#340 Larry Gura Kansas City Royals

Another card full of the color blue!   Veteran Larry Gura is seen here following through with his left handed throwing motion on his 12th Topps card. 

Player: Illinois native Larry Gura was drafted in the 2nd round by the Cubs in 1969 after playing collegiate ball at Arizona State. He made his  MLB debut in 1970 but Gura's career took a while to get going as he never established himself in Chicago and was traded to Texas after the '73 season and to the Yankees in May of '74.    

Gura was the Yankees number five starter in 1975 and won seven games with a 3.51 ERA in 151 innings.  Gura was unable to secure a spot in the Yankee rotation in '76 and was traded to Kansas City where he was a little used long man most of the year although he spun a four-hit shutout in one of his four starts.

Gura again worked primarily out of the pen in '77 with 10 saves and a 3.13 ERA.  Gura would find himself in an out of the rotation in '78 before landing there for good in late July.  Although he made just 26 starts his 2.72 ERA helped him get votes in CYA voting (7th) and a token MVP vote (23rd).

Now 31 years old, Gura averaged 32 starts a season over the next five seasons as he became a mainstay of the KC rotation.  A rough start to the '79 campaign doomed that season (4.47 ERA) but he bounced back with a monster campaign in 1980.  Gura logged an iron-man 283 innings with a 2.85 ERA, and made his lone all-star team and finished 6th in CYA voting.

The southpaw continued to get outs at a proficient clip during the '81 strike season but was average or well below the rest of his career as his ERA went from 2.72, 4.03, to 4.90. Although KC was getting back to their winning ways Gura struggled through the 1984 season and was released in May of '85 as the youth movement was in full swing with the likes of Saberhagen, Gubicza, and Jackson.

Gura returned to the Cubs but allowed 19 runs in 20 innings and was released, thus ending his 16 year career.

Flipside: You can see from his yearly stats that Gura was a late bloomer but he didn't spend much time in the low minors.  The Cubs placed him in low-A ball to start his career but promoted him later that year all the way to AAA.  Gura would pitch at least part of seven more seasons in the minors but they were all in AAA.

Oddball:  Gura may be the only player whose tennis hobby helped get him traded.  

History:  Gura had a strange but long career in pro ball racking up 126 wins with a 3.76 ERA.  Many remember him for his success against the Yankees once they traded him away.  The numbers bear this out.  In 20 career starts he did very well with 11-6 record, 3.10 ERA and 10 complete games.  His postseason experience pitted the Royals against the Yankees four times with mixed results. 

#316 Paul Splittorff - Kansas City Royals

Paul Splittorff's 13th Topps card shows him mid delivery in a spring training location.  The picture is a frame a or two too late to capture his high leg kick for which he was known.

 

Player: Paul Splittorff was a part of the Royals inaugural free agent draft class in 1968.  Although the odds are long on a 25th round pick making the majors, Splittorff was the first Royal from that draft to make the big league roster when he was called up at the tail end of the 1970 season.  He was roughed up in two appearances allowing nine runs in 8.2 innings.

 

Splittorff got another chance in June, 1971 and pitched consistently, allowing three or less earned runs in 18 of his 22 starts.  The young southpaw finished with a 2.68 ERA (127 ERA+) in 144 frames of work.  Splittorff should have finished higher than the fifth place spot he received in a weak AL ROY class that saw Chris Chambliss win with a .275, 9 HR season.

 

The Royals found Splittorff to be a reliable starter in their rotation as he averaged 217 innings over the next nine seasons.  Although his ERA over that time frame was not spectacular at 3.77, he was a workhorse, twice racking up as many as 262 innings and five times making 35 or more starts.  He won a career high 20 games in '73 and 19 in '78. 

 

The Royals won four divisional titles and a pennant in 1980 with Splittorff, and though he wasn't the ace of the staff, he pitched well in the postseason with a 2-0 record and 2.79 ERA in 38.2 innings.  He got off to a rough start in '81 and then tossed an eleven inning six-hit shutout on May 23 against the Twins.  He came back on three days rest and was rocked and it was a struggle the rest of the year posting a career worst 4.36 ERA. 

 

At this stage of his career the soft tossing lefty was confined to the back of the rotation.  He made 28 starts in '82 with a 4.28 ERA but improved to a 3.63 mark in 27 starts in '83.  With a bevy of young pitchers in the system (Saberhagen, Gubicza, Jackson) and an sky high ERA of 7.7, Splittorff retired on June 29 after meeting with GM John Schuerholz. 

 



 

Flipside: You can really see that by the early 80s, Splittorff was a five to six inning starter as he had no complete games in '82 and just one in '81. 

I always appreciate players who stay with the same team their entire career.

 

Oddball: Splittorff struck out 61 batters in 156 innings in 1983.  So what's so odd about that you ask?  That total led the Royals staff!  Bud Black threw a few more innings but K'd just 58.  Veteran Larry Gura topped 200 frames but whiffed just 57. 

 

History: Splittorff holds many of the Royals career pitching marks including wins (166), starts (392) and innings pitched (2,554).  He moved into the broadcast booth for the Royals right after he retired, a position he held until he passed away in 2011. 

#264 Jamie Quirk - Kansas City Royals

Jamie Quirk's 8th Topps card is awash with blue as he breaks out of the batters box. The Catcher-3rd Base designation is a bit of a stretch as Quirk played just two innings at the hot corner in '82. 

Player: Jamie Quirk had a scholarship waiting at Notre Dame to play quarterback but he was persuaded to play for the Royals when they made him a first round pick in the '72 draft.  Quirk played seven different positions in a nomadic journey that saw him turn from infielder to catcher five years into his career.  

After playing shortstop and thirdbase in the minors, Quirk debuted with the Royals in '75 in leftfield and played in 14 games.  As a reserve in '76 he got some starts at DH and backed up thirdbase and shortstop. His offense (67 OPS+) left a lot to be desired and he was sent packing to the Brewers.  His stay in Milwaukee was spent as a part time DH/LF but he batted just .217.  He spent most of '78 in the minors before he was traded back to the Royals. 

Primarily a pinch hitter in 1979, Quirk posted a 112 OPS+ in 79 at bats while making the transition to catcher.  He worked behind the plate in blowouts before earning two starts at the end of the season.  The 1980 season saw Quirk fill in for George Brett at third and back up Darrell Porter and John Wathan behind the plate hitting .276/.305/.399 in 177 at bats.

Quirk was a little used reserve the next two years and he batted .250 and .231.  He signed with the Cardinals after the '83 season and batted .209 in 86 at bats.  When he failed to make the team the next spring training he was briefly added to the Cardinals coaching staff.  A month later he jumped at a playing contract with the White Sox.  He spent all but three pinch at bats in the minors before he was sold to the Indians in September.  He batted just once for the Tribe, but it culminated in a walk off home run.

Quirk returned to the Royals as a free agent but he toiled in the minors most of 1985.  He stayed with the big club in '86 and was starting the busiest portion of his career.  Quirk batted 804 times over the '86-'88 seasons hitting a career best 8 HR in '86 and again in '88 but generally continued to hit around .230.

The veteran backstop was with the Yankees, A's, and Orioles in '89 and hit .176 in 85 at bats.  He returned to Oakland and was a good back up to Terry Steinbach.  Quirk batted .281/.353/.413 in '90 and followed it up with a .261 average in '91.  In '92 he hit .220 and after the season he signed with the Reds.  He never played for Cincinnati however and his career was over after 18 seasons.

Flipside:  Quirk was well known as a slow base runner and you can see the only non-zero in his stolen base column is the three for the 1980 season.  Although he would play in ten more seasons he would steal just two more bases.

 

Oddball:  When Quirk retired he held the record for the most home runs for players whose last name began with Q.  He was the Royals bench coach in 2001 when KC slugger Mark Quinn tied his mark.  Quinn hit two more homers in 2002 to finish his career with 45, but by then Quirk was then on the Rangers staff.

 

History:  Quirk, a career .240/.298/.347 hitter, is listed as having -0.1 WAR, but his best asset was his versatility.  Left handed hitting catchers who can play multiple positions are not that common and Quirk parlayed his talent into a long career.  His most extensive action in the postseason came in '76 with one hit in eight at bats.  His third tour of duty with the Royals netted him a championship ring even though he played just 19 games in the regular season and one in the ALCS.  He was a backup on the A's teams and played just three games in the A's '90 and '92 run. 

Quirk is currently the Cubs bench coach.

 



#238 Bud Black - Kansas City Royals

This is Bud Black's Rookie Card!  Okay, so it isn't as glamorous as a Boggs, Gwynn, or Sandberg rookie, but it's always cool to view the rookie card of long time player and current manager.  He looks so different now sans mustache.

Player:  Bud Black was originally property of the Mariners who used him primarily as a relief pitcher in the minors.  He pitched two games for Seattle in '81 and was dealt to KC for Manny Castillo after the season.  The former 17th round pick was a spot starter and long reliever in 1982, but didn't do anything to distinguish himself with a 4.58 ERA in 88 innings.

 

Black started the '83 season in AAA but was called up in May and made 24 starts for the Royals and won 10 games with a 3.79 ERA (108 ERA+).  The lefty was the Royals opening day starter in '84 and won 17 games with a 3.12 ERA (128 ERA+). He had the lowest WHIP (1.128) among AL starters but took the loss in his only start of the '84 ALCS. 

 

He was tabbed again as KC's opening day starter in '85 but pitched more like a back of the rotation man.  He won 10 with a 4.33 ERA but did work 205 innings for the AL West winning Royals.  In the postseason, Black made two starts and relieved in three others, taking the loss in Game 4 of the World Series when the Cards blanked the Royals.  Although not his best year, Black got the pleasure of helping bring the Royals their first (and so far only) championship.

 

Used in middle and short relief in '86 Black did well with a 3.20 ERA and 9 saves.  He was used off and on as a starter in '87 and delivered a 3.60 ERA (127 ERA+) in 122 frames.  In 1988 Black was struggling in the pen when he was traded to the Indians in June for Pat Tabler.  He did no better for the Tribe and finished the year with a 5.00 ERA in 88 innings. 

 

With his career seemingly headed downhill Black got his groove back in Cleveland.  He made the Indians rotation and won 12 games with a 3.36 ERA (118 ERA+) in '89.  He had a similar year the follwoing season and the Indians traded high, swapping Black to the Blue Jays for three prospects in a September deal.

 

Now a free agent, Black signed with the Giants.  He sported ERA's just under four his first two years while winning 12 and 10 games for San Fran.  Injuries limited him to just 26 starts over the next two years and he was without a contract as the '95 season approached.  He signed with the Indians who had a potent offense but needed pitching.  Black was given 10 starts to prove himself but disappointed and was released in July with a 6.85 ERA which was how his career ended. 

 

Stuff:  Mid to high 80s Fastball, slider, curve, change.  Later in his career he added a cutter and forkball.

 

Flipside:  You can see on the back that the Mariners really didn't hold Black in high esteem.  When you see a minor league pitcher who is neither a full time starter or closer their future usually isn't that bright.  But Black had a decent career and the Mariners had pitching problem throughout the 80's and sure could have used him in Seattle.  

 

Oddball:  Black, like a lot of lefties had a great pickoff move but also balked.... a lot.  He balked 7 times in just 22 games his first year and the beleaguered rookie was quoted after his last one of the year: 

 

"I think I've balked every possible way. This time my foot crossed the rubber. Once you do that, you can't throw to first."

  

Black got things under control but was occasionally dogged by balks throughout his career, balking 43 times in total. 

In fact Black, now the Padres skipper, still seems confused on balk calls as he was ejected from a game in April for arguing Clayton Richard's balk. 

 

History:  Black was never an All-Star and never received any CY votes but he won double digits seven times en route to a 121-116 record.  He earned 18.8 WAR with a career 3.84 ERA (104 ERA+).  The southpaw had a 15 year career and won a World Series ring as a Royal. 

Through the 2012 season, Black has a 464-509 record as the Padres manager and won the NL Manager of the Year in 2010. 

#219 Mike Armstrong - Kansas City Royals

This Mike Armstrong card always gives me the "willies" when I see it.  I don't know Armstrong, can't find anything negative about the guy's character, but he looks like a creeper on this card.  Also Topps got lazy and used a head shot from the same photo session and background.  Double creepy.
 
I had this big write up planned on how Armstrong reminded me of Milton from the movie Office Space but apparently I'm not the first to make that comparison.
Anyway here is his 2nd Topps card, with what looks like Tiger Stadium rafters in the background.

Player:  Mike Armstrong came up through the Reds system but was traded to the Padres before he reached the majors.  He appeared in 11 games in '80 and 10 more in '82 with San Diego but was wild and ineffective.  Armstrong got his break when he was sold to the Royals right before the '82 campaign.  

 

After beginning the season in the minors for the ninth straight year, Armstrong was called up in May.  Used mainly in long relief, he gradually was trusted in more crucial spots and was soon bridging the gap to ace reliever Dan Quisenberry.  The Royals used Armstrong in copious doses and he lived up to his last name.  In one stretch he pitched 25 innings in a 17 day period and pitched well.  By the end of the year, he had recorded six saves while logged 112 innings with a 3.20 ERA.

 

The side-slinging Armstrong was used in more short relief situations in '83 but still worked over 100 innings notching 10 wins with a 3.80 ERA.  The Royals traded Armstrong while his value was at its peak and fetched Steve Balboni from the Yankees in return. 

 

The heavy workload caught up with Armstrong and he was not the same in New York.  He spent the first half of '84 on the DL nursing a sore elbow and didn't appear in pinstripes until June.  The season wasn't an entire waste as pitched in 36 games with a 3.48 ERA. 

 

Armstrong had a disappointing spring training in '85 and he never regained the trust of Yankee management.  He was up and down several times over the next two seasons but pitched just 23.1 innings with the Yanks.  He was released from AAA Columbus in April of '87 and was signed by the Indians.  Armstrong was brutalized for 18 runs over 18.2 frames before Cleveland stopped the terror and sent him to the minors.  Armstrong never made it back and his career was over. 

 

Stuff:  85-87 mph fastball, slider

 

Flipside:  At first glance the back of this card has the look of a long time veteran.  Instead it is the winding travels of a journeyman reliever.  Armstrong had a lot of stops along the way to the majors.  Including his later work, he played in 12 different minor league cities.

 

Oddball:  Armstrong was the winning pitcher in the famous Pine Tar Game.

 

History:  Armstrong pitched eight seasons in the majors but 215 of his 338 career innings came in a two year stretch for the Royals.  Strange how it took until he was 28 years old to establish himself, but was damaged goods by the time he was 30.  

#194 Cesar Geronimo - Kansas City Royals

Cesar Geronimo displays perhaps the thickest mustache in MLB history. This is his 13th Topps card but just the second with facial hair. The Reds team policy kept him clean-shaven during the 70's but I bet he was happy to show up in spring training in '81 with this beauty.  Enough about his hairy upper lip....Geronimo is shown following through with his lefthanded swing. 
I wonder if the people in the background know they are on this card?  I wrote in the first edition of this post that this pic was likely shot in the same game as his '82 card.  There are a lot of similarities, but as reader Byron pointed out in the comments, he is wearing two different style helmets.   

Player:  Cesar Geronimo was originally signed out of El Seibo, Dominican Republic by the Yankees in 1967.  He was plucked by the Astros as a Rule 5 pick prior to the '69 season.  On the Houston roster for the entire season, he played in 28 games but batted just eight times with two hits. 

Geronimo spent half of the 1970 season refining his game at AA Columbus.  Blessed with great range and a cannon arm (the Yankees tried him at pitcher in the minors) the Astros used him as a defensive sub at all three outfield positions.  He got into 47 games in 1970 and 94 in '71 but had fewer at bats than games played and batted under .250 both years. 

After the '71 season the Astros included Geronimo in the eight player deal that sent Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Dennis Menke, and Ed Armbrister to the Reds for Lee May, Tommy Helms, and Jimmy Stewart.  With the Reds Geronimo saw much more time than he had in Houston.  He started often against righties and batted .275/.344/.412 in 285 plate appearances in '72.  Geronimo's average dropped to .210 in 358 trips to the plate in '73, but it was good enough to push Bobby Tolan out of centerfield. 

Over the next four years Geronimo was the everyday centerfielder for the Big Red Machine.  When he sat against southpaws, he usually entered the game later as a defensive sub or pinch hitter.  He would win four straight Gold Gloves and post 5.6 Defensive Wins Above Replacement over the '74-'77 seasons.  A line drive hitter, he didn't hit much with pop as had around 35 extra base hits a season.  His average varied around the mid 250's but he batted a career best .307 with a 125 OPS+ in '76. 

In the postseason Geronimo struggled mightily with the bat.  Heading into the 1975 World Series he had just 6 hits in 64 career postseason at bats.  Against Boston, he turned things around and hit two HR to go with a .280 average in the Reds seven game triumph.  Similarly he hit .182  against the Phillies in the '76 NLCS but had 4 hits in 13 at bats as the Reds swept the Yankees.

Geronimo's playing time with the Reds decreased over the next three years to the point that he batted less than 200 times in 1980.  He was then traded to the Royals before the '81 season. 

Over the next three years with KC, Geronimo filled a bench role as a fifth outfielder.  He batted .246, .269, and .207 as he came to the plate about 100 times each season.  After the '84 season he was released which ended his 15 year playing career.   

Flipside:  Geronimo had quite an unusual year in 1982.  Over the first two months he recorded 18 hits in 46 at bats with a surprising .391/.423/.696 line.  He then fell into a deep funk and had just one hit over the next 26 at bats.  He then had 13 hits in 47 at bats to end the season.  He was particularly effective with runners in scoring position, hitting .393, leading to 23 RBI in his 119 at bats.

Oddball:  It is weird but pretty well circulated that Geronimo was the 3,000 strikeout victim of both Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan.

Until recently I had never heard of the locker room fight between Pedro Borbon and Geronimo.  It happened before a game in late July, 1975.  Neither brawler was injured, but fellow Red Merv Rettenmund who tried to break up the fight, was sent to the hospital when his toe was gashed open by a cleat during the skirmish.  Few Reds knew what the friends and roommates were fighting over since the verbal portion was conducted in Spanish. 

History:  Geronimo made a name for himself with his defense and strong arm as he graced centerfield for the powerful Reds teams during the 70's.  He won two World Series and played in the postseason six different years.  His final stats show a .258/.325/.368 line with a 93 OPS+.  He had 11.7 career WAR with nearly half (5.8) coming from defense.