no. 5 - thurman munson

Who is the man: The trophy looks impressive, but Thurman Munson was coming off a bigger award when this card appeared in packs. He had just won the American League Rookie of the Year award. He also received a pretty iconic baseball card for just his second year in the majors.

Can ya dig it: Munson hit .385 in 67 World Series at-bats as the Yankees reached the Series in 1976, 1977 and 1978.

Right on: It's been determined many times already, but the Athletics player being tagged by Munson is pitcher Chuck Dobson. Also, this is the first action card in a Topps set that exhibited player action cards for the first time.

You see this cat Munson is a bad mother: Munson was involved in a famed brawl with Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk in August, 1973. Munson, coming in from third base, tried to bowl over Fisk on a missed bunt attempt by Gene Michael during the ninth inning of a 2-2 game, touching off a 10-minute brawl. Munson kind of got the worst of it though, as Fisk went ballistic and started punching Munson while keeping Michael pinned down by the throat.

Shut your mouth: When my brother and I told my youngest brother that Munson had died in a plane crash, my brother refused to believe it. Not because he was sad -- we were all Yankee haters -- but because we had played so many pranks on him that he didn't believe us anymore.

No one understands him but his woman: Munson often wanted to play for the Cleveland Indians -- a terrible team in the '70s -- because he was homesick and longed to play close to his family and native Akron, Ohio.

(A word about the back): Seeing Munson without a mustache is shocking ... might I say appalling.