Playing career, in brief: The shortstop was known for his defense (Gold Glove in '73) and speed (twice led the NL in triples). In the 1979 offseason he sliced off part of four fingers on his throwing hand in a woodworking accident. He attempted a comeback in 1980 but hit just .074 in 28 games. Overall in 1,219 games he hit .231 with 101 2B, 71 3B, 5 HR and 254 RBI.
Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career he returned to his hometown of Brenham, TX, and taught high school math. Later he was the job procurement officer at the Brenham State School, a home for teenagers and adults with mental disabilities. He appears to now be retired.
My collection: I have 15 of his cards, from 1971 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1975 Hostess #115.
Oh man... reading about that woodworking accident made me cringe. Glad he was able to attempt a comeback. Says a lot about his character.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Another teacher? Looks like he was in a lot of 70's Topps sets. I'll have to dig through my vintage box to see if I have one of his cards.