The front: Looks like Anaheim, with part of the Big A
scoreboard visible behind him.
The back: The Royals were the tenth and last team in Brett’s
long baseball odyssey.
The player: Brett was a high-profile prospect when he came
up, and became the youngest-ever pitcher in a World Series game at the age of
19 in 1967. He developed arm trouble that hampered his effectiveness; but his
reputation as a potential star led to many teams taking a chance on him.
Overall he did win 83 games over his 14-year career.
The man: Brett was known for his sense of humor. For
example, one time he ran out of the bullpen to come into the game with his arms
out like he was an airplane. Some of his humor would be considered unacceptable
today. Asked in 1976 why he was traded five times in five years, he replied
“Maybe they think I’m queer”, and made an X-rated gesture. His best known
appearance was a Miller Lite commercial where he struggles to remember what
city he is in, finally coming up with Utica, which led him to getting a minor
league manager job there for a year. Brett made other TV appearances as well as
working in the restaurant business. He died of brain cancer in 2003.
My collection: I have 12 of his cards, from 1972 to 1982. I
would be interested in trading for 1969 Topps #476, 1971 Topps #89 and 1977
Topps #157.
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