1976 Hostess #142 - Gary Matthews

 

* The cut isn't quite this bad -- I cut off that part of the card on the scanner

* I wish the Giants could have kept him for a few more years. Gary had a good and productive career.

1976 Hostess #142 - Gary Matthews

• Every time I feature a Gary Matthews or a Garry Maddox card I find myself lamenting the financial straits that forced the Giants to get rid of them in the mid 1970s.
• Matthews finished his run with the Giants in 1976. He batted .279 with 20 HR and 84 RBI.
• Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner was suspended by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for tampering with Matthews. Turner had told Giants' owner Bob Lurie that no matter how much Lurie offered, the Braves would top the offer.
• Matthews signed a five-year, $1.2  million contract with the Braves after the 1976 season.

1975 Hostess #31 - Gary Matthews

• It really is too bad the Giants couldn't keep Gary Matthews. He was a good one
• Matthews made his debut on September 6, 1972 (my 6th birthday)
• Gary batted .279 with 20 HR and 84 RBI in 116 games in 1975.
• Gary had a home plate collision with Johnny Bench on April 22. Bench played with the injury through the 1975 season and had shoulder surgery after the season.
• Matthews was injured after fighting (perhaps playfully) with teammate Derrel Thomas on June 1. Gary missed six weeks with a broken thumb

1976 SSPC Giants - Part 4

1976 Topps Giants - Part 3 (outfielders)

• Von Joshua (#82) played in 62 games, batting .263 in 156 AB as the starting center fielder for the first two months of the season. He was sold to the Milwaukee Brewers on June 2.

• Gary Matthews (#133) batted .279 with 20 HR and 84 RBI. Matthews, Larry Herndon, and Bobby Murcer were the starting outfielders and they all tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 12. Gary left the Giants and signed with the Atlanta Braves after the 1976 season.
  
  
  

• Bobby Murcer (#470) was the starting right fielder and batted .259 with a team-leading 23 HR and 90 RBI. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs after the season as part of the deal that brought Bill Madlock to the Giants.
  
  
  
  

• Glenn Adams (#389) was one of those Phoenix Giants who did great in the minors but didn't do as well in the majors. In 1976 Adams batted .243 in 74 AB and was sold to the Minnesota Twins after the season. In eight seasons in the minors Glenn had a lifetime .311 batting average, including a .352 mark for Phoenix in 1974 and a .330 average for AAA Syracuse in 1982.
  
  
  
  
  

• Gary Thomasson (#261) batted .259 with 8 HR and 38 RBI in 368 at bats as a backup outfielder and first baseman. He started with the Giants in 1972 and played with them through the 1977 season. Gary was one of the several players traded to the Oakland A's for Vida Blue before the 1978 season.

Others who played OF in 1976 but didn't receive Topps Giants cards:

• Larry Herndon - starting CF after Von Joshua's departure (.288 in 337 AB)
• Jack Clark (.225 in 102 AB as a 20-year-old rookie)

1973 Topps Giants - Part 3 (outfielders)

• Bobby Bonds (#145) led the Giants in home runs (39), RBI (96), runs (131), doubles (34), and stolen bases (43).
  
  

• Ken Henderson (#101) didn't play for the Giants in 1973. He and Steve Stone were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Tom Bradley before the '73 season.
  
  
  

• Garry Maddox (# 322) batted .319 in 144 games. He was in double figures in doubles (30), triples (10), and homers (11). He also stole 24 bases.
  
  
  

• Jimmy Howarth (# 459) batted .200 in 90 AB as a backup outfielder. He didn't get many chances to play since the Giants had such a good starting outfield.
  
  
  

• Jim Hart (# 538) was 0 for 3 in five games. He was purchased by the New York Yankees on April 17.
  
  
  

• Bernie Williams (# 557) didn't play for the Giants in 1973. He spent the season in AAA Phoenix where he batted .313 in 132 games. Bernie was traded to the San Diego Padres with Willie McCovey for Mike Caldwell after the 1973 season.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Gary Matthews (#606) batted .300 in 148 games during his rookie season. He was in double figures in doubles (22), triples (10), and homers (12).
• Others who played outfield in 1973 but didn't get a 1973 Topps Giants' card:
• Gary Thomasson (.285 in 235 AB)
  
  

1974 Topps Giants -- Part 3

• This is a great action shot of Gary and it's one of my favorite cards of the 1974 set. Gary Matthews batted .287 with 16 HR and a team-leading 82 RBI in 1974. He also walked 70 times and had a .368 on base percentage.

• Jim Howarth was at the end of the line in 1974. He was hitless in four at bats and was sent to AAA Phoenix in late May. Jim played in 51 games for Phoenix in 1974 and then was done.
  
  
  

• Garry Maddox batted .284 in 135 games as the starting center fielder in 1974. He led the club in stolen bases (21) and doubles (31).
  
  
  
  

• Bobby Bonds had an off-year in 1974. He batted .256 with 21 homers and 71 RBI. He led the team in runs scored with 97 and in stolen bases with 41.
• If the starting three (Matthews, Maddox, Bonds) didn't play, Dave Kingman or Gary Thomasson replaced them. I think this is the fewest number of outfielders I've seen on a team from the 70s.

• The Giants actually had a pretty decent starting lineup in 1974. It's too bad they couldn't hang on to more of these guys.
  
  
  
  

1975 Topps Giants Part 3

Gary Matthews led the Giants with 12 home runs and batted .280 in 116 games as the Giants' LF.

Garry Maddox batted .135 in 17 games before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Willie Montanez. Garry won one of his many Gold Gloves in 1975.

Bobby Murcer batted .298 and led the Giants in RBI with 91. He also walked 91 times and had an on base percentage of .396 and was the Giants' representative to the All Star game.

Dave Kingman did not play for the Giants in 1975. He was sold to the New York Mets on February 28 for $150,000.

Gary Thomasson batted .227 in 114 games as the Giants' fourth outfielder.

Other players who played OF for the Giants who did not get a 1975 Topps Giants card:

• Von Joshua was picked up on waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers before the season. He became the starting CF and led the Giants with a .318 average in 129 games.

• Glenn Adams batted .300 in 90 at bats. He had a huge season for AAA Phoenix in 1974 (.352, 13 HR, 105 RBI) and spent most of the 1975 season on the SF Giants bench as a pinch hitter. He's one of the guys I remember the most from the Phoenix Giants.

• Jake Brown batted .209 in 43 at bats as a pinch hitter / outfielder.

• Jack Clark batted .235 in 8 games as a September call-up.

• Horace Speed batted .133 in 17 games. He was sent back down to Phoenix after the Giants picked up Von Joshua.