1981 Topps Frank Tanana

The front: Just a simple spring training headshot. Some nice coordination with the green border, grass, trees, and bill of Tanana's cap.

The back: From 1972 to 1979 an Angel led the AL in strikeouts every year. 1975 was the only year that Angel wasn't Nolan Ryan.

The player: In the 1970s Frank Tanana was a hard-throwing, hard-partying Angels pitcher who was one of the most dominating starters in the AL in the mid-to-late 1970s. In the early 1980s he hurt his arm, became a born-again Christian, and reinvented himself as a soft-throwing finesse pitcher and leader in baseball's Christian community. He had some very solid seasons for the Rangers and Tigers, and was signed by the Mets before their disastrous 1993 season. He was OK for the Mets, and in mid-September they traded him to the Yankees as they were trying everything to keep up with the Blue Jays in their quest for their first division title in twelve years. Tanana pitched well but wasn't enough to keep the Yankees in contention. Overall in 638 games over 21 seasons, he went 240-236 with 2,773 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA.

The man: During and after his career Tanana has been an active leader in baseball ministries and other church organizations. He has also coached youth baseball. 

My collection: I have 95 of his cards, from 1974 to 1994. I would be interested in trading for 1976 Hostess #101.