1979 Topps Giants - Part 5 (more pitchers)

• Ed Halicki (#672) was 5-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 33 games (19 starts).
  
  
  

• John Curtis (#649) was 10-9 with a 4.18 ERA in 27 games (18 starts). He didn't pitch after September 4. After being with the Giants from 1977-1979, Curtis became a free agent and signed with the San Diego Padres.
  
  

• John Montefusco (#560) was 3-8 with a 3.94 ERA in 22 starts. John missed about six weeks from late April to mid June.
  
  

• Bob Knepper (#486) was 9-12 with a 4.64 ERA in 34 starts in 1979.
  
  

• Jim Barr (#461) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1979. He became a free agent after the 1978 season and signed with the California Angels. Barr started with the Giants in 1971. After two years with the Angels (1979 and 1980) and a year in the minors (1981) Jim came back to the Giants for two years (1982 and 1983) before retiring.

Others who pitched for the Giants in 1979 but who didn't receive Topps cards:

• Ed Whitson (5-8, 3.95 ERA in 18 games/17 starts)
• Tom Griffin (5-6, 2 saves, 3.91 ERA in 59 games/3 starts)
• Pedro Borbon (4-3, 3 saves, 4.89 ERA in 30 games)
• Phil Nastu (3-4, 4.32 ERA in 25 games/14 starts)
• Dave Roberts (0-2, 3 saves, 2.57 ERA in 26 games/1 start)
• Al Holland (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 7 innings)
• Joe Coleman (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 3.2 innings)
• Ed Plank (0-0, 7.36 ERA in 4 games)
  

1979 Topps Giants - Part 4 (pitchers)

Gary Lavelle (#311) was 7-9 with 20 saves and a 2.51 ERA in 70 games. Gary was an underrated reliever in the late 70s and early 80s.

Charlie Williams (#142) didn't pitch for the Giants in 1979. He retired after the 1978 season. Charlie started with the New York Mets in 1971 and then was traded to the Giants in 1972 for Willie Mays. Williams pitched for the Giants from 1972-1978.

Vida Blue (#110) was 14-14 with a 5.01 ERA in 34 starts. He led the Giants in both wins and losses.

Greg Minton (#84) had a nice season as a set-up man. He was 4-3 with 4 saves and a 1.81 ERA in 46 games.

Randy Moffitt (#62) was 2-5 with 2 saves and an ERA of 7.71 in 28 games. Randy was injured and pitched only three times after June 19 (once in August and twice in September).

1979 Topps Giants - Part 3 (outfielders)

• Larry Herndon (#624) batted .257 with 7 HR and 36 RBI in 354 at bats in 1979.
  
  
  

• Terry Whitfield (#589) batted .287 with 5 HR and 44 RBI in 133 games.
  
  
  
  

• Jack Clark (#512) batted .273 with 26 HR and 86 RBI. This was one of the few years during this era when he didn't lead the Giants in home runs (Mike Ivie hit 27).
  
  
  
  
  

• Hector Cruz (#436) batted .120 in 25 at bats. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on June 28 for Pedro Borbon.
  
  
  
  

• Vic Harris (#338) didn't play for the Giants in 1979. He became a free agent after the 1978 season and signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. Vic ended up spending the 1979 season with Vancouver (Milwaukee's AAA club).
  
  
  

• Jim Dwyer (#236) didn't play for the Giants in 1979. He was purchased by the Boston Red Sox on March 15, 1979.

Others who played OF for the Giants in 1979 but who didn't get a '79 Topps Giants card:

• Max Venable (.165 in 85 AB)

• Greg Johnston (.203 in 74 AB) -- he's on the "rookies" card shown two entries ago
  
  
  
  
  
  

1979 Topps Giants - Part 2 (infielders)

• Mike Ivie had his best season in 1979. He batted .286 with 27 HR and 89 RBI. He started 76 games at 1B, 24 games in LF, 2 games at 3B and even played part of a game at 2B.
  
  
  
• Darrell Evans played in 160 games and batted .253 with 17 HR and 70 RBI in 1979.
  
  

• Johnnie LeMaster batted .254 in 343 at bats in 1979. It was his best offensive season.
  
  
  
• The 41-year-old Willie McCovey batted .249 with 15 HR and 57 RBI in his last full season.
  
  
  
• Bill Madlock batted .261 in 69 games before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went on to be a big part of the "We Are Family" World Championship Pirate club.
  
  

• Roger Metzger played in 94 games and batted .251 in 259 at bats. Oddly, he had more triples (9) than doubles (8). After the 1979 season Roger lost parts of four fingers in a chainsaw accident. He tried to come back in August 1980 but the comeback was unsuccessful. Roger was released by the Giants after batting .074 in 28 games.
  
  
• Rob Andrews batted .260 in 154 at bats as the backup second baseman. He was released by the Giants after the 1979 season. Andrews tried to hook on with the New York Mets in 1980 but he didn't make the club and retired.
  
  Others who played infield in 1979 but didn't get a 1979 Topps Giants card:

• Joe Strain (pictured on the "rookie stars" card in the previous entry) became the starting second baseman after the Bill Madlock trade. He batted .241 in 257 at bats.
• Hector Cruz (.120 in 25 AB)
  
  

1979 Topps Giants - Part 1

After a promising 1978 season that saw the Giants (#356) in the pennant race for the first time in years, 1979 was a letdown. The Giants struggled and Joe Altobelli didn't even finish the season as manager. Altobelli had a 61-79 record when he was let go in September. Dave Bristol managed the last 22 games and posted a 10-12 record.

• Team Record: 71-91 (4th in NL West, 19 1/2 games behind Cincinnati)
• Attendance: 1,406,402 (9th in NL)
• Team Batting: .246 (11th in NL)
• Team Home Runs: 125 (7th in NL)
• Team ERA: 4.17 (11th in NL)
• Team Fielding: .974 (11th in NL)
• NL All Stars: Jack Clark (OF)
• NL Leaders: Bill North (caught stealing - 24); Vida Blue (earned runs allowed - 132)
• Team Batting Leader: Terry Whitfield (.287)
• Team HR Leader: Mike Ivie (27)
• Team RBI Leader: Mike Ivie (89)
• Team SB Leader: Bill North (58)
• Team Wins Leader: Vida Blue (14)
• Team Losses Leader: Vida Blue (14)
• Team Saves Leader: Gary Lavelle (20)
  
  
  

• Mike Sadek (#256) batted .238 in 126 AB in 1979.
  
  
  
  

• Marc Hill (#11) batted .207 in 169 AB. He didn't play after July 24.
  
  

• John Tamargo (#726) played in 30 games and batted .200 in 60 at bats. He was traded to the Montreal Expos for Joe Pettini on June 13.

Others who caught for the Giants but didn't receive a 1979 Topps Giants card:

• Dennis Littlejohn (.197, 1 HR, 13 RBI in 193 AB - was brought up to the Giants in mid-July)
• Bob Kearney (0 for 1 in two games)