The 1970’s, A To Z: Boots Day to Don DeMola

Recap: I’m going through all of the notable and somewhat notable players and managers of the 1970’s and I’m basically making like it’s an all-encompassing 1970’s throwback baseball card set. For the “card front”, I’m sharing my favorite 1970’s card of that guy. I’m also including a card back’s worth of information and thoughts about him and his cardboard.

---

BOOTS DAY

1972 Topps #254

Played 1969 – 1974
1970’s Teams: Cubs, Expos

1970’s Highlights:
First batter at Veterans Stadium, 4/10/71

Career Highlights:
Was a two-way player in the minors having pitched in 87 games

Fun Stuff:
Was the last Expos Player to wear #8 before Gary Carter; Boots and Patrick Corbin are the only alumni of Mohawk Valley Community College to play in the Majors, and Boots is the only alumnus of Central HS in Ilion, NY to play in the Majors

---

DOUG DeCINCES

1978 Topps #9

Played 1973 – 1987
1970’s Teams: Orioles

1970’s Highlights:
Was named the July, 1978 AL Player of the Month after hitting .336 with 10 homers, 12 doubles, 19 runs and 31 RBI; Was involved in two DeCinces to Dauer to Murray Triple plays – 9/9/78 vs. Jays and 6/10/79 vs Rangers; Lead the 1978 Orioles in homers, doubles and slugging percentage

Career Highlights:
Inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2006; Was an All-Star in 1983; won a Silver Slugger award in 1982

---

IVÁN De JESÚS

1979 Topps #152

Played 1974 – 1988
1970’s Teams: Dodgers, Cubs

1970’s Highlights:
Broke up a Steve Carlton no-hitter in the 7th on 5/16/79; The very next day (5/17/79) Iván scored 4 runs in the Cubs’ wild 22-23 loss to the Phillies

Career Highlights:
Played in the postseason in 1983 (with the Phillies) and 1985 (with the Cardinals)

Fun Stuff:
Was traded by the Cubs to the Phillies for Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg, a trade regarded as one of the worst in Phillies history; Father of Iván De Jesús Jr., who played for the Reds, Dodgers and Red Sox between 2011 and 2016

Card Stuff:
Appeared on an 1976 SSPC card with the Dodgers (his ‘official’ rookie card from 1978 Topps shows him with the Cubs)

---

DON DeMOLA

1975 Topps #391

Played 1974 – 1975
1970’s Teams: Expos

Career Highlights:
Won the 1970 Carl Yastrzemski Award, which is awarded annually to the outstanding high school baseball player in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY (Yaz is from Southampton, which is on the south fork of eastern Long Island)

Fun Stuff:
Originally drafted by the Yankees

Card Stuff:
Appeared on a 1976 Topps card, but arm surgery kept him out for most of that season and he wouldn’t pitch in the Majors after 1975

The reason why I’m including Don DeMola in this recap:
I wanted to pay tribute to one of my favorite cards of 1975.  As I found out from the back of his card, Don DeMola lived in Commack, Long Island, NY which was very very exciting for a child who lived near Commack

I can’t find much information about DeMola, so I’ll give you a quick pronunciation guide for some Long Island towns.  If you ever go to Long Island and mispronounce the names, you will be laughed at.  Maybe not to your face, but believe me, it’s happening.

• Commack = “KO-mak”
• Hauppauge = “HOP-hog”
• Massapequa = “mass-a-PEE-kwah”
• Syosset = “sigh-OSS-et”
• Mineola = “mini-OH-luh”
• Ronkonkoma = ‘ron-KON-kuh-ma”
• Patchogue = “PATCH-og”
• Islip = “EYE-slip”  (I slip, you slip, we all slip in Islip)