSD on major league baseball players during the 1970s.

Actually, I think that interesting signature might have resulted from his getting hit by all those pitches. Yup, Ron Hunt’s main claim to fame was from being a hit batsman. 

That includes leading his league seven times, and also retiring with a then record career mark of 243. His motto was, “Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball.”
      

My Big Book of Graphology says that guys who dot their i’s with stars are Dicks.  

Well, you’ve actually met Dick Bosman before. There, I made fun of his follow-through, but also shared that he was one of my boyhood heroes.  

And here are some fun facts for our Dick:

• He started the last game for the Senators and the first one for the Rangers
• His hobby is building hot rods
• He’s cousins with Duane Kuiper

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Or Steves.  Well, at least it wasn’t a little heart.

You remember this guy, right? I already made fun of Steve Hamilton once in this blog, for those ears. There, I focused on his basketball prowess (he was 6’6”, after all).

Baseball? Seems Steve’s main claim to fame was being left-handed. I figure that’s why he lasted so long (12 years) with so few wins (40) and so few saves (42). He was a Yankee for eight of those 12, but still managed to play for five other teams. Like I say, left-handed.

Wait a minute. I take that all back. Steve’s main claim to fame had to be the “folly floater,” an eephus-like pitch that he broke out occasionally to the delight of the fans. Take a gander at it right here.

Yeah, I think this pen works now.

It’s one thing to sign a card that already has an autograph on it, but when your autograph looks like this …

All you need to know about Fred Wenz is that his nickname was “Fireball.” 

That said, here’s a very funny post on how some poor guy and his brother, as kids, collected 83 Freds, instead of any of the Harmon Killebrews, Tony Olivas, and Rod Carews they were really looking for.

That’s not a b.  That’s not a t.  And that’s definitely not a Pena.  

Roberto Pena was up for six years, half of those as a starter. He amassed 1,900 at bats, for five teams, finishing with 13 home runs and a .245 average.

Things started off with a bang for Sr. Pena. In his first big league game (opening day, no less), he went 3-for-6, with a double, a home run (off Bob Gibson) and three RBI. Too bad he also committed three errors in seven chances.

Ropael Robbs?  Ropoel Rolles?  

Rafael Orlando Robles Natera (not sure where the “R.” in his signature came from) was – and I quote Wikipedia here – “an average fielding shortstop and a below-average hitter.” As evidence, they cite a .958 fielding and a .188 batting average. And that’s probably what’s behind his limited action in the bigs (47 games over three years).

He was, however, the Padres first batter, somehow getting to first (on an error by Joe Morgan). He also managed to steal a base, but was – alas – left stranded.

Work P. Ellijk?  (Though do see Ron Hunt, above.)

Dock Ellis. Wow, there’s a name from the past. Man, I must have seen this guy pitch a dozen times.

Dock was not a bad pitcher. He finished 138-119, with over 1,100 strikeouts. He’ll always be remembered, though, for his no-hitter, thrown while he was supposedly on LSD. Great little video on it right here. (Oh, by the way, he only took the stuff ‘cause he thought it was his off day. I always wondered about that.)

3vilbur Honbrd?

Wilbur Howard is a local boy, coming from nearby Lincoln, NC. He was up for six years, starting for the ‘Stros in one of those years. He came up with the Brewers, having been traded to the Astros for the “star-crossed” Larry Yount.

Never heard of Larry? He holds the distinction of being the only pitcher to make it into the record books without ever facing a batter. While warming up on the mound to face his first batter, he hurt his arm, never to appear in a major league game again.

Coohie Cofaf?

Oh hell, it’s not you again is it? Cookie Rojas probably deserves his own post in this blog. I’ve already got him down for glasses three times (1, 2, 3), as well as one other for getting his card painted instead of just having his photo taken like everyone else. So, I mean, what else could I possibly have to say about this dude that I haven’t already covered elsewhere?

John Erjoml?  Unboml?  3Rty%2&k#???

John Vuckovich’s main claim to fame is having the lowest batting average of any non-pitcher with at least 500 at bats. How bad was it? Would you believe .161? 

For some reason, he became a fan favorite with the fickle Philly fans (fffff). After his playing days were over, he coached for the Phils for 17 seasons. Overall, he was with the Phils for 31 years.  
        

Chixlang?  Siulauq?  Pepe? Pepe??

Pepe Frias has been here before. In that post, we caught Pepe with mouth open. I also shared some of his (rather weak) stats, as well as how closely his name is to papas fritas, Spanish for “french fries.”

So, here’s some fun facts about Pepe:

• He was the youngest of 15 children
• He was cut from three different minor league organizations
• He was playing for a semi-pro team in Canada when Montreal signed him
• There’s a street named after him in his native San Pedro de Macoris 

No comment.  Just no friggin’ comment.

Elias Sosa was up for 12 years and eight teams during the 70s and 80s. He played in over 600 games – with only three as a starter. He was the closer for the Giants in 73 and the Expos in ’79.

It’s quite odd to find Elias sans moustache. Enjoy! 

After retirement Elias was, like Felix Millan, a real ambassador for MLB.

Sorry To Bother You

"Yeah, yeah. Time for my photo opp. Okay, where do I go? Over here? Alrighty …

So, what’s the wait? C’mon. I gotta go take a shower or sumthin, ya know.

Huh? You want me to pose? Really? So, like I’m strikin’ out the side, in the bottom of the ninth, in the seventh game of the world series? You’re serious?

Okay, c’mon. Let’s get this crap over with."

What I like about this one is the total contrast between Will and the little guy in the lower left hand corner. The latter dude seems to be firing that thing right in there. Will, on the other hand, seems to be bending over so he can scratch his right thigh with the baseball in his left hand (hidden ball trick! hidden ball trick!).

Will McEnaney is a repeat offender in this blog. What thing I didn't mention there, though, is Will's illustrious post-playing career. Since retiring from baseball, he's been an investment banker, owned a painting business, and run a bathtub refinishing company. Currently, he’s a salesman for Dick's Sporting Goods and also operates the scoreboard for the Jupiter Hammerheads.

Gary’s nickname was “Swish.”

Gary Neibauer was up for five years, finishing with a 4-8 record and a 4.78 ERA.

Gary is one of 23 major leaguers born in Montana. Other Montanans include Dave McNally (who you’ve probably heard of), John Lowenstein (who you may have heard of), and Herb Plews (who you’ve heard of only if you’ve read this blog).

Gary went to the University of Nebraska, where he lettered in four sports. I understand they were baseball, lawn quoits, synchronized curling, and underwater boxing.

To be serious here, for just a minute, Gary has actually done some amazing work at the MLB alumni association to get pensions for more players. Way to go, Gary!

Quelle follow-through! 

Dennis Blair is mostly remembered for being tall and skinny (6’5”, 180 lb.). 

Things started out pretty well for Dennis. In his first year in the majors, he was a starter for the ‘Spos, going 11-7 with a 3.27 ERA. He was a starter the next year as well, with an okay 3.80 ERA, but an 8-15 record and a 1.567 WHIP. He had two more years in the bigs, going 0-3 in 25 innings.

Somehow or other, the guy at Cardboard Gods got 900 words out of this card. Further, that post garnered 33 comments. Now, what does he know that I don’t?

Way to fire it in there, Carl.  Attaboy!  (They called him “Monsieur Hustle.”)

Carl Morton, another Expo hurler, was not a bad player – at least for the early Expos, that is. He was drafted from Atlanta in the expansion draft, then won a Rookie of the Year Award for the ‘Spos. In that year, he went 18-11, with four shutouts. The following year, he reversed course a tad, going 10-18. 

Things turned around a bit when he was traded to Atlanta. There, he won at least 15 games for three straight years, and with some very weak teams. 

Morton died shockingly young, at 39, after jogging. Interestingly, the AL RoY winner that same year was Thurman Munson, who died even more tragically.
     

Paul’s nickname was “Swish” too.  

Three seasons, three teams. Twelve years in the minors. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Mr. Paul Doyle.

Great article about Paul here. My favorite part might be the chronicling of his ten years in the minors before making the bigs. I’m talking about  $10 in meal money per diem, splitting a $6 room with a teammate, and riding 18 hours in a bus to get from one town to another. Great stuff,

Incredible obscure trivia fact: Paul and Gary Niebauer were roommates with Atlanta.
  

Geez, Billy. This is really going to strike fear into the hearts of the opposing batters. No, seriously, could you look any more tentative?

Billy Champion managed to scratch out eight years in the bigs. Despite the great last name, he finished 34-50 with a 4.69 ERA and 1.525 WHIP.

Billy's a local boy. He grew up in nearby Shelby, NC. The little cartoons on the back of Billy's card tell me that:

• Billy's hobby is drag racing
• Bill works for a cable TV company in the offseason

Yup, Billy's definitely from North Carolina alright.

“Must throw ball. Over plate.

Can’t make it. So tired.”

You probably know Paul Mitchell from his hair care products. Indeed, after retiring from baseball in 1980, Paul went on to create a veritable styling empire. If you’ve been in a barber shop or salon in the last few years, you know exactly who I’m talking about. Check it all out right here.

The baseball career? Six years, four teams, 32-39 record, 4.45 ERA. Well, obviously, Paul was meant for better things.
     

“He wants me to bunt?  Again?”

I hate to break it to you, Duane, but there’s a reason coach is asking you to bunt. Let me put it this way … Twelve years, 3,000+ at bats, one home run. Let me repeat that. One home run. And I’m assuming this was inside-the-park.

Things actually got a lot better after retirement. Would you believe me if I told you that Duane Kuiper is a five-time Emmy award winner? Yup, he’s been broadcasting Giant games all the way back to 1987. He and Mike Krukow form the broadcasting team of Kruk and Kuip. Interestingly, Duane’s brother Glen does play-by-play for the A’s.

I’m assuming you already know that this guy’s name is pronounced KAI-fer.

“And that’s how I complete the double play.”

Here is Bruce Miller’s full Wikipedia entry (46 words):

“Charles Bruce Miller (born March 4, 1947 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played for the San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1976.”

“And that’s how I smack the ball over the fence.”

Over his four years in the bigs, Miller amassed one season’s worth of at bats. Over those 553 at bats, he hit .246, with 51 RBIs, 43 runs, and one stolen base and one home run.

Somehow or other, though, he made the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.  Other inductees include Gene Butts, Ken Trinkle, Buddy Blemker, and Stan Feezle. In other words, if you’re from Indiana and can play baseball … you’re in!

Sittin' on the dock of the bay / Watchin' the tide roll away

I'm having a hard time here. I honestly don't think I ever heard of this guy. Turns out, though, he was up for nine years, was in 900 games, and actually was a two-time All Star.  

Now, here's what I don't understand ... In that first All-Star year, Chalk hit five homers, drove in 31 runs, scored 44, and batted .252. The next All-Star year was pretty was much the same. Sorry. I just don't get it. 

Just Plain Goofy (‘70s Version)

Looking goofy is a timeless pose in baseball. We’ve got it in the 60s and the 50s and … Heck, there’s probably a photo out there of Alexander Cartwright looking seriously dorky.

Señor Ron could simply not get enough of thees beisbol!

Hard to believe from this shot, but Ron Blomberg was actually Jewish. As a matter of fact, when his career was done, he managed the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox, in the Israeli Baseball League. And his autobiography was titled Designated Hebrew.

Ron was quite the high school star, lettering in four sports. He received 100 scholarship offers for football and 150 for basketball. He’s the only high school athlete to have ever been chosen as a Parade All-American in three different sports. Ron was the first pick in the 1967 draft.

Interestingly, though, Ron’s major league career really didn’t amount to all that much. You’re probably familiar with Ron from his being the first DH in history. Other that that, though, he was up for only eight years, getting over 300 at bats only once (barely). Though he did finish with a .293 average, he only hit 52 dingers. We can probably put it all down to lots and lots of injuries.

It’s a screwball!  (And so was Bob.)

Actually, Bob Reynold’s pitch was a fastball, straight down the middle. He regularly was able to hit 100 mph, thus earning the nickname of “Bullet Bob.” 

Up for five years, he finished 14-16, with a 3.15 ERA, and 21 saves. After MLB, he also played in Japan and Mexico.

There’s a great story out there about Bob and Frank Robinson (here from 75topps.blogpsot.com):

After being sent down to Triple A by Indians player/manager Frank Robinson in 1976, he found himself facing Robinson in an exhibition game. Reynolds retired Robinson on a fly ball, then angrily yelled at Robinson, demanding to know why Robinson sent him to Triple A. Robinson promptly ran across the field and punched Reynolds out. Reynolds never returned to the majors.

I will cast my spell on you.  And I will strike you out!

You’ve met Jesse Jefferson before, where he showed you the latest disco dance moves. We went over some of his league-leading stats in that post. But I’ll bet you didn’t know that Jesse:

• Made his debut by pitching a 10-inning complete game
• Had only one winning season, his first
• Set a Blue Jay record with nine walks in a game
• Drove a garbage truck after retiring

Shazzam!

Santo Alcala (or should I say, Santoalcala?) could very well have ended up under Graphology. The crazy signature, you know? It's the study of handwriting? Graphology, that is? Ah, never mind.

So, whadda we know about Santo? Well, he was from San Pedro de Macoris ... and was not a shortstop! Over two years and two teams, he finished 14-11, with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.516 WHIP.  

His first year was actually pretty decent. In fact, he went 11-4. The second year? Not so much. Santo went ahead and balanced things out with a 3-7 record. Interestingly, there was little difference between his ERA (0.13) and WHIP (.034) for those years. Ah well. The baseball gods giveth, and the baseball gods taketh away.

       
It hurts my groin just looking at you, Bob.

Bob “Splits” Oliver was not a bad ballplayer.  Over eight years, he finished with just under 3,000 at bats and 100 homers. He had one major big year, 1970, where he got over 600 at bats, with 27 homers and 99 RBIs.

Bob’s son is the pitcher Darren Oliver. Considering Darren must be about 80 now (and still pitching, I assume), I guess that puts Bob in triple digits. Interestingly, both played with Nolan Ryan. (And I didn’t make that last bit up.)

And it hurts even more looking at you, Gary.  Considering you don’t appear to even have a groin.  

Gary Sutherland’s already made it to this blog. I didn’t really say anything about his major league state there, so let me share those now. Over 13 years, Gary got over 3000 at bats. Unfortunately, he also hit only .243, "clouted" a mere 24 homers, and had 11 stolen bases in 35 attempts. 

Ole!

As an old Pirate fan, I will always have my place in my heart for this guy. In his ten-year career with the Bucs, Steve Blass finished 103-76 with almost 900 strikeouts in 1600 innings. He really shone in the ’71 World Series, pitching two complete games and giving up only two runs. His autobiography is called A Pirate for Life. He still announces Pirate games.

Steve is also famous for the yips. In 1972, he went 19-8, with a 2.49 ERA. He also was an All-Star, and came in second in Cy Young voting. In 1973, he went 3-9 with a 9.85 ERA and a league-leading 12 hit batsmen. He was not injured. He did not have a mental breakdown. He was not addicted to drugs. He just simply lost it. Other victims of Steve Blass Disease include Chuck Knoblauch, Steve Sax, and Mackey Sasser, 

Whoa!  That one’s outta here!

Poor Tim Corcoran. I don’t think he had many chances to do this in a real ballgame. He was up for nine years and over 1000 at bats, but only went yard 12 times. Probably not what you want from your designated hitter.

Thank you, thank you verimuch.  

This blog covered Ed before, where we made fun of his eyebrows. I didn’t really talk about his stats there, so here goes:

• 18 years (all with the Mets)
• Almost 5500 at bats
• A .261 career average
• 118 homers, 614 RBIs, 536 runs
• One All Star appearance
• Nine postseason games, with one homer, four RBIs, and a .238 average

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Whuh?  C’mon, man.  Who put the hole in my glove?

Cesar Tovar was a pretty decent ballplayer. He was up for 12 years, mostly with the Twins. Over 5500-some at bats, he finished with a .278 average and 226 steals. He was a league leader in at bats, hits, doubles, triples, and hit by pitch.

I’m not sure which of his teammates pulled this nasty trick on him. Tovar was actually very good with the glove, known especially for his versatility. Though he spent most of his time in the outfield, he also had over 200 games at both second and third, and almost 100 at short. He’s also only the second player in MLB history to play all nine positions in one game.
      

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When Vicente came in to relieve, he liked to roller-skate in from the bullpen. The fans loved it! 

Vicente Romo was a so-so pitcher in the US, but a real Cy Koufax in the Mexican leagues. In eight years north of the border, Vicente played for five different teams and finished 32-33 with a 3.36 ERA. In 16 years south of the border, he tallied a 182-106 record and 2.49 ERA. He’s in the Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de México (that’s the Mexican Cooperstown, for those of you who don’t habla).

Always a crowd pleaser.  Especially in San Diego.

Another blogger also liked Vicente’s pose here. That blogger wondered if Vicente was playing air piano or putting a hex on the other team. I can’t believe he didn’t know Vicente’s secret.

I’ll bet you he also didn’t know that Vicente had a brother, Enrique, who also made the majors. They weren’t twins, but the two had very similar careers (in the US at least). They even finished with identical totals in saves (52) and losses (33).

Everyone wanted to be in on the action.  It just wasn’t the same as when Vincente did it though.

Even on the field, Don DeMola never quite caught on the way that Vicente did. Don was up for only two years, both with the Expos. Somehow, though, he managed to get in 155 innings as a reliever. 

Don did manage to get two cards out of it. And, yes, the second one is much the same as the first. 

You can see Don’s surprise 60th birthday party right here. Man, how did people entertain themselves before YouTube?

By the way, Don, you ... um ... er, forgot your skates.

It's an 80's card, but it's just so damn perfect, I had to include it.

* - author has this card

Don’t Worry, He’ll Grow into It

We’ve had a serious ballplayer in the family since T-ball.  Over the years, we’ve had gloves (and bats and uniforms and hats and shoes) that were too small, too big, and some (rare though it may have been) that were just right.   

Not sure where all these huge gloves came from.  I guess if you hold the thing far enough in front of you – and right in front of the camera – that’s what you’ll get. Anyhoo …
     

Aurelio “Nine Syllables” Monteagudo was famous for his big glove.  They say it was as big as his torso.  It even had its own name – “El guante grande.”

Aurelio Faustino Monteagudo Cintra, nicknamed “Monty,” was a screwball … er, pitcher. He threw a screwball. Aurelio. This guy. A screwball. He threw it.

“Monty” was up for seven years, debuting at age 19. Overall, he finished with a 3-7 record and a 5.05 ERA. He also played 20 years in the Venezuelan League and also played and managed in the Mexican League as well.

Some interesting trivia about “Monty”:

• His father, René Monteagudo, also played in the majors
• He is one of four players to have played for both the KC Athletics and Royals
• He is one of three players named Aurelio, all of whom have died in car accidents (look it up!)

For some reason, Mike liked to sign his autograph as “Edward Picket.”  Or perhaps “El Special Pickles.”  Actually, nobody was really sure what it said.

Mike Cuellar has already appeared in this blog, where I went over his very impressive stats. But did you know that he:

• Played for the Reds, Indians, Tigers, Cards, and Astros before being discovered by the O’s
• Was the oldest player in the majors 1975 through 1977
• Never got a single Hall of fame vote

It’s not the glove so much as the expression.  I really want to know what the photographer told him here. 

Billy Wilson was up for five years, all with the Phillies. He never started a game, but did manage to compile 255 innings. That said, his final record was only 9-15. Billy actually was in the minors for eight years (eight years!) before making it to the bigs.

By the way, Mookie Wilson’s first name is William as well.

Yes, as a matter of fact, the glove is as big as my head.  Here, let me show you.

Dave Goltz was up for 12 years, seven of those as part of the starting rotation, mostly for the Twins. His best year was 1977, when he pitched over 300 innings and tied for the lead league in wins with 20. 

A local boy (Pelican Rapids), Dave was the first Minnesota draftee to make it to the bigs as a Twin. He stills lives in the area (Fergus Falls).

By the way, spell check is very insistent on wanting to change Dave’s last name to Goats. C’mon, guys, my spelling’s not that bad!

Is he giving me the finger?  He’s giving me the finger! He is! He's giving me the finger!

Never mind. Wrong finger.

If this guy’s mug looks familiar, it’s because it is. You’ve seen him before, looking seriously pissed off. I touched on it there, but Pedro Borbon was one of baseball’s prime characters. Here’s a couple of things I didn’t mention there:

• He was a licensed barber.
• He listed cockfighting as his hobby.  
• He claimed his grandfather lived to the age of 136

I think I kinda like the Frankenstein bangs on this one.

On the face of it, Will McEnaney had a pretty mediocre career. He played for four team over six seasons, finishing with a 12-17 record, a 3.76 ERA, and 29 saves. Somehow, though, he managed to be on the mound when the when the Reds won it all in both 75 and 76. 
   

Wow! Here’s an unlikely looking ballplayer.

Except for the World Series stuff, Jim Willoughby and Will McEnaney are clones. For Jim: eight years, three teams, 26-36 record, 3.79 ERA, 34 saves. Unfortunately, Jim and Will are not linked on baseball-reference.com. Instead, Jim’s statistical twins include such stalwarts as Hi Bell, Tom Timmerman, and Ken Trinkle. 

Oh, Jim Willoughby was in the World Series too. Actually, Jim and Will faced each other in ‘75. In fact, Jim was also in Game 7. He got a crucial bases-loaded out to end the 7th, but then was pinch-hit for. The guy who replaced him gave up the winning run in the 9th. We Red Sox fans, we remember this stuff. 

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I’m not totally sure how Gerry managed this one.

Gerry Arrigo was up for 10 years, finishing with a lowly 35-40 record, 4.14 ERA, and 1.445 WHIP.  Gerry is probably most famous for an incident involving rookie Johnny Bench:

In spring training of 1968, Bench’s first full year, he was catching veteran Gerry Arrigo, whose fastball was growing dim as his career went on. Arrigo, though, was in love with that fastball and insisted on throwing it, ignoring Bench’s signs for breaking pitches.

Finally, after Arrigo shook off another call for a breaking pitch to throw his fastball, when he released the pitch, Bench removed his glove and caught the fastball barehanded.

Oops, he did it again.

It's a Fleer, it's from the 1980s, but we really can't end this post without including this baby. Now, can we?

* - author has this card