1981 Topps Ron Reed

 

The front: Nice shot of Reed at Shea Stadium. This is probably him warming up before the inning, as none of the fans are looking at the field. This must be Saturday, August 17, when Reed saved the Phillies' 4-1 victory, with 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of starter Randy Lerch.

The back: A long career with no room for a blurb.

The player: Ron Reed was a two-sport athlete, playing for the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Pistons in 1966 and 1967. He then quit basketball to focus on baseball, and immediately became a solid pitcher, winning 18 games for the NL West champion Braves in 1969. Throughout the early- and mid-1970s he was a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Braves and Cardinals. The Phillies traded for him after the 1975 season and turned him into a reliever, and he had three straight excellent seasons for them as they won three straight NL East titles. No longer the closer by 1980, he still was an important part of the Phillies' bullpen, and he earned a save in Game 2 of the World Series. He hung on until age 41, with the White Sox in 1984. Overall in 751 games (236 starts), Reed was 146-140 with 103 saves and a 3.46 ERA. 

The man: After his career Reed has worked for a company called Marketing Event Partners, organizing charitable events. 

My collection: I have 38 of his cards, from 1968 to 1985. I would be interested in trading for 1984 Topps Traded #98.