1976 SSPC Dan Spillner

 

The card, in brief: An interestingly framed card, a tighter close-up than usual for this kind of pose. An unidentified Padre throws a ball in the background.

Playing career, in brief: Spillner came up with the Padres as a starter, and moved to the bullpen in 1976. He was traded to the Indians in 1978. Cleveland moved him back to the starting rotation in 1980 and he went 16-11, but he moved back to the bullpen the following season. His last season was 1985 with the White Sox. He was an effective reliever for them (4-3, 3.44 ERA) but due to collusion he was unable to sign with a team for 1986. He was later awarded over $400,000 as a victim of collusion.

Post-playing career, in brief: Since his retirement Spillner has worked in construction and been a youth baseball coach.

My collection: I have 26 of his cards, from 1975 to 1986. I would be interested in trading for 1983 Wheaties Cleveland Indians SGA #NNO.

1976 SSPC Randy Jones

 

The card, in brief: The age-old question - is he holding a baseball, or not? My guess is not.

Playing career, in brief:  Randy Jones won 100 games in his ten-year major league career. A two-time All-Star and twenty-game winner, he was the NL Cy Young Award Winner in 1976, going 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA and 25 complete games for the Padres. 

Post playing career, in brief: He owned a restaurant and had a barbecue sauce business. He was also the chairman of the Randy Jones Foundation, which provides opportunities and resources for military families. Jones passed away in 2025. He shared his thoughts on baseball cards with this blog in 2014. 

My collection: I have 24 of his cards, from 1974 to 1983. I would be interested in trading for 1981 Topps Coca-Cola New York Mets #4 and 1999 Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game #35.

1976 SSPC Danny Frisella

 

The card, in brief: Great hatless photo, you can see why his nickname was "Bear".

Playing career, in brief: An excellent set-up reliever, Frisella pitched for five teams over ten seasons, six of those seasons with the Mets. In 351 games he went 36-40 with 57 saves and a 3.32 ERA. He started 1976 with the Cardinals but was traded to the Brewers in June, for whom he went 5-2 with 9 saves and a 2.74 ERA. He would have been a big part of the Brewers' bullpen in 1977, but on January 1 of that year he was tragically killed in a dune buggy accident. 

My collection: I have 11 of his cards, from 1968 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Dell Today's Stamps #NNO. 

1976 SSPC Dave Freisleben

 

The card, in brief: No logo on the jacket. Today there would be the Padres' logo plus three advertisers.

Playing career, in brief: Freisleben pitched six seasons in the majors for three teams, mostly San Diego. A decent pitcher for some mediocre teams, in 202 games (121 starts) he went 34-60 with a 4.30 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: He worked for many years as a fishing guide in Galveston Bay, though it appears he is now retired.

My collection: I have 9 of his cards, from 1974 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1977 San Diego Padres Littlefield Special Events Schedules #NNO.

1976 SSPC Alan Foster

 

The card, in brief: Foster shows his Rawlings mitt to the camera.

Playing career, in brief: Alan Foster was a highly touted Dodgers pitching prospect, who had a 1.95 ERA over seven games in 1967 and 1968. However, he failed to live up to those expectations as part of the starting rotation in 1969 and 1970, going 13-22 with ERAs well over 4.00. He was traded to Cleveland after 1970 for Alex Johnson, but had little success for them or his next team, the Angels. Traded again in 1973, he finally found success with the Cardinals, going 13-9 with a 3.14 ERA. However he had another down year in '74, and spent '75 and '76, his last major league seasons, in the Padres bullpen. Overall in 217 games (148 starts) he went 48-63 with a 3.74 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: He seems to have kept a low profile since his baseball career ended. Anyone know where Alan Foster is now?

My collection: I have 13 of his cards, from 1968 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Dell Today's Team Stamps #NNO.

1976 SSPC Rich Folkers

 

The card, in brief: We get a nice clear view of the Shea Stadium parking lot behind left field, in the days before the bleachers were built there.

Playing career, in brief: Rich Folkers pitched parts of seven seasons for the Mets, Cardinals, Padres and Brewers. In 195 games, mostly in relief, he went 19-23 with seven saves and a 4.11 ERA.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career he was a college and minor league pitching coach. He is now retired.

My collection: I have seven of his cards, from 1973 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for 1971 Topps #648. 

1976 SSPC Wes Westrum

 

The card in brief: Westrum looks like a manager who knows he's going to get fired at the end of the season, which the back of the card notes is exactly what happened, but they made a card for him anyway.

Playing career, in brief: Wes Westrum played 11 years in the major leagues as a catcher for the New York Giants, from 1947 to 1957. In 919 games he hit .217 with 96 HR and 315 RBI.

Post playing career, in brief: When the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, Westrum retired from playing and became a coach. He managed parts of five seasons for the Mets and Giants, but never had a winning record. After the Giants fired him as manager he had a long career as a scout for the Braves. He died in 2002.

My collection: I have three cards of Westrum as a player, from 1955 to 1957. I would be interested in trading for 1952 Topps #75 and 1954 Topps #180.

1976 SSPC Horace Speed

 

The card, in brief: It looks like Speed spent a lot of time working on his facial hair.

Playing career, in brief: Speed played parts of three seasons for the Giants and Indians. In 113 games he hit .207 with 0 HR and 6 RBI. Speed's speed wasn't much of a factor - he was thrown out on 5 of 9 base stealing attempts.

Post playing career, in brief: Speed kept a low profile after his playing career, though his son played minor league ball in the late 1990s.

My collection: I have two of his cards - this one, and 1979 Topps. I would be interested in trading for  1980 TCMA Richmond Braves #14.

1976 SSPC Bobby Murcer

 

The card, in brief: An interesting change of pace, with Murcer's photo in what is presumably the Shea Stadium dugout.

Playing career, in brief: Bobby Murcer was the best player on the Yankees in the early 1970s. A five-time All Star, he was a high-average, good-power outfielder. He was traded to the Giants before the 1975 season, and over the next few years was not as good in the National League as he was with the Yankees. He returned to the Yankees in 1979, just missing their two championship years, and was a reliable bat off the bench until his retirement in 1983. Perhaps his most famous moment was driving in all six runs in a walk-off, come-from-behind victory the day after the funeral of his good friend Thurman Munson, 47 years ago this week. Overall in 1,908 games he hit .277 with 252 HR and 1,043 RBI.

Post playing career, in brief: One of the most popular Yankees of his era, Murcer was a beloved member of the announcing team for the Yankees for over 20 years, with a folksy, humble manner. He died of cancer at the age of 62 in 2008.

My collection: I have 35 of his cards, from 1966 to 1983. I would be interested in trading for 1969 MLB Photostamps #NNO.

Post playing career, in brief:  

1976 SSPC Von Joshua

 

The card, in brief: Joshua wore #19 with the Giants, as can be seen on his bat knob. '75 was his first season with the Giants after five years with the Dodgers, where he wore #12. The back of the card has an error, it says his uniform number with the Giants was #12. (The actual #12 was teammate Gary Thomasson, who is correctly listed as #12 on his card.)

Playing career, in brief: Joshua was a big prospect for the Dodgers who never came close to living up to his potential with the team. He had a little more success with the Giants and Brewers, but did not stay with either team for long. Overall in 822 games, he hit .273 with 30 HR, 184 RBI and 55 SB.

Post-playing career, in brief: Joshua had a long career as a minor league hitting coach for the Dodgers and Cubs, managed the Taiwan national baseball team from 2014-2017, and is now a youth baseball coach in Michigan.

My collection: I have nine of his cards, from 1971 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1976 Kelloggs #39. 

1976 SSPC Glenn Adams

 

The card, in brief: This looks like it was a little earlier in the evening than some of the other Giants cards in the set. Adams looks quite happy to show off his bunting form.

Playing career, in brief: After brief appearances as an outfielder for the Giants in 1975 and 1976, Glenn Adams moved to the American League in 1977 with the Twins as a part-time DH and outfielder. He ended his career with a cup of coffee in Toronto in 1982.  In eight major league seasons, he hit .280 with 34 HR and 225 RBI in 661 games.

Post-playing career, in brief:  Adams was a minor league manager for many years but now appears to be retired.

My collection: I have 13 of his cards, from 1976 to 1983. I would be interested in trading for 1982 TCMA Syracuse Chiefs #19.

1976 SSPC Gary Thomasson

 

The card, in brief: What's so interesting in the upper deck?

Playing career, in brief: Thomasson was a part-time outfielder for the Giants in the 1970s. In 1977 at the age of 25, he had what looked like a breakout season, hitting .256 with 17 HR and 71 RBI.  The Giants sold high, packaging him to Oakland as part of the deal that brought Vida Blue to San Francisco. Thomasson struggled with the A's, and was traded to the Yankees midseason, where he was a little-used bench player. He ended his US career with the Dodgers, and signed a big contract to play for the Yomiuri Giants. He struggled mightily in Japan, nearly setting the league strikeout record before being benched. 

Meanwhile, the Japanese artist Genpei Akasegawa developed a fascination with objects that were no longer in use but were still maintained, originally inspired by a staircase with no entranceway on the top, but was still regularly repaired. He published a popular book of photos of this "hyperart" - objects not intended to be art but still maintaining an artistic quality. The books showed images of objects that were "maintained in good condition, but with no purpose, to the point of becoming a work of art." A baseball fan, Akasegawa named these after the expensive but useless artifact languishing on the Yomiuri Giants bench - "Hyperart Thomasson". The concept was popular in the 1980s and regained popularity in the 2010s. According to one art blog, Messy Nessy, "On Instagram, there are over 3,000 posts alone under the Japanese “Tomasson” hashtag: トマソン".

Post playing career, in brief: Thomasson has kept a low profile since his baseball career. Anyone know what he is doing now?

My collection: I have 13 of his cards, from 1974 to 1981. I would be interested in trading for  1980 Los Angeles Dodgers Police SGA #NNO.

1976 SSPC Derrel Thomas

 

The card, in brief: Not a whole lot to say about this card, but it's interesting that the photographer lined up the shot so the camera flash reflected off the bridge of Thomas's aviator glasses.

Playing career, in brief: A true utilityman, Thomas played in 1,630 games over 15 major league seasons, including over 300 games each at 2B, CF and SS. He played for six different teams, primarily the Dodgers, Padres and Giants, hitting .249 with 43 HR, 370 RBI and 140 SB.

Post playing career, in brief: Thomas had a lot of personal problems before and after his career, including cocaine-related arrests in 1989 and 1997. He seems to have turned his life around, and his Derrel Thomas Foundation provides mentorship programs to challenged youth. 

My collection: I have 29 of his cards, from 1972 to 1986. I would be interested in trading for 1984 Stuart Expos #28.

1976 SSPC Chris Speier

 

The card: Some of the Giants players are photographed at twilight, making them borderline night cards. This one might be one of the darkest nights seen on a card.

Playing career, in brief:  Speier came up with the Giants in 1971 and was an All-Star the next three seasons, mostly because of his defensive reputation. He never hit much, but stayed in the league until 1989. In 19 seasons for five teams, mostly the Giants and Expos, he hit .246 with 112 HR and 720 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief:  After his playing career he was a major league coach for seven different teams between 2000 and 2020. He appears to now be retired.

My collection: I have 54 of his cards, from 1972 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1974 Topps Stamps #NNO. 

1976 SSPC Steve Ontiveros

 

The card, in brief: A lighter sky than some of the other Giants in the set, with a blurry Shea Stadium scoreboard with Schaefer Beer ad in the background.

Playing career, in brief: Third baseman Steve Ontiveros played eight seasons in the major leagues for the Giants and Cubs. In 732 games he hit .274 with 24 HR and 224 RBI. He then played six seasons in Japan for the Seibu Lions, helping them win three Japan Series. In 1982 he was the series MVP.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career ended Ontiveros remained in Japan, working in management for the Lions. He later returned to the US and worked for an advertising firm. He appears to now be retired.

My collection: I have four of his cards, from 1974 to 1980. I would be interested in trading for 1978 SSPC #250. 

1976 SSPC Willie Montanez

 

The card, in brief: Those three streaks are on every card. I guess the best shot they had of Montanez was damaged during development.

Playing career, in brief: The flamboyant Montanez was an outfielder with some good power, most notably leading the NL in doubles with the Phillies in 1972. He played for nine teams in 14 seasons, seven of those with the Phillies. In 1,632 major league games, he hit .275 with 139 HR and 802 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career he returned to his native Puerto Rico where he was a scout and ran a baseball school.

My collection: I have 22 of his cards, from 1971 to 1982. I would be interested in trading for 1972 Topps #690. 

1976 SSPC Bruce Miller

 

The card, in brief: The dark, cloudy background makes it looks like he's standing on a foggy pier at night.

Playing career, in brief: Infielder Bruce Miller played in parts of four seasons with the Giants. In 196 games he hit .288 with 1 HR and 51 RBI. In September of 1976 he punched the Giants' team statistician. The Giants released Miller after the incident, ending his pro baseball career.

Post-playing career, in brief: Miller was a long time teacher and baseball coach at North Side High School in Ft. Wayne, IN. He is now retired.

My collection: I have four of his cards, from 1975 to 1976. I would be interested in trading for  1976 Cramer Phoenix Giants #NNO.

1976 SSPC Dave Rader

 

The card, in brief: No sky is visible on this card but it certainly seems to be a night card.

Playing career, in brief: Rader had a fine rookie season with the Giants in 1972, hitting .259 with 6 HR and 41 RBI. The next season his averaged dipped to .229, and from then on was primarily a backup catcher. The Giants traded him to the Cardinals after the 1976 season, starting a string of four teams in four years, ending his career with Boston in 1980. Rader, who caught Ed Halicki's no-hitter in 1975, played in 846 games, hitting .257 with 30 HR and 235 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career, Rader became a plumber, like his father and grandfather before him. He also worked in real estate, and appears to now be retired.

My collection: I have 12 of his cards, from 1972 to 1981. I would be interested in trading for 1976 Hostess #21.

1976 SSPC Marc Hill

 

The card, in brief: Some of the Giants cards in the set are possible night cards; this one is a no-doubter. While I don't show the backs in these series, it's worth noting that it's an error card, calling him Mark Hill.

Playing career, in brief: Marc Hill played parts of 14 seasons in the major leagues as a backup catcher, mostly for the Giants and White Sox. In 737 games he hit .223 with 34 HR and 198 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief: Hill had a long career as a minor league manager. He died last year at the age of 73.

My collection: I have 19 of his cards, from 1975 to 1986. I would be interested in trading for 1979 San Francisco Giants Police SGA #NNO. 

1976 SSPC Chris Arnold

 

The card, in brief: The twilight sky and the chaw in his cheek dominate here.

Playing career, in brief: Arnold was an unheralded middle infielder who played parts of six seasons with the Giants. In 273 games he hit .237 with 4 HR and 51 RBI. After his US career he played three seasons in Japan, displaying a power bat unseen even in the American minor leagues. Arnold whose minor league career high was eight home runs, hit double figures in HR all three seasons in Japan, hitting .274 with 43 HR and 174 RBI.

Post-playing career, in brief: After his playing career Arnold worked as an agent. He is now retired.

My collection: I have five of his cards, from 1972 to 1977. I would be interested in trading for  1977 Coke Phoenix Giants Premiums #NNO.