Card Tribute: Dick Dietz

• 1967 Topps #341
• Dick's first full season in the majors. He batted .225 with 4 HR and 19 RBI in 56 games. Starting catcher Tom Haller started 120 games, so Dietz didn't have much of chance behind the plate in 1967.

• 1968 Topps #104
• .272, 6 HR, 38 RBI in 98 games. 
• .Dietz split time with Jack Hiatt in 1968. Hiatt was the better defender, but Dietz was better offensively.
• Dick was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded during Don Drysdale's record shutout inning streak. Umpire Harry Wendelstedt ruled that Dietz didn't try to get out of the way and nullified the hit by pitch. Dietz flied out to shallow left field and the streak was preserved.

• 1969 Topps #293
• .230, 11 HR, 35 RBI in 79 games
• Another year of the Dietz/Hiatt combination behind the plate. Hiatt batted only .196 in 1969, so Dietz was to get more of a chance to play in the future.

• 1970 Topps #135
• 1970 Stats: .300, 22 HR, 107 RBI in 148 games
• This was his big year. Dietz was second to Willie McCovey in RBI and second to Bobby Bonds in batting average.
• Dick made the NL All Star team. He hit a home run off of Catfish Hunter in the bottom of the 9th to start a National League comeback. The NL was behind 4-1 at the time. The NL tied the game 4-4 and then won the game in the 12th inning on that (in)famous Pete Rose / Ray Fosse home plate collision.

• 1971 Topps #545
• 1971 Stats:
• Regular Season - .252, 19 HR, 72 RBI in 142 games
• NL Championship Series - .067 (1 for 15) in 4 games
• This isn't actually  my card. None of my 1971 cards are in this kind of shape.
• It was Dick's last year as a starting catcher. He would be waived to the hated LA Dodgers in April 1972, probably in retaliation for his union activities during the brief 1972 player's strike.

• 1972 Topps #295
• 1972 Stats: .161, 1 HR, 6 RBI in 27 games for the LA Dodgers
• Dietz was buried behind nominal starter Chris Canizzaro, Duke Sims, and a young Steve Yeager. Dietz broke his wrist in July, ending his season.

• 1972 Topps #296
• It is likely this game was the first game of a doubleheader on June 6, 1971. Willie Montanez is at the plate. During this game both Denny Doyle and Tim McCarver stole bases batting in front of Montanez.

I won't put the 1973 card (pictured with the Dodgers) in here. Dietz was sold to the Atlanta Braves before the 1973 season. Dick played for the Braves in 1973 and posted a .474 on  base percentage and batted .295 in 83 games as a backup catcher/1B and pinch hitter. Dietz was released during spring training in 1974. There is a possibility that Dietz' career was prematurely ended due to his union activities. Here is a good Hardball Times article about this. Dietz died of a heart attack in 2005.

1970 Topps Giants - Part 1 (Thanks Dean's Cards)

• I got a great package from Dean's Cards. He sent me about 2/3 of the 1970 Giants team set. I checked out his site and it has a lot of great vintage stuff in all four major sports. It's worth checking out. Thanks for the great start on the 1970 Giants team set!

• The Giants (# 696) had a so-so year in 1970. They finished 3rd in the NL West. They did play better once Charlie Fox took over as manager in mid-May. They would have one last gasp with the Mays/McCovey/Marichal team in 1971 before age caught up with them.

• Record: 86-76, 3rd in NL West, 16 games behind Cincinnati
• Attendance: 740,720 (10th of 12)
• Team batting: .262 (3rd in NL, but behind five teams that batted .270)
• Team home runs: 165 (4th in NL)
• Team ERA: 4.50 (11th in NL)
• Team fielding: .973 (12th in NL)
• Gold Gloves: none
• NL All Stars: Willie Mays (starting CF); Dick Dietz (C); Willie McCovey (1B); Gaylord Perry (P)
• League Batting Leaders: Willie McCovey (slugging, OPS, walks, intentional walks); Ron Hunt (HBP); Bobby Bonds (times struck out, plate appearances)
• League Pitching Leaders: Gaylord Perry (wins, innings, starts, shutouts, hits allowed)
  
  

• Clyde King (# 624) managed for the first part of the season. The Giants were 19-23 when he was replaced by Charlie Fox. King managed the Giants in 1969 (2nd in NL West) and then managed the Atlanta Braves from the end of 1974 through the 1975 seasons. He also managed the New York Yankees for 62 games at the end of the 1982 season.
  
  
  

• John Harrell (# 401) did not play for the Giants in 1970. He started in AAA Phoenix, where he batted .070 in 18 games. John was sent to single-A Fresno, where he batted .175 in 32 games. John played a few more years in the minors, but he never made it back to the majors. His entire career was two games at the end of the 1969 season.
  
  
  

• Dick Dietz (# 135) played in 148 (137 at catcher) games and batted .300 with 22 home runs, 107 RBI and 109 walks. He made the NL All Star team.
  
  
  
  

• Jack Hiatt (# 13) didn't play for the Giants in 1970. He was purchased by the Montreal Expos at the end of spring training.
  
  Others who caught for the Giants in 1970 but didn't receive a Topps Giants card:

• Russ Gibson (.232 in 24 games)