#138 Rick Dempsey - Balimore Orioles

This is a nice shot of Rick Dempsey wearing the tools of ignorance.  You don't see too many catchers wearing a hat under their helmets these days.  This is Dempsey's 11th Topps card.

Player:  Rick Dempsey debuted with the Minnesota Twins ten days after his 20th birthday in September of 1969.  Over the next three years, the former 15th round pick would be shuttled back and forth to the minors, appearing in only 41 major league games in his first four years. 

After the '72 season he was traded to the Yankees for Danny Walton, but he only got into six games for the Yankees that season, spending most of '73 at AAA Syracuse.  Dempsey finally earned a roster spot in '74 as Thurman Munson's back up. He spent the next two and half seaosns in this role batting .239 in '74 and .262 in '75.  While struggling with a .119 average in June of '76 he was sent in the ten-player blockbuster trade that sent Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor and Dave Pagan to the Orioles for Doyle Alexander, Jimmy Freeman, Elrod Hendricks, Ken Holtzman and Grant Jackson.  Dempsey batted .213 for his new team in 174 at bats.

Dempsey would find a home in Baltimore as he spent the next ten seasons as an Oriole.  In 1977 he batted .226 in 270 at bats but led the AL in caught stealing percent for the second year in a row (53.4 and 57.7).  His strong defense was valued by manager Earl Weaver and Dempsey played a career high 136 games in '78.  He batted .259/.327/.356 and continued to show a strong and accurate arm behind the plate. 

Dempsey's rate stats went down some in '79 but he was strong in the postseason batting .400 in the ALCS and .286 in a losing effort against the World Champion Pirates.  He batted .262/.333/.425 in 1980 and posted a 108 OPS+ and career best 3.2 WAR.  He batted .215, .256, and .231 over the next three years averaging five long balls per season.  After a 2-12 ALCS against the White Sox, Dempsey excelled in the '83 World Series.  He hit a home run, four doubles, and batted .385 to earn series MVP honors as the O's won it all.

Perhaps spring boarded by his postseason success, Dempsey, now in his mid-thirties, would hit double digit homers the next three seasons with totals of 11, 12, and 13. His new found pop must have given him a small amount of respect from AL pitchers as his walk rates climbed as well helping him to a .323 OBP from '84-'86. He was a free-agent after the '86 season and signed with the Indians.  He had a poor year in Cleveland batting just .177 in 141 at bats. 

Dempsey spent the next three years as a Dodger, backing up Mike Scioscia. His average was south of .200 two of those years but he won another World Series ring with the '88 squad.  Now 41 years old, Dempsey signed with the Brewers in '91 and was a decent reserve, batting .231 with four homers in 147 at bats.  He found himself without a team in '92 but was called upon as catching insurance twice during the year by the Orioles.  He had one hit in nine at bats and retired.  Dempsey appeared in 24 seasons and played in four decades with a career line of .233/.319/.347. 

Flipside:  Dempsey had quite an odd career.  Looking at the first eight years in the league he batted just 547 times with three homers.  Hardly the recipe to start a 24 year career. 

Oddball:  Author Daniel Okrent describes Dempsey the best in his book Nine Innings: Anatomy of a Baseball Game

He was an intense man, who concentrated mightily on the game. For relief from baseball pressures, he would take it upon himself to be the club entertainer. The son of two former vaudevillians, he had a knack for performance, and was particularly renowned for his 'Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime.' It was a comic turn he'd occasionally perform during rain delays, stuffing his uniform with padding and prancing around a soggy tarpaulin performing exaggerated parodies of hitters, pitchers, umpires. It was genuinely funny, and while impatient fans waited for the rains to end, they'd applaud Dempsey lustily. His teammates and members of the opposing team would stand in the dugouts and applaud with the fans, especially when Dempsey concluded his routine with a mammoth belly-flop slide into home plate on the infield tarp, his momentum carrying him for yards, a rooster tail of rainwater behind him.

 A portion of Dempsey's routine can be found at the 4:43 mark of this video.

History:  Dempsey was known for his defense which helped him stick around for what seemed like forever.  Over the last three of four years of his career I remember being astonished on an annual basis that he was still playing.  Along the way he won a World Series MVP and two rings. 
Since retiring, Dempsey has managed in the minors for the Dodger and Mets and has been on the Orioles coaching staff.  He currently works on Oriole cable TV pre-game and post-game shows and the occasional color commentary.

 

#137 Woodie Fryman - Montreal Expos

Wow, Woodie Fryman looks pretty hefty in this pic.  This is his 18th and final Topps card. 

Player:  Woodie Fryman was discovered by the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching semi-pro ball in Kentucky in 1965.  Already 25 years old, he initially shaved three years off his age to increase his prospect status.  He wasted little time in the minors, pitching just 64 innings before making his debut in '66.

Fryman did relief work to start the year but was in the rotation by the end of May.  His '66 season was highlighted by a stretch of three consecutive shutouts in which he allowed only seven hits.  He slumped to end the season, and finished 12-9 with a 3.81 ERA.  He was in and out of the rotation in '67 with a 4.05 ERA and a 3-8 record.  

After the '67 season the Pirates sent Fryman and three others across the state to the Phillies for Jim Bunning.  Philly used Fryman in the rotation and he recorded a 2.78 ERA with 12 wins.  He had five shutouts and was named to the NL All-Star squad.   He won another 12 games in '69 but saw his ERA jump to 4.41.  Over the next two and half years Fryman bounced back and forth as a starter and reliever with mixed results. 

In August of '72 the Detroit Tigers plucked Fryman off the waiver wire and quickly put the 32 year-old lefty to work.  He went on to win 10 games down the stretch for Detroit with a sharp 2.06 ERA.  Fryman's performance helped push Detroit into the playoffs where they faced the Oakland A's.  He lost both his decisions in the ALCS giving up five earned runs in 12.1 innings.

Fryman wasn't effective the next two years, struggling with a 4.89 ERA and 12-22 record over the '73/'74 seasons.  The Tigers sent him to Montreal for Tom Walker and Terry Humphrey, and Fryman would spend the next two years as an Expo.  He had two fine seasons winning 22 games over this span with ERAs of 3.32 and 3.37.  He was named to his second NL All-Star team in '76, but once again did not play.  After the season the Expos sent Fryman to the Reds in the Tony Perez deal.

Fryman clashed with Reds management and he quit the team halfway through the year.  He wasn't pitching well at the time with a 5.38 ERA in 75 innings when he left the team in July.  After the season he was packaged in a deal to the Cubs where he pitched in 13 games in '78 before returning to Montreal in a deal for Jerry White.  He pitched much better once he returned to the Expos and posted a combined 7-11 record with a 4.19 ERA. 

Now 39 years old, the portly port-sider would be used exclusively out of the pen and saved ten games with a 2.79 ERA in '79. He did even better the next year, saving 17 with a 2.25 ERA over 80 innings of work.  Despite his advancing age, Fryman's ERA dropped for a fifth consecutive year to 1.88 in '81.  Still effective at 42, he saved twelve games with a 3.75 ERA in '82.  Fryman pitched just three innings in '83 before his rubber arm finally gave out. 

In 18 seasons Fryman compiled a career record of 141-155 with a 3.77 ERA (96 ERA+) and 58 saves. 

Stuff: Fastball, slider, change up

Flipside:  Those are some tiny stats on the back and nearly his complete career totals.  Expos skipper Jim Fanning certainly didn't baby the veteran lefty in '82, as he appeared 19 times after pitching the day before.

Oddball:  Fryman loved pitching at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, recording a career ERA of 1.99 in 108.2 innings.

History:  Fryman was a nice pitcher to have on the roster, for most of his career he was counted on to fill many roles.  He was a two-time NL All-Star and although he never won a World Series many will remember him as the key acquisition that helped the Tigers win the East in '72.

Fryman was often referred to as Farmer because of his tobacco plantation that he operated.  He stepped right back into that role upon retirement from the game.  He passed away on 2/4/11 from Alzheimer's disease.  

#136 Willie Aikens - Kansas City Royals

Willie Aikens swings and misses in a spring training game against the Expos.  This is Aikens' fourth Topps card.

Player:  Willie Mays Aikens was the 2nd overall pick in the 1975 draft by the California Angels.  He had two separate stints with the big club in '77 but failed to impress batting just .198 in 91 at bats.  He spent all of 1978 at AAA and batted .326 with 29 HR.  Aikens made the Angels in '79 and got into 116 contests.  He batted .280/.376/.493 with 21 HR while splitting time between DH and firstbase. 

Before the 1980 season Aikens was traded to the Royals with Rance Mulliniks for Al Cowens and Todd Cruz.  Aikens played everyday at firstbase for KC and batted .278 with 20 HR.  His slugging percentage dropped to .433 but he had an impress-ive power surge in the postseason.  After four singles in eleven at bats in the ALCS win over the Yankees, Aikens had a terrific World Series.  Facing the Phillies, he went eight for 20, with four homers, a triple, six walks, and eight RBI in a losing effort.  Aikens was the first player to have two multi-homer games in the same World Series (since equaled by Chase Utley).

Aikens hit 17 home runs in each of the next two seasons batting .266 and .281 in the '81 and '82 campaigns.  In '83 Aikens hit .302 with 23 dingers while playing 125 games.  Things soon fell apart for Aikens as he plead guilty to attempting to buy cocaine on November 17.  The Royals traded him a month later to the Blue Jays.  After serving a suspension until May 15, Aikens was able to start his 1984 season.  He hit just .205 with 11 HR in part time duty.  He spent most of '85 at AAA Syracuse and played in just 12 games for Toronto.  He hit a home run in his last big league at bat on April 27, 1985. 

Aikens played in Mexico starting in 1986 and would end up setting several records in the Mexican Pacific League.  He played briefly at AAA Tidewater but never made it back to the majors.  He would continue to play in Mexico through 1991.

Flipside:  Aikens wasn't the prototypical slugger as he never K'd more than 88 times in a season. 

History:  After his playing career Aikens was sentenced to 20 years in prison for various drug related charges.  He was released in 2008 when sentencing laws were revised and he is trying to readjust to society.  A fantastic article about Aikens can be read here.

Aikens played 8 years in the majors with 110 home runs and a .271/.354/.455 stat line. 

#135 Dwight Evans - Boston Red Sox

You can see here that Dwight Evans has a classic finish to his swing.  In the inset notice that Evans' mustache just needs a little wax and attention to rival Rollie Fingers.  This is his 11th Topps card.

Topps was really boring with Evans' cards in the 70's.  From left to right here are his cards from '73-'76,'78 and '79. 

I framed the shots to show the similarity as Topps had Evans in staged batting pose each year until finally giving him an action shot in '77.

Player:  Dwight Evans debuted with the Red Sox at the tail end of the '72 season and batted .263 with a homer in 18 games.  The former 5th round pick in the '69 draft made the team in '73 and played semi-regularly also getting work as a defensive replacement when he didn't start.  He batted only .223 but showed some power potential with 10 long balls in 282 at bats.  Evans was the regular right fielder in '74 and batted .281 with 10 HR.  He hadn't yet shown the patience or the power that would come later, but his strong arm and smooth defense kept him in the lineup. 

Evans along with rookies Fred Lynn and Jim Rice formed one of the great young outfields of all-time in '75.  Evans batted .274 with 13 homers and posted 2.3 dWAR for the second year in a row.  He didn't do much in the ALCS (.100 BA) but had a strong World Series batting .292/.393/.542 in the Red Sox loss to the Reds.

Evans' average slumped to .242 in '76 but he was still playing good defense and was rewarded with the first of his eight career Gold Gloves.  He started hitting for power in '77, launching 11 HR in his first 155 at bats before hurting his knee.  He struggled through the injury for a while and missed 90 games.  He averaged 21 HR over the next three years with an OPS+ ranging from 109-124.

"Dewey" put all of his offensive skills together in '81.  He tied for the AL lead in HR with 22 in the strike shortened year.  He also led the league with 85 walks, a category he would lead twice more before his career was over.  He finished with an OPS+ of 162 and a .292/.415/.522 stat line.  The next eight seasons Evans would average 27 HR, 96 RBI, 96 BB with a 136 OPS+.  He led all AL batters with 256 homers in the 1980's.  

In '86 Evans batted .308 with two dingers in the Fall Classic as the BoSox lost the heartbreaking series to the Mets.  He was less successful in ALCS losses to the A's in '88 and '90, batting .167 and .231 respectively.

By 1990, Evans' skills were beginning to erode as he batted just .249 with 13 homers as the Red Sox primary DH.  After the season he was released by Boston and signed by Baltimore.  He was a part-time right fielder for the O's in '91 batting .270 with six HR in 270 at bats.  He was released in spring training of '92 and retired. 

Evans played 20 years with a .272/.370/.470 stat line.  He hit 385 HR and played stellar defense the first half of his career, with 10.4 dWAR from '72-'81. 

Flipside:  As you can see in his stats, Evans gradually developed into quite an offensive player.  Although known for his power and ability to draw walks he failed to hit 20 or more HR or walk more than 60 times in a season until his sixth full year.

Oddball:  As a kid in the 80's it always seemed like Evans was destroying Detroit Tigers pitching.  My memory isn't far off target.  He hit 38 HR against the Tigers, his second best total (39-A's).  He particularly liked Jack Morris (5 HR allowed), Milt Wilcox (5), Dan Petry (4) and Frank Tanana (3).

History:  Evans had a great career, bordering on Hall of Fame-worth-i-ness.  He won eight Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, was on three All-Star teams, and received MVP votes five different years.  He accumulated 61.8 career Wins Above Replacement which is 97th All-Time among positional players.  His HOF voting topped out at 10.4% in 1999 before he dropped off the ballot. 

After his playing days, Evans coached in the minors for the White Sox and later for the Rockies.  He returned to Boston as their hitting coach in 2002 and has been a player development consultant for the Red Sox since 2003. 

#134 - Hubie Brooks - New York Mets

"Whoah, hold up"... That's what I think of when I look at this card of Hubie Brooks as he seems to be looking at the first base coach and returning to the base.  The red and blue borders go well with the Mets colors and the light blue walls of Shea Stadium.  This is Brooks' third Topps card.

Player:  Hubie Brooks had successful college career at Arizona St. and was drafted several times along the way before finally signing with the Mets after the '78 draft.  He played third base, outfield, and shortstop in the minors, but was used at  the hot corner when the Mets called him up in 1980.  Brooks made a positive impression that fall with a .309 average in 24 games. 

Brooks was the Mets everyday third baseman in '81 and although he had not yet developed the power that he would display later in his career he batted .307, 8th best in the NL.

His production slipped in '82 as he battled a hamstring injury, and his paltry line of .249/.297/.317 and a -1.5 dWAR paint a gloomy picture.  Brooks was healthier in '83 but nonetheless batted just .251. 

Brooks started hitting with power in '84 launching 16 home runs and driving in 73 runs while moving his average up to .283.  The Mets acquired Ray Knight for the stretch drive and moved Brooks to shortstop.  Brooks didn't have the range of most shortstops but his defense was believable enough to increase his trade value.  After the '84 season the Mets moved Brooks, Floyd Youmans, Mike Fitzgerald, and Herm Winningham to the Expos for Gary Carter.

As Montreal's regular shortstop, Brooks wasn't the greatest with the glove but his value was in his bat.  He hit in the middle of the Expos lineup and drove in 100 runs in '85, becoming the first NL shortstop since Ernie Banks (1960) to reach the century mark.  In '86 Brooks was tearing up the league with a .340/.388/.569 line when he was sidelined with a thumb injury after playing only 80 games.  Brooks struggled with injuries again in '87 as he batted .263 with 13 HR.  

After accumulating an assortment of injuries and declining range at SS, the Expos moved Brooks to rightfield in '88.  He hit 34 HR over the next two years batting .279 and .268.   

In 1990 Brooks signed with the Dodgers as a free-agent and played one year there, hitting 20 HR with a .266 average.  The next year he was traded back to the Mets for Bob Ojeda but by then Brooks' skills were eroding and he batted just .238 with 16 HR.  The Mets traded him to the Angels where he was a part time DH, hitting .216/.247/.337.  Brooks signed on with the Royals in '93 and platooned in RF hitting .286 with one home run.  Brooks DH'd some in '94 but hit just .230 before receiving his release in July.  In 16 major league seasons, Brooks sported a .269/.315/.403 line with 149 HR and an even 100 OPS+. 

Flipside:  Brooks also had a 4-4 game with a double, triple, and an RBI on May 20th.

Oddball:  Brooks had at least one season at SS, 3B, and RF with -1.0 dWAR.  Not sure how many other players have done that at three positions, but it can't be many.

 

History:  Brooks had an interesting career and was never able to fill the expectations set by the NY media. He was capable at third base for a while, but over time he was shaky at any position.   By the time teams realized that, injuries and age had reduced his hitting ability and his career was over.  Brooks never got a chance to play in the postseason but he had a nice peak in Montreal winning two Silver Slugger awards and making two NL All-Star squads. 

These days Brooks is far removed from baseball and is enjoying retirement. 

#133 Jim Barr - San Francisco Giants

Veteran hurler Jim Barr is shown here on his 11th Topps card.  Another bright picture, I'm guessing it was a spring training shot. 

Player:  After a successful collegiate career at USC Jim Barr was drafted in the 3rd round by the Giants in 1970.  He debuted just over a year later on July 31, 1971.  Barr pitched in middle relief for the Giants logging 35 innings with a 3.57 ERA.  He made the postseason roster and pitched one inning and allowed a run in his only appearance in Game 2 against the Pirates. 

Barr started '72 in the pen but was in the rotation by July. He totaled 179 innings with a 2.87 ERA.  Over the course of two shutout starts in August, he set a major league record by retiring 41 consecutive batters.  The record has since been surpassed by Mark Buehrle. 

Despite his success the year prior, Barr started '73 in the pen.  By May had worked his way into the starting staff.  He logged 231 innings, but had a hard luck 11-17 record despite a league average 3.81 ERA.  He would settle into quite a dependable pitcher over the next three years, with at least 239+ innings, 13-15 wins with an ERA+ of 125 to 139.   Barr finished in the NL's top ten ERA leaders all three years.

In '77 Barr's ERA ballooned to 4.76 which led to a 12-16 record.  Although he missed some time to injury and demotion to the pen, Barr had a decent comeback year in '78 with a 3.53 ERA in 163 innings.

Barr signed as a free-agent by the Angels in '79, but struggled with his new team going 10-12 with a 4.20 ERA.  He returned in '80 as a long reliever and spot starter.  Ineffectiveness limited him to 68 innings with a 5.56 ERA.  Barr was released by the Angels in spring training of '81.  He spent all of the '81 season with AAA Edmonton, the White Sox top farm club.  Oddly both Barr and Todd Cruz (the subject of the previous post) missed the entire '81 season while toiling at Edmonton.

Barr caught on with the Giants in '82 and pitched mainly in middle relief, with a 3.29 ERA over 128 frames, while making nine spot starts.  He returned in the relief role in '83 with a 3.98 ERA in 92 innings.  The 6'3" righty was cut by San Fran in '84 and spent a year in the minors pitching for AAA Rochester (Bal) before retiring at age 36.  Barr retired with a 101-112 record with a 3.56 ERA (106 ERA+) in 12 big league seasons.

Stuff:  Fastball 90 mph+, slider, curve 

Flipside:  Barr had great control and pitched to contact as you can see in his strikeout totals.  He never K'd more than 97 and never walked more than 60.  He finished in the NL's top ten in BB/9 innings every year from '72 - '78.  Barr also had a nice streak of two or more shutouts over that same span.

Oddball: Barr was a good athlete and was used 27 times in his career as a pinch runner.  He was two for two in lifetime steal attempts. 

History:  Barr had a solid run in the 70's and would have been more well known on a better team.  Despite his individual success he never made an All-Star team or received any Cy Young votes.  Barr kept pitching in amateur leagues into his 40's and was the pitching coach at Sacramento State for 16 years. 

#132 Todd Cruz - Seattle Mariners

Todd Cruz looks like he's taking part in a pre-game drill.  This is his third Topps card.  It would look a lot better if Topps had used a bright blue order instead of the hot pink, but hey, it was the 80's.

Player:  Todd Cruz was a shortstop drafted by Philadelphia out of the Western High (Detroit) in 1973.  He batted only four times for the Phils in a debut cup of coffee in ’78.  Before the start of the '79 season he was sent to Kansas City in exchange for Doug Bird.  Cruz spent '79 as a backup for the Royals hitting .203/.224/.314 in 126 plate appearances. 

In 1980 the Royals sent Cruz packing in a five player deal that saw him land on the west coast with the Angels.  He was not there long though as they sent him to the White Sox in June for Randy Scarbery.  After riding the pine in KC, Cruz was starting every day at short for the ChiSox.  He ended the year hitting .237 with three homers in 333 at bats.

To say Cruz had a dismal year in 1981 would be an understatement.  In spring training, he lost his starting job to Bill Almon.  Then a back injury led to a lengthy stay on the DL.  While north of the border rehabbing with AAA Edmonton, he was arrested for theft after breaking into a Hudson’s Bay department store.  He was placed on nine-month probation for his poor behavior.  It was fitting as he was just 9 for 24 in lifetime steal attempts.  With all his troubles, he never appeared in the majors in '81.

The White Sox sent Cruz, Rod Allen, and Jim Essian to the Mariners for Tom Paciorek.  Cruz was the starting SS for Seattle in '82 and set a career high with 16 HR.  Unfortunate-ly he didn't get on base much 230 BA /.246 OBP. 

He returned as the starter in '83 but was hitting .190 in June when he was sold to the Orioles.  In Baltimore, Cruz was used at third base as a part time starter and defensive replace-ment.  He hit slightly better with the O's but his overall average was sub-Mendoza at .199.  Cruz struggled with the bat in the postseason (4-31), but it didn't matter as the Orioles won the World Series over the Phillies. 

Cruz was very good defensively with a strong arm and excellent range.  Teammate Cal Ripken spoke glowingly of how much ground Cruz covered at third.  Of course putting a good defensive shortstop at third should result in good defense.  The problem was Cruz hit so little it canceled out his defensive value.  Used mainly as a defensive sub, he hit .218 in 154 plate appearances in '84.  Cruz spent the next three years in the minors trying to work his way back, but he never did.  He retired after another comeback attempt in '91 with a line of .220/.251/.333 in 544 major league games.  

Flipside:  Check it out, Cruz pulled off the ignoble feat of walking less (12) than he homered (16).   

Oddball:  Cruz was noted for his arm strength and was called upon to pitch four times in the minors and once in the majors.  Totalling six shutout innings, he K'd eight batters and walked only two. 

History:  Cruz was a strong defender but lacked the ability to get on base.  He was a charismatic fellow who was well liked by his teammates.  With the championship Orioles, the weak-hitting bottom of the batting order of Rick Dempsey, Rich Dauer, and Cruz was nicknamed the Three Stooges. 

Sadly Cruz passed away in 2008.  He apparently drowned in his pool after a possible heart attack.