Cake or gum? 1977 Rick Manning

Last time there was a 4-4 tie. Will there be a winner this time?

Two cards that were quite probably taken at the same time but look very different. Hostess has a portrait of a contemplative-looking Manning, while Topps has him following through on his swing, looking like he's under a bridge (though I assume it's just an unusual spring training grandstand).

Rick Manning was a speedy outfielder who won a gold glove in 1976. He played 13 years in the major leagues for some bad Cleveland and Milwaukee teams, never making the postseason. He was never all that good himself. He didn't hit for average (.257 lifetime) or power (never more than 8 HR in a season). Only 11.7 WAR in 13 seasons indicates that he was little more than replacement-level during his career. His most notable accomplishments with Cleveland were stealing teammate Dennis Eckersley's wife (leading to Cleveland trading the future Hall of Famer to Boston) and for his 35-year ongoing run as Guardians announcer, the longest active streak in the majors.
 

1981 Topps Dan Ford

 

The front: Extreme closeup here, though there is enough background visible to see that this is Yankee Stadium. We do get a reflection of the photographer in Ford's glasses.

The back: From August 6-12, 1979, Ford hit .269 (7-for-26) with 2 HR and 7 RBI. Highlights included a grand slam on the 8th, and igniting a winning 9th inning rally, scoring the tying run, on the 11th.

The player: Outfielder Dan Ford played for the Twins, Angels and Orioles from 1975 to 1985. His best season was 1979, when he drove in and scored over 100 runs and earned an MVP vote in helping the Angels to their first AL West title. Overall, in 1,153 major league games, he hit .270 with 121 HR and 566 RBI.

The man: After his playing career Ford has devoted time to working with disadvantaged youth, as well as working in the real estate business and raising horses. He briefly answered my questions about baseball cards in 2011.

My collection: I have 30 of his cards, from 1976 to 1986. I would be interested in trading for 1977 Burger Chef Fun Meal Discs #NNO.