Recent Acquisitions: Frank Howard, Manny Trillo, Tug McGraw

Today I'm showing a few cards I picked up recently of three personal favorites; Manny Trillo and Tug McGraw were popular when I was a kid because they were part of the 1980 Phillies, and Frank Howard is one of the sub-Hall of Fame power hitters, like Darrell Evans and Dale Murphy, that I like so much.

1963 Topps Frank Howard.

1965 Topps Frank Howard.

I posted once before about the only two cards I had of Howard, from the 1985 Topps Circle K Home Run Kings Set, and a Pacific Legends card.  Seeing him in the Circle K set made me want to get some better cards of him, and now I have, with these 1963 and 1965 Topps cards.  It's striking how adding a pair of glasses in the 1965 card makes him look like an old man.  Howard's career numbers are 382 home runs, 1774 hits, 1119 RBI, and a .273 batting average, from his 16-year career with the Dodgers, Senators/Rangers, and Tigers.

This is actually only my second 1963 Topps card; I showed my Robin Roberts once before.  And, I think it's my fourth 1965 Topps card; I've shown my Juan Marichal, and I also have Willie Stargell and Bobby Wine.

1974 Topps Rookie Shortstops, including Manny Trillo of the A's.

While 1980 represented the first World Series win for the nearly-100-year-old Philadelphia Phillies, several of the players had won one before.  Pete Rose of course was part of the Big Red Machine, and Steve Carlton had won with the Cardinals.  The Phillies' second baseman, Manny Trillo, had also been part of the A's dynasty, winning with them in 1974 (he didn't play in the World Series itself, but did play in the ALCS that year).

Of course, this card features three other players as well.  Pete Mackanin was recently fired as manager of the Phillies, in favor of Gabe Kapler.  John Gamble played a total of 13 major league games with the Tigers, between 1972 and 1973, batting .000 in 3 at-bats, scoring one run.  Dave Chalk played from 1973 through 1981 with the Angels, Rangers, A's, and Royals, and was a two-time All-Star.

1983 Topps Manny Trillo.

1983 Topps All-Star Manny Trillo.

By 1983, Trillo had won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, made four All-Star appearances, and won the 1980 NLCS MVP award.  His last year with the Phils was 1982, after which they traded him, Julio Franco, and three others for Von Hayes.  In 1983, Trillo was elected to the Phillies Centennial Team, making the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.

1970 Topps Tug McGraw.

1972 Topps Tug McGraw In Action.

Tug McGraw, like Manny Trillo, Steve Carlton, and Pete Rose, also had experience winning a World Series before 1980, since he was part of the Miracle Mets.  Like Trillo in 1974, though, he didn't appear in the World Series, but did pitch in the playoffs.  In the 1969 NLCS, McGraw pitched three innings to finish Game 2, earning a save.  He did pitch in 5 games for the Mets in the 1973 World Series, as they lost to the A's, and in the playoffs with the Phillies 1976, 1977, and 1978 as they lost to the Reds once and the Dodgers twice.  In the 1980 World Series, McGraw was famously on the mound for the final out, striking out Willie Wilson.  He was then a popular, even beloved, figure in Philadelphia until his death from brain cancer.