no. 207 - alan foster

Who is the man: Alan Foster was a regular member of the Dodgers' starting rotation in his second full season in 1970. He was basically the No. 3 guy because Bill Singer was in-and-out of the rotation with various ailments. But by the time this card was issued, Foster had been traded to the Indians for catcher Duke Sims.

Can ya dig it: This is the second 1971 Topps Dodgers card I ever owned (after Manny Mota).

Right on: There are so many Dodgers pitchers in the '71 set with their arms over their head. Foster, Singer, Don Sutton, Joe Moeller, Sandy Vance. It's an epidemic.

You see this cat Foster is a bad mother: I had an irrational attachment to Alan Foster's 1975 Topps card. I really, really wanted him to be a fantastic pitcher when I was 9 years old. When you have that kind of hold on a kid you've never met, that's pretty bad-ass.

Shut your mouth: Foster gave up the first home run to ever travel completely out of Dodger Stadium. It was hit by the Pirates' Willie Stargell on Aug. 5, 1969.

No one understands him but his woman: Foster was the first starting pitcher to wear the No. 44 in Dodger history. Since Foster, other starters who have worn it are Al Downing, Vicente Padilla and Aaron Harang.

(A word about the back): Granted, it's only the minors, but successive no-hitters is Johnny VanderMeer territory. Pretty nifty.