Topps Postseason Series: The 70s, Part III

This post concludes my weeklong rambling about Topps Playoff and World Series cards from the 1970s. There have been generic themes that can be applied to each part: Monday's post featured three straight years where the Baltimore Orioles went to the World Series, while Wednesday's post had the three years of A's World Series dominance.

As for today...it's the years where Topps got chintzy. In the beginning (going back to 1960), all World Series subsets featured a card for each game, plus a Series recap that showed the winning team celebrating. When the playoff rounds began, Topps did the same thing for them. However, in 1972, the League Championship Series were pared down to a single card each.

In 1976, Topps went even more extreme. They made one card for both LCS.

Card #461 -- AL & NL Championships

The cards say it all, the Reds swept the Pirates in three games, while the BoSox knocked off the three-time champs in what was also a sweep. That set the stage for a Reds/Red Sox series, one that was actually a well-played, seven-game nail-biter that featured a Carlton Fisk home run that is still shown repeatedly in retrospectives.

So, Topps would have had a great Series subset, except they chose to do this:

Card #462 -- 1975 World Series

That's it. The entire World Series represented on a single card. The Reds win for the first time since before World War Two. Carlton Fisk "waves" his long fly ball fair in the 12th inning. Tony Perez takes an eephus pitch from Bill Lee and knocks it into the seats. Every game had its share of drama, as only a Red Sox postseason series at the time could. All represented by a single freakin' card.

And I'm a Yankees fan saying this.

At least the top left corner shows #27 heading back to the dugout after hitting that shot that won Game 6.

In 1976, another well-remembered home run marked a Championship Series:

Card #276 -- Chambliss' Dramatic Homer Decides it

What you see in this picture is a crack of a bat and a shattering of the dreams of countless Royals fans. It was also the first time the Yankees would make it to the postseason in a dozen years. It was a dramatic series that went a full five games and right down to the last at-bat of the deciding game. Yet, despite all the collectors who say Topps is pro-Yankee, this would be the perfect place to resurrect the "complete series" subset. But, no...this was it. But what a card it is.

The National League Championship Series card is also cool:

Card #277 -- Reds Sweep Phillies 3 in Row

There's "Charlie Hustle" showing how he earned the nickname. Also shown are a great fielder (Garry Maddox) and a very capable shortstop (Larry Bowa), doing what they do best. A few years later, they would all be teammates and won a World Series together.

This set the stage for a Yankees/Reds World Series. It was a sweep by the Reds for a repeat, but this time, Topps chose to make a three-card subset of the Series (not numbered with the LCS cards, though):

Card #412 -- 1976 World Series

Two pictures of Johnny Bench make up this card, and both show Yankee Stadium's third base line. One shows him getting ready to take on Thurman Munson, while the other shows him rounding third on his own after a home run.

For 1978, Topps went with a single card for each LCS and reverted to a single World Series recap card.

Card #411 -- Yankees Rally to Defeat Royals

This card features Mickey Rivers sliding into second as Frank White steps out of the way.

The 1976 ALCS opponents met again in '77 with the same end result...Yankees in five. And for the second year in a row, the Yankees won it in their final inning, just not as dramatically as Chambliss' homer.

Card #412 -- Dodgers Overpower Phillies in Four

On this card, Davey Lopes is running out a ground ball while Tim McCarver watches.

Game 1 of the '77 NLCS would be the first time the Phillies had won a postseason game since 1915. From that point, the Dodgers ran the tables and took the pennant in four games. It set up a rematch of the 1963 World Series, a case where Dodger fans definitely hoped history could repeat itself. Unfortunately, they had to deal with this guy:

Card #413 -- Reggie & Yankees Reign Supreme

I've already mentioned here about the significance of this card to me. It was the very first baseball card of any type I ever owned. It tips its hat to Reggie Jackson's feat of hitting five home runs in a single Series.

In 1979, I was beginning to collect cards from wax packages. Since the Yankees won the '78 Series as well, I was looking forward to seeing those Series cards as well. However, they never showed up in my packs because Topps never printed them.

What a disappointment. Just as I was getting into collecting, Topps took away some of the stuff that older kids enjoyed: World Series cards, Rookie All-Star trophies and multi-player rookie stars cards with color. They would all eventually come back (rookie cards in color from 1980-'82, World Series cards but only in '81, the Rookie All-Star trophy in '87), but I personally felt cheated.

Topps Postseason Series: The 70s, Part II

Last time around, I reviewed the Playoff and World Series cards from the 1970-'72 Topps sets. Today, I'll continue the discussion.

When it comes to 1973 Topps, I could go on about the entire set. Actually, I do just that on another blog, three times a week. Now, with that shameless plug out of the way, I'll delve into the postseason sets:

One big difference over previous years was the way Topps just eliminated the honor of placing the previous year's World Series winner on Card #1. However, they did continue the postseason series the same method as in 1972: one card from each League Championship Series, one card from each World Series game and one celebration card. Actually, all three sets featured in today's post have that layout.

The 1972 American League Championship Series was the first that didn't feature the Baltimore Orioles. It was also the first one that didn't end in a sweep.

Card #201 -- Hendrick Scores Winning Run

I posted about this Series in my 1973 blog, if you'd like to read about it (Yep, another shameless plug). The two teams went to the full five games, and Hendrick's winning run sent the A's the the World Series for the first time since they were still playing in Philadelphia.

The National League Championship between the Reds and Pirates (who also met in the NLCS in 1970) was a little more dramatic:

Card #202 -- Foster's Run Decides It

The 1972 NLCS also went five games, and was decided at the very end. Unfortunately for the Pirates, they lost on a wild pitch, which allowed Foster to score the run shown above. Again, here's the link to read what happened.

Since both League Championship Series went the distance, it was only logical to see the 1972 World Series follow suit:

Card #206 -- Tenace Singles in Ninth

The card shows Gene Tenace taking his turn at bat during Game 4. One last time, here's a link to the description on my other blog. The A's won this World Series in 7 games, but they weren't done yet:

The 1974 Topps set continues the story:

Card #470 -- A.L. Playoffs

Reggie Jackson was injured in the '72 postseason. In fact, his injury led to George Hendrick being in the game shown in the '73 card above. However, the injury meant he sat out that World Series. He would prove invaluable this time around, however.

The Baltimore Orioles made it pack to the playoffs after one year away, and the Oakland A's returned as the A.L. West champions. It was a well-fought series, with each team splitting the first two games. An extra-innings affair in Game 3 was broken up when Bert Campaneris hit a walk-off homer in the 11th. When the A's moved in for the kill in Game 4, Andy Etchebarren and the Bobby Grich homered to keep it alive before "Catfich" Hunter pitched a gem in Game 5.

The '71 ALCS rematch had a different result this time.

Card #471 -- N.L. Playoffs

Over in the National League, that series went the distance, too, with the New York Mets (and Jerry Koosman, shown pitching above)taking the series from the Cincinnati Reds. Pete Rose -- not known for the art of the long ball -- hit two homers in the series but was better known for a fracas he and Met shortstop Buddy Harrelson engaged in during Game 3. These Mets were a different team than the 1969 Series winners despite having a few remaining players from that squad. They had been far out of first at midseason that year and heated up to win the division. 

Fun fact: All four managers in the '73 postseason (Earl Williams, Sparky Anderson, Dick Williams, Yogi Berra) are members of the Hall of Fame.

Card #477 -- '73 World Series Game 6

Reggie Jackson is shown on this card against a sea of fans. It's refreshing to see a daytime Series game. Jackson was the A.L. MVP in 1973, but went on to begin earning his nickname "Mr. October" after the season ended. The series went to the seventh game, and it was Reggie who practically sealed things in the deciding game with a 2-run shot in the third.

This was also the last time baseball fans would see Willie Mays take the field. However, the A's weren't yet finished.

Card #459 -- '74 A.L. Championships

Again, for the third time in four years, the Oakland A's were pitted against the Baltimore Orioles. This is the sixth year of the playoff series, and Baltimore was in five of them. The Orioles won the first game decisively, but the A's came back to win the next three.

Card #460 -- '74 N.L. Championships

Meanwhile, over in the National League, another perennial was competing: the Pirates, who were up against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was the Dodgers' first trip to a championship series, but it wasn't their first playoff (you may have heard about a guy named Bobby Thomson in 1951?). The games would include a pair that saw future teammates Jerry Reuss and Don Sutton take the mound. The Dodgers would win and advance to the Series.

Card #461 -- World Series, Game 1

Reggie Jackson is again shown taking his turn at bat on this card. He would hit a solo homer during that first game to start the scoring. On paper, the Dodgers appeared to be the better team; they were cohesive, they had a better record, they had a better skipper. The A's, on the other hand, were fighting each other and somehow winning despite themselves. In the end, the Series was over in five games and the A's would take their third straight title home.

Topps Postseason Series: The 70s

(About a month ago, I featured some Topps World Series cards from the 1960s and promised to get back to them. Since the playoff series began after the 1969 season, there were more cards to show. While writing this entry, it became really long, so I'm splitting it neatly into three sections and taking the entire week to go over them. I guess I'm just lazy that way.)

Major League Baseball expanded in 1969 and realigned to feature two divisions in each league. This necessitated a round of playoff games before the World Series. At the time, there were many fans who thought this was an atrocity that shouldn't be allowed. At the same time, the businessmen in charge of the game saw it as an extra way to earn money. It just goes to show that some things never change.

The 1970 Topps set features two subsets: one for the playoffs and another for the '69 World Series. As they did in sets going back to 1960, each game from the various postseason series was given its own card.

In the '69 American League championship, the Baltimore Orioles squared off against the Minnesota Twins. This card shows the action from Game 2:

1970 Topps #200 -- Powell Scores Winning Run!

Boog Powell isn't exactly remembered for being a force on the basepaths. It looks like he's doing an awkward dance move in the picture.

What the card doesn't say is that Powell scored the run in the 11th inning, running from second when Curt Motton hit a pinch single to right. It would be the only run of the entire game. Game 1 had also gone into extra innings. The Orioles then got serious, blowing the Twins out in Game 3 to sweep the series.

The Baltimore Orioles had the best record in baseball that year, winning 109 games. Having swept the Twins, they prepared to play against their next opponent. They knew the same day who they'd be playing:

1970 Topps #197 -- Ryan Saves the Day!

In the National League, the Mets also swept their opponents, handling the Atlanta Braves despite Hank Aaron hitting home runs in each game. Aaron actually gave the Braves hope in game 3 with his homer, giving them an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. When Met starter Gary Gentry began having trouble in the third, Gil Hodges sent Nolan Ryan to the mound. Despite giving up a homer to Orlando Cepeda, Ryan got some help from the guys playing around him and won the game. All of a sudden, the New York Mets -- which had never finished higher than 9th place in team history -- were heading to the World Series.

For the World Series subset, Topps used a format naming The Sporting News, much like the one they used in the 1969 set.

1970 Topps #309 -- Koosman Shuts the Door!

There were two legendary World Championships in 1969. Both featured heavily-favored teams from Baltimore and upstart teams from New York. Both ended with the young new York-based teams walking away with their rings. In January, it was Joe Namath and his Jets winning Super Bowl III; in October, it was the "Miracle Mets."  Since the long-standing "establishment" New York teams (the Yankees and Giants) had gone into decline mid-decade, the Jets and Mets gave New York fans reasons to be proud.

The picture on this card is from the deciding game of that series. Though the game is best remembered for the incident involving Gil Hodges showing a shoe polish scuff on a ball to get Cleon Jones awarded first base, Koosman's composure on the mound after getting into a 3-0 hole early in the game and going on to finish the game without giving up any more runs is significant.

As a result of winning teh World Series, the Mest were given the honor of appearing on Card #1 in the 1970 Topps set:

 1970 Topps #1 -- World Champions

For the 1971 Topps set, the playoff and World Series cards were featured in different subsets again. Each game was given its own card, with an additional Series "celebration" card, as was the case every year since 1960.

In 1970, the Orioles again took the A.L East flag, and they once again went against the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS.

1971 Topps #196 -- McNally Makes it Two Straight!

Once again, the result was the same. The O's swept the Twins in three games. The only difference was that they didn't have any games go into extra innings this time. All three games were won pretty handily. The card shows a Dave McNally pitch during Game 2, but the angle shows Brooks Robinson standing at third as well.

Over in the National League, two different team would vie for the right to play against the Orioles:

1971 Topps #201 -- Cline Scores Winning Run!

This time, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds took the field. The Reds ended up sweeping the Series, with the shot above of Ty Cline scoring the winning run in the eighth inning of Game 3.


In the World Series, two teams led by future Hall of Fame managers (Earl Weaver and Sparky Anderson) and balanced with stars and solid performers squared off. For the World Series subset, Topps used color photos, after using black-and-white ones in the playoff series:

 1971 Topps #327 - Powell Homers to Opposite Field!

The picture above mentions Boog Powell's home run. He clubbed one deep into the left field bleachers, which still had the Orioles behind 3-2. Brooks Robinson ended up putting the team ahead with a solo home run later in the game. He also proved his defensive value in this Series, getting the MVP and being featured in replay footage for the past 40 years.

Baltimore won the Series in 5 games, easing the sting of the previous year and getting the chance to show up on card #1 in the 1971 Topps set:

1971 Topps #1 -- World Champions

For the 1972 set, Topps did things a little differently. This time, all the pictures were in color. However, the League Championship Series were represented on only one card apiece and all the cards were part of a single series running between cards #221 and 230.

1972 Topps card #222 -- Orioles Champs!

For the third straight year, the Baltimore Orioles swept the ALCS in 3 games, this time against the Oakland A's. the shot above is from Game 2 of the series, with Mark Belanger congratulating Brooks Robinson for a home run.

1972 Topps #221 -- Bucs Champs!

The 1971 NLCS was the first playoff series that didn't end up being a sweep. The Pirates won, but not before the San Francisco Giants took one game. The shot above shows third baseman Jackie Hernandez grabbing a pop fly, as Willie Stargell comes in from left field to back him up.

Stargell was one of three Hall of Famers on the Pittsburgh Pirates that year. The other two were Bill Mazeroski and the man shown in the Game 4 card blow, Roberto Clemente:

1972 Topps #226 -- '71 World Series, Game 4

On paper, the Orioles were the better team. They were the defending champions and boasted four 20-game winners in their rotation. However, paper doesn't win 4 games. The series went to 7 games, and the the Pirates pulled out with the victory.

They're featured on card #1 in the 1972 Topps set:

1972 Topps #1 -- World Champions

That would be the final year of Topps giving their #1 card to the World Series winner.