no. 717 - tommie aaron

Who is the man: Tommie Aaron was playing in his final major league season when this card was issued. He played in 25 games for the Braves in 1971, spending most of the year in the minors.

Can ya dig it: The Laughing Brave logo appears to be laughing at Aaron.

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

You see that cat Aaron is a bad mother: Aaron is part of the most successful home-run hitting brother combo with his older brother, Hank. Of  course, that's a goofy stat as Hank hit 755 of the 768 total.

Shut your mouth: Aaron, a seldom-used utility player, went 5-for-15 during his career against Juan Marichal.

No one understands him but his woman: The debate around Tommie Aaron was whether he received preferential treatment because of his brother or had to work harder because of his brother. The two were teammates for the length of Tommie's career.

(A word about the back): The two home runs mentioned in the write-up were the last two home runs Aaron hit during his career.

no. 668 - gary neibauer

Who is the man: Gary Neibauer spent most of the 1970 season with Triple A Richmond, appearing in just seven games with Atlanta. It was quite a come down from the 1969 season when he pitched in 29 games for the Braves.

Can ya dig it: Here is another well-crafted signature that puts modern ballplayers' signings to shame.

Right on: This photo is the one that's used on Gary Neibauer's baseball-reference page. There are quite a few baseball card photos used on baseball-reference. Just shows you how available cards are in comparison to other kinds of photos.

You see that cat Neibauer is a bad mother: Neibauer pitched one inning in mop-up duty in Game 2 of the 1969 NLCS, an 11-6 victory for the Mets. Neibauer was the only one of six pitchers used by the Braves to surrender no runs in at least an inning of work.

Shut your mouth: Neibauer speaks like a proud MLB alumnus when he says about baseball, "There's nothing like it. Its grace. Its beauty. The sport continues to thrill me to no end."

No one understands him but his woman: Neibauer served on a special Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association committee that helped many former major leaguers who played between 1947-79 to finally receive pensions.

(A word about the back): The Basin League was a league in South Dakota that lasted from 1953-73. The teams consisted of college and minor league players and featured such players as Jim Palmer, Bob Gibson, Don Sutton and Frank Howard.

no. 663 - marv staehle

Who is the man: Marv Staehle was coming off, by far, his busiest season, appearing in 104 games for the Montreal Expos in 1970. That's 72 more games than he played in any other of his seven big-league seasons.

Can ya dig it: Well, here is one of the more memorable cap airbrushings in the entire set. Instead of making Staehle look like a ballplayer, he instead looks like he's delivering milk.

Right on: This is Staehle's only solo Topps card. He appears three times on two-player rookie stars cards, in 1965, 1966 and 1969. In only one of them is he wearing an actual, non-airbrushed cap (1965).

You see that cat Staehle was a bad mother: Staehle played in 1,239 games in the minors, compiling 1,286 hits and batting .286. He led the South Atlantic League in hitting in 1963 with a .337 average for Nashville.

Shut your mouth: Staehle remembers one at-bat in Nashville when he hit a foul ball down the third base line that sailed into the concession stand and hit a large mustard jar, splattering fans with mustard.

No one understands him but his woman: Staehle's final season was with the Braves. He and teammate Hank Aaron would walk to the ballpark together during road games. Imagine that.

(A word about the back): They didn't even dare airbrush an Atlanta logo on the cap. Odd.

no. 652 - braves

Who is the man: The Braves, just like their 1969 NL championship series foe, the Mets, endured a disappointing season in 1970, although the Braves' was much worse. They finished 76-86, a full 17 games behind their record in 1969.

Can ya dig it: I'm not sure what I'm looking at behind the team, but I'm assuming its the roof to the grandstand at the minor league park.

Right on: I still say these uniforms are the sharpest the Braves ever wore.

You see that cat Harris is a bad mother: The photo reproduction is a little hazy so I'm not sure who exactly is manager Lum Harris. Either the sixth or seventh guy from the right (Update.: I just found the same image with IDs on ebay. Harris is the seventh guy from the right.

Shut your mouth: Thanks to the handy ebay photo I can tell you that Hank Aaron is the second guy from the right in the middle row and he's standing next to Dusty Baker. Phil Niekro is the third guy from the right in the back row. Ralph Garr is the third guy from the left in the middle row and Hoyt Wilhelm is two guys to the right of Garr.

No one understands him but his woman:  I was informed in this post that the diminutive man seated on the far left in the first row is Donald Davidson, the team's 4-foot-tall traveling secretary and apparently an organization legend.

(A word about the back): These numbers show how the Braves were a bad team for a long time. Aaron, Mathews and Spahn did their best to revive the team in the 1950s.

no. 623 - pat jarvis

Who is the man: Pat Jarvis had won 16 games for the second time in his career in 1970. But after four straight seasons of double-digit victories, he would falter in 1971, winning just six times and being sent to the bullpen.

Can ya dig it: Check out the guys in colorful shirts waiting for Jarvis to finish with Topps photographer man so they can ask for an autograph.

Right on: Love the way Jarvis is wearing his hat. I believe that's the very definition of "jaunty".

You see that cat Jarvis is a bad mother: Jarvis was the Braves' ace during the 1967 and 1968 seasons after a breakout final two months of the 1966 season.

Shut your mouth: Jarvis went into Georgia politics after his career and ended up serving as sheriff in DeKalb County. He served as sheriff for 20 years, but resigned in 1995 and was sentenced to 15 months of jail time for mail fraud in 1999.

No one understands him but his woman: Jarvis gave up Ernie Banks' 500th home run. Jarvis was also Nolan Ryan's first strikeout victim. But Jarvis pitched the win in that game.

(A word about the back): Jarvis' 173 strikeouts in 1970 just missed the top 10 in the National League.

no. 605 - orlando cepeda

Who is the man: Orlando Cepeda was coming off the best season of his three-plus years with the Braves when this card was issued. He slugged 34 home runs, hit .305 and shockingly didn't receive a single MVP vote.

Can ya dig it: No one has come out to see Cepeda. Even the dugout is empty.

Right on: All of Cepeda's Topps Braves cards are the same. Batting stance, batting stance, batting stance.

You see that cat Cepeda is a bad mother: Cepeda is another guy who absolutely mauled the ball in 1961. He hit 46 home runs and drove in 142 for the Giants, finishing second in the MVP vote to Frank Robinson.

Shut your mouth: Cepeda and Giants manager Alvin Dark did not get along. At one point, Dark kept a public ratings system on his players. Cepeda rated a negative 40 compared with Willie Mays' 100. "There are winning .275 hitters and losing .310 hitters," Dark said.

No one understands him but his woman: Cepeda served 10 months of a five-year prison sentence in Puerto Rico for possessing 165 pounds of marijuana. The Puerto Rican native became a disgrace in his country and lost all of his money before returning to the United States and fixing his life.

(A word about the back): The write-up kind of makes you believe he achieved all of those numbers with San Francisco. But that .325 and MVP was with St. Louis.

no. 587 - sonny jackson

Who is the man: Sonny Jackson served as the Braves' starting shortstop in 1970, appearing in 103 games and batting .259.

Can ya dig it: Jackson is shown bunting on his card for the second straight year. He's also shown bunting on his 1974 Topps card, meaning three of his final five Topps cards show him as a bunter.

Right on: Looks pretty deserted in that stadium.

You see that cat Jackson is a bad mother: Jackson finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting (to the Reds' Tommy Helms) in 1966 with, by far, his best season. His 27 sacrifice hits that season is in the top 10 for most in a season from the last 50 years.

Shut your mouth: When Jackson was installed at shortstop for the Astros in 1966, he admitted his arm wasn't the strongest. "My arm's not a shotgun, but the ball will get there in time," he said. "I'm not concerned about that. I'm just worried where the ball ends up."

No one understands him but his woman: Jackson broke a 56-year-old record when he established a new high for stolen bases by a rookie with 49 in 1966. That record stood for just 11 years when the Padres' Gene Richards stole 56 in 1977.

(A word about the back): Jackson's 11 stolen bases were surpassed on the team by only Felix Millan, who had 16. Not exactly a base-stealing team.

no. 507 - george stone

Who is the man: George Stone was entering his third season in the Braves' starting rotation when this card was issued. Stone enjoyed his first full season in the rotation in 1970 after switching between the rotation and the bullpen in 1969.

Can ya dig it: Still liking those old Braves pinstripe uniforms.

Right on: Stone's 1971 card is similar to his 1970 card.

You see that cat Stone is a bad mother: Stone is remembered by Mets fans for his 1973 season. In his first year with the team, he won his final eight decisions, helping New York into the postseason.

Shut your mouth: In one of the more disputed World Series decisions of the '70s, Mets manager Yogi Berra passed over a well-rested Stone in order to start Tom Seaver on short rest for Game 6. The Mets were ahead 3-2 in the Series and Berra wanted to finish off the A's with his ace. But the A's beat Seaver and then won Game 7 to take the title. Years later, Berra insisted he had no regrets about his decision.

No one understands him but his woman: Stone was the first Louisana Tech player ever drafted by a major league team. He still holds several La Tech records.

(A word about the back): Stone's home run came against the Astros' Tom Griffin in the seventh inning of game Sept. 12, 1969 in Atlanta. The two-run homer put the Braves ahead 4-0 and it proved crucial as Atlanta ended up winning the game 4-3.

no. 494 - braves rookie stars

Who is the man: Both Ralph Garr and Rick Kester spent most of 1970 with Triple A Richmond, and each made a quick visit to the majors for the third straight year.

Can ya dig it: This is the second Braves rookie stars card in the set. The other card featured one notable player and one forgotten player, too.

Right on: As you can tell by the massive dings, this was another hand-me-down '71 that I acquired in a trade as a youngster. I'm curious as to which of those cards had the highest number in the set. We must be getting close.

You see these rookies are bad mothers: Ralph Garr has one of my favorite cards in the entire 1975 Topps set, but he was four years away from that at this point. Rookies ain't bad-ass.

Shut your mouth: During an appearance at his alma mater at Grambling University last year, Garr told a reporter for the school paper that only one player was the best who ever played. "There's no one who ever played the game of baseball better than Henry Aaron," he said. "That's my opinion and I believe that as long as I live."

No one understands him but his woman: Kester had appeared in his last major league game by the time this card was issued. He showed up only on these multi-player rookie cards, three consecutive years, in fact. In each case, someone else on the card went on to a more notable career -- Darrell Evans, Ralph Garr and Tom House.

(A word about the back): Stealing home for your first MLB stolen base -- heck, that IS pretty bad-ass.

no. 463 - tom kelley

Who is the man: Tom Kelley spent all of the 1970 season in the Braves' minor league system after being acquired by Atlanta in May of that year. The Braves and Topps must have known something because in 1971, he would pitch in 28 games, his first significant major league work since 1966.

Can ya dig it: Kelley is wearing an Indians jersey, and the photo, at the most recent, is from 1969. But I suppose it could be as early as 1967 as that's the last time Kelley actually played for Cleveland in a major league game.

Right on: Kelley's hair is much too neat. Go run some wind sprints, sir.

You see that cat Kelley is a bad mother: Kelley's 1965 season for the Triple A Portland Beavers was something to behold. He went 16-3 with a 2.38 ERA, struck out 190 and pitched a no-hitter.

Shut you mouth: Kelley died just 21 days ago. At age 71.

No one understands him but his woman: Look up Tom Kelley and you're going to get more than enough references to the former Twins manager, which is not spelled the same way.

(A word about the back): Look at that sterling 1970 record. Kids pulling this card must have wondered what the hell.

no. 432 - bob didier

Who is the man: After being the Braves' primary catcher during their NL West-winning season in 1969, Didier fell way off in 1970, batting .149 in just 57 games.

Can ya dig it: I guess Didier is pretending to catch a foul pop-up here? He seems to have his glove awfully low.

Right on: I'd love to see a current player sign his full name on a card. ... and make it legible.

You see that cat Didier is a bad mother: Didier finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1969, behind just Ted Sizemore, Jose "Coco" Laboy and Al Oliver.

Shut your mouth: Didier's father is Mel Didier, the longtime coach, executive and scout. Mel Didier worked as an advance scout for the Dodgers in 1988 and was assigned to study the A's pitchers. He told the Dodgers that Dennis Eckersley, when facing a lefty with the tying or winning run in scoring position and a 3-2 count, would throw the batter a backdoor slider. Kirk Gibson, a lefty, hit an Eckersley backdoor slider on a 3-2 pitch with Mike Davis in scoring position for a two-run, walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Gibson has said that during his at-bat he could hear Didier's voice saying, "podnuh, as sure as I'm standing here breathing, you gonna get a 3-2 backdoor slider."

No one understands him but his woman: As recently as 2012, Didier was an instructor with Big League Experience Baseball Camp with more than 40 years of baseball experience to his credit. But he still can't match his dad, who is in his 80s and has been in baseball since the 1940s.

(A word about the back): One season dipping under .200, and the bio starts talking about other sports.

no. 400 - hank aaron

Who is the man: Hank Aaron delivered another consistently hammerin' year in 1970, with numbers that nearly matched his 1969 figures. However, he finished 17th in MVP voting in 1970, compared with third in '69, quite possibly because the Braves were first in 1969 but fifth in 1970.

Can ya dig it: I'm not crazy about these "cap tilted up" photos. It makes it appear as if Topps was trying to hide the Braves logo because it thought Aaron might be traded. And it would be crazy to trade Hank Aaron. Right, Braves?

Right on: The facsimile signatures on Aaron's Topps cards all read "Henry" except for his 1975 Topps card, which reads "Hank".

You see that cat Aaron is a bad mother: How many times have you read or heard the following words: "As far as I'm concerned he's the home run king."? I hear that at least on a weekly basis. Gotta be pretty bad-ass to get that kind of tribute weekly.

Shut your mouth: Aaron received two MLB contract offers based on his play with the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns. One was from the Giants and one from the Braves. Aaron said he would have signed with the Giants, but the Braves offered 50 more dollars. Aaron has said that 50 dollars is all that kept him and Willie Mays from being teammates.

No one understands him but his woman: Aaron married Billye Williams, a morning TV show host after first meeting her when Williams arranged an interview with Aaron for a series of segments called "Billye at the Bat". After hyping Aaron's upcoming appearance, the Braves slugger failed to show. But Williams was not deterred and eventually got an interview with him on the air.

(A word about the back): I feel cheated. That's the same photo that's on the front.

no. 387 - ron herbel

Who is the man: Ron Herbel played for the Padres and the Mets during the 1970 season. He was dealt from the Padres to the Mets on Sept. 1, 1970 and then sent from the Mets to the Braves on Dec. 1, 1970.

Can ya dig it: Herbel is wearing a Mets jersey in this photo, which is kind of impressive, considering that he spent just a month at the end of the 1970 season in a Mets uniform. The player to be named sent by the Mets to the Padres in the trade was Rod Gaspar, who was just featured four posts ago. You can tell by the photo on Gaspar's card that the Herbel and Gaspar photos were probably taken at the same time. It's interesting that they were Mets teammates at the time of the pictures but neither appeared listed as Mets when their cards were issued.

Right on: Herbel is displaying the chemistry teacher smile for a second straight card. (He's wearing a Giants uniform in that photo). If I saw these cards as a kid, you'd never get me to believe Herbel was a baseball player.

You see that cat Herbel is a bad mother: Herbel led the National League in games pitched in 1970 with 76.

Shut your mouth: Herbel was the Giants pitcher who replaced Juan Marichal after Marichal was ejected for clubbing Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with a bat during a game in 1965. Herbel won the game.

No one understands him but his woman: Herbel's inability to hit was well-known in the majors and a constant source of amusement among teammates. He finished his career with 6 hits in 206 at-bats for a .029 batting average, the lowest average for a major league player with at least 100 at-bats.

 (A word about the back): Herbel's 10 saves in 1970 would be a career high.

no. 374 - clete boyer

Who is the man: Clete Boyer was entering his last season in the major leagues in 1971. He may have been released by the time his card was pulled from packs, getting his pink slip on June 2, 1971.

Can ya dig it: The jaunty way Boyer wears his cap conflicts with his sneering stare.

Right on: That is some backstop behind Boyer.

You see that cat Boyer is a bad mother: Boyer led the American League in putouts, assists and double plays from 1961-63, but lost out on the Gold Glove each year to Brooks Robinson.

Shut your mouth: Boyer was just 33 when he was released by Atlanta. He feuded with general manager Paul Richards and after balking at the team's midnight curfew, Richards said, "For such a lousy player, Boyer sure does a lot of talking."

No one understands him but his woman: Boyer and his brother, Ken, were the first brothers on opposite teams to hit a home run in a World Series game. In Game 7 of the 1964 World Series, Ken homered first for the Cardinals and Clete homered two innings later for the Yankees.

(A word about the back): Regarding the write-up: In other words, pay no attention to the batting stats, Boyer could field.

no. 359 - ron reed

Who is the man: Ron Reed was coming off a disappointing 1970 season in which he missed nearly half the year. He broke his collarbone in spring training when he tripped over first base during a fielding drill.

Can ya dig it: Should he be raising his arms that far over his head after a broken collarbone? What makes me think this is an old photo?

Right on: That is a good way to hide that fact that there is no ball in your glove.

You see this cat Reed is a bad mother: The man played professionally in two of the "big four" sports. He was a member of the Detroit Pistons from 1965-67 before playing in the major leagues from 1966-84.

Shut your mouth: Reed pitched for the Phillies from 1976-83. When famed Phillies announcer Harry Kalas died, Reed said he cried for the first time since his mom died.

No one understands him but his woman: Before Reed came to the Phillies, he was primarily a starter. When the Phillies told him he was going to be a reliever, he asked to be traded. But with some encouragement from fellow reliever Gene Garber, Reed tried it and he pitched eight more years as a reliever.

(A word about the back): Now that is an interesting write-up! Sure, I already told you most of it, but it's still a lot more interesting than most of the 1971 bios.

no. 346 - lum harris

Who is the man: Lum Harris was entering the 1971 season after a disappointing 1970 with the Braves. He had enjoyed his best year as a manager in 1969 for N.L. West champion Atlanta only to see his team fall to 76-86 the following year.

Can ya dig it: Harris looks both mesmerized and terrified. A very odd expression.

Right on: Possibly the bluest eyes I've ever seen on a baseball card.

You see that cat Harris is a bad mother: Harris managed the Braves to their first title while in Atlanta. The Braves clinched the 1969 N.L. West crown on the second-to-last day of the season.

Shut your mouth: Harris was a good friend of Paul Richards since the 1930s when they played together. Through the following decades, as Richards rose through the ranks as a manager and then general manager, he added Harris to his staff, getting him jobs as a manager with the Orioles, Astros and Braves. But in 1972, Richards was reassigned and Harris fired. They never spoke to each other again.

No one understands him but his woman: Harris was the first manager to lead a team that played an entire season under a dome. The 1965 Astros finished in ninth place while playing on dead grass during the first year of the Astrodome.

(A word about the back): Topps goes way back to Harris' minor league pitching days in the bio.

no. 306 - jim nash

Who is the man: In 1971, Jim Nash had come off his first season with the Atlanta Braves after being traded from Oakland for Felipe Alou.

Can ya dig it: Nash looks like he just heard a loud noise in the crowd.

Right on: I am transfixed by the laughing Brave in this photo.

You see this cat is a bad mother: Nash went 12-1 in his rookie season in 1966 and finished second in Rookie Of The Year voting.

Shut your mouth: Nash appeared on the cover of this Sports Illustrated in March of 1967:

He was part of a story on the A's young pitchers, which included Catfish Hunter and Blue Moon Odom. Adding to the SI cover jinx myth, Nash didn't end up with the careers the other two did.

No one understands him but his woman: As a hitter, Nash struck out 50 times in 74 at-bats in 1968, which is one of the worst percentages among pitchers in the modern era.

(A word about the back): Nash was a pretty big boy for his time, standing on the mound at 6 feet, 5 inches.

no. 270 - rico carty

Who is the man: Rico Carty enjoyed the best season of his 15-year major league career in 1970, leading the National League with a .366 batting average, the highest average since Ted Williams hit .388 in 1957. But by the time this card arrived in packs, Carty was shelved for the 1971 season, suffering a broken knee in winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

Can ya dig it: It looks like Carty shortened his full name, Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty, in his signature by abbreviating "Adolfo".

Right on: I believe Carty is taking his hacks before a game against the Mets in Shea Stadium.

You see this cat Carty is a bad mother: Carty once punched teammate Hank Aaron in the face during a fight on a team flight.

Shut your mouth: The fight came about because Carty was talking loudly in Spanish with some of his teammates. Aaron thought they were talking about him and he told them to speak English if they were going to talk about him.

No one understands him but his woman: . The outspoken Carty was also involved in disputes with teammate Ron Santo and managers Frank Robinson and Whitey Herzog.

(A word about the back): Carty may have started his pro career as a catcher, but he played just 17 games at catcher in the majors, all during the 1966 season.

no. 244 - bob tillman

Who is the man: Bob Tillman had completed his final season in the big leagues when this card was released. He was traded to the Brewers in December of 1970 but never played for Milwaukee as he was released less than two months after he was traded.

Can ya dig it: This is Tillman's final card.

Right on: Dugout shots are always cool. Bat rack shots are always cool. Player-holding-bat-on-top-step-of-dugout shots are always cool. This is a cool card.

You see this cat Tillman is a bad mother: Tillman caught two no-hitters during his career, by the Red Sox's Earl Wilson and Dave Morehead.

Shut your mouth: Tillman struggled to hit for much his career and had particular trouble with the curve ball. Boston writer Larry Claflin once wrote: "The curve ball to Tillman is what television is to movie theaters."

No one understands him but his woman: When Dick Williams took over as Red Sox manager that was the end of Tillman. During a game in May, Tillman tried to throw out the Tigers' Al Kaline on a steal attempt. The throw caromed off the head of relief pitcher John Wyatt and into the on-deck circle, allowing Kaline to take third. Kaline would later score the winning run -- the first run Wyatt had allowed all year. Williams benched Tillman for the next 38 games and the Red Sox sold him to the Yankees three months later.

(A word about the back): This is where the single line of stats in '71 Topps comes up short. You could have seen Tillman's complete major league stats for his whole career had '71 Topps been like most of the previous Topps sets up until then.

no. 223 - cecil upshaw

Who is the man: Cecil Upshaw did not pitch a single game in 1970, suffering a freak injury in spring training. But he still received a card.

Can ya dig it: With the way the clouds in the background are positioned, it appears as if Upshaw's left ear is smoking.

Right on: Upshaw looks a little bit like Randolph Mantooth, the actor who is probably known more now for roles in soap operas, Sex in the City and Sons of Anarchy but I knew as John Gage in the '70s paramedic show, Emergency! Granted, Upshaw is not nearly as dreamy.

You see this cat Upshaw is a bad mother: Upshaw was a key part of the 1969 National League West champion Braves, serving as the closer on that team and saving 27 games.

Shut your mouth: Upshaw was the player representative for the Braves during a time of labor strife in baseball. His declining skills probably didn't help but Upshaw was dealt from the Braves to the Astros to the Indians to the Yankees to the White Sox all between 1973-74.

No one understands him but his woman: Depending on which account you read, Upshaw was injured in 1970 because he either took his teammates up on a bet that he couldn't touch an awning or because he was demonstrating his dunking skills. Either way, the ring on his pitching hand caught in the awning and doctors had to reconnect the resulting severed artery in his ring finger.

(A word about the back): Upshaw's injury is often listed as one of baseball's most bizarre/infamous, so it's amusing to see the bio merely mention "a finger injury." I suppose nearly severed fingers don't go well with bubble gum.