1976 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

Here they are - the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected "by the Youth of America" following the 1976 season and featured in the 1977 Topps set. 

I have completed the run of these up through 2018, specifically all regular issue cards that bear the All-Star Rookie Trophy.

Outfield - Chet Lemon
Chicago (A.L.) 1975 - '81, Detroit (A.L.) 1982 - '90

Chet "the Jet" had the reputation of being fast, though he only stole double digit bases one time in his 16 year career. He had a tough time finding a spot on the roster with the Athletics, the team he was drafted by, so news of his trade to Chicago was a relief. Lemon had moved around the infield in the minors, but struggled defensively. After the trade, he found a home in the cozy Comiskey outfield. As a rookie, Lemon found a groove quickly, and had 15 doubles to go with 13 steals while playing Center and Left Field. He would make a pair of All-Star appearances in the 70s, showing flashes of power, and even led the AL in doubles for 1979. He had the bittersweet distinction of also leading the league in times hit by pitch four times. He was traded again following the 1981 season, to the Tigers for Steve Kemp. Both outfielders were pending free agents, and the teams felt they were better served making the 1 for 1 trade to get a better chance to retain the services of their new player. Lemon found a fresh start in the Detroit clubhouse, and had some of the best seasons of his career. This included a World Series Championship in 1984, was voted to the All-Star squad, and serving as the team's Center fielder all season long. For his career, he had 1,875 hits, 396 doubles, and 215 homers.

Chet Lemon's Rookie Card is 1976 Topps #590 shared with Henry Cruz, Ellis Valentine and Terry Whitfield

Outfield - Tom Poquette
Kansas City (A.L.) 1973; 1976 - '79; '82, Boston (A.L.) 1979; 1981, Texas (A.L.) 1981

Tom's rookie season had a slight detour following a vicious collision with the outfield wall in K.C. His spikes were caught in the astroturf and he fell awkwardly into the wall breaking his cheekbone and being knocked unconscious. He missed a full month of the season, but still managed to hit over .300 and compile over 100 hits. He was able to reach the century mark again the following season, and would be a key piece of the talented Kansas City playoff teams of the late 70s. The team had a superb outfield trio with Willie Wilson, Al Cowens, and Amos Otis. Poquette's role was reduced in later seasons and he bounced around the A.L. to Boston and Texas before returning to K.C. to finish his career in 1982. He would remain in the K.C. org as a coach and later a minor league manager.

Tom Poquette's Rookie Card is 1975 Topps #622 shared with Ed Armbrister, Fred Lynn, and Terry Whitfield (again!)

Short Stop - Garry Templeton
Rookie Card
Saint Louis (N.L.) 1976 - '81, San Diego (N.L.) 1982 - '91, New York (N.L.) 1991

You think you know Garry Templeton? Lemme guess - he's the guy the Cardinals traded to get Ozzie Smith. And yes, Ozzie looms large, but don't sleep on a talent like Templeton. While he was a mid season call up his first season, he had a tremendous run of excellence at the plate in the late 70s. His offensive production as a shortstop was impressive- leading the NL in triples in three consecutive seasons. In 1979, he amassed over 100 hits from each side of the plate, the second time in his career with 200 total hits. For his career, he was a 3 time All-Star and won a pair of Silver Slugger awards. He also had a quirky stat - he led the NL in intentional walks in 1984 and 1985, hitting in the 8 spot for much of those two seasons.

That's a funny bit of foreshadowing- Templeton was traded to the Padres prior to the 1982 season, and he provided the team with some much needed offense. Despite playing on the same squad as Mr. Padre himself Tony Gwynn, it was Garry that was the team's Captain from 1987 to 1991. He belted over 2,000 hits including 329 doubles and over 100 career triples. He helped the Padres to their first World Series appearance in 1984.

Catcher - Butch Wynegar
Rookie Card
Minnesota (A.L.) 1976 -'82, New York (A.L.) 1982 - '86, California (A.L.) 1987 -'88

Wynegar started his career by jumping from Single-A to the Major Leagues at the age of 20. He was the Twins' second round selection in 1974, and blazed through the rookie league in Elizabethon and spent a season in Single A, leading that league in walks and runs batted in. He was the 4th youngest player in the majors in 1976, and hit .260 with 10 homers and drew 79 walks. He was also playing the toughest position on the field, throwing out runners left and right from behind the plate. His first two seasons were nearly identical, both resulting in All-Star berths. His 2nd season he led the AL by throwing out 60 would-be base stealers. He would follow that up by throwing out 64 runners in 1979. He was hitting and catching like a young Ivan Rodriguez. In 1982, he was mired in a mini-slump with the Twins, and he was traded to the New York Yankees. He would finish the 1982 season hitting nearly .300 for the Yankees, and would become the team's primary catcher in 1985. The pressure of New York, specifically the pressures of Steinbrenner and Billy Martin, caused Wynegar to question his career choices. He had just finished a great season under the tutelage of the catching legend Yogi Berra, but the team missed the post-season. Yogi was fired, and Martin was re-hired. The media circus proved to be overwhelming and he walked away from the Yankees and a sizeable remainder of his contract midway through the 1986 season. He would ask to be traded in the off-season and finished he career as a back-up behind Bob Boone in California. Post playing career, Wynegar has served as a hitting coach throughout the league, currently serving in that capacity for the Pirates' AAA Affiliate.

Right Handed Pitcher - Mark Fidrych
Rookie Card
Detroit (A.L.) 1976 - '80

Fidrych was a revelation in 1976, running away with the AL Rookie of the Year award and the ERA title. He started 29 games and in 24 of those starts, Fidrych went the distance. He was a cautionary tale of overworking a young arm. He pitched 34 innings as a 19 year old, then 171 as a 20 year over 3 levels of the minors, then jumped up to 250 innings as a 21 year old rookie. He had 4 shutouts in that magical season. He would still make the All-Star team in his 2nd season, though he would only pitch in a total of 11 games that year. He would pitch in his final MLB game as a 25 year old in 1980. He sought the advice of Dr. James Andrews in 1985, who diagnosed Fidrych with a torn rotator cuff, which likely was the cause of his dead arm all the way back in 1977. Who knows what his career could have been if he had been managed more conservatively, or if his injury had been treated properly at the time? For his own part, Fidrych never expressed regret for the career he did have, and when interviewed following his playing career, he would point to all the things for which he was grateful. His superlative 1976 season accounted for more than half of his career wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. He was never one to leave a job unfinished, tossing a complete game in 34 of his 56 career starts.

First Base - Jason Thompson
Rookie Card
Detroit (A.L.) 1976 - '80, California (A.L.) 1980, Pittsburgh (N.L.) 1981 - '85, Montreal (N.L.) 1986

The big lefty bat of Jason Thompson earned him the nickname "Roof Top" for his tape measure blasts off the Tiger Stadium roof, and sometimes hitting the ball all the way over the roof and literally out of the park. In his rookie campaign, he only hit .218, but he still led the Tigers with 17 round trippers, and played excellent defense at first base. He would play even better in 1977, hitting a career high 31 homers and driving in 105 runs. He made the All-Star squad in '77 and '78, providing power and defense. In 1980, he started off slow, and the California Angels came calling. The Angels wanted to move Rod Carew to the DH position so he could be fresher at the plate, so Thompson took his place at first for the bulk of the season. Carew managed to work his way back onto the field by the end of the 1980 season, so Thompson would be on the move again. He was very nearly a New York Yankee - the Angels traded him to Pittsburgh and the Pirates had intended to flip him to New York in a deal involving glove-first Jim Spencer and a pair of minor leaguers. The deal was vetoed by the Commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, because the Yankees had tried to include paying Spencer's salary in the deal. He spent the first half of 1981 struggling to break the Mendoza line- maybe with some mixed feelings playing for a team that didn't seem to want him. After the break, Thompson had a mid career renaissance, hitting .325 to finish '81. That carried over through 1982, when he had his best season, reaching 100 RBI and 30 homers for the 2nd time, and even made the All-Star squad for the 3rd and final time. Knee problems slowed his success, and he was out of the majors by 1986. He had over 1,200 career hits and 208 homers. 

2nd Base - Willie Randolph
Pittsburgh (N.L.) 1975, New York (A.L.) 1976 - '88, Los Angeles (N.L.) 1989 - '90, Oakland (A.L.) 1990, Milwaukee (A.L.) 1991, New York (N.L.) 1992

Only 6 players in Major League History played more games at second base than Willie Randolph, 5 of which are currently in the Hall of Fame. Randolph made his way to the Bronx via a trade that in hindsight was incredibly lopsided. The Yankees got Randolph, Ken Brett and Dock Ellis in exchange for veteran hurler Doc Medich. Randolph would pay immediate dividends for New York, stealing 37 bases while playing a slick 2nd base. How a player playing in New York for most of his career can be underrated is anyone's guess, but Randolph seemed to be overlooked and overshadowed by the strong crop of AL 2nd baseman. Lou Whitaker and Frank White won most of the Gold Gloves during Randolph's career. Despite leading the AL in double plays turned twice (he's 3rd All-time for his career), as well as leading the league in putouts and range factor, and consistently ranking in the top 5 in fielding pct, Randolph never won a Gold Glove. It's rare that you'll hear me defend a New York Yankee, but Randolph probably deserved to be a multi-time winner. He did make 6 All-Star games, and his teams had a great deal of success early in his career. The Yankees won championships in both '77 and '78, though Randolph missed the second playoff run with a pulled hamstring. Randolph was a classic great glove middle infielder through the 1980s. He was also a prototypical #2 hitter, with decent speed and excellent on base skills. For his career, he had 2,210 hits and drew 1,243 walks. He reached base more times than Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Enos Slaughter, and Andre Dawson to name a few. After his playing days, he was an integral part of the coaching staff in the late 90s early 2000s Yankee dynasty, adding 4 more championship rings. He would also become manager of the New York Mets, leading them to the NLCS in 2006. His winning pct is 2nd best all-time in Mets history.

Willie Randolph's Rookie Card is 1976 Topps #592 shared with Dave McKay, Jerry Royster, and Roy Staiger. There's also a Traded version of #592, showing just Randolph in airbrushed pinstripes. 

Outfield - Larry Herndon
Rookie Card
Saint Louis (N.L.) 1974, San Francisco (N.L.) 1976 - '81, Detroit (A.L.) 1982 - '88

Herndon would have some very memorable moments to come in his career, but he started modestly enough, with a short stint as a 20 year old in Saint Louis, and then spending two more seasons working his way back to the big leagues, breaking through in 1976 with the Giants. Herndon would be the regular Center Fielder for the Giants, sandwiched between budding superstar Gary Matthews and veteran Bobby Murcer. They provided some wonderful instruction, and Herndon filled up the box score with a little power, a little speed, and lots of hits. The following season, he was slowed by nagging injuries, but was able to bounce back with a solid 1978 campaign, a major piece in the deep run the Giants made trying for the NL pennant. He didn't he many homers in San Francisco, maybe due to the swirling winds at Candlestick, or perhaps his hitting style was just not suited to it. By the time he made it to the American League, however, Herndon had adapted his game. He began slugging the ball with authority, and in 1982 he even homered in 4 straight at bats over two days. In 1984, he only hit 7 regular season homers, but he hit a dinger in game 1 of the ALCS to put the Tigers up for good, then followed it up with an encore in Game 1 of the World Series, taking the lead from the Padres and giving Tigers' starter some much welcomed run support. Herndon would also be in the field to record the final out of the series. He would also hit a memorable homer to clinch another pennant for Detroit in 1987, a 1-0 win over Toronto in the last weekend of the season.

3rd Base - Jerry Royster
Los Angeles (N.L.) 1973 - '75; Atlanta (N.L.) 1976 - '84, '88; San Diego (N.L.) 1985 - '86; Chicago (A.L.) 1987; New York (A.L.) 1987

Like several players on this roster, a trade changed Royster's fortunes and paved the way for him to get regular playing time. He toiled for three seasons on the cusp of the big leagues with the Dodgers, stuck behind the great Ron Cey on the depth chart and a cast of talented outfielders. In Atlanta, he found an everday gig at the hot corner. 1976 was his first full season and he made the most of it. He would steal at least 20 bases in each of the next five seasons, and was fixture at the top of the Braves' batting order.  His best season came in 1979, when he scored over 100 runs and had 164 hits. He had a rough 1981 and was relegated to utility infield duty from that point on, with stops in San Diego, Chicago, and New York before wrapping up his playing career back in Atlanta in 1988. His coaching career culminated in 2002 with a surprise stint managing the Milwaukee Brewers, taking on a interim tag from Davey Lopes. He would go on to manage in the KBO in South Korea for several seasons as well.

 Jerry Royster's Rookie Card is 1976 Topps # 592 shared with Willie Randolph, Dave McKay, and Roy Staiger. 

Left Handed Pitcher - Jerry Augustine
Rookie Card

Jerry Augustine was a Wisconsin kid, drafted by his home state Brewers in the 15th round in 1974, but worked his way up to the majors and had a 10 year career with Milwaukee. He was a steady part of the Brewers rotation as a youngster, then transitioned to the bullpen for the back half of his career. As a rookie, he hurled 3 shutouts, one third of his nine wins as a rookie. 1976 was a strong year for rookie pitchers - Augustine was the lefty counterpart to the tremendous righty Mark Fidrych, who won the AL rookie of the Year award. In the National League, relief ace Butch Metzger was the NL rookie of the year and Pat Zachry of the Reds was the runner up. Augustine was the best Lefty rookie, however. He followed 1976 with a pair of successful campaigns. Augustine is a regular contributor to Brewers' TV broadcasts, now in his 11th year on the microphone as a color commentator.