1971 Topps Giants - Part 1

#563 Team Card

• After several years of disappointment and second-place finishes the Giants finally won a NL West title in 1971. They were in first place for much of the season but didn't clinch the division until the final day of the season. The Giants lost in the National League Championship series to the Pittsburgh Pirates three games to one.
• Team Record: 92-70 (1st in NL West, 1 game ahead of Los Angeles)
• Attendance: 1,106,043 (10th in National League)
• Team Batting: .247 (8th in NL)
• Team Home Runs: 140 (3rd in NL)
• Team Stolen Bases: 101 (2nd in NL)
• Team ERA: 3.32 (6th in NL)
• Team Fielding: .972 (12th in NL)
• League Leaders: Willie Mays (On Base Percentage - .425; Walks - 112)
• NL All Stars: Willie McCovey (starting 1B); Willie Mays (starting CF); Bobby Bonds (OF); Juan Marichal (P)
• Gold Gloves: Bobby Bonds (OF)
• Batting Leader: Bobby Bonds (.288)
• Home Run Leader: Bobby Bonds (33)
• RBI Leader: Bobby Bonds (102)
• Stolen Base Leader: Bobby Bonds (26)
• Victories Leader: Juan Marichal (18)
• Losses Leader: Gaylord Perry (12)
• Strikeouts Leader Juan Marichal (159)
• ERA Leader (starters): Gaylord Perry (2.76)
• ERA Leader (relievers): John Cumberland (2.92)
• Saves Leader: Jerry Johnson (18)

#517 Charlie Fox

• Charlie Fox was in his first full season as the manager of the Giants. Fox took over the managerial duties in May 1970 and remained as the Giants' manager until the middle of the 1974 season.
• Charlie's record as Giants' manager was 348-327 (.516)
• As a player Fox made his major league debut on September 24, 1942 at the age of 20 and played in his last game on September 26, 1942. Charlie's major league career consisted of three games with the New York Giants. He went 3 for 7 (.429) in those three games. Charlie left after the 1942 season to serve in World War II. He came back to baseball after the war and was a player/manager in the minors from 1946-1956.

#545 Dick Dietz

• Dick Dietz didn't give the backups much of a chance to play. Dietz played in 142 games and batted .252 with 19 HR and 72 RBI. Dick went 1 for 15 (.067) in the NLCS.
• Dick went 4 for 5 with two RBI and one run scored on July 8 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

#738 Russ Gibson

• I think this picture was taken at Phoenix Municipal Stadium (I would know for sure if the background were a bit more toward right field -- there was a big scoreboard there). I remember a big green wall behind the center field fence. Sometime in the late 70s (I forget which year) I saw Willie McCovey hit a ball over that wall.
• Russ Gibson batted .193 in 25 games. He wasn't used in the postseason.

Other players who caught for the Giants who didn't receive 1971 Topps Giants cards:

• Fran Healy (.280 in 93 AB)
• Dave Rader (.000 in 4 AB)