In Rod We Trust

Rod Carew is an All-Star's All-Star. In 19 MLB seasons, Carew was an All-Star 18 times.

Topps made Carew an All-Star Rookie, but he was also an All-Star for the American League, and the AL Rookie of the Year. Carew's hitting really started to take off in 1969, when he hit .332 for the season to win the AL batting title. He'd win 6 more batting titles before his retirement in 1985, including 4 straight from 1972 thru 1975. 

Carew was traded before the 1979 season began. People point to the notoriously cheap Calvin Griffith for trading Carew before he had to pay him a free agent's salary, but the fact was that Carew already wanted to be traded. Articles at the time talk about Carew being comfortable in Minnesota, but contract negotiations going poorly between the two parties. What the vast majority of the articles do not bring up is Calvin Griffith's appearance at The Lions Club in Waseca, MN in 1978 when he said "I'll tell you why we came to Minnesota. It was when we found out you only had 15,000 Blacks here. Black people don't go to baseball games, but they'll fill up a rassling ring and put up such a chant it'll scare you to death. We came here because you've got good, hardworking White people here." A bit of context here - Calvin is the adopted son of Clark Griffith, who ran the Washington Senators for decades before turning over operations to Calvin. One of the main tenants of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.? The Homestead Grays, a Negro National League franchise that often outdrew the MLB Senators/Nats in the 1940s. Clark Griffith was opposed to integration mostly because it directly impacted him financially. Integration would cost him a profitable tenant. As a lifelong fan of Twins baseball, I have come to terms with how they arrived in Minnesota, knowing that their existence is a product of some warped thinking. That same warped thinking cost the Franchise several seasons of one of their best players. Carew knew about the comments, as a reporter attending the dinner recounted those comments, along with Griffith specifically calling Carew "a damned fool" for playing in 1978 for just $170,000. After reading this in the paper, Carew's response was "The days of Kunta Kinte are over" as well as "I refuse to be a slave on his plantation and play for a bigot."

Carew would appear in six more All-Star games after that trade, collected his 3,000th career hit against the Twins, and helped the Angels reach the post season in 1979 and 1982. In the 1983 All-Star Game, Carew started and hit lead-off. He collected his final 2 All-Star hits, going 2-3 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and an RBI in a 13-3 American League romp. For his career, Carew ranks behind just Aaron, Mays, and Musial for most All-Star games played. He set a record with 2 triples (1978) in the same game, and ranks 4th in runs scored, 3rd in stolen bases, and 4th in walks all-time in All-Star game history. 

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Left handed Pitcher Mike Holtz

We don't know what the future holds for us - and in the case of Mike Holtz, it took him around the world and back again. Holtz made the 1997 Topps All-Star Rookie squad because of durability (he led the Angels with 66 appearances) and a wicked curve ball that helped him to a 3.32 ERA. 

The question is- was Holtz really a rookie? He had pitched in 30 Games for the Angels in 1996, though he only had 29.1 innings pitched. Technically he exceeded his rookie limits during the 1997 season. He had already been through quite a lot in his young life by 1997, having Tommy John surgery before attending Clemson University, but determined to get back on the mound, Holtz rehabbed and eventually pitched in the College World Series in 1991. Holtz pitched for Clemson from 1991 - 1994, then was drafted by the Angels in the 17th Round. He would pitch two convincingly strong seasons in single A, then jump from AA to the majors in 1996. 

The plight of the middle reliever in major league baseball is to be called upon often, but featured on baseball cards seldom. Holtz had those 66 appearances in 1996, then 58 more in 1998, and would pitch in 60+ games two more times for the Angels, but didn't appear on too many cards in that time. He was a prototypical LOOGY, routinely having more appearances than innings pitched. For his career, he pitched 240 innings but had 353 appearances. The short stints also meant that Holtz rarely got the decision. He was 16-20 with 2 saves over those 353 games. He was used as a lefty set up man for Angels closer Troy Percival for many years.

After several seasons with the Angels, he did a quick tour of Southern California, pitching for Oakland and the Padres in 2002, then spent a couple seasons in the minors pitching for the Pirates and Rays. In 2005, he pitched for Yokohama in the Nippon Professional League, making 44 appearances as a situational lefty, getting in just 24.2 innings of work. He made a comeback in 2006 pitching in a few games for the Boston Red Sox and spending the balance of the season in AAA Pawtucket. Holtz was a strikeout artist, thanks to his big curve and sneaky fastball - his career k/9 rate was 8.4 in the big leagues, and 11.3 in the minors. 

Do you have any Mike Holtz Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Jose Guillen

Jose Guillen  has one of the better All-Star Rookie cards of all time. Posing with the statue of the great Roberto Clemente, and poised to become the Pirates' right fielder of the future, Guillen beamed. He shared some of the same skills that made Clemente so good, in particular a throwing arm that dazzled and delighted fans. He was a Topps All-Star rookie at just the age of 20, with a long and productive MLB career ahead of him.

Guillen would have a decent season for the Pirates as their everyday Right Fielder in 1997. He hit 14 homers and drove in 70 runs. He was the 4th youngest player in the league but was still entrusted with the second most plate appearances on the Pirates' squad. While he had a great arm (9 assists as a rookie), he struggled a bit with the leather, ranking 2nd in errors among right fielders. He ranked below league average in rate stats, however was still learning the finer points of the game.

Guillen was signed in 1993 by the Pirates as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He would spent his minor league career in Single A clubs, with an MVP season in 1996 for the high A Lynchburg Hillcats. His final minor league season, he hit .322 with 21 homers and 24 stolen bases. The steals were somewhat of a mirage, as he never stole more than 5 bases in a season before or since. He followed up his 1997 season with a nearly identical 1998 season. He performed even better in the field, and led the NL in RF assists. Despite two seasons with 14 homers and nearly as many errors, Guillen was still considered a top prospect by many observers, who were more than willing to compare him to Roberto Clemente or Dave Winfield, who did have somewhat slow starts to their Hall of Fame careers. 

After leaving Pittsburgh, Guillen began a whirlwind tour of the big leagues, never stopping in one place for more than a couple seasons. He was either burning bridges or providing tantalizing potential at seemingly every stop along the way. Tampa picked him up in 1999 near the trade deadline, and he would muster just 15 homers over the next 2 and a half seasons before being released. The Arizona Diamondbacks gave him a chance, and after hitting .229 over 54 games, he was cut loose. The Rockies had him for just two days, and decided to go in  another direction before he hooked up with the Reds in Cincinnati to finish the 2002 season. He actually played his best baseball in Cincy, including a torrid first half in 2003, when he slashed .337/.385/.629 with a 165 OPS+. He found his power stroke, hitting 23 homers for the Reds before becoming a deadline deal to the Oakland A's. It was in Oakland the he had his only taste of post season play, hitting .455 in 4 games against Boston in the 2003 ALDS. 

He then signed a deal with AL West rivals the Angels, but butted heads with Mike Scioscia on numerous occasions. Even with a career high 104 RBI, he was on the move again after one season in Anaheim. Now in D.C., Guillen had a good season, followed by an atrocious one in which he hit just .216 with just 9 homers. The next year he was in Seattle, and managed to knock in 99 runs, but wore out his welcome there just as quickly. He then signed a 3 year deal with Kansas City, and nearly fulfilled the whole contract before being traded midway through the 2010 season to San Francisco. By that point he had publicly called his teammates babies and openly complained about K.C.'s losing culture. 

His final MLB stop was a stretch run in San Francisco for the Giants team that finally got over the hump and won a championship. Guillen missed the on field celebration, he had been left off the post season roster while being investigated for the alleged use of HGH. He hit .266 with 5 homers and 13 RBI for the Giants in the closing months of the 2010 season, and they would be the last games he would play in the league.

His Career MLB Totals

I'll leave you with a more positive note, here's video of Guillen's tremendous throwing arm taken from a game in 1998. 

Do you have any Jose Guillen Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Right Handed Pitcher Jason Dickson

Jason Dickson had an abrupt entree to the big leagues - the first batter he faced in 1996 was none other than Hall of Fame Short Stop Derek Jeter. Jeets crushed a homer on the third pitch Dickson threw as a big leaguer, but he would bounce back. 1997 was his official "Rookie" season, and he would serve as a solid starter in the Angels' rotation. Buoyed by a strong first half, Dickson not only made the Topps All-Star Rookie team, he also made the American League All-Star team. In the first half of 1997, he made 18 starts, winning 8. He had 2 complete games, one of which was a shutout that came in his first start of the year. For the season, Dickson was remarkably consistent for a rookie, getting 20 "quality starts" out of his 33 times toeing the rubber for the Angels.

Dickson was the Angels' 6th Round selection in 1994, and made it all the way up to the big leagues by the end of 1996. Born in Ontario, he was on the 18U Championship team from New Brunswick, the following year his team was again taking the World Youth Baseball Championship. He attended college at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. According to Dickson "that's when my baseball career really took off." He pitched two seasons for NEO, and featured a mix of pitches including a sinking fastball that he paired with a breaking ball. He also developed a change up in college to round out the repertoire. His first full professional season at Single A Cedar Rapids showed the Angels what potential was in his right arm. He had a 14-6 record with a 2.86 ERA. He had fairly good control that year as well, with a 2.98 k/bb ratio. The following season he would climb all the way up the organization, jumping from single A to AA to AAA to the big leagues for 7 starts. 

After leading the Angels in innings pitched in 1997, Dickson would struggle to find that same success in his following season and found himself splitting time as a starter and as a reliever. A torn labrum sidelined Jason for the entirety of the 1999 season, and his comeback attempts never quite bore Major League fruit. He pitched in AAA for several different organizations, and finally retired following a stint in the 2004 Olympics pitching for team Canada. 

Following his playing days, Dickson was a board member for Baseball Canada, ultimately being named the organization's President in 2016. Dickson is a member of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He won Canada's Tip O'Neill award in 1996 as the country's best baseball player. 

Do you have any Jason Dickson Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

1995 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Garret Anderson

Topps had a host of talented rookie outfielders to choose from in 1995 for their All-Star Rookie Team. AL Rookie of the Year Marty Cordova may have had a better season, but runner-up Garret Anderson was building a resume towards a fantastic career.  The Sporting News did name Anderson as the Rookie of the Year for 1995.

Anderson played in 106 games that season, and finished the season with a hearty .321 batting average. That mark was fueled by a torrid month of July, in which Garret was not only the top rookie, but was named AL Player of the Month for the whole league. He knocked out 19 doubles and smashed 16 homers.

Garret was a 3-sport star in high school in Granada Hills, California - as a Junior he helped lead his team to a Los Angeles City Championship. He was drafted in the 4th Round in 1990 by the Angels, and he made quick work of the minor leagues, climbing a level each year. He was never considered a top prospect in the minors, finishing as the #93 overall prospect in his final minor league season.

Anderson made his MLB debut in July of 1994, going 2-4 against the Oakland A's, with his first MLB hit coming off Starting Pitcher Ron Darling. Anderson appeared in just 5 games for the Angels in 1994, spending the bulk of the season at AAA Vancouver.

Anderson would go on to become one of the Angels' All-Time greats, finishing his 15 year tenure for the Halos as their all-time hits, runs, RBI, and total bases leader. Anderson developed his power over the years, with big numbers in 2002 and 2003. He would win the Silver Slugger award both years, making the All-Star team both seasons as well. Anderson was a key piece of the Angels' Championship Run in 2002 as well.  The injury bug would strike starting in 2004, and Anderson would lose some home run power but continued to hit near the .300 mark for several more seasons.

Following the 2008 season, the Angels would let Anderson go to free agency. He would sign with Atlanta and had another typical season for the doubles happy hitter, though his batting average had dipped to just .268.

Anderson would return to Southern California for his final MLB season, playing 80 games for the Dodgers, primarily as a pinch hitter. He would officially retire as an Angel in 2011, and was inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame in 2016.

Anderson was a prolific hitter, and was historically unwilling to take a walk when a hit could be had instead. Anderson never drew more than 38 walks in a single season, despite being the Angels' all-time leader in plate appearances. In fact he had more homers than walks in both 2000 and 2001.

Do you have any good Garret Anderson stories?

1994 Topps All-Star Rookie Left Handed Pitcher Brian Anderson

The 6'1" lefty from Ohio made a big impression in 1994 for the Angels early on. Anderson hurled 8 shutout innings against the Yankees, earning the victory, one of three straight victories to start the season. He was just a year removed from pitching in college for Wright State. If not for a fractured thumb suffered in May, he may have had a much more  impressive rookie campaign. The player's strike ended his season while he was still regaining his early season form.

His swift rise to the majors, his first round pedigree, and his early season success was enough to land him a spot on the 1994 Topps All-Star Rookie team.

Anderson had a stellar college career-- in his junior and senior season he recorded more strikeouts than innings pitched. His final season in 1993 included 98 Ks and just 6 walks. He was a 3rd Team All-American in 1992, and was the Angels' first round selection (#3 Overall) in June of 1993. He set records at Wright State for single season Ks, victories, innings pitched, and complete games.

Anderson spent little time in the minor leagues, as a college pitcher with a track record of success, there was little left for him to prove, and the Angels were anxiously awaiting his arrival. He would only pitch in 4 minor league games in 1993 before his promotion the big leagues.

The quick promotion may have prevented Anderson from developing his craft. Rod Carew is probably reassuring Anderson that at least his doesn't have to pitch to him. In 1996, Anderson was traded to Cleveland for Jason Grimsley after a pair of frustrating but solid seasons at the back of the Angels rotation.

In 1997, Anderson would get his first taste of the post season, and it suited him well. Cleveland used Anderson out of the bullpen, and he made 6 appearances including a win in the ALCS and a save in the World Series. Following this, Anderson was still a pitcher looking for a home, and he was one of the more intriguing arms available in the expansion draft for the Rays and Diamondbacks.

Anderson was the first player selected by the Diamondbacks, and became the first pitcher to toss a shutout for the team. He topped 200 innings pitched in the team's inaugural season, and led the national league with a criminally stingy 1.0/9 inning walk rate. The flip side of that stat was the league leading 39 homers allowed. Undeterred, Anderson would again shine in the post season, going 7 strong innings against the Mets in losing effort in 1999, then again performed well in 2001, limiting damage in 4 appearances, winning a game in relief in the NLCS against Atlanta, and providing a day of rest inbetween the starts from Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in the World Series.

He would return to Cleveland in 2003, and his defense let him down, allowing 27 UNearned runs in his 23 starts. The Royals acquired Anderson for the second half, seeing the better peripheral numbers and the rotten luck. He would go 5-1 down the stretch for the Royals, finished with career bests in victories, ERA, and complete games.

He would finish his career after a UCL injury in spring training for the Rays in 2008. He had been trying to recover from a pair of Tommy John surgeries. The relationship with the Rays would prove fruitful, along with a connection to longtime Reds' announcer Marty Brennaman and has led to his 2nd career, as the announcer for Rays TV.

Anderson finished with 10 Wins Above Replacement, and an 82-83 record in 13 MLB seasons. His 1.96 career walk rate per 9 innings is in the top 100 All-time.

Winter is Coming - 1993 Topps All-Star Rookie First Baseman J.T. Snow

Like his teammate Tim Salmon, J.T. Snow was a SoCal kid finding his way in the big leagues close to home. Snow is the son of Rams Wide Receiver Jack Snow , and the younger Snow followed in his athletic footsteps. Snow was a 3 sport athlete in high school; the starting QB for the football team, point guard on the basketball team, and slugging first baseman for the baseball team.

Snow's candidacy for the Topps All-Star Rookie squad was fueled by his defense as well as his still developing power bat. He probably reminded more than a few Angels fans of Wally Joyner, who had been the 1986 Topps All-Star Rookie at first base. Snow didn't set the world on fire quite like Wally did, sharing the spotlight with a wide range of young talented players in SoCal, but he hit 16 homers in his rookie season, 6 of which came in his first 15 games. While he didn't keep that pace up for the rest of his rookie campaign, there were plenty of signs that he would be a star for years to come.

Snow made his way to California by way of Yankee stadium. He was originally drafted out of the University of Arizona by the Yankees in the 5th Round of the 1989 draft. In College, he counted Trevor Hoffman, Scott Erickson, Kenny Lofton, and Alan Zinter among his teammates. He made quick work of the Yankees' farm system, earning his MLB debut in September of 1992. He showed power in the minors, with double digits in homers in his last two seasons. The Yankees, of course, already had a pretty good first baseman in Don Mattingly, so it should not have been a big surprise that Snow would be dangled in trade offers. The Angels decided to part with Jim Abbott because the Yankees included Snow along with Russ Springer and lefty Jerry Nielson. While the pitchers did not provide much value to the Angels, Snow would be a franchise cornerstone.

It didn't start out as a rosy relationship with Angels fans, however. They were die-hard Jim Abbott defenders, and could not see the potential of Snow outweighing the front line starter that Abbott had already proven to be. Snow's dad now was a radio talk show host in SoCal, and it got the the point where the younger Snow couldn't even listen to the radio. As the New York Times chronicles, Snow was right in the midst of his early 1993 power surge, and he credited the skeptics and the critics for fueling his fire.

Even more juicy was this tidbit from 1994 - Snow was nearly headed back east in Spring Training to the Mets in exchange for Anthony Young! You won't find many cards showing J.T. at the plate - he was actually a very good hitter with power to the gaps, but his glove was something special.

In his California Angels days, Snow would win a pair of Gold Glove awards, with just 22 errors over the 4 seasons.

Coming to the Giants in a trade in 1997, Snow was even better in the field, and had a career year at the plate as well. He had a career high 28 homers and drove in over 100 runs for San Francisco, and made his first trip to the post season.

Snow's first year in San Francisco was so good that he was being compared to Andres Galarraga, when in all honesty he was more of a Pete O'Brien at the plate (not necessarily a bad thing!). Snow would win 4 more Gold Gloves with the Giants, and after a season with the Red Sox in which he played just 38 games, he came back to the Bay Area to retire as a Giant. His career fielding pct ranks 16th All-Time among first basemen. 

King Fish - 1993 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Tim Salmon

Last week I covered Mr. Marlin, and this week it's "King Fish," Angels outfielder Tim Salmon. Salmon was a no-brainer for the Topps All-Star Rookie Roster, winning the 1993 AL Rookie of the Year award with 31 homers and a .283 batting average.

Salmon was already swimming on the Angels' sonar when he was drafted in 1989. The SoCal kid had already been drafted once before in 1986 by the Braves, but Salmon opted to go to school instead, attending Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. He is the school's All-Time leader in Homers, runs scored, and RBI. His #10 was retired in 2002, and he was named to the GCU Hall of Fame in 2010. He still holds an NAIA record for walks in a season, drawing 81 free passes in 1989. His patience at the plate would continue throughout his career, with a .385 OBP in his 14 major league seasons. He'd play in the Cape Cod league in the summer of 1988 along with 39 other future major leaguers, possibly the best season in that league's history.

In his first 2 pro seasons, Salmon had some bad luck with a pair of beanings. The second pitch, in 1990, shattered his jaw and put him on the shelf for 2 months. Undeterred, Salmon made quick work of the low minors and swam swiftly upstream to become the 1992 Minor League Player of the year. His 31 homers in 1993 were impressive enough, but he would hit 30+ homers again in '95, '96, and '97. He joined Don Baylor as the only other Angel to hit 30+ homers in consecutive seasons.

His 1995 season was perhaps his best. Following a strike shortened 1994 in which he had a 132 OPS+ but only played in 100 games, Salmon would tip the scales in his favor as one of the best outfield bats in the American League. He would win a Silver Slugger award while posting career highs in batting Average, OBP, Homers, Hits, Runs Scored, and total bases. He sported a gaudy 165 OPS+, and racked up 6.6 WAR.

Salmon would drive in even more runs in 1997 (a career high 129 RBI), and ultimately became the Angels' All-Time leader in homers and walks. After a power packed 2000, he would have a rough 2001, with career lows in many major categories as he played through some nagging injuries. Before the season he had signed a 4 year extension with the now Anaheim Angels, nearly taking an offer to play with the Diamonbacks instead.

He may have wanted to be a part of the Diamonbacks' 2001 championship team, but instead he was able to be a part of a very special 2002 Angels team, blasting 22 homers and being named the AL Comeback Player of the Year. He would hit 2 more homers in the Game 2 of the World Series against the Giants, and the Angels would capture their first Championship thanks to the heroics of one of their greatest players. Tim Salmon was never a member of an All-Star Roster, the AL was overcrowded with talented outfielders. Consider his best season of 1995 - the starters were Kirby Puckett, Kenny Lofton, and Albert Belle. That meant Ken Griffey Jr settled for a reserve spot, along with Manny Ramirez, Paul O'Neill, and Salmon's teammate Jim Edmonds. He remains the Angels' All-Time leader in homers and walks, and is second for RBI and runs scored behind Garret Anderson. There's another fish out there gaining on him in the Angels' record books, but Salmon remains the King Fish.

The Straw That Stirs The Drink

In 1969, Humankind reached the Moon, just in time to see one of Reggie's homers pass by Apollo 11's window. Just 23 years old, Reggie Jackson had already starred in college at Arizona State in Football and Baseball, and had moved with the A's from Kansas City to Oakland. That year made his first All-Star appearance, led the AL in Runs Scored, Slugging, OPS, Intentional Walks, and for the second year in a row, strikeouts. The strikeouts didn't bother Reggie, especially with a career high 47 Homers to go with them. He once said that "the most important requirement in success is overcoming failure. You must learn to tolerate it, but never accept it."

It was Reggie Jackson and the players that formed the nucleus around him were the first Athletics team to reach the post season since the team was managed by Connie Mack in the 1930s. In 1972, it was Reggie's surprise steal of home in game 5 against the Detroit Tigers that vaulted them into the World Series and setting the stage for Oakland's dynasty. "Just as nature fills a vacuum, Reggie fills a spotlight." -- Bob Marshall

At the peak of the Oakland dynasty, Jackson was the centerpiece of a dynamic offense. In 1973, he was the MVP of the World Series, and MVP of the American League. He led the AL in Runs scored, Homers, RBI, Slugging and OPS. Playing against the legend Willie Mays and the New York Mets, Jackson would hit .310 in the seven game marathon. Facing elimination, Jackson drove in go ahead runs early and an insurance run later on in Game 6, and a back breaking homer in Game 7 to put the A's up for good.

As an Oakland Athletic, Reggie walked the walk as much as the talked the talk. As the team succeeded and he found great personal success, he displayed the kind of swagger and bravado that would make him a household name. The team was barely holding itself together with in-fighting and a young MC Hammer spying on the players and relaying gossip to owner Charlie O. Finley. No, really. Jackson and the rest of the team's stars would have to endure the antics of the team owner and the low-ball offers he'd extend for new contracts. 

Jackson loved Oakland, with deep ties to his teammates and the community. Finley was not willing to pay the salary that Jackson would command in 1976 and beyond and the game's premier power hitter. Reggie was traded to Baltimore just before Opening Day, shocking the baseball world. His season with the Orioles was overlooked for a long time - Topps did not make a card with him in an Orioles unform until after his playing career - but the team would certainly take notice of his talents while he was there. Jackson would lead the team in homers, RBI, slugging, OPS... and stolen bases! He swiped 28 bags at an 80% success rate. He also had a personal best in homers - hitting one in 6 straight games during the 1976 season. The Orioles missed the playoffs - the only time that Jackson missed the playoffs from '71 through 1978. After the season, Jackson would be a free agent. "If I played in New York, they'd name a candy bar after me."

The Reggie Bar was apparently very tasty, if a little too similar to the Baby Ruth bar, but not nearly as sweet as the addition of Reggie Jackson's bat to the Yankees line-up. Not so sweet? his relationship with Billy Martin and Thurman Munson. The New York media had certainly picked a side early on, and drew a firm pinstripe in the sand after Reggie's interview with Robert Ward for Sport Magazine. Even before the magazine was released, the backlash was strong. It was in this interview that Jackson famously quipped "I'm the straw that stirs the drink." Despite the rocky relationship between Reggie and some parts of the Yankees clubhouse, the talent was clear, and winning breeds good team chemistry. It would be wrong to say that all was forgiven, but Reggie's 5 World Series Homers sure made the dugout atmosphere more relaxed. Jackson was of course the MVP of the 1977 World Series, and the team would repeat again in 1978 as Champions. His heroics would earn him the nickname "Mr. October." Jackson would continue to lead the team offensively into the 1980s.

My first exposure to Topps Traded cards was Reggie's bespectacled mug in a California Angels helmet. When Gene Autry heard that Jackson was willing to play out west again once he became a free agent, he made sure to make Reggie a big offer, giving the 35 year old a 5 year deal. Can you imagine a contract like that today? Reggie would help the Angels to 2 more playoff appearances, though he would not reach the World Series again in California. He would retire following one last season with Oakland in 1987.

The Hall of Famer retired with 563 homers, over 220 stolen bases, 1500 + runs, 1702 RBI, and over 2500 hits. He is the All-Time MLB leader in strikeouts, but he didn't mind the boos or taunts - "They don't boo nobodys."