#356 Jerry Coleman San Diego Padres Team Card

What is this card?
Team Card, San Diego Padres, Jerry Coleman Manager

Certainly, whenever a team announces a new manager, there is excitement for the upcoming season. When Jerry Coleman was named as manager of the San Diego Padres on October, 1979, the word most associated with the decision was shock. In an unexpected move, Padres' GM Bob Fontaine fired manager Roger Craig and replaced him with Coleman, who at the time was the team's play-by-play announcer.

While Coleman had a nine year career with the New York Yankees championship teams of the 1950s, he had never before piloted a baseball team. Despite concerns about their depth, the Padres began the 1980 season optimistically after signing free agent pitchers Rick Wise and John Curtis to bolster the starting rotation and trading for nearly an entirely new infield in first baseman Willie Montanez, second baseman Dave Cash and third baseman Aurelio Rodriguez.

San Diego also had the talents of three future Hall of Famers on the squad (Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers and Dave Winfield). However, the Padres were beset by injuries and a lack of depth to finish 73-89 and a last place finish in the National League West.

The Winfield saga alone was one that hung over the Padres all season. Big Dave was in the final year of his contract and Padre management had hoped to resign him but talks stalled. It seemed clear as the year went on that the Padres best player would be moving on.

Predictably, Coleman's inexperience caused problems with several veterans who criticized him in the press, most notably Rollie Fingers and Gene Tenace. By mid-season Fontaine was fired and replaced by Jack McKeon.

However, there was some standout performances on the 1980 Padres, including:

Leftfielder Gene Richards, who finished second in the NL with 193 hits and stole 61 bases. Rightfielder Winfield, who was the club's lone All Star representative and led the club in HR and RBI, Centerfielder Jerry Mumphrey, who batted .298 and stole 52 bases, and Shortstop Ozzie Smith who set a major league record  for most assists by a shortstop (621).

The Padres set a team record and led the National League with 287 stolen bases, led by Richards, Mumphrey and Smith (57 SB).

At season's end, the Padres lost Winfield via free agency and "Trader Jack" McKeon earned his reputation by dealing most of their veterans including Fingers, Tenace, Bob Shirley and Randy Jones. In return, they would receive catcher Terry Kennedy among others, who would be one of the cornerstones of the 1984 National League champions. Coleman was fired as manager and returned to the broadcast booth, his one year adventure in the dugout over.

Why I love this card
This one is fairly obvious. The fact that there are elephants in a major league team's picture is pretty awesome. Taken at the San Diego Zoo, the elephants detract from the Padres horrible home unis.

Something else....
Former Padre pitcher John Curtis wrote a review about Jerry Coleman's book, which can be found here.

Coleman incidentally, has led a very intriguing life. In addition to being named the 1948 AL Rookie of the Year, he won four world titles as a player and was named an All-Star. He was also 2008 Hall of Fame broadcaster inductee, with more than 50 years of broadcast experience. Coleman also served in the armed forces in World War II and the Korean conflict. While a Marine Corps aviator he flew 120 combat missions, receiving numerous honors and medals including two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

#352 Dan Briggs

Who is this player?
Dan Briggs, outfielder/first baseman, San Diego Padres

On the final day of Spring Training 1980, Dan Briggs was informed that he would be starting the season at the Montreal Expos' Triple-A club at Denver. Traded to Montreal from the San Diego Padres after the 1979 season, the left-handed hitting Briggs joined a Denver Bears squad that would be ranked as one of the best minor league teams of all-time. The Bears won 92 games and Dan was named an American Association All-Star. He finished the season batting .317 with 13 home runs and 74 RBI. With the Expos in a pennant race for the NL East flag, Briggs was not called up to the parent club and did not appear in a major league game in 1980.

A prep star at Sonoma Valley high school in Sonoma, California, Dan Briggs had an impressive amateur pedigree. He was named to the Topps All-American High School team in his senior year of 1970 and was also named San Francisco Bay Area Player of the Year. This would culminate in his selection by the California Angels on the 34th round of the 1970 June draft.

Dan began to build an impressive minor league resume, first gathering attention with a .300 season in 1973 and following that with a .352 performance at Double-A El Paso. Moved to Triple-A Salt Lake City in 1975, Briggs was putting in another solid .300+ season when he got the call from Anaheim and made his major league debut late in the 1975 season. He spent the final month of the season with the Halos, mainly as a first baseman.

He would split the 1976 season between Anaheim and Salt Lake City. He appeared in 77 games with the Angels as a first baseman and centerfielder, batting .214 and driving in 14 runs in 248 at-bats. He would begin the 1977 season with the Angels, but his struggles at the plate saw him split time again with the minor leagues. With the Angels moving in the direction of buying high profile free agents, Briggs became expendable and he was traded tot the Cleveland Indians.

Briggs spent the majority of the 1978 season at Triple-A Portland, putting together a fabulous season that saw him bat .330 with 20 home runs and 109 RBI. As his 1980 card indicates above, he also led the league in doubles and total bases. He played for the Indians the final month of the season, but he was on the move again, this time to the San Diego Padres.

In San Diego, Dan received his most extensive playing time at the major league level, although it was acknowledged that he played much of the season in pain and batted only .207. Dan was unable to crack a loaded Montreal lineup and he appeared in only six games for them at the major league level despite leading the American Association with 110 RBI. He was traded again after 1981, this time to the Chicago Cubs. He played in 48 games for the Cubs in 1982, the final season of his seven year major league career.

Briggs would play two seasons (1982-1983) in Japan before returing to the States with the Columbus Clippers in the New York Yankees organization. Despite two years in Columbus, he was not called up to the Yankees and he retired after the 1985 season.

After his playing days, Dan Briggs was the head baseball coach for 10 years at Denison University (1989-1999). Today, he runs Big League Baseball School with former major leaguer John Pacella in Worthington, Ohio.

Why I love this card
In prior posts, I have mentioned that animation was just as much at the center of my universe as these baseball cards. Whether it was the Sunday comics, Saturday morning cartoons or comic books, these were just as important. Spider-Man was a always a favorite and the netting behind Briggs here always reminded me of one of the webs that was so prevalent in the comics. Here was what I was thinking of:

Something else....
As Briggs is an alumnus of Sonoma Valley High, also too is former major leaguer John Henry Johnson, featured on Topps card #173.

#339 John D'Acquisto

Who is this player?
John D'Acquisto, relief pitcher, San Diego Padres
As the 1980 season wore on, John D'Acquisto was pitching in middle relief for a San Diego Padre team that floundering in last place. The 28-year old's solid, if unspectacular, output caught the eye of the Montreal Expos who traded for D'Acquisto in August to strengthen their bullpen for the stretch drive. John fashioned a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings with Montreal, but it belied the fact that he walked nine and had five wild pitches. Nonetheless, the California Angels came calling after the season and signed John to a multi-million dollar contract.

Born in San Diego on Christmas Eve in 1951, D'Acquisto grew up a Giants fan in the days before San Diego had major league baseball. Like most major leaguers, D'Acquisto excelled in high school at several sports, earning 144 college offers for football. Baseball, however, was his first love and he was selected in 1970 by the San Francisco Giants. The following spring he attended Spring Training, largely based on his ability to throw consistently at 100 MPH, a rare feat at that time. However, he was sent to the minors for some seasoning before returning to the bigs for good two years later.

He had his best season in 1974. Inserted into the Giants rotation, he won 12 games, finished in the top 10 in strikeouts and won the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year award. While he showed some wildness (was second in walks allowed), there was a general consensus that D'Acquisto had the "stuff" to be a great power pitcher. Unfortunately, he injured his arm, damaging nerves and missed nearly all of the 1975 season. Doctors even suggested that he may not even play again.

D'Acquisto struggled in his return to the majors and unfortunately, teams were not as patient then as they are today. Traded from the Giants to the Cardinals and finally to the Padres in less than three seasons, John transitioned into a relief specialist. In 1978, he had an excellent year as Rollie Fingers' setup man, a season that saw the Padres record their first ever winning season. He switched to the American League for the 1981 season in the hopes of helping the Angels return to the postseason, but injuries limited his effectiveness and 1982 was the final season of his 10-year major league career.

In retirement, John D'Acquisto has found a variety of experiences. After working in banking during his playing days, he transitioned into a second career as an investment banker. In 1996, he was sentenced to 63 months in prison for investment fraud, a crime proven later that he did not commit. He also worked as a fireman in San Bernadino for five years and was the pitching coach for the US Navy Baseball Team. After many years, D'Acquisto earned his Doctorate in Exercise Science and Physiology in 2004 and several of his studies have been published. Today, he is the Director of the Agriculture Division for Sorganics, Inc.

Why I love this card
I have admitted my ignorance for much of the NL West during this span of my youth, simply since we never saw the Padres in the midwest. What stuck me about this card was the following; I never thought that I was pronouncing D'Acquisto's name correctly; the yellow and brown were (and still are) mesmorizing; and like the cousin on the back of this card, I too have one that wears exactly the same shirt. Then and now.

Something else...
D'Acquisto tied an NL record with three wild pitches in one inning on September 24, 1976. I know it's not much...I must still be mesmorized by the brown and yellow.

#305 Randy Jones

Who is this player?
Randy Jones, starting pitcher, San Diego Padres
On the morning of May 16, 1980 things were looking up for Randy Jones of the San Diego Padres. He had just pitched his third consecutive shutout, defeating the Chicago Cubs. His record stood at 4-2 with a 1.82 ERA. It appeared that he had regained the Cy Young form that had been elusive since 1976. He went on to lose three straight all by one run before being shelled and landing on the disabled list with a rib separation. He pitched poorly upon his return and was shelved again, this time for the season in August. Randy finished 1980 5-13 and the longtime Padre was traded to the New York Mets in December.

As a youngster, the lefthanded throwing Jones received pitching tutelage from Claude Osteen when he was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Osteen taught him a curve ball and a sinker which would propell Jones into the major leagues. First, Randy earned a Bachelor's Degree in business from Chapman College in California and made the College All-America team as a senior. This attracted attention from the San Diego Padres who drafted him in 1972. He spent a little less than a year in the minors before he was brought to the parent club for good.

Jones became the first Padre-developed superstar and helped bring respectability to the floundering franchise. He won seven of 13 decisions in 1973 with a 3.16 ERA and was named to the Topps Rookie All Star team. He was the team's most effective pitcher in the second half and from then on, was clearly established as the team ace. He suffered a hard luck season in 1974, losing 22 games but was poised to establish himself as one of the games best pitchers.

Indeed, Jones did so in 1975, winning 20 games and being named an All Star and Comeback Player of the Year. He defeated every team in the National League and finished second in the Cy Young voting. Incredibly, Jones improved on his performance in 1976. En route to winning the Cy Young, Randy won 16 games by the All-Star break and was named the NL's starting pitcher. His 22 wins represented nearly one-third of his team's total output for 1976. Known for his quick work on the mound, Jones tied Christy Mathewson's league record of 68 consecutive innings without issuing a walk. He didn't strike out many (93), rather he was a master at inducing an easy ground ball.

Unfortunately, he never achieved the same level of success, primarily due to nerve damage in his pitching arm and poor run support from the weak-hitting Padres. He spent the final two seasons of his 10-year career with the New York Mets and retired after failing to catch on with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983. Jones has kept busy in retirement; he operates a BBQ business at Petco Park, runs a baseball academy and is the host of Outdoor Channel's "Randy Jones' Strike Zone" television program.

Why I love this card
Unlike the other Padres players featured so far, the Randy Jones card features the player's name in blue ink rather than the customary black. I remember thinking that perhaps this was an error card, but that wasn't the case. At the time, it was more memorable to me than Jones' blond afro.

Something else....
Just as Jones was tutored by Claude Osteen as a youth, Jones himself taught the finer art of pitching to several kids over the years. One of them was a very young Barry Zito, who like his mentor, also won a Cy Young Award, with the A's in 2002.

On this date in 1980:
After 14 seasons, the original Hollywood Squares goes off the air with its final broadcast on NBC. Here is what replaced it. You know, that Letterman guy?

#280 Gaylord Perry

Who is this player?
Gaylord Perry, starting pitcher, San Diego Padres
Hall of Fame, Class of 1991
Fresh from organizing his exit from the San Diego Padres, Gaylord Perry began the 1980 season returning to the Texas Rangers. At the time this card was issued, Perry led all active pitchers in victories and strikeouts. Perry started the season well, winning three of his first four decisions as Texas made an early run to the AL West lead. However, he slumped after that, losing five in a row. The Rangers traded him to the New York Yankees in August for the stretch drive. He won four games as the Yankees clinched the AL East. Gaylord did not appear in the ALCS and when the season ended, he was not offered a Yankee contract for 1981.

Spitball. The word and Gaylord Perry have become synonomous. However, that wasn't always the case. Signed by the San Francisco Giants with a whopping (at the time) $85,000 bonus, Perry was a fireballing righthand prospect that was being groomed to join Juan Marichal in the Giant rotation. While he struggled initially, Perry had a breakout season in 1966, when he began the season 20-2 and was named an All-Star. He slumped the rest of the way, but it was clear that Perry would be a force for some time. He also began to use the spitball from time to time, a pitch he claimed he learned from fellow pitcher Bob Shaw in 1964.

Perry would spend ten seasons in a Giant uniform, pitching a no-hitter in 1968 and leading San Francisco to the NL West title in 1971. He won 20 games twice, including a league high 23 in 1970 and was consistently among the league leaders in innings pitched. However, he was involved in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Indians and promptly won the 1972 AL Cy Young Award with a career-high 24 wins and posting a 1.92 ERA. It was also as an Indian that Perry cemented his reputation for throwing illegal pitches with a variety of motions and movements designed to psyche out opposing batters. This reached its height in 1974 when Perry released his autobiography "Me And The Spitter."

Tension between Perry and new manager Frank Robinson led to a trade to the Texas Rangers in 1975 and Gaylord spent the remainder of his 22-year career without spending more than three seasons with any one team. That era was not without highlights; another Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres in 1978; winning his 300th game with the Seattle Mariners in 1982; and being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He finished his career with the Kansas City Royals in 1983 and upon his retirement he was the only man to win a Cy Young Award in both leagues, was fourth on the all-time strikeout list and held the record for most consecutive 15+ win seasons (13 - since broken).

Perry experienced his share of tragedy after his playing days, first with the bankruptcy of his farm in 1986 and then the death of his wife in a car accident in 1987. The Hall of Fame came calling in 1991, his third year of eligibility. He has been a fixture at Hall of Fame and "Old-Timer" events and on the card show circuit, often appearing in his trademark jersey that featured every team he played for. He was nominated a finalist on the All Century Team in 1999, had his number retired by the Giants in 2005 and last year was inducted into the Bay Area Hall of Fame.

Why I love this card
Like Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry was one of those guys that were older than my Dad. By the time I got this card that year, Perry was with the Yankees and I remember wondering if I would ever see a card of him with the Rangers (again). Thanks to OPC, one was created here:


Something else....
Alvin Dark, Perry's manager in San Francisco said to a sportswriter in 1962 that a "man would land on the moon before he hit a home run." Indeed a little more than an hour after Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969, Perry indeed hit the first home run of his big league career. Perry would hit six home runs in all during his career, the final one in 1981 as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

On this date in 1980:
Perry pitches seven innings for the Rangers in a 12-inning loss against the California Angels in Arlington. Perry strikes out eight Angel batters, but the hero is Todd Cruz who doubled home Rod Carew with the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th.

#254 Paul Dade

Who is this player?
Paul Dade, utility player, San Diego Padres
As the 1980 season wound down, so did Paul Dade's six year major league career. In his second campaign with the Padres, Dade saw limited action playing primarily as a reserve. The season was a struggle for Dade as he batted only .189 in 68 games and he made four errors in only 26 chances in the field. He was tried in several different positions with the Padres all with little success. In December, the Padres gave Paul his unconditional release.

An outstanding high school player at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, the righthand hitting Dade twice was the top high school batsman in the state. With the build more akin to a football player, Dade was considered a top prospect when the Angels drafted him with the 10th pick of the 1970 amateur draft. He signed for $60,000 and bought his mother a home before reporting for minor league duty. The Angels hoped that he would man third base in the coming years.

Paul made his major league debut in 1975 but received little playing time with the Angels. He led the PCL in defensive categories and was the league's batting champion in 1976. In the early days of free agency, Dade was allowed to negotiate a contract and signed with the Cleveland Indians for 1977. With Buddy Bell established at third, Dade was moved to the outfield and he performed well in his first season as a regular. Appearing in 134 games he batted .291 and was even assigned a Kellogg's baseball card based on his performance. The following year, however, the Indians traded him to the San Diego Padres for Mike Hargrove.

He never found regular playing time in San Diego and signed to play in Japan in 1981. Paul was released at midseason by the Hanshin Tigers for arguing with the manager over playing time. His playing career ended in the minors in 1982, when he was let go at midseason by the Portland Beavers. Today, Paul lives a modest life in his home state, working for box making company. Like most folks, he is living to make ends meet for his family and is far removed from the major league life.

Why I love this card
I had seven Paul Dade cards at one point. I stress had since I got curious at one point and wanted to see what would happen if you ran over a card with a lawnmower. This Dade card was the unfortunate choice. The results were predictable. The lawnmower won. No wonder I had so many Dade cards, this was a double printed card and we haven't seen one in a while.

Something else....
We've had a stretch where three of the last four guys saw their major league careers over by the end of 1980. Throw in Ted Cox and all of them were done by 1981. After longtime veterans Phil Niekro, Jim Kaat and Jim Clancy, the pendulum has swung the other way.

On this date in 1980:
The San Antonio Spurs fired coach Doug Moe as the Spurs struggled to reach .500. Moe would land in Denver, where he would coach the Nuggets for ten seasons.

#230 Dave Winfield

Who is this player?
Dave Winfield, right fielder, San Diego Padres
Hall of Fame, Class of 2001
Coming off a season in which he led the National League in RBI, Dave Winfield entered 1980 in the final year of his contract with the San Diego Padres. As the year began, he shocked the Padres and baseball by asking for a $20 million dollar, 10-year deal. The contract discussions dominated Winfield's 1980 season and while he was again an All-Star, there was a drop in his offensive numbers from the previous year. The Winfield Sweepstakes began in earnest when the season ended. The New York Yankees won Winfield's services, signing him to the richest contract in baseball history at the time.

Born the day of "The Shot Heard 'Round The World," indeed it was as if Dave Winfield was destined for baseball stardom. The 6'6" Winfield excelled at several sports as a youth and he earned a full scholarship to the University of Minnesota for baseball and basketball. He led the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten Championship in basketball and was drafted by four professional teams, the Padres, two basketball teams, the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Stars of the ABA and the Minnesota Vikings (even though Winfield never played college football).

Winfield chose baseball and he was promoted directly to the majors, never spending a day in the minor leagues. He quickly became the Padres first true superstar earning Gold Glove accolades and was a legitimate MVP candidate. Dave was the first active athlete ever to establish a charitable foundation. Founded in 1975, the Winfield Foundation provided scholarships and education for underprivileged kids. It also inadvertently opened batting practice at the All-Star Game when Winfield brought nearly 10,000 kids to the hometown event in 1978.

When he moved on to New York, Dave enjoyed a successful, yet sometimes tumultuous nine years. The Yankees adavnced to the World Series in Winfield's first year, but he struggled, batting .045. He was selected to the All-Star Game every season and won five of his seven career Gold Gloves. He engaged in a memorable batting race with teammate Don Mattingly in 1984, batting a career high .340. As his time in New York wore on, he fell out of favor with owner George Steinbrenner. His attempts to discredit Winfield and his foundation temporarily led to Steinbrenner's banishment from Major League Baseball.

After a brief stop with the California Angels, Winfield signed on with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent in 1992. It was there that Winfield earned redemption by leading the Jays to a World Series title. In the 10th inning of Game 6, Winfield had the deciding a hit, a double that scored the game-winning run. Dave spent the last three seasons of his 22-year career with the Twins (where he achieved his 3000th hit)and Indians. In retirement, he gained several accolades, with the ultimate being his induction to the Hall of Fame in 2001. Today, Winfield can be seen as an analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.

Why I love this card
Winfield had a lot of cards in 1980. Below is also his Topps Super Card and his Burger King Card. The BK one is different than the regular issue, so that means it's time for another vote - the ballot box is now open.

Something else....
At first I thought I would mention the Seagull incident in Toronto but that one has been told and retold. One I didn't know came in 1994. Winfield was traded to the Cleveland Indians at the trading deadline for a "player to be named later." The 1994 season had been halted two weeks earlier and eventually cancelled by the strike. Winfield did not get to play for the Indians that year and no player was ever named in exchange. To settle the trade, Cleveland and Minnesota executives went to dinner, with the Indians picking up the tab. This makes Winfield the only player in major league history to be traded for a dinner.

On this date in 1980:
Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline became only the tenth player in history to become elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Duke Snider, who waited 11 years, is also elected.

#203 1979 Runs Batted In Leaders

What is this card?
1979 Runs Batted In Leaders Card
Don Baylor of the AL West Champion Angels led the majors with 139 RBI. Dave Winfield of the San Diego Padres was the National League Leader with 118. Baylor is the first player to appear on a Leader card that also made it to the postseason in '79, while Winfield is the first future Hall of Famer.

How was the race? Both men had significant challenges from multiple pursuers. Winfield sewed up the NL race with two 4-RBI games in September to hold off Dave Kingman and Mike Schmidt. Baylor surged ahead in late-August with an 8-RBI game. The runner-up in the AL, Jim Rice (130), along with Gorman Thomas (123) and Fred Lynn (122), would all have led the National League with their RBI totals.

Where are the 1980 League Leaders? Mike Schmidt, the NL leader was third in the league while Cecil Cooper of the Milwaukee Brewers placed eighth on the American League leaderboard.

Did these players ever repeat? No. While Winfield would place in the Top 10 on ten different occasions during his career, the highest he ever finished was third. Baylor, meanwhile, only placed one more time among the league leaders in RBI.

Why I love this card
Two completely new guys pictured. Winfield in particular was foregin to me because the Padres were rarely on TV and weren't known for great players. I also thought that it was strange that the AL Top Ten outweighed the NL's in RBI, but the opposite was true for home runs.

Something else....
I am glad that Topps decided to write out Runs Batted In instead of abbreviating it. If anything, they decided to truncate "Leaders" into LDRS.

#171 Fernando Gonzalez

Who is this player?
Fernando Gonzalez, second baseman, San Diego Padres
After achieving career highs in games played, home runs and RBI in 1979, Fernando Gonzalez had completed his second season as the starting second baseman for the San Diego Padres. However, his batting average dropped over 30 points and when the Padres acquired free agent Dave Cash, Gonzalez's status on the club on was in jeopardy. He was released by the Padres in February 1980 and caught on with the Angels' Triple A club at Salt Lake City. He never again appeared in a major league games.

Born Jose Fernando Gonzalez Quinones in Puerto Rico, the righthand hitting Gonzlaez was a draft choice of the Seattle Pilots in 1968. He signed on as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971 and made his major league debut a year later. Although he only appeared in three games with the Pirates, Gonzalez had an opportunity to play alongside Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, his idol as a young boy. When Clemente's plane crashed on New Year's Eve, 1972, Gonzalez was one of many that was part of several search parties that went looking for Clemente's body.

Gonzalez would spend the next four seasons primarily in the minor leagues, with the occassional stretches with a major league club. He appeared in 37 games with the Pirates in 1973, nine with the Royals in 1974 and 51 with the New York Yankees, also in 1974. He struggled to bat over .200 during that stretch but was valuable as a late inning defensive replacement. Fernando also honed his skills in the off-season, as he has the distinction of playing for all six teams of the Puerto Rico Winter Baseball League.

He returned to the majors with Pittsburgh in 1977, but earned a starting position when he was traded to the San Diego Padres in 1978. After his six-year major league career ended in 1979, he spent two more seasons in the minor leagues. He made one final comeback in 1984 with the Yankees Double-A squad where he was also doing some coaching.

Fernando returned to action in 1989 as part of the Senior Professional Baseball League and was interviewed for David Maraniss' 2008 book about Clemente.

Why I love this card
You can't really appreciate it by the scan, but this card (like many in this set) is pretty badly cut, or off center. Looking at it today, I am reminded that back in 1980, this didn't matter to me in the least. Granted, I wanted my card to be in as nice shape as possible, but I was just happy to have the card. When did centering become all that important anyway?

Something else....
Gonzalez relayed an interesting story about Clemente in this game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Eager to learn as much as he could from Clemente, he wondered why Clemente laid off a couple of pitches that Clemente earlier banged for hits. Clemente told Gonzalez to "wait and see." Clemente homered off of Jenkins to win the game, explaining to Fernando that he allowed Jenkins to think that he was "getting tired." Gonzalez claimed that he never saw a player like Clemente who could literally do whatever he wanted on a baseball field.

#133 Jerry Turner

Who is this player?
Jerry Turner, reserve outfielder, San Diego Padres
After spending most of the 1979 season as the Padres' everyday left fielder, Jerry Turner's playing time was reduced when San Diego acquired Jerry Mumphrey. Turner was effective in his role as pinch-hitter, ranking among the league leaders with 13 pinch-hits. He finished the year with a .288 batting average and two of his three home runs that year came off the bench. He also stole home twice. His 1980 season ended in August due to an injury.

An All-State baseball player in high school, the San Diego Padres selected him in the tenth round of the June 1972 free agent draft. Turner spent four seasons in the minor leagues, appearing briefly with the Padres in 1974 and 1975. After joining San Diego in September 1974, he batted .292 in 17 games and .273 in 11 games the following season.

Turner emerged among the top rookie outfielders in the league in 1976, when he appeared in 105 games and batted .267. He was second on the team in triples and stolen bases and had an eight game hitting streak in May. The following season, he produced more power with 10 home runs and 48 RBI. He primarily split left field duties with Gene Richards and led the team with 15 pinch-hit RBI. He batted even better as a pinch-hitter in 1978. Jerry had 20 pinch-hits a .408 average as a pinch hitter, five HR and 19 RBI. He fell short of the all-time record for pinch hit home runs in a season, primarily because he was inserted into the lineup the final month of the season.

His 1978 performance earned him his first and only season as a regular in 1979 when he knocked in a career-high 61 runs and set personal records in nearly every offensive category, but his bating average dipped to .248. After Turner batted .226 in 33 games in 1981, the Padres sold him to the Chicago White Sox on September 9. He spent 1982 with the Detroit Tigers, mainly as a DH and rejoined the Padres for his tenth and final season in 1983. During this decade, Turner served as a coach on the independent Orange County Flyers, a team part-owned by "Wheel of Fortune's" Pat Sajak.

Why I love this card
Outside of the fabulous mutton chops Turner is sporting, you are almost blinded by the amount of yellow on this card. Turner's hat, warmup even the flags on the cards just jump out at you. Secondly, I remember the Topps Rookie Teams, but have no recollection of Triple-A teams referred to on the back of Turner's card.

Something else....
Longtime Padres announcer Bob Chandler wrote in his book "Tales from the Padres Dugout" about Turner:

Jerry was playing left field at San Diego Stadium against St. Louis when the Cardinals loaded the bases. The next batter hit a clean single to left that Turner fielded on one hop and started to throw home. In mid-throw he changed his mind and decided to throw to third base instead. In the process of changing his mechanics, Jerry threw across his body, and the ball flew down the left field line toward the San Diego bullpen. Fans were stunned to watch Turner run down his own throw in the bullpen as Redbirds flew around the bases. Jerry asked me later how I called the play on the radio. I didn't know what to say....

#79 Bob Owchinko

Who was this player?
Bob Owchinko, swingman, San Diego Padres
The left-handed Owchinko spent the 1979 season in and out of the Padres starting rotation and pitched well as both a starter and a reliever. During the offseason, Padre management decided to hire a new manager (Jerry Coleman) and there were many changes to the roster. Accordingly, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. In his first American League season, he did not pitch well with an ERA hovering over 5.00. In 16 of his 29 appearances he allowed three or more runs.

A product of Eastern Michigan University, he was the star pitcher on an Eagles team that made back-to-back appearances in the College World Series. An unlikely baseball powerhouse, Owchinko led EMU to the finals of the 1976 College World Series. Some of Owchinko's collegiate exploits were covered in Roger Angell's classic work, Five Seasons.

During this same time, Owchinko was also drafted in the first round (5th overall pick) by the San Diego Padres. Before 1976 was over, he was already pitching in the major leagues. He began the 1977 season in the minor leagues, but when he quickly won five of six starts, he was recalled to San Diego and was inserted into the starting rotation. His best start of the season came when he two-hit the eventual NL Champion Dodgers. He won nine games and his ERA was rarely under 4.00 but his performance was strong enough to earn a spot on the Padres pitching staff for 1978.

That year, Owchinko achieved career highs in wins, starts, complete games and innings pitched. He was the #3 starter on a Padre staff behind Gaylord Perry (who won the Cy Young that season) and Randy Jones (NL Cy Young winner in 1976). After his lost season in Cleveland, he was traded twice; first in December 1980 as part of a package to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Bert Blyleven and four months later to the Oakland Athletics. He joined the A's just in time for their historic 11-0 start to the 1981 season and was part of an unheralded bullpen that won the AL West. Owchinko appeared in the post-season for the only time in his career that year, pitching in the ALCS in the A's loss to the New York Yankees.

He spent 1982 in Oakland as well appearing in 54 games, but his ERA was over 5.00 and he was released. He spent all (save one game) of 1983 in the minor leagues but returned to the major leagues, now with Cincinnati, in 1984 again as a relief pitcher. The 1985 season was spent completely in the minor leagues and he appeared in only three games with Montreal in 1986. After the season, his 10-year career came to an end. Today, Owchinko lives in the Arizona area and is a representative with Media Recovery, a data storage company.

Why I love this card
No, not because of the complete view of the Padres uniform in this shot. I remember being outside of the 7-11 near my house and opening the cards in the store with a group of friends. I didn't get the Owchinko card but one of my buddies did. Invariably, a bunch of 8-year old started making fun of his name. Apparently this stuck a nerve with the 7-11 clerk who was the son of the owner (who we knew as Buster). He screamed at us to quit making "stupid ass noises" and leave the store. We found out later that they somehow knew someone in the Owchinko family (since they were from Michigan and our general area) and Buster's son got mad at us. Whatever.

Something else....
Not that I am a fan of the airbrushing that took place in some previous Topps offerings, but here is another card of a player that did not play or finish 1980 with the team he is pictured with. That makes 22 cards out of the first 79 (28%). I don't recall this being so prevelant when I was collecting, but then again, I don't think that I was paying that close attention, either.

#44 Bill Fahey

Who was this player?
Bill Fahey, reserve catcher, San Diego Padres
In 11-seasons in the major leagues, Fahey served as a durable backup behind the plate. 1979 was his first in San Diego, spelling Gene Tenace and he would resume the same duties in 1980. It was during 1980 in which Fahey reached career highs in games played, base hits and runs batted in.

A product of the University of Detroit, Fahey was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1970 and appeared in two games with them the following season. That year was the Senators final season in Washington and Fahey’s manager was the legendary Ted Williams. He traveled south with the team as they became the Texas Rangers in 1972.

He was given an extended look in the second half of the 1972 season, appearing in 39 games from mid-July, but batted only .168. He spent all of 1973 in the minors and when he would return to Texas sporadically the next four seasons, it was primarily to serve as backup to starter Jim Sundberg.

After spending all of 1978 either on the disabled list or minor leagues, Fahey was part of a trade that sent him to San Diego. After two seasons in California, the Michigan-born Fahey returned home, when his contract was purchased by the Tigers in Spring Training of 1981. Acting as Lance Parrish’s understudy, it was in Detroit that Fahey would begin the second stage of his baseball life.

When he retired as an active player in 1983, he was given a position in the Detroit farm system, as manager of the 1984 Lakeland Tigers. In 1986, he was asked by his former Detroit pitching coach, Roger Craig to serve on the San Francisco Giants coaching staff, where Craig was now manager. Fahey was a coach on a Giant team that won the NL West twice (1987, 1989). Today, his son Brandon is currently an infielder with the in the Toronto Blue Jays organization after three seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Why I love this card
Fahey's career stats include our first mention of the Washington Senators. Seeing that his season in DC matched the year I was born, naturally as a kid this was of interest to me. Funny to think now, but I didn't make the Rangers-Senators connection in 1980 and it was up to Dad to explain. It was about then that I learned about Frank Howard and the previous incarnation of the Senators with Walter Johnson.

Something else....
During the 1982 season, Rickey Henderson set the all time single season stolen base record. In a game against the Tigers with Fahey catching, Henderson stole bases #116 and #117, one away from tying Lou Brock’s record. Controversy arose when Fred Stanley was picked off of second, giving Henderson, the runner at first, a chance to tie the record at home. Fahey gunned down Rickey instead allowing him to break the all-time record for times caught stealing in a single season. As a Tigers fan, I am endeared to Mr. Fahey for having Rickey wait another day to accomplish the inevitable.

#31 Jay Johnstone

Who was this player?
Jay Johnstone, reserve outfielder, San Diego Padres
Johnstone spent time with two teams in 1979, first New York Yankees who then traded him to the San Diego Padres in mid-season. He signed a free agent contract with the Dodgers in December, 1979 and planned to be a part of the Dodgers bench in 1980. Johnstone would prove to be a valuable addition, batting over .300 as the Dodgers lost a one-game playoff for the NL West to the Houston Astros.

Jay Johnstone survived 20 years in the Majors primarily as a utility player - with 500+ at-bats in only one season (1969). Johnstone was signed by the Angels in 1963 and came to the majors in 1966. Jay spent five seasons in Anaheim primarily as a left-handed bat off the bench and defensive replacement. After that, he would never spend five full seasons in a row with another major league team.

He was traded after the 1970 season to the Chicago White Sox, and hit only .188 in 1972. After being released at the end of 1973 spring training, he caught on with the Oakland Athletics for a cup of coffee. The St. Louis Cardinals bought him in early 1974 but released him before the end of spring training and he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, for whom he would play four seasons and part of a fifth before being traded in mid-season 1978 to the Yankees, with whom he appeared in the 1978 World Series. He was also part of the Phillies NL East champions in 1976 and 1977.

In 1981, he hit a pinch-two run home run in Game Four of the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees, the home run rallying the Dodgers from a 6-3 deficit to win 8-7. The victory also enabled the Dodgers to tie the Series at two games each; they won the next two games to win it all. He released by the Dodgers and signed by the Cubs in 1982. Johnstone stayed with the Cubs until he was released shortly before the 1984 NLCS. He ended his career in 1985 after a return to the Dodgers. In seven postseason series, Johnstone batted a combined .435 (10-24)

A notorious practical joker, he was a Yankees broadcaster from 1989 to 1990 and a Phillies broadcaster in 1992 and 1993. He appeared in The Naked Gun and hosted a syndicated sports bloopers program.

Why I love this card
The appearance of the hideous Padres warmups. I didn't realize that these had numbers on the sleeves. Not that it matters or anything.

Something else....
Another candidate for the 1980 Topps Traded set. Let's see in the first 31 cards, we have 25% (8 guys) who did not finish 1980 with their photographed team. Several, as in the case of Johnstone (Kison, Cash) signed even before the year 1980 began.