no. 582 - dave cash

Who is the man: Dave Cash played about two-thirds of the 1970 season with the Pirates and a third with Triple A Columbus. His 64 games in the majors was good enough for Topps rookie honors at second base.

Can ya dig it: What a great card. Dave Cash looks absolutely committed to knocking the little baseball player off the trophy.

Right on: This is Cash's first solo card. He appears on a 1970 rookie stars card with Johnny Jeter.

You see that Cash is a bad mother: Cash played the heck out of the game between 1974-76, appearing in 162 games in '74 and '75 and 160 in '76. He averaged 684 at-bats and 203 hits in the span.

Shut your mouth: Cash came up with a slogan, "Yes We Can," when he arrived with Philadelphia in 1974, writing it on T-shirts for his teammates. He also appeared on a song called "Phillies Fever," in which Cash, Garry Maddox, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski and Mike Schmidt talk over a funkified, '70s beat.

No one understands him but his woman: Cash left his first managing job, with the Batavia Clippers, in mid-season in 1990 after his wife had a run-in with the team's mascot. His wife had missed a Batavia home run because Chipper the Clipper was in front of her. When she asked the mascot to move, the large blue bird shook its butt at her, causing her to complain to the GM, and an argument ensued.

(A word about the back): This is the ninth Topps rookie all-star we've come across in the set. By my count we're missing an outfielder and that's it.

no. 515 - carl morton

Who is the man: Carl Morton was the reigning N.L. Rookie of the Year when this card was issued. He beat out second-place Bernie Carbo and third-place Larry Bowa.

Can ya dig it: This card can be found with the black line traveling into Morton's cap and without it. In some cases the black line is more pronounced than it is here. Weird.

Right on: Love that glove so close to the camera. Cool shot. Also, this is the eighth rookie trophy card and the first since card No. 263, which featured a similar pose.

You see that cat Morton is a bad mother: Morton was the first pitcher to excel for the Expos. He won 18 games for last-place Montreal.

Shut your mouth: Morton is often cited as one of the more forgettable rookies of the year in history. Part of that is because he suffered one of the most precipitous sophomore drops for a rookie of the year ever. He went 10-18 in 1971, his strikeouts plummeted and his ERA soared.

No one understands him but his woman: Morton started his pro career in the Braves organization, as a hitter. He struggled at the plate though and was converted to pitcher in 1967.

(A word about the back): All right I'm going to be that guy and say Morton set an Expos mark for walks, too.

no. 263 - john ellis

Who is the man: John Ellis played in 78 games in 1970 and received Topps All-Star rookie team honors at first base ... even though he's shown posing as a catcher.

Can ya dig it: First solo card! It's also the seventh rookie trophy we've come across. And that is some kind of signature.

Right on: This is the final card of the second series in the set. Get ready for a lot of action cards, because Series 3 is filled with them.

You see this cat Ellis is a bad mother: Ellis was named the top rookie in spring training for the Yankees in 1970. That was pretty good because the Yankees also had a rookie catcher named Thurman Munson in camp that year.

Shut your mouth: Ellis once mentioned in an interview that the pitcher that he had the greatest connection with on the field was Gaylord Perry. That's interesting, considering Perry's spitball reputation.

No one understands him but his woman: Indians manager Frank Robinson once called out Ellis in the press, saying that if Ellis didn't play the way Robinson wanted, he wouldn't catch for him. In the offseason, Ellis was traded to the Rangers.

(A word about the back): That writeup for Ellis has "Thurman Munson is our starting catcher, where do we put this guy?" written all over it. I also think Topps put the "catcher" designation on Ellis' card because of the photo. Ellis caught only two games in 1970.

no. 233 - larry bowa

Who is the man: The always prickly Larry Bowa had finished off his rookie season as this card appeared in packs. He placed third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1970, behind the Expos' Carl Morton and the Reds' Bernie Carbo.

Can ya dig it: So much going on this photo. It looks like the team's headed off the field and the photographer grabbed Bowa for a shot. But Bowa's wearing a batting glove. And then there's the random discarded glove on the ground. I'm so confused.

Right on: This is the sixth rookie trophy so far in the set. The left side of the infield is complete, along with the catcher, pitcher and two outfielders.

You see this cat Bowa is a bad mother: Bowa's temper tantrums on and off the field both as a player and manager are well-documented. He wore out his welcome with the Phillies, Cubs and Padres.

Shut your mouth: Bowa famously called out Cubs manager Jim Frey in his autobiographical book, "Bleep" during the 1980s. Bowa was upset because Frey sat him for the much younger Shawon Dunston. He called Frey a "minor league bum" for not playing in the majors and said Frey preferred three-run homers to singles. Who wouldn't?

No one understands him but his woman: Bowa has ended his gig as an analyst at the MLB Network to coach for the Phillies in 2014. Like many of the MLB Network analysts, I didn't find him very informative.

(A word about the back): Bowa's father, Paul, played for mostly Class C California teams between 1941-47 and managed in 1946 and 1947. Also, I don't know what the hell the bio is talking about here. Bowa's "fine" on-base average was .277 in 1970.

no. 224 - alan gallagher

Who is the man: Alan Gallagher broke into the Giants' lineup after five years in the minors and hit .266 in his first 109 major league games in 1970.

Can ya dig it: When I was first learning about players who appeared on cards just before I started collecting, I was fascinated by players like Gallagher, who began their careers just a few years before I started buying cards but were no longer on cards anymore. Who was this Alan Gallagher? And why was his career so short?

Right on: This is the fifth rookie trophy shown so far on the blog. Right now, we have a catcher, pitcher, two outfielders and a third baseman.

You see this cat Gallagher is a bad mother: Gallagher's nickname was "Dirty Al," which he received when he played in college. During a 25-game hitting streak, he refused to change his uniform or even his underwear.

Shut your mouth: Gallagher was a prized draft pick by the Giants, but struggled to meet expectations. Sent to instructional league in 1969, his manager, Hank Sauer told Gallagher that he couldn't take instructions. Gallagher decided to show his manager and appeared at 8 a.m. each day to work with Sauer.

No one understands him but his woman: Gallagher was regarded as flaky during his big-league career (perhaps the not-changing-the-uniform thing may have tipped them off). He wore wildly colorful clothes that didn't necessarily match and sometimes would practice his slide techniques in the airport terminal when the team was waiting for a flight.

(A word about the back): That's the rare profile shot. I should see how many of those are in the set.

no. 114 - billy conigliaro

Who is the man: Billy Conigliaro had a great breakout season for the Red Sox in 1970, hitting 18 home runs in a little less than 400 at-bats to land a giant trophy on his card. Couple that with brother Tony's 1970 season and the Conigliaros were the talk of Boston that year.

Can ya dig it: Billy's card comes just nine cards after Tony's card. That makes me wonder if Topps ever positioned baseball brothers even closer in a card set (aside from those ones in which they appear on the same card). If I had the time, I'd do up the research.

Right on: This is also the third rookie trophy card in the last 14 cards.

You see this cat is a bad mother: Billy and his brother each hit a home run on July 4, 1970 in a game against the Indians. Their own family fireworks on the 4th of July!

Shut your mouth: Conigliaro did not react well to the trade that sent Tony from the Red Sox to the Angels. He criticized the team, claimed Carl Yastrzemski ran the club, and implied that team cliches kept him from starting. The Red Sox traded Billy to the Brewers a year later.

No one understand him but his woman: For a long time after his retirement, Conigliaro stayed away from baseball. But within the last 10 years he has returned, prompted by his wife, who he married in 2002 after being a longtime bachelor.

(A word about the back): Billy signed with the Red Sox after being selected in the first round in 1965. Tony came to Billy's high school graduation and announced the Red Sox's draft choice on stage.

no. 107 - roy foster

Who is the man: After seven years in the minors, Roy Foster received the starting left-field job for the Indians  in 1970 and didn't disappoint, hitting 23 home runs and batting .268 in 139 games to win Topps All-Star Rookie honors and one giant trophy on his card.

Can ya dig it: There is no card in my 1971 set that is in poorer condition than this card. I meant to upgrade it before it was Foster's turn in the rotation, but I never did. So you'll just have to live with the creases and scuffing.

Right on: This is Foster's first solo card. He appeared on a two-player rookie card in the 1970 set.

You see this cat Foster is a bad mother: Foster kept Thurman Munson from being a unanimous pick as American League Rookie of the Year in 1970. Foster received one of the 24 votes -- Munson got the other 23. Therefore, Foster finished second in ROY voting. The Sporting News actually named Foster the top AL rookie, not Munson.

Shut your mouth: Foster hit a home run in his first game in the major leagues. It came in the fourth inning of the season-opener against Orioles starter Dave McNally. The Orioles won 8-2 and McNally pitched a four-hitter, but Foster accounted for two of those hits and both Indians runs. He also hit a run-scoring single in the first inning.

No one understands him but his woman: You don't see "Junior" spelled out in someone's name all that often.

(A word about the back): I can't focus with all those creases.

no. 101 - les cain

Who is the man: On the strength of his blazing start to the 1970 season, Les Cain was named the Topps All-Star Rookie pitcher. He didn't receive any votes in the A.L. Rookie of the Year voting though. Twenty-three of the 24 available votes went to Thurman Munson.

Can ya dig it: Cain signing his name "Les 'Sugar' Cain" is the greatest thing I've seen today.

Right on: Those TV numbers players wore on their sleeves back in the '70s sure are distracting.

You see this cat Cain is a bad mother: Cain was the first pitcher to throw two no-hitters in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Shut your mouth: Cain struggled with a shoulder injury throughout his brief career (1968-72) and it eventually forced him out of the game. Fellow Tigers pitcher John Hiller told the Detroit Press that in 1972, he was coming back from a heart attack and Cain was coming back from his shoulder injury. Tigers manager Billy Martin told both of them to warm-up. "I'll keep one of you and release the other." Hiller went on to be one of the Tigers' greatest relievers. Cain was sold to the Giants.

No one understands him but his woman: Cain filed a disability claim against the Tigers in 1973, saying he was forced to play even though he was injured. Cain received a favorable ruling and was awarded $111 a month for life.

(A word about the back): Cain threw four no-hitters in his career, the two in winter league, one in the minors and one in high school.

no. 5 - thurman munson

Who is the man: The trophy looks impressive, but Thurman Munson was coming off a bigger award when this card appeared in packs. He had just won the American League Rookie of the Year award. He also received a pretty iconic baseball card for just his second year in the majors.

Can ya dig it: Munson hit .385 in 67 World Series at-bats as the Yankees reached the Series in 1976, 1977 and 1978.

Right on: It's been determined many times already, but the Athletics player being tagged by Munson is pitcher Chuck Dobson. Also, this is the first action card in a Topps set that exhibited player action cards for the first time.

You see this cat Munson is a bad mother: Munson was involved in a famed brawl with Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk in August, 1973. Munson, coming in from third base, tried to bowl over Fisk on a missed bunt attempt by Gene Michael during the ninth inning of a 2-2 game, touching off a 10-minute brawl. Munson kind of got the worst of it though, as Fisk went ballistic and started punching Munson while keeping Michael pinned down by the throat.

Shut your mouth: When my brother and I told my youngest brother that Munson had died in a plane crash, my brother refused to believe it. Not because he was sad -- we were all Yankee haters -- but because we had played so many pranks on him that he didn't believe us anymore.

No one understands him but his woman: Munson often wanted to play for the Cleveland Indians -- a terrible team in the '70s -- because he was homesick and longed to play close to his family and native Akron, Ohio.

(A word about the back): Seeing Munson without a mustache is shocking ... might I say appalling.