no. 714 - dick williams

Who is the man: Dick Williams spent the 1970 season as a coach with the Expos. He was hired by Oakland owner Charlie Finley to lead a bunch of hard-headed talents for the 1971 season. The A's would win 101 games in Williams' first year.

Can ya dig it: One of the most memorable painted caps in any baseball card set. That hat is straight out of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"

Right on: You can see the hint of Red Sox lettering on Williams' jersey. Williams managed the Red Sox until 1969.

You see that cat Williams is a bad mother: Williams led three teams -- the Red Sox, the A's and the Padres -- to the World Series. Only one other manager can say that.

Shut your mouth: Williams looked at the Oakland A's as 25 versions of himself and said the animosity they held for the team's owner, Finley, worked in his favor. "It's impossible for even baseball players to truly hate two of their bosses at once," Williams said.

No one understands him but his woman: Williams was married to his wife, Norma, for 57 years. They died 28 days apart in 2011.

(A word about the back): Williams was on the verge of his second AL Manager of the Year award when this card was issued.

no. 680 - don mincher

Who is the man: Don Mincher hit a career-high 27 home runs in his first season for Oakland in 1970.

Can ya dig it: Another one of those posed home run swings aimed in the wrong direction.

Right on: Mincher had been traded to the Senators by the time this card appeared in packs. The trade happened in early May of 1971.

You see that cat Mincher is a bad mother: Mincher returned to the A's in 1972 and retired with a World Series title at the end of the year. He went 1-for-1 in that World Series.

Shut your mouth: Mincher was one of five Minnesota Twins to hit a home run in the seventh inning of a game in 1966, setting a major league record. Rich Rollins, Tony Oliva, Zoilo Versalles and Harmon Killebrew also hit homers in the inning against Mincher's future team, the A's.

No one understands him but his woman: Mincher is the only Seattle Pilot to be named an All-Star.

(A word about the back): Mincher's home run in the 1965 World Series came off of Don Drysdale.

no. 658 - paul lindblad

Who is the man: Paul Lindblad continued to be a workhorse for the A's in 1970, appearing in 60-plus games for the second straight year as an integral part of the team's bullpen.

Can ya dig it: Unlike many throwing poses from the time, Lindblad is holding onto the ball. He's going to dazzle you with his grip.

Right on: Check out that splendid signature. Can you imagine any current player unveiling such a careful signature?

You see that cat Lindblad is a bad mother: Lindblad appeared in three games in the 1973 World Series, a couple in crucial situations, and posted a 0.00 ERA in 3 1/3 innings to help Oakland to a second straight Series championship.

Shut your mouth: The following year, the A's returned to the postseason and won a third straight World Series, but Lindblad didn't appear in a single game because the Oakland starters were so dominant. Of course, that would never happen today.

No one understands him but his woman: Lindblad was fond of coin collecting and purchased a metal detector, bringing it with him on road trips.

(A word about the back): This doesn't have to do with the back, but before I forget, Lindblad was traded to the Senators in early May 1971. One of the player the A's received in exchange was Mike Epstein, who was just featured three cards ago.

no. 642 - jim roland

Who is the man: Jim Roland was in the middle of a career revival as a long reliever when this card was issued. An injury in a collision with catcher Ray Fosse shortened his season in 1970, but he still posted a 2.70 ERA in 28 games.

Can ya dig it: The only guy I know of from this time period who wore a white windbreaker under his uniform. No commonplace blue, black or red for Jim.

Right on: I like Roland's cards so much that I named him a "Legend of Cardboard" on my main blog.

You see that cat Roland is a bad mother: Roland's 12-inning performance for the Twins against the Yankees in 1964 is the third longest stint by a Twins starter in franchise history. Only Jim Merritt (13) and Camilio Pascual (12 2/3) have pitched longer.

Shut your mouth: In 1967, an Associated Press story called Roland "one of the most disappointing investments (Twins owner) Calvin Griffith ever made."

No one understands him but his woman: Roland pitched the final game against the Seattle Pilots, gaining the 3-1 victory with a career-matching nine strikeouts.

(A word about the back): Not much to mention here, so I'll just say that Roland's 1970 ERA is now 2.70 according to official records.

no. 624 - athletics

Who is the man: On the verge of greatness, the Oakland A's had finished the 1970 season in second place in the AL West. Beginning in 1971, they would win the division five straight seasons.

Can ya dig it: I can dig an A's uniform from the 1970s.

Right on: Not just any team can wear yellow socks.

You see that cat McNamara is a bad mother: It's a little difficult to pinpoint manager John McNamara in this photo. Obviously he's one of the six dudes in the front in the color-coded white hats. McNamara wore No. 11 for the A's, so he could be to the left of the sitting bat boy.

Shut your mouth: Most of the players are covering up their numbers with their arms, but I can spot a few of them. In the front row, second from the left is pitcher John "Blue Moon" Odom. At the far right in the front row is catcher Frank Fernandez. In the back row, Rollie Fingers is the sixth guy in from the left. Pitcher Diego Segui is the third guy from the right. Pitcher Jim Roland is to the left of Segui. I believe pitcher Chuck Dobson is the tall guy on the far right.

No one understands him but his woman: In every '70s team photo there seems to be a guy wearing a brown blazer with brown slacks.

(A word about the back): The A's put up some giant numbers in their early history. Almost all of the above records remain. The only new addition is reliever Billy Koch, who cracked the above list with 84 appearances for the 2002 A's.

no. 544 - vida blue

Who is the man: Vida Blue was in the midst of the season of his career when this card was released. After appearing in just six games as a September call-up in 1970, Blue would be the talk of baseball in 1971.

Can ya dig it: One of the most memorable cards in the set. A fortuitous bit of photography taken before anyone knew that Blue would win 24 games in 1971.

Right on: I knew this card from the 1975 Topps set. It appeared on one of the MVP subset cards that was in one of the first packs that I ever bought.

You see that cat Blue is a bad mother: Blue was the first pitcher to start for both the AL and the NL in the All-Star Game.

Shut your mouth: When Blue was named starting pitcher for the AL for the 1971 All-Star Game, the Pirates' Dock Ellis said that NL manager Sparky Anderson would never name Ellis the starter for the NL because Anderson didn't like him, and also because "they wouldn't pitch two brothers against each other." Anderson named Ellis the NL starting pitcher.

No one understands him but his woman: Blue appeared on the cover of Time on Aug. 23, 1971, one of the few major league players to ever appear on a Time cover (others include Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Pete Rose, Dwight Gooden and others, but the most recent baseball cover as far as I can tell is in 2004 when the Red Sox won the World Series).

(A word about the back): Blue's no-hitter against the Twins occurred in just his 16th major league appearance. And he threw a complete-game one-hitter against the Royals just 10 days earlier.

no. 523 - john odom

Who is the man: John "Blue Moon" Odom was coming off of elbow surgery when this card was issued. He returned to the A's pitching staff in May 1971 after an abbreviated 1970 season.

Can ya dig it: This is the first time Odom's nickname appears on the front of his baseball card. In the only previous card to feature his autograph, in the 1967 set, the signature simply reads "Johnny Odom."

Right on: Love the kelly green shirt under Odom's uniform. I prefer it to some of the darker forest-green looks the A's exhibited later.

You see that cat Odom is a bad mother: Well, what should I address here: his locker room fight with teammate Rollie Fingers before the '74 World Series? His near fight with teammate Vida Blue? His bumping of home plate umpire Bob Engel after getting called out in the '72 World Series? His shootout in the street in Macon, Ga., with some young burglars that led him to getting shot in the neck and chest between the '71 and '72 seasons?

Shut your mouth: During Odom's 1969 breakout season, he was quoted as putting down the Indians lineup. Indians starter Sam McDowell responded by challenging Odom in the papers. Odom responded by saying, "Sam's dumb. If I had his stuff, I'd win 25 games a year."

No one understands him but his woman: Odom was part of a no-hitter in his final major league victory, in 1976. Pitching against his old team, the A's, he teamed with fellow White Sox hurler Francisco Barrios to no-hit Oakland, despite walking nine batters in five innings of work.

(A word about the back): You never hear about "chances accepted" anymore.

no. 495 - felipe alou

Who is the man: Felipe Alou batted .271 in 154 games in his first year for the Oakland A's in 1970. But by the time this card was issued, he had already been traded to the Yankees.

Can ya dig it: This photo possibly was taken during the same game as the photo on this card. I don't know for sure as I couldn't match any of the fans in both cards, although the guy in the lower left might be in both photos.

Right on: This is even a more glorious card than the one I just linked. Action pix like this is one of the big reasons '71 Topps is in my top 3 Topps sets of all-time.

You see that cat Alou is a bad mother: Considered to be a pioneer for Dominican players, Alou was the first native of the Dominican Republic to get regular playing time in the majors.

Shut your mouth: The Alou brothers are among the most famous baseball brothers in MLB history, but their actual surname is "Rojas." A mistake after he was signed led Felipe to be called by his mother's surname, "Alou," and he didn't feel that he could correct anyone. Also, "Alou" is pronounced incorrectly. It's actually pronounced with the second syllable sounding like "low."

No one understands him but his woman: Alou's brothers, Matty and Jesus, were each married for a long time. Matty had been married 49 years when he died in 2011. Jesus married in the late 1960s. Meanwhile, Felipe Alou was married four times, but has been married to his fourth, Lucie, since 1985.

(A word about the back): The Alou batters hit consecutively in the batting order during that eighth inning in 1963. Manager Alvin Dark put both Matty and Jesus in as pinch-hitters ahead of Felipe's regular turn in the order.

no. 468 - frank fernandez

Who is the man: After a few years as a backup with the Yankees, Frank Fernandez played his first season with Oakland in 1970. He hit just .214 in 252 at-bats, but he hit 15 home runs.

Can ya dig it: I remember seeing this card when I was first getting acquainted with 1971s as a youngster. I was fascinated with how colorful it was. And then I wondered how a player I had never heard of had received such a wonderful card.

Right on: This is the final card of his career.

You see that cat Fernandez is a bad mother: Fernandez is fascinating to stat heads. He produced a freakish career in which he accumulated both more walks and strikeouts than hits. His on-base percentages were astronomical when compared with his batting averages and he's known as the greatest baseball player to hit below .200 for his career.

Shut your mouth: Fernandez is remembered for an incident against the Orioles in 1970 in which he hit a liner so forcefully that it hit third baseman Brooks Robinson in the shin and ricocheted into the hands of shortstop Mark Belanger, who threw wide to first for an error. What had been a hit when it left Fernandez's bat became an error and Fernandez, who didn't get many hits, seethed at second base. When he scored later on a hit by Bert Campaneris, he flung his helmet into the air toward the press box and was promptly ejected. Broadcaster Harry Caray observed, "All Fernandez is making all the fuss about is whether he hits .200 or .198 this season."

The story gets more interesting when Fernandez comes across the official scorekeeper a week later while both are watching boxer George Foreman work out.

No one understands him but his woman: Fernandez played for three different MLB teams in 1971 and for the A's twice. Oakland traded him to the Senators in May, then purchased him from the Senators in June, then traded him to the Cubs in August.

(A word about the back): Fernandez's HR on Opening Day 1968 came against the Angels' George Brunet in the second inning. Brunet allowed just three hits in seven innings but took the loss.

no. 440 - bert campaneris

Who is the man: Bert Campaneris enjoyed another consistent season as the A's starting shortstop in 1970. The one thing that made this season notable was that Campaneris hit 22 home runs, the only time in his 19-year career that he would reach double figures in home runs.

Can ya dig it: This is probably the most off-center card that I have in this set. There's barely any bottom edge.

Right on: "Dagoberto" is an awesome name that I've been aware of since the first year I collected cards.

You see that cat Campaneris is a bad mother: Campaneris is one of only five players to hit two home runs in his first major league game. He hit the first pitch he ever saw out of the park, off of Jim Kaat.

Shut your mouth: Campaneris was the prototypical 1960s/70s sparkplug, accumulating 649 stolen bases during his career. But his on-base percentage was lousy (.311 for his career) and he would have been lambasted on the internet if he played today.

No one understands him but his woman: Campaneris famously flung his bat at Tigers pitcher Lerrin LaGrow after LaGrow hit him with a pitch during the 1972 ALCS. Campaneris claimed after the game that he hadn't intended to hit LaGrow with the bat. "I just wanted to warn him not to do it again."

(A word about the back): The person who broke Campaneris' string as stolen base king between 1965-1970 was the Seattle Pilots' Tommy Harper, who stole 63 bases in 1969.

no. 407 - joe rudi

Who is the man: Joe Rudi had just completed his first 100-game season when this card hit packs. He played in 106 games, batting .309.

Can ya dig it: Terrific shot of a common scene at first base that you don't see a lot on a baseball card. How can you beat Rudi in that gold-and-green ensemble?

Right on: I don't know my early '70s Yankees well enough to identify a player with a shadow across his face. My guess is Curt Blefary.

You see that cat Rudi is a bad mother: Rudi hit the game-winning and Series-clinching home run in Game 5 of the 1974 World Series against the Dodgers.

Shut your mouth: Rudi has been a longtime ham radio operator going back to his playing days.

No one understands him but his woman: It took several years for Rudi to stick with the Oakland A's. In 1969, five years after Rudi's first year in pro ball, manager Joe McNamara said of Rudi: "It's hard to say what his future might be with the team. There are a number of question marks."

(A word about the back): Rudi's .309 batting average in 1970 was the best of his 16-year career.

no. 384 - rollie fingers

Who is the man: Rollie Fingers started what would wind up being a career-record 19 games for the A's in 1970. But he was entering a pivotal year when this card was issued. By the end of 1971, Fingers was an established late-innings reliever.

Can ya dig it: That photo is very green.

Right on: Fingers without a handlebar mustache is always wrong.

You see that cat Fingers is a bad mother: Fingers, along with '70s pitchers like Sparky Lyle, helped create the role of the closer as we know it now. When Fingers was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen, he did not return to the rotation after finding success as a reliever. He remained a reliever. That was a new concept, and he rode that new concept to the Hall of Fame.

Shut your mouth: The Reds offered Fingers a contract to pitch in 1986 after he was released by the Brewers, but the Reds' "no facial hair" policy scrapped that. Fingers told the Reds GM, "You tell (owner) Marge Schott to shave her Saint Bernard and I'll shave my mustache."

No one understands him but his woman: Fingers got into a locker room fight with fellow A's pitcher John "Blue Moon" Odom just before the 1974 World Series. Odom made a comment about Fingers' wife, touching off a grappling session in which Odom tackled Fingers, sending him backward into a shopping cart where he hit the back of his head on a metal hook on a locker. Fingers needed six stitches. But he played in the Series, helped the A's to their third straight championship, and Fingers and his wife, Jill, appeared in the victory parade.

(A word about the back): Fingers' father was George Fingers. According to baseball-reference.com, Fingers played in 1938 for the Williamson Colts, a Class D team. Although he's not listed on the roster that's supplied for that team, a player on that team was Stan Musial.

no. 356 - bob locker

Who is the man: Bob Locker had just completed his first season with the Oakland A's when this card was created. He was purchased by Oakland from the Milwaukee Brewers in June 1970.

Can ya dig it: I'm sure it was not lost on Mr. Locker that he dressed at his namesake before and after every game.

Right on: Locker has a memorable 1973 Topps card in which he (and an outfielder) are airbrushed from an A's uniform into a Cubs uniform.

You see that cat Locker is a bad mother: Locker pitched for the Seattle Pilots, meaning he was mentioned in Jim Bouton's Ball Four. His most famous moment was nailing warm-up partner Ray Oyler in the privates with a pitch. All of Oyler's teammates fell into hysterical laughter as Oyler crawled around in pain and puked. So you want to be a baseball player?

Shut your mouth: Locker created a touching website tribute to Marvin Miller in an effort to get him elected to the Hall of Fame while he was alive. That didn't happen, but it's terrific reading all of the player testimonials and other stories.

No one understands him but his woman: Locker pitched in 576 games in the majors and did not start a single game.

 (A word about the back): If Locker was a bullpen artist then what were his Oakland teammates Darold Knowles and Rollie Fingers?

no. 338 - gene tenace

Who is the man: Gene Tenace played in 38 games for the A's in 1970, spending most of the season with the Triple A Iowa Oaks.

Can ya dig it: That No. 38 on his jersey looks ginormous.

Right on: First solo card! He appears with Vida Blue on a Rookie Stars card in the 1970 Topps set.

You see this cat Tenace is a bad mother: Tenace was the 1972 World Series MVP, helping Oakland to its first world championship. He was the first player to hit home runs in each of his first two World Series at-bats.

Shut your mouth: Tenace's name appears in the movie "Anchorman," as sportscaster Champ Kind describes his catch phrase: "Gene Tenace at the plate and whammy!"

No one understands him but his woman: Tenace was threatened by a man with a gun at the 1972 World Series. After Tenace hit his first home run, a man behind home plate started telling fans around him that if Tenace hit another one, the man would shoot Tenace. A woman alerted the police, who found a loaded revolver on the man. For the rest of the Series, FBI agents followed Tenace wherever he went and his family couldn't see him. Ten years later, at the 1982 World Series, Tenace received a letter from the same man apologizing for what he had done.

 (A word about the back): That .305 average in 1970 would be the only time Tenance hit above .300 in a season during his 15-year career.

no. 317 - athletics rookie stars

Who is the man: Jim Driscoll finally achieved some major league playing time in 1970, appearing in 21 games for the A's, after nine years in the minors. Angel Mangual spent all of 1970 playing for the Pirates' Triple A team in Columbus, Ohio.

Can ya dig it: Mangual is actually wearing a Pirates uniform in this photo. He was traded from Pittsburgh in October 1970 as the player to be named in the deal a month earlier in which the Pirates acquired pitcher Jim "Mudcat" Grant from the A's.

Right on: Driscoll looks like a pitcher to me.

You see these rookies are bad mothers: No they aren't. They're rookies. How did the A's win a World Series title two years later with guys like this coming out of the minors?

Shut your mouth: Mangual, who appeared on all three of the A's World Series winning teams from 1972-74, was arrested in 1997 as part of a drug bust in his native Puerto Rico. Mangual, arrested along with 21 others, was accused of being an intermediary between sellers and buyers as part of a heroin and cocaine trafficking ring run by a 35-year-old woman. Mangual told reporters after his arrest that he never had to make "a living off drugs."

No one understands him but his woman: Driscoll would never appear on another Topps card.

(A word about the back): The "infield" designation implies a variety of positions played. I don't know where Driscoll played in the minors, but in 1970 for the A's, he played second base and shortstop.

no. 285 - sal bando

Who is the man: Sal Bando was at the doorstep of greatness in 1971. In fact, he had already had a terrific season in 1969 and came down to earth a little in 1970. But his time as a key player in the A's dynasty of 1972-74 was yet to come.

Can ya dig it: There's a good look at the uniforms that the current A's often pay tribute to during their throwback games. Great stuff.

Right on: It may just be my eyes, but the green of Bando's cap doesn't seem to match his sleeves or socks.

You see this cat Bando is a bad mother: Bando was the captain of the Swingin' A's. The captain of a team that won three straight World Series? Your legacy is cemented after that.

Shut your mouth: Bando, along with Bud Selig, is famously blamed in Milwaukee for letting Paul Molitor leave for the Blue Jays after the 1992 season. Bando, the Brewers GM at the time, supposedly said during negotations that Molitor was "only a DH".

No one understands him but his woman: Bando appeared briefly on The Simpsons. During a scene in which Homer Simpson is painting his driveway to honor "the best team ever," the 1974 A's, Bando drives up with his Oakland teammates and says, "Look, that guy remembers us."

(A word about the back): I'm not sure what the bio is referring to when it says that Bando led AL third baseman for second time. Second time in what?

no. 258 - dick green

Who is the man: Dick Green was entering his eighth season as the Oakland A's second baseman in 1971. He batted a meager .190 in 135 games in 1970.

Can ya dig it: Those green-and-gold A's unis from the early 1970s are glorious. Look at that thing. Doesn't it make you want to invent a time machine?

Right on: This is another case of a photo showing an infielder looking to backhand a ball from the general direction of the backstop. This just doesn't happen for infielders, Topps.

You see this cat Green is a bad mother: Green received the Babe Ruth Award for the 1974 postseason despite going 0-for-13 over the five games. Green was honored with the award because of his fielding. It would also be the last time he played in the majors. That's a pretty bad-ass exit.

Shut your mouth: During the 1970s, Green repeatedly said he was going to retire only to change his mind. It wasn't until 1974 when he actually went through with it, taking with him three World Series rings. Like I said, bad-ass exit.

No one understands him but his woman: Green was upended at second base by Johnny Bench and especially Hal McRae during the 1972 World Series. Green barely responded to being bulldozed and claimed he relished the contact.

(A word about the back): Green was not even 30 when he was the oldest-serving member of the A's. That fits with my perception of Oakland as a team that is constantly rotating players in and out of the organization and has been for decades.

no. 238 - chuck dobson

Who is the man: Chuck Dobson. continuing with a solid five-year stretch for the A's, set career highs in 1970 for games pitched, innings pitched, wins, complete games and shutouts. He also set career highs for walks, home runs allowed and runs allowed.

Can ya dig it: I've said it before, I'll say it again, I don't think there's really a ball in that glove.

Right on: There is something odd but also funky about the A's old caps that just said "A" on them. They're like The Fonz's team.

You see this cat Dobson is a bad mother: Dobson is featured on the fifth card in this set in most memorable fashion.

Shut your mouth: Dobson was known to voice his opinion and it got him in trouble with regard to amphetamines. He admitted to using "greenies," and when Commissioner Bowie Kuhn cracked down on players' use of the drug in spring training of 1971, Dobson told the Sporting News: "If the commissioner says we can't use them anymore, then the next time someone asked me whether I use them, I'll say no, go around the corner and pop." Dobson and Kuhn had a conversation after that.

No one understands him but his woman: Dobson and Reggie Jackson were the first interracial roommates in baseball history in 1968.

(A word about the back): At least one of those league-best shutouts in 1970 was pitched by Dobson on an amphetamine high.

no. 215 - diego segui

Who is the man: The man is Diego Segui, American League ERA champion of 1970 in his third separate stint with the Athletics.

Can ya dig it: Every time I see one of these off-center portraits, I wonder what the photographer didn't want us to see -- in this case to the left of Segui.

Right on: That's a lot of green in the photo.

You see this cat Segui is a bad mother: Segui had the best season of his 15-year major league career with the Seattle Pilots in 1969. He was the best pitcher on that team made world famous by Jim Bouton's "Ball Four." That's a pretty bad-ass achievement right there.

Shut your mouth: Segui was often accused of throwing a spitball because he often blew on his hands during the extend period of time he took between pitches. Segui denied it saying his forkball might react like a spitball, but was exclusively a forkball.

No one understands him but his woman: Segui played for seven different teams and at one point was frustrated by switching teams all the time. In an interview with the Boston Globe he asked "Why don't they like me, so that I have to go from one team to another so much?"

(A word about the back): Segui started 19 games in 1970, which meant he appeared in relief 28 times. The 162 innings pitched is pretty low for an ERA champion.

no. 178 - dave duncan

Who is the man: Dave Duncan was coming off his most successful season to date when this card came out of packs. He appeared in a career-high 86 games and hit .259, the first time his average had made it above .200.

Can ya dig it: At some point the simple "A" on Oakland's caps must have bothered someone, because they have been wearing the now-familar "A's" caps for a long time.

Right on: That target that Duncan is setting is so low that it's almost out of the frame.

You see this cat Duncan is a bad mother: During Duncan's long career as a pitching coach with the White Sox, A's and Cardinals, he oversaw four Cy Young Award winners. LaMarr Hoyt, Bob Welch, Dennis Eckersley and Chris Carpenter.

Shut your mouth: Duncan was a key figure in manager John McNamara getting fired after the 1970 season. Duncan said some unpleasant things about owner Charlie Finley and also roomed with coach Charlie Lau. Finley saw both of these as no-nos and axed the lenient McNamara in part for not keeping Duncan in line.

No one understands him but his woman: Duncan was the youngest player in the American League when he made is debut as an 18-year-old in May of 1964. After 25 games that year, he wouldn't appear in the majors again until 1967.

(A word about the back): You can practically hear the giddiness in the biographer's writing as he can finally write something worthwhile about the player who at last cracked the .200 mark.