no. 748 - john purdin

Who is the man: John Purdin spent all of the 1970 season with Triple A Spokane and Hawaii as he played in the Dodgers and Angels organizations.

Can ya dig it: Here is another super high-numbered guy who is actually wearing a Dodgers uniform. Purdin's only major league time came with the Dodgers. He hadn't appeared in a Topps set since 1969, when he was with L.A. Also, he is airbrushed into an old White Sox cap since Chicago changed to red-themed uniforms in 1971, which was reflected on Chuck Tanner's card earlier in the set. (It's also the fourth straight airbrushed White Sox card).

Right on: It's quite the eerie background. I'm not sure what time of day that photo was taken. Night? Dusk?

You see that cat Purdin is a bad mother: John Purdin threw a two-hit shutout against the Cubs two weeks into his first year in the majors in September 1964.

Shut your mouth: Purdin had already made his final major league appearance ... in 1969 ... by the time this card was released.

No one understands him but his woman: Purdin's move from the Dodgers to the Angels continues to be listed as an unknown transaction (and an approximate date) on his baseball-reference page, even though all of the blanks were filled in here. Who do we need to contact at baseball-reference to get this straightened out?

(A word about the back): Tanner seemed to like Purdin, but Purdin didn't make the team out of spring training.

no. 733 - lee maye

Who is the man: Lee Maye played most of the 1970 season with the Senators. He was acquired off of waivers by the White Sox in September of that year.

Can ya dig it: This is subtle airbrushing compared with some of the other final-series airbrush jobs.

Right on: This is Maye's final card of his career.

You see that cat Maye is a bad mother: Maye's best season came in 1964 with the Braves when he led the National League in doubles with 44.

Shut your mouth: Maye also tried to hold down a singing career while playing baseball. His song "Half Way (Out of Love)" that came out in 1963 sold nearly 500,000 copies. Maye said he would go home from the ballpark and sing into a tape recorder. That's how he wrote songs.

No one understands him but his woman: Maye struggled to find a job in baseball after his playing career ended. He had several fights with teammates and disagreements with others in the game and he encountered racism as well.

(A word about the back): One of the more interesting write-ups in 1971 Topps, but I don't think Maye was actually a member of the Platters. He sang with friends of his, a few of which went on to become part of the Platters, the Penguins, and other singing groups.

no. 723 - vicente romo

Who is the man: Vicente Romo pitched for the Red Sox in 1970. He spent most of the time in the bullpen with a spot start or two. But he didn't fair as well in his starting assignments as he did in 1969 and was traded to the White Sox in March 1971.

Can ya dig it: We are in prime "magic hat" territory in the 1971 set. Here is another one. Topps wants you to believe that this is anything major leaguers were wearing in 1970-71.

Right on: Romo is sporting some prime sideburns.

You see that cat Romo is a bad mother: A star of the Mexican League, Romo made a comeback with the Dodgers in 1982, eight years after his last major league appearance. He won his first game since 1974 with a seven-inning shutout against the Expos in July 1982.

Shut your mouth: Romo's nickname is "huevo," which is "egg" in Spanish. It originated when he was a child as others thought his face was egg-shaped.

No one understands him but his woman: Romo disappeared from the team while with the Red Sox. He told his roommate, Jose Santiago, he was going out for dinner. He didn't return until 11 a.m. two days later, saying he became ill after drinking and forgot to alert the team. He was docked only a day's pay.

(A word about the back): "One of the few successful graduates of Mexican League ball" ... that is a questionable statement given that Romo said he and other Mexicans were not given opportunities during that period to succeed in the majors. Players like Fernando Valenzuela and Teddy Higuera opened the door for the current group of Mexican MLBers.

no. 679 - don o'riley

Who is the man: Don O'Riley pitched in nine games for the Kansas City Royals in 1970, spending more of the season in the minors with Omaha. He was traded to the White Sox, along with infielder Pat Kelly, in October 1970 for Gail Hopkins and John Matias.

Can ya dig it: That airbrushed, very bright, sky blue cap is a sight and not a color the White Sox ever wore. It's interesting that the bill remains Kansas City Royal blue. It's also interesting that there's already been a look at the White Sox's new red caps in this set with the earlier Chuck Tanner card.

Right on: This is O'Riley's only solo card. He appears on a three-player rookie stars card with the Royals in the 1970 Topps set.

You see that cat O'Riley is a bad mother: O'Riley pitched for the Royals during their very first season in 1969. He came out of the bullpen for 18 games and recorded one save.

Shut your mouth: O'Riley was killed in a convenience store robbery in May of 1997 at age 52. Working as the store's manager, O'Riley pulled a gun and shot the robber, who shot back and hit O'Riley in the head, killing him. The killer was sentence to life in prison in 1999.

No one understands him but his woman: O'Riley never played for the White Sox. For whatever reason, he didn't play any pro ball in 1971 and then pitched in the Braves minor league system in 1972 and 1973.

(A word about the back): That write-up is a rarity in the '71 set in that it focuses on a single thought and doesn't skip around to various facts.

no. 661 - chuck tanner

Who is the man: Chuck Tanner received his first manager card after being hired for the final 16 games of the Chicago White Sox's 1970 season. The team went 3-13 under him.

Can ya dig it: This marks Tanner's return to Topps cards after his last card as a player in the 1960 set.

Right on: This is also the first Topps appearance of the White Sox's red caps and red pinstripe uniforms. All of the previous '71 White Sox cards showed players in the blue-and-gray duds from 1970. But you can tell this photo was taken in 1971 because that's the year the new red uniforms debuted.

You see that cat Tanner is a bad mother: Tanner was the manager of the Pirates' "We Are Family" World Series championship team in 1979.

Shut your mouth: Tanner was fired by the Pirates in 1985 after a terrible season in which the team was plagued by drug scandal. Tanner said later, "I would've fired myself."

No one understands him but his woman: Tanner was manager for the A's in 1976 when he was traded to the Pirates for catcher Manny Sanguillen and a bunch of cash. It's one of just three instances in which a manager was traded.

(A word about the back): Topps apparently missed some players because looking at a few different sites now tells me there were six players to hit a home run on their first major league pitch before Tanner did it.

no. 643 - rick reichardt

Who is the man: Rick Reichardt played mostly for the Washington Senators in 1970. He was traded from the Angels on April 27 of that year after just nine games in a deal for third baseman Ken McMullen. The Senators then traded Reichardt to the White Sox in February 1971.

Can ya dig it: You know how much I dislike cards of players without caps, but at least the bat on the shoulder somewhat evens out the caplessness.

Right on: This photo is likely from the same photo shoot as the one that appears on his 1967 Topps card, as you can see the Angels colors on his collar. It's also likely from the same photo shoot as Reichardt's 1968 and 1969 cards. Four of Reichardt's last five Topps cards show him looking to the left with a bat on his right shoulder.

You see that cat Reichardt is a bad mother: Reichardt was known as the richest bonus baby of all-time when the Angels won a bidding war by paying $200,000 in 1964. The bidding frenzy is often credited for starting MLB's amateur draft.

Shut your mouth: The write-up on the back of Reichardt's 1967 Topps card begins thusly: "In case you're wondering where the next superstar is coming from, cast an eye at the California Angels' Rick Reichardt."

No one understands him but his woman: It's a mystery why Reichardt did not appear on a Topps baseball card after his '71 card was issued. Reichardt enjoyed one of his best seasons in 1971 but didn't appear in the very large 1972 set. He also played enough in 1972 to show in the 1973 set and you could argue for his inclusion in the 1974 set, too. I wonder if it was a licensing deal (much like Rusty Staub at the same time)?

(A word about the back): Fifty-six major leaguers have hit two home runs in an inning. But at the time Reichardt accomplished the feat, only 13 players had.

no. 627 - steve hamilton

Who is the man: Steve Hamilton was picked up on waivers by the White Sox in early September, 1970. The Yankees let Hamilton loose after he spent 8 years with the club and went 4-3 in 35 relief appearances with a 2.78 ERA that season.

Can ya dig it: If you can't dig the "I" dotted with a star in Hamilton's name then what can you dig? Hamilton isn't the only player who did that (Tito Fuentes), but he's one of the more famous examples.

Right on: This airbrush/crop job would have worked quite well 20 years later and looks not all that jarring in retrospect. But this was long before the White Sox featured black pinstripe uniforms. (EDIT: White Sox wore black pinstripes in the 1960s).

You see that cat Hamilton is a bad mother: Hamilton played two seasons for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers and is one of only two athletes to compete in the NBA Finals and the World Series. Gene Conley is the other.

Shut your mouth: During the 1964 season, Hamilton's son, Robert, was born. Young Robert woke up his father five times one night and when Hamilton finally did get to sleep, "I had a hideous dream," he said. "I got traded to the Mets and they were just about to start a 60-game road trip. I couldn't get back to sleep after that."

No one understands him but his woman: I first came across Hamilton while reading a Sports Illustrated story on baseball players and chewing tobacco. The article emphasized the nastiness of the habit and mentioned a time when Hamilton swallowed his chaw while on the pitching mound. He then proceeded to throw up all over the back of the mound. I believe that is what prevented me from ever considering chewing tobacco.

(A word about the back): About that "folly floater," which he first unveiled in 1969. The most cited story is when he broke it out against Indians hitter Tony Horton. Horton swung at it and fouled it off. Horton then motioned for Hamilton to throw it again, which Hamilton did. This is where the story relies on artistic license. The common version says Horton fouled off the pitch again, into Thurman Munson's glove, and then crawled back to the dugout on all fours. But if you watch the video, Munson ran for awhile before catching the pop up. And Horton didn't start crawling until he was maybe four steps away from the dugout.

no. 588 - tom bradley

Who is the man: Tom Bradley pitched for the California Angels (and for their minor league club in Hawaii) in 1970 and was traded to the White Sox on Nov. 30, 1970. You can see the collar of his Angels uniform in the photo.

Can ya dig it: This card is before its time. It wouldn't be until 1993 that you could see a turquoise cap on a baseball card when the Florida Marlins were invented. Of course, this is 100 percent airbrushed.

Right on: I just featured this card on my main blog. It was beaten out of a spot in my night card binder.

You see that cat Bradley is a bad mother: Bradley got off to a quick start in his first season with the White Sox in 1971. After 14 starts, he was second in the AL in earned-run average behind Vida Blue at 1.67. Later in the year he was profiled in Baseball Digest.

Shut your mouth: Bradley received the nickname "Omar," which was a reference to Omar Bradley, the well-decorated senior officer in the Army during World War II. Interestingly, Tom Bradley is credited with giving Rich Gossage his nickname "Goose."

No one understands him but his woman: Bradley found out about his trade to the Giants when he reported to the White Sox business office for his job of selling season-ticket packages.

 (A word about the back): Bradley started the 1969 season in Class A ball, and also appeared in AA and AAA, as well as the majors that year.

no. 555 - walt williams

Who is the man: Walt Williams slumped a bit in 1970, batting just .251 in 110 games after hitting over .300 in '69. He'd bounce back in 1971.

Can ya dig it: Man, Williams has got some muscles.

Right on: There is a dude standing behind Williams and it kind of takes away from an otherwise great shot. They should have asked Williams to flex a muscle so the guy would disappear.

You see that cat Williams is a bad mother: Williams featured one of the greatest baseball nicknames of all-time, "No-Neck." (Chris Berman couldn't come up with that if you spotted him the "neck"). The photo tells the story, but he got the name because of his compact build and short neck. The story goes that Williams received a vaccine injection in his neck as a toddler, but it caused his neck to shrink.

Shut your mouth: Famed sportswriter Jim Murray once quoted a scout about Williams, who said: "He looks as if somebody tried to cram him into a suitcase when they heard the cops coming."

No one understands him but his woman: Williams' second wife, Ester, said her husband didn't like his nickname much at first, but quickly accepted it with good humor.

(A word about the back): Williams probably didn't deserve a card number ending with a "5" after his 1970 season. This was reward for 1969, when he was one of just six American League hitters to top .300.

no. 537 - tom egan

Who is the man: Tom Egan spent the entire 1970 season with the Angels, but was traded on Nov. 30th, along with outfielder Jay Johnstone and pitcher Tom Bradley, to the White Sox for outfielder Ken Berry, infielder Syd O'Brien and pitcher Billy Wynne.

Can ya dig it: Egan is decked out in an Angels uniform in this photo.

Right on: Egan's sideburns are quite a bit longer here than on his 1970 Topps card.

You see that cat Egan is a bad mother: Egan hit two home runs off of the A's Catfish Hunter during the 1969 season. He hit just five total during the season.

Shut your mouth: Egan was beaned by the Tigers' Earl Wilson in 1969 and suffered a broken jaw. He never completely regained sight in his right eye after the incident.

No one understands him but his woman: Egan made his major league debut as an 18-year-old in 1965. He struck out to end the game.

(A word about the back): I'll venture a guess and say that Tom's greatest baseball thrill got an update when he caught Nolan Ryan's third career no-hitter in 1974.

no. 520 - tommy john

Who is the man: Tommy John was the ace of a 100-loss team in 1970. He was entering his final season with the White Sox.

Can ya dig it: This is the last action photo in the 1971 set, with more than 200 cards to go.

Right on: Foreshadowing shot here in Yankee Stadium for the future Yankee.

You see that cat John is a bad mother: John made modern medical history by recovering from a surgery that had never been performed before on the elbow of a major league pitcher and winning 20 games less than two years after the surgery.

Shut your mouth: When John injured his arm, it was right after he was passed over by Mets manager Yogi Berra for a spot on the NL All-Star Game pitching roster despite leading the league in victories, which annoyed John. Some speculated that John hurt his arm overextending himself in a bid to prove Berra wrong. John called that idea "a really ignorant statement."

No one understands him but his woman: The day after John's surgery, his wife Sally gave birth to their daughter, Tamara. Since John couldn't move his arm, he had to be fed, dressed and bathed just like his infant daughter.

(A word about the back): It's not listed on his stats here, but John led the league in 1970 in wild pitches with 17, the most he threw in any season of his career.

no. 506 - bobby knoop

Who is the man: Bobby Knoop completed his second season as the White Sox's second baseman in 1970, but by the time this card was issued, he had been traded to the Royals.

Can ya dig it: Knoop, who would go on to be a longtime major league coach, appears to be in full coach mode in this photo, right down to pretending to bat with what appears to be a fungo bat.

Right on: Knoop may have the same bat on his 1970 Topps card.

You see that cat Knoop is a bad mother: Knoop won three straight Gold Gloves for the Angels from 1966-68 and teamed with shortstop Jim Fregosi on a Gold Glove keystone combo in 1960.

Shut your mouth: Knoop probably has had his name pronounced incorrectly as "Noop" or "Kah-noop" many times. But it's actually pronounced "Kah-nop."

No one understands him but his woman: Until Garret Anderson matched him, Knoop was the only player to be voted the Angels' most valuable player four times.

(A word about the back): I wonder if eight years between "first year in pro ball" and "first game in majors" is the longest so far in this set? I should have kept track, but I'm not going through 500 posts now.

no. 489 - luis alvarado

Who is the man: Luis Alvarado was entering his first season with the White Sox when this card was issued. He was dealt from the Red Sox in December 1970, which explains the blacked-out cap.

Can ya dig it: This is an interesting card. Alvarado was traded to the White Sox with fellow infielder Mike Andrews for Luis Aparicio. Mike Andrews wore No. 2 for the Red Sox, and that appears to be Andrews behind Alvarado in the picture.

Right on: This is Alvarado's first solo card. He appears on a Red Sox rookie stars card with Billy Conigliaro in the 1970 Topps set.

You see that cat Alvarado is a bad mother: Alvarado has one of the more memorable 1970s baseball cards in the 1973 Topps set. It's a personal favorite.

Shut your mouth: Alvarado's nickname was "Pimba," but there's little to explain why. Alvarado was a native of Puerto Rico. "Pimba" in Portugese is a common term for a style of romantic/sexual pop music in the country.

No one understands him but his woman: The remembrances of Alvarado on this site are mostly very positive, except for one insistent and cryptic poster who does not appear to have a favorable memory. But the commenter never says why.

 (A word about the back): I'm embarrassed to admit that I never knew the International League gave out a Rookie of the Year Award and has been doing so since 1950. Yankees prospect Ben Gamel won the award last season. 

no. 458 - white sox rookie stars

Who is the man: Both Ron Lolich and Dave Lemonds spent the entire 1970 season in Triple A, but for different teams. Lolich hit .292 with 16 homers for the White Sox's Triple A outfit in Tucson. Lemonds posted a 4.07 ERA in 22 starts for the Cubs' Triple A team in Tacoma.

Can ya dig it: I think Lolich might have some chaw, otherwise why would he be making that face?

Right on: Topps blacked out the top section of Lemonds' Cubs cap.

You see these rookies are bad mothers: The two of them combined had one solo Topps card -- Lemonds' 1973 card -- so, no, they're not bad mothers.

Shut your mouth: Lolich is the cousin of famed Tigers starting pitcher Mickey Lolich.

No one understands him but his woman: Lolich is one of precious few major leaguers to hit an "ultimate grand slam." That is when you hit a walk-off grand slam that enables your team to win by a single run. Lolich's ultimate grand slam came in the 9th inning of the Indians' 8-7 victory over the Red Sox on April 22, 1973.

(A word about the back): Baseball-reference.com credits Lolich with 27 home runs in 1969. The White Sox's HR leader that year was Bill Melton with 23.

no. 436 - wilbur wood

Who is the man: Wilbur Wood had just finished the last of three seasons in which he appeared collectively in 241 games for the White Sox. He averaged 80 appearances from 1968-70 and in 1971 he would become a starter and win 22 games.

Can ya dig it: What is that structure behind Wood's left shoulder, a mausoleum?

Right on: Wood looks rather formal with the collared look.

You see that cat Wood is a bad mother: Wood won at least 20 games four straight seasons between 1971-74.

Shut your mouth: Wood won 24 games for Chicago in 1972. Late in September, manager Chuck Tanner told a reporter, "There's no way Wood can miss the Cy Young Award. He is just incredible ..." Wood finished second in the Cy Young voting, losing out to fellow 24-game winner Gaylord Perry.

No one understands him but his woman: Wood is the last pitcher to start both ends of a doubleheader, doing so on July 20, 1973 against the Yankees. He lost both games.

(A word about the back): I'm sure this isn't the first card to mention saves on the back, but it does make me wonder which card was the first.

no. 413 - pat kelly

Who is the man: Pat Kelly spent the 1970 season with the Royals. He was traded to the White Sox on Oct. 13, 1970.

Can ya dig it: One of the stranger cards in the 1971 set. How they got Kelly to pose with his cap that far up his head I don't know. Also, he is shifted so far down (to obscure the Royals script on his jersey) and so far to the right (to get the signature in there) that the entire card looks out of kilter.

Right on: Kelly is featured on his 1970 Topps with a blacked out cap. He doesn't appear on his own card with a cap with a logo until the 1972 set (He is wearing a K.C. logo on his 1969 Topps card, but he shares that with two other players on a rookie stars card).

You see that cat Kelly is a bad mother: Kelly had been in the majors for 10 years already when he won fame as one of the Orioles' platoon hitters in 1979. He hit .364 in three games for the O's against the Angels in the ALCS.

Shut your mouth: In an article by Skip Hollandsworth of the Dallas Times Herald, he relayed a conversation between Kelly and manager Earl Weaver. Kelly asked Weaver if he could use his office to hold chapel. After Weaver said yes, Kelly said, "Don't you want to join us?" Weaver responded with "Hell, no."

Kelly persisted: "But Earl, don't you want to walk with the Lord?"
Weaver said: "I'd rather have you walk with the bases loaded."

No one understands him but his woman: Kelly is the first of three Pat Kellys to make the major leagues.

(A word about the back): A word about the "total bases" column. I'm so used to RBI following HR that it's jarring to see a stat splitting up the two. Hell, baseball-reference.com doesn't even do that.

no. 373 - tom mc craw

Who is the man: Tom McCraw wrapped up his eighth and final season with the White Sox in 1970. He was a member of the Washington Senators by the time this card hit packs. He was dealt to Washington in late March 1971.

Can ya dig it: I can dig that that is a Yankee who is leading off of first base, but can't tell you who he is.

Right on: I wonder how many times Tom McCraw was called Tom McGraw. I know I've wanted to do it.

You see that cat McCraw is a bad mother: McCraw hit three home runs in one game for the White Sox against the Twins on May 24, 1967. He drove in eight runs as Chicago won 14-1.

Shut your mouth: When McCraw was a coach, he would tape conversations with the greatest hitters of the day -- Willie Stargell, Frank Robinson, Wade Boggs and others -- and play those tapes for his hitters. The tapes were meant to give his players insight into the thought process of the best hitters in baseball when they were at the plate.

No one understands him but his woman: McCraw made three errors in one inning during a game in 1968.

(A word about the back): McCraw's career batting average at this point was .240, but he would finish in 1975 with a career batting average of .246. He hit .260 during his final five seasons.

no. 345 - joe horlen

Who is the man: Joe Horlen just came off of his second straight 16-loss season when this card was created. He went 6-16 for the last-place White Sox in 1970.

Can ya dig it: Horlen appears to be shocked by where he threw that ball.

Right on: We are on a streak of two straight cards featuring a player wearing a windbreaker under his uniform.

You see that cat Horlen is a bad mother: Horlen finished second to the Red Sox's Jim Lonborg in the 1967 American League Cy Young Award voting after winning 19 games for Chicago.

Shut your mouth: Horlen was the White Sox's player representative in 1972 when the players staged a strike at the start of the season. The day after players voted to strike, Horlen was released by the White Sox.

No one understands him but his woman: Horlen's first name is actually "Joel" and he's listed as Joel Horlen on the front of all his baseball cards until the 1968 Topps set, when he becomes "Joe". Horlen said that he was always known as "Joe" growing up and he didn't know how media and fans began calling him "Joel".

(A word about the back): The White Sox beat the Tigers 6-0 in Horlen's no-hitter. Chicago scored five of its runs in the first inning, and Horlen drove in the fifth run with a base hit. It came against Johnny Podres.

no. 311 - lee stange

Who is the man: Lee Stange had already been released by the White Sox when this card was pulled from packs. He would not play another major league game after 1970.

Can ya dig it: Stange's cap is blacked out because he's actually wearing Red Sox attire. He was picked up by the White Sox in June of 1970. You can see Topps chose a photo in which Stange's arm strategically blocks the Boston name on his uniform.

Right on: Blacked-out caps were a staple of cards issued in the late '60s and early '70s. I probably didn't discover them until the early '80s, but I remember being horrified by how they looked. They seemed very unprofessional to me. Whereas bad airbrushing sometimes escaped my attention, there was no way a blacked-out cap did.

You see this cat Stange is a bad mother: Stange won 12 games for the Twins in 1963 in a little more than a half a season. He was in the minors for the first half.

Shut your mouth: Stange's nickname was "Stinger," but he says he doesn't know who started calling him that.

No one understands him but his woman: Stange retired after the 1970 season and found himself the pitching coach of the Red Sox in 1972. "I had no idea a chance to coach in the major leagues would come so quickly," he said in a Sporting News article.

(A word about the back): I'm sure it's happened before, but I had never heard of someone pitching and being the team's bullpen coach at the same time.

Also note that Stange's sideburns are a lot longer in this photo than on the front, as the picture on the front is likely from 1969 or earlier.

no. 292 - jay johnstone

Who is the man: Jay Johnstone was preparing for his first season as a Chicago White Sox player when 1971 arrived. He was traded by the Angels in a six-player deal on Nov. 30, 1970.

Can ya dig it: You can see that Johnstone is still wearing his Angels uniform.

Right on: That's a pretty serious shot, sweaty brow and all, of someone who would become known as possibly not having a serious thought in his head.

You see this cat Johnstone is a bad mother: Although Johnstone didn't play as a regular starter that many seasons in his 20-year major league career, he enjoyed some memorable postseason moments. Johnstone's pinch-hit home run in Game 4 of the 1981 World Series for the Dodgers against the Yankees enabled L.A. to come back from a three-run deficit and win 8-7. It was pretty much the turning point of that World Series. Also, Johnstone went 7-for-9 for the Phillies against the Reds in the 1976 NLCS.

Shut your mouth: Johnstone and his fellow Dodgers pranksters, Rick Monday, Jerry Reuss and Steve Yeager, once sang "We Are The Champions" together on "Solid Gold".

No one understands him but his woman: Johnstone's nickname in the majors was "Moon Man," but there are a few different versions of how he received that name.

(A word about the back): Johnstone once said that football was his best sport in high school. He received 35 scholarship offers to play the sport, but he took the Angels' offer to play pro baseball.