no. 738 - russ gibson

Who is the man: Russ Gibson had completed his first season with the Giants when this card was issued. He played in a mere 24 games, much less than he was used to playing for his hometown Red Sox.

Can ya dig it: Gibson has five Topps cards. This is the only one in which he isn't squatting in a catcher's pose.

Right on: Gibson is a circle dotter.

You see that cat Gibson is a bad mother: Gibson nearly caught a no-hitter in his major league debut. The Red Sox were playing the Yankees and fellow rookie Billy Rohr was pitching. Rohr had a no-hitter until the final out in the ninth when Elston Howard hit a single. Rohr finished with a one-hitter and the Red Sox won, 3-0. Gibson went 2-for-4 and scored a run.

Shut your mouth: Gibson spent 10 years in the minors before he made his big league debut. In 1966, he was a late cut by the Red Sox and drove from Florida to Arizona to join the minor league team. When he got there, he told Red Sox manager Dick Williams that he was thinking of quitting. Williams told Gibson, "Don't quit. I'll make you a player-coach." But instead Gibson didn't quit and was on a major league roster the next year.

No one understands him but his woman: Gibson was the starting catcher in Game 1 of the 1967 World Series. He's noted for a play in which he tagged out the Cardinals' Julian Javier, although photos showed he may have tagged Javier with an empty glove.

(A word about the back): The Giants' starting catcher, Dick Dietz, played in 148 games in 1970, so there wasn't much room for a backup catcher.