1978 Topps Baseball #355 - Bill Travers

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• Bill Travers started the 1978 season on the disabled list and did not make his first start until  May 15.
• This was the second of four seasons that Travers would have double figures in wins.
• 1978 Stats:12-11, 4.41 ERA in 28 starts
• 1978 Highlights:
• June 10 - Pitched a five-hit shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays as the Brewers won 5-0.
• Aug 17 - Shut the Blue Jays out on five hits again in Milwaukee's 6-0 win.
• Sept 4 - Picked up his 10th win of the year and struck out a season-high seven batters as the Seattle Mariners were shut out 5-0.

1978 Topps Baseball #328 - Milwaukee Brewers

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• This card says that the manager for 1978 hadn't been named when the set went to press. Looks like the Brewers made the right choice in hiring George Bamberger.
• A mark is next to Paul Molitor's name on this checklist. I probably did that to indicate his card was on one of those four-player rookie cards and not with the rest of the team's cards.
• The Milwaukee Brewers made a huge leap in 1978, going from 67 wins to 93 wins. The Brewers featured a potent hitting attack. Average pitching and fielding caused them to finish below the leaders in the AL East, but they would be a force to be reckoned with for the next few years.
• It's amazing that Don Money and Ben Oglivie were able to get into so many games. Manager George Bamberger did a great job of rotating players around and getting those bats into the lineup.

Team Record: 93-69, 3rd in AL East, 6.5 games behind New York

• Attendance: 1,601, 406 (6th in AL)
• Team Batting: .276 (1st in AL)
• Team Home Runs:  173 (1st in AL)
• Team Runs Scored: 804 (1st in AL)
• Team Stolen Bases: 95 (7th in AL)
• Team ERA: 3.65 (8th in AL)
• Team Fielding: .977 (9th in AL)
• All Stars: Don Money (starting 2B); Larry Hisle (OF); Lary Sorensen (P)
• AL Leaders: Mike Caldwell (complete games - 23)
• AL Awards: ---
• Batting Leader: Cecil Cooper (.312)
• Home Run Leader: Larry Hisle (34)
• RBI Leader: Larry Hisle (115)
• Stolen Base Leader: Paul Molitor (30)
• Victories Leader: Mike Caldwell (22)
• Losses Leader: Lary Sorensen, Jerry Augustine (12)
• ERA Leader (starters): Mike Caldwell (2.36)
  ERA Leader (relievers): Bill Castro (1.81)
• Strikeout Leader: Mike Caldwell (131)
• Saves Leader: Bob McClure (9)
• Players who could have had 1978 Topps Milwaukee Brewers cards (minimum 100 AB or 40 IP):
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1978 Topps Baseball #303 - Sam Hinds

• Sam Hinds was a tall pitcher who was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971. Hinds didn't sign with the Cardinals. Hinds tried out with the Milwaukee Brewers during spring training in 1974 and showed enough to earn a minor league contract.
• Sam worked his way up the Milwaukee system from 1974-1977 and was called up in May 1977. In his only major league season Hinds was 0-3 with 2 saves and had a 4.73 ERA in 29 games (1 start).
• It looks like Sam was in manager Alex Grammas' doghouse late in the 1977 season. He entered the 1978 season hoping for a chance from new manager George Bamburger.
• Hinds didn't make the Milwaukee club in 1978 and spent the year in AAA Spokane. He struggled, going 1-8 with a 6.73 ERA.
• Sam pitched with the AA Holyoake Millers in 1979 and went 8-8 with a 4.32 ERA in 20 games (19 starts). He retired after the season.
• 1978 Stats: 
• Spokane Indians (AAA): 1-8, 6.73 ERA in 20 games (17 starts)

1978 Topps Baseball #265 - Sal Bando

• Sal Bando had a better year in his second season with the Brewers. He had double figures in home runs for the tenth and final time in his career.
• 1978 Stats: .285, 17 HR, 78 RBI in 152 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• April 12 - Homered and scored two runs in Milwaukee's 5-3 win over the New York Yankees. The win moved the Brewers to 5-0 on the young season.
• June 17 - Hit a home run in the top of the 12th inning to lead the Brewers to a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
• Sept 13 - Had three hits, a home run, and three RBI as the Brewers beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5.

1978 Topps Baseball #243 - Bob McClure

• Bob McClure shared closing duties with righthander Bill Castro for the Brewers in 1978.
• 1978 Stats: 2-6, 9 saves, 3.74 ERA in 44 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• April 23 - Struck out Reggie Jackson and Chris Chambliss and got Graig Nettles to foul out to preserve a 3-2 Brewer win and pick up his first save of the season.
• June 12 - Pitched five scoreless innings and earned his first win of the year in Milwaukee's 7-4 win over the Detroit Tigers.

1978 Topps Baseball #212 - Mike Caldwell

• Mike Caldwell was going into the most successful part of his career when this card was printed. Mike had his best year in 1978. Caldwell won 22 games, led the AL with 23 complete games, and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting. He might have won it if it weren't for Ron Guidry's dominant season.
• Caldwell didn't start a game until the third week of the season and had only one win at the end of April. Mike won his last five starts and had complete games in eight of his last ten starts.
• 1978 Stats: 22-9, 1 save, 2.34 ERA in 37 games (34 starts)
• 1978 Highlights:
• May 4 - Pitched a 4-hit shutout against the Kansas City Royals
• Sept 19 - Won his twentieth game of the season by shutting out the New York Yankees on four hits. Caldwell struck out a season-high ten batters.

1978 Topps Baseball #173 - Robin Yount

• Robin Yount didn't play his first 1978 game until May 6. Yount was 22 years old but was already playing in his fifth season. Robin was named to post season all star teams by The Sporting News, AP, UPI, and Baseball Bulletin.
• 1978 Stats: .293, 9 HR, 71 RBI in 127 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• July 8 - Had three hits and scored two runs (including the tying run in the bottom of the 8th inning) in Milwaukee's come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees.
• Sept 6 - Had four hits (including two home runs) and knocked in five runs as the Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-0.
• Sept 19 - Scored both runs and homered as the Brewers shut out the Yankees 2-0.

1978 Topps Baseball #154 - Cecil Cooper

• Cecil Cooper had another good year for the Brewers in  1978 even though he missed almost seven weeks with an injury in June and July. 
• 1978 Stats: .312, 13 HR, 54 RBI in 107 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• April 26 - Went 3 for 4 with a home run as the Brewers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4.
• May 21 - Had four hits and singled in the winning run with two out in the bottom of the ninth as the Brewers beat the California Angels 2-1.
• Aug 23 - Knocked in four runs in Milwaukee's 9-4 win over the Cleveland Indians
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1978 Topps Baseball #133 - Jerry Augustine

• This was Jerry Augustine's last season as a starting pitcher. In 1979 the Brewers moved him to the bullpen. Augustine was the #3 starter for the Brewers in 1978.
• 1978 Stats: 13-12, 4.54 ERA in 35 games (30 starts)
• 1978 Highlights: 
• May 3 - Pitched a 3-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox. The Brewers won the game 4-0.
• June 24 - Shut out the Seattle Mariners on three hits. The Brewers won the game 5-0.
• Aug 28 - Allowed one run on two hits and went the distance as the Brewers beat the Detroit Tigers 10-1.

1978 Topps Baseball #108 - Von Joshua

• Von Joshua was released by the Milwaukee Brewers during spring training in 1978. Von went to the Mexcian League to play in 1978. He came back to play two more seasons in the major leagues (1979 and 1980) and then went back to the Mexican League in 1981.
• 1978 Stats:
• Tabasco Plataneros (Mexican League): no stats available

1978 Topps Baseball #95 - Jamie Quirk

• How did Jamie Quirk get one of the coveted "5"  numbers? 
• Jamie started the 1978 season in the minors. In August Quirk was traded back to the Kansas City Royals for a minor leaguer and cash.
• 1978 Stats:
• Spokane Indians (AAA): .292, 12 HR, 63 RBI in 97 games
• Kansas City Royals: .207, 0 HR, 2 RBI in 17 games

1978 Topps Baseball #77 - Ed Kirkpatrick

• This is Ed Kirkpatrick's "goodbye" card. Ed didn't make the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978 and was released during spring training. Kirkpatrick played in the Mexican League for a short time and also played for AAA Salt Lake City (California Angels organization) in 1978 and then retired after the season.
• 1978 Stats:
• Salt Lake City Gulls (AAA): .325, 2 HR, 38 RBI in 69 games
• Tabasco Plataneros (Mexican League): no stats available

1978 Topps Baseball #51 - Charlie Moore

• After being the regular catcher in 1977, Charlie Moore split time with Buck Martinez behind the plate in 1978. Moore was the better offensive player and was right at league average defensively, but his defense started to slip in 1979 and by 1982 Charlie was an outfielder.
• 1978 Stats:.269, 5 HR, 31 RBI in 96 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• July 20 - Went 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI to help the Brewers beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6.
• Aug 16 - Had three hits and scored three runs as the Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1.

1978 Topps Baseball #24 - Don Money

• This would be the last season in which Don Money would play in over 100 games. Money played all over the place, seeing action at all four infield positions and at DH. Don made the AL All Star team for the last time in his career - he started at second base and was 0 for 2. George Brett called Money's selection a farce because at the time Don hadn't played much second base all season. Money started the game due to an injury to Willie Randolph. Don was the #2 vote-getter at the position.
• 1978 Stats: .293, 14 HR, 54 RBI in 137 games.
• 1978 Highlights:
• July 13 - Had five hits, including a double and a home run, and scored three times as the Brewers beat the Kansas City Royals 13-2. The game was the first one after the All Star break.
• Aug 17 - Got three hits and drove in two runs in Milwaukee's 6-0 shutout of the Toronto Blue Jays.
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