1978 Topps Baseball #301 - Buddy Schultz

• Interesting that even though Buddy Schultz spent the entire 1977 season with the St. Louis Cardinals that Topps couldn't come up with a recent picture of him. This is an airbrushed picture from about 1976.
• Buddy Schultz was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1972. Schultz was in the minors from 1972-1975. He got a late season call-up in 1975 and was 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA in six appearances.
• Schultz was with the Cubs in the beginning of the 1976 season. He was sent to the minors in early July and spent most of July and all of August in AAA. He was called back up in September. Buddy was 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA in 29 games for the Cubs.
• Early in spring training in 1977 Schultz was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor leaguer. Buddy had a good year for the Cardinals, going 6-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 40 games (3 starts). He made two starts in AAA in June. Schultz had a pulled hamstring and missed three weeks in July.
• Schultz didn't have as good of a year in 1978. He was 2-4 with 6 saves and had a 3.80 ERA in 62 games. He was the only left hander in the St. Louis bullpen. He appeared in 62 games and warmed up in another 80 games during the season.
• Buddy's last major league season was in 1979. He was 4-3 with 3 saves and had a 4.46 ERA in 31 games. He had an inflamed tendon and missed most of the last two months of the season.
• Schultz had a torn rotator cuff and had surgery in 1980. He tried a couple of comebacks in 1980 and in 1982 but didn't get beyond AAA.

• 1978 Stats: 2-4, 6 saves, 3.80 ERA in 62 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• June 25 - Pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings and earned his first win of the year as the Cardinals came back to beat the Montreal Expos 7-5.
• June 27 - Notched his third save of the season as he and starter Pete Vuckovich combined on a 2-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.