no. 552 - buddy bradford

Who is the man: Buddy Bradford split his 1970 season between the White Sox and the Indians. He would be back with the White Sox by 1972 and then return to the White Sox again in 1975.

Can ya dig it: That's a great scene. The whole photo says, "going to work."

Right on: This is one of those first 1971s that I had in my collection. It's one of the few semi-high numbers I owned. I don't think it's the highest number I had back then, but we'll see.

You see that cat Bradford is a bad mother: Bradford led all of baseball in batting the first month of the 1969 season, hitting .420.

Shut your mouth: Bradford and four neighborhood kids from the same block in Pacoima, Calif., all ended up playing professional baseball. Two of them, Bradford and Gary Matthews, made the majors.

No one understands him but his woman: Bradford's last season of pro ball was spent playing for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan in 1977.

 (A word about the back): Does anyone today get into 107 games if they bat .193? I guess maybe if they hit 25 home runs.