This Week In 1974 Topps: October 15 – 21, 1973

This series touches on those events of 50 years ago to which would directly or indirectly affect 1974 Topps Baseball.

Monday, October 15th

A’s manager Dick Williams, tired of Charlie Finley’s interference, tells his team he will resign after the World Series.  The A’s will not get a new manager in place in time for Topps, and there is no A’s manager card in 1974 Topps.

Tuesday, October 16th

Game #3 of the World Series started out as a matchup between two future Hall-of-Famers, Tom Seaver and Catfish Hunter.  The Mets scored 2 in the first on a Wayne Garrett leadoff home run followed by two singles and a run-scoring wild pitch.  The A’s would score runs in the 6th and 8th to tie the game and the A’s would win in the 11th when second baseman Ted Kubiak, who came into the game in the 7th, took first base on a walk, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a Bert Campaneris single.  The A’s were leading the series 2 games to 1.

The photo on the card appears to show Campaneris stealing second in the 8th inning.  At first I thought it might be the second half of the play where Kubiak scored in the 11th as Campy tried to advance to second but was thrown out 8-5-4 to end the inning.  Since the umpire is clearly signalling “safe”, it must be the stolen base.

Wednesday, October 17th

The Mets evened up the series at two games apiece behind Jon Matlack’s pitching and Rusty Staub’s hitting… Staub hit a 3-run homer in the 1st and finished with 4 hits, a walk and 5 RBI.

This card shows A’s catcher Ray Fosse and Rusty Staub.

Thursday, October 18th

Jerry Koosman and Tug McGraw shut down the A’s, the Mets score single runs in the 2nd and 6th innings and win 2-0 to take a 3 games to 2 lead in the series.

This card shows Cleon Jones scoring the first run of the game; he doubled off Vida Blue to lead off the 2nd inning and scored on John Milner’s single. Jerry Grote, #15 for the Mets, was on deck. The catcher is Ray Fosse.

Transactions announced during the World Series have traditionally been frowned upon, but on this day the Philadelphia Phillies traded Ken Brett to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Dave Cash.


[I should upgrade my Ken Brett, but no way am I getting rid of that miscut which shows part of Hank Aaron’s #1 card!]

Saturday, October 20th

A’s beat the Mets 3-1 to force a game 7. The game was another matchup of Tom Seaver and Catfish Hunter with Reggie Jackson hitting two doubles to each drive in a run, and then scored the third A’s run in the bottom of the 8th.  This card shows Reggie.

Sunday, October 21st

In Game 7 the A’s scored 4 runs in the 3rd inning and never looked back, beating the Mets 5-2 to win their second consecutive World Series.

Bert Campaneris hitting his solo home run to put the A’s ahead 1-0?  One of Campy’s two singles?  Campy grounding out?  At any rate, the catcher is Jerry Grote.

This card shows catcher Ray Fosse (#10), reliever Darold Knowles (who got the save) and a third player – Sal Bando maybe? – celebrating the final out.

…and with that the off-season officially begins!