1972 Topps Giants - Part 6 (in action)

#712 Bobby Bonds

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#36 Jerry Johnson

#50 Willie Mays

#166 Chris Speier

#186 Ron Bryant

• When was this picture taken?
• Bryant pitched at home twice against the Cardinals (April 19 and July1)
• On April 19 Ron came in as a reliever in the top of the first inning. Bryant led off the bottom of the 3rd and struck out. He led off the bottom of the 5th with a single. It is doubtful that it was a bunt single. In the bottom of the 6th Bryant came up with two out and nobody on base and grounded out to second base. The Giants won the game 4-2 and didn't bat in the bottom of the 9th. It is doubtful that this picture was taken on April 19.
• On July 1 Bryant started the game and lasted 4 2/3 innings. In the bottom of the third inning Bryant came up with a runner on first base and nobody out and hit into a force play. This may have been a foul bunt attempt by Bryant during this at bat. Ron was removed from the game before his spot came up in the batting order again, so the bottom of the third in this game may be when this picture was taken.

Dick Dietz

#444 Ken Henderson

#568 Juan Marichal

#694 Alan Gallagher

Do y'all have any speculation on when these other plays occurred?

Vote in the poll on which of these cards is your favorite. There are several great action shots here!

1972 Topps Giants - Part 5 (more pitchers)

#35 Jerry Johnson

• Jerry Johnson had a rough season as the Giants' closer in 1972 after finishing 6th in NL Cy Young Award voting in 1971. He was 8-6 with eight saves and a 4.42 ERA in 48 games. He hurt his shoulder while participating in unscheduled workouts while the players were on strike. Johnson was placed  on waivers during spring training in 1973 and selected by the Cleveland Indians.

#403 John Cumberland

• John Cumberland was 0-4 with an 8.64 ERA in nine games (six starts). He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor leaguer on June 16.

#548 Frank Reberger

• Frank Reberger was 3-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 20 games (11 starts). He was brought up from AAA Phoenix in mid June. Reberger pitched for Phoenix in 1973 and 1974 but never appeared in the majors after the 1972 season.

Others who pitched for the Giants in 1972 but didn't get a 1972 Topps Giants card:

• Don Carrithers (4-8, 1 save, 5.80 ERA in 25 games - 14 starts)
• Randy Moffitt (1-5, 4 saves, 3.69 ERA in 40 games)
• Don McMahon (3-3, 5 saves, 3.71 ERA in 44 games)
• Elias Sosa (0-1, 3 saves, 2.30 ERA in 8 games)
• Jim Willoughby (6-4, 2.36 ERA in 11 starts)
• Charlie Williams (0-2, 8.68 ERA in 3 games - 2 starts)
• John Morris (0-0, 4.26 ERA in 7 games)

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1972 Topps Giants - Part 4 (pitchers)

#567 Juan Marichal

• Juan Marichal had a huge crash in 1972. He went 6-16 with a 3.71 ERA in 24 starts. Marichal had surgery to repair a lumbar disc after the 1972 season. Juan would pitch one more season with the Giants before being sold to the Boston Red Sox after the 1973 season.

#185 Ron Bryant

• Ron Bryant was the ace of the Giants' staff in 1972. He went 14-7 with a 2.90 ERA in 35 games (28 starts).

#682 Mike McCormick

• Mike McCormick didn't pitch for the Giants in 1972. He had been signed as a free agent before the 1972 season and pitched for a while for AAA Phoenix. McCormick announced his retirement from the Giants on June 16 but later pitched for several minor league clubs in an attempt to come back. He never made it back to the major leagues and retired for good after the 1973 season.

#327 Steve Stone

• Steve Stone was 6-8 with a 2.98 ERA in 27 games (16 starts) in 1972. 

#720 Sam McDowell

• "Sudden" Sam McDowell was acquired by the Giants for Gaylord Perry after the 1971 season. McDowell went 10-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 28 games (25 starts) in 1972. He missed about six weeks from mid-July to late-August with a sore arm. McDowell started the 1973 season with the Giants but was sold to the New York Yankees because the Giants couldn't afford to pay him (Ex-Giant Lauds Giants - June 16, 1973 St. Petersburg Times).

#232 Jim Barr

• Jim Barr was a reliever for the first part of the 1972 season and was placed in the starting rotation in late June. Barr was 8-10 with two saves and a 2.87 ERA in 44 games (18 starts) in his first full season.

1972 Topps Giants - Part 3 (outfielders)

#49 Willie Mays

• This was the legend's final season in San Francisco. He got off to a rough start (.184 but with a .394 OBP in 19 games) and was traded to the New York Mets on May 11 for Charlie Williams and $50,000.

#147 Dave Kingman

• Dave Kingman batted only .225 but hit 29 HR and had 89 RBI for the Giants in 1972. Dave spent most of this season at third base.

#366 Jimmy Rosario

• Jimmy Rosario was 0 for 2 in seven games for the Giants in 1972. Rosario was a familiar face in AAA Phoenix -- he spent all or most of the 1968-1974 seasons there. In 1972 Jimmy  batted .296 and had a .421 on base percentage for Phoenix.

#443 Ken Henderson

• Ken Henderson started in LF for the Giants in 1972 and batted .257 with 18 HR and 51 RBI.

#711 Bobby Bonds

• Bobby Bonds had an off year in 1972. He batted .259 with 26 HR and 80 RBI. Bonds led the Giants with 118 runs scored.

#761 Bernie Williams

• Bernie Williams batted .191 in 68 AB for the Giants in 1972. Williams batted over .300 in the minors in 1970, 1971, and 1973 but he didn't repeat that success at the  major league level. 

Others who played OF for the Giants in 1972  but didn't receive a 1972 Topps Giants card:

• Garry Maddox - the rookie CF batted .266 with 12 HR and 58 RBI in 125 games.
• Gary Matthews (.290 in 62 AB)
• Jim Howarth (.235 in 119 AB)

1972 Topps Giants - Part 2 (infielders)

#280 Willie McCovey

• Willie McCovey missed about six weeks with an injury and struggled in 1972. He batted .213 with 14 HR and 35 RBI in 81 games.

#427 Tito Fuentes

• Tito Fuentes batted .264 with 7 HR and 53 RBI in 152 games in 1972.

#165 Chris Speier

• Chris Speier had a solid year for the Giants in 1972. He batted .269 with 15 HR, 71 RBI, and 82 walks in 150 games.

#693 Alan Gallagher

• Alan Mitchell Edward George Patrick Henry Gallagher split time with Dave Kingman at third base in 1972. He batted .223 with 2 HR and 18 RBI in 82 games. Gallagher was traded to the California Angels in April of 1973 and retired after the 1973 season.

#733 Jim Hart

• Jim Hart batted .304 in 79 at bats in 1972. Jim had injury problems in 1972 -- he played for about two weeks in May and then didn't play again until September. He ended up starting 20 games at third base and was sold to the New York Yankees early in the 1973 season.

#232 Chris Arnold

• Chris Arnold batted .226 in 84 at bats as a utility player. Arnold bounced between AAA Phoenix and the SF Giants from 1971-1976. He had some great years for Phoenix (.343 in 120 games in 1971 and .302 in 139 games in 1977) but never could stick in the majors. Arnold went to Japan and played for three years after the 1977 season.

Others who played in the infield for the Giants in 1972 but didn't receive a 1972 Topps Giants card:

• Ed Goodson (1B - .280, 6 HR, 30 RBI in 58 games)
• Damaso Blanco (IF - .350 in 20 AB)
• Gary Thomasson (1B/LF - .333 in 27 AB)
• Dave Kingman saw a lot of action at 3B but his card will be featured with the other outfielders.

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1972 Topps Giants - part 1

#129 Charlie Fox

• The 1972 Giants took a hard fall from their 1971 NL West-winning season. Willie McCovey was injured and missed about half of the season. Willie Mays was traded to the New York Mets early in the season, and Juan Marichal went 6-16. Gaylord Perry was traded to the Cleveland Indians before the season, further weakening their pitching staff.
• Charlie Fox was in his second full season managing the Giants in 1972. He took over in May of 1970 and continued to manage the club until the middle of the 1974 season. The Giants finished 3rd in the NL West in 1970, 1st in 1971, 5th in 1972, 3rd in 1973, and were 5th in 1974 when Charlie was relieved of his duties. Fox had a 348-327 (.516) record as the Giants' manager. Fox managed the tail end of the season for the Montreal Expos (34 games) in 1976 and the last part of the season for the Chicago Cubs (39 games) in 1983.
• Team Record: 69-86 (5th in NL West, 26 1/2 games  behind Cincinnati)
• Attendance: 647,744 (11th in NL)
• Team Batting .244 (9th in NL)
• Team HR: 150 (1st in NL)
• Team Stolen Bases: 123 (2nd in NL)
• Team ERA: 3.69 (9th in NL)
• Team Fielding: .974 (tied for last in NL)
• NL All Stars: Chris Speier (SS)
• Batting Leader: Chris Speier - .269
• HR Leader: Dave Kingman - 29
• RBI Leader: Dave Kingman - 83
• Stolen Base Leader: Bobby Bonds - 44
• Wins Leader: Ron Bryant - 14
• ERA Leader (starters): Ron Bryant - 2.90
• ERA Leader (relievers): Randy Moffitt - 3.69
• Saves Leader: Jerry Johnson - 8

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#295 Dick Dietz

• Dick Dietz didn't play for the Giants in 1972. Dietz was placed on waivers  and selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 14, 1972. One source says that Dietz fell out of favor with the Giants due to his role as player representative in the 1972 strike and another source says that Dietz was lost to the Dodgers due to a clerical error. Ironically, during the celebration after the Giants clinched the NL West in a tight race against the Dodgers Dick grabbed a microphone and yelled, "To Hell with the Dodgers!" 
• Dick had played in 148 games in 1970 and in 142 games in 1971.

#643 Russ Gibson

• Russ Gibson batted .167 in five games. Gibson played in four April/May games and played in his final game on September 6 (my 6th birthday). He played in 31 games for AAA Phoenix in 1972. Gibson retired after the season.

#663 Fran Healy

• Fran Healy batted .152 in 45 games as a pinch hitter and backup catcher.

#232 Dave Rader

• Dave Rader took over the regular catching duties in 1972. He batted .259 with 6 HR and 41 RBI in 133 games.