1978 Topps Baseball #334 - John Stearns

.

• 
  
• This was John Stearns' second season as the starting catcher for the New York Mets. John had career highs in home runs, RBI, and runs scored in 1978. 
• John broke the NL record (held by Johnny Kling in 1902) for stolen bases by a catcher by stealing 25 bases.
• John started 134 games behind the plate in 1978. Stearns spent most of April and the first part of May below the Mendoza line but he heated up in mid-May and ended up batting .264.
• 1978 Stats: .264, 15 HR, 73 RBI in 143 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• May 27 - Appeared as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning and hit a 2-run game-tying double. He stayed in the game and had a sacrifice fly in the 9th inning to add an insurance runs in the Mets' 9-7 victory over the Houston Astros.
• June 30 - The box score is nothing special, but this was the game where John broke Dave Parker's jaw in a home plate collision.
• Aug 9 - Had three hits and scored three runs as the Mets beat the Montreal Expos 10-3.
• Just before the collision:

• The Cobra a few weeks later: