1978 Topps Baseball #341 - Mike Flanagan

• Mike Flanagan was an all-star for the only time in his career in 1978. It's a bit odd that he made the AL All Star team in 1978 but didn't make it in 1979 (his Cy Young year).
• 1978 Stats: 19-15, 4.05 ERA in 40 starts
• 1978 Highlights:
• May 23 - Allowed two hits and shut out the Detroit Tigers 2-0.
• June 13 - Went the distance and then some in an 11-inning 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. It was his fourth complete game victory in a row.
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1978 Topps Baseball #287 - Kiko Garcia

• Kiko Garcia backed up at shortstop and at second base for the Orioles in 1978. Garcia probably could have been a starter for some teams, but the Orioles had Mark Belanger at shortstop. Garcia would finally get his chance to start in 1979.
• 1978 Stats: .263, 0 HR, 13 RBI in 79 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• May 28 - Doubled, tripled, and scored a run in Baltimore's 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians.
• June 4 - Had three hits as the Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1.

1978 Topps Baseball #262 - Rudy May

• Before the 1978 season Ruidy May was traded (with Bryn Smith and Randy Miller) for Don Stanhouse, Gary Roenicke, and Joe Kerrigan. The Orioles needed bullpen and outfield help and they had plenty of starting pitching, so although Rudy won 18 games in 1977 the trade worked out well for the Orioles.
• May missed about six weeks from mid July to early September with an injury. 
• 1978 Stats: 8-10, 3.88 ERA in 27 games (23 starts)
• 1978 Highlights:
• May 27 - Allowed one unearned run on two hits in a complete game victory as the Expos beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 15-1. Rudy also had two hits and scored two runs.
• Sept 26 - Pitched his only shutout of the season in his last start. The Expos beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0.

1978 Topps Baseball #237 - Rich Dauer

• Rich Dauer split time with Billy Smith at second base for the Orioles in 1978. In addition to starting 85 games at 2B, Rich also started 30 games at 3B.
• Dauer set an AL record for most consecutive errorless games for a second baseman in 1978. Rich had 425 errorless chances in a row in 86 games.
• 1978 Stats: .264, 6 HR, 46 RBI in 133 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• June 30 - Doubled twice and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning as the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2.
• July 24 - Had three hits and scored three runs in Baltimore's 10-6 win over the Texas Rangers.
• Sept 8 - Went 3 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI to help the Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4.

1978 Topps Baseball #211 - Earl Weaver

• Earl Weaver started his minor league career in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 1948. Weaver played in the Cardinals organization from 1948-1953 without rising above the AA level. Earl then played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from 1954-1956. Weaver realized he wasn't going to progress much higher as a player, so he turned to managing. 
• In 1957 Weaver was hired to manage in the Baltimore Orioles system. Earl worked his way up the chain and was above .500 every year from 1959-1967.
• Weaver was added to the coaching staff of the Orioles in 1968. Oriole GM Harry Dalton thought the team was under performing and it was only a matter of time before Weaver was to become the manager. Weaver became the manager after the all star break and the team finished second in the American League.
• The Orioles ran off three great seasons in a row from 1969-1971, appearing in the World Series each year. Things came together for the team and they won over 100 games each of those seasons. Baltimore lost to the Amazin' Mets in the 1969 World Series and then beat the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series. The Orioles lost in seven games to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971.
• The Orioles started to age in 1972. They still won the AL East in 1973 and 1974, but they weren't able to beat the Oakland A's in the League Championship Series. 
• Baltimore came back to win the AL East in 1979. After beating the California Angels in the League Championship Series, the Orioles lost to the Pirates in seven games in the World Series.
• The Orioles had one last hurrah in 1982. They had a great stretch run and finished the season tied with the Milwaukee Brewers on top of the AL East. Baltimore lost the playoff game and Weaver retired (for the first time) after the season. (It was interesting to see the article on the same page that had the Giants predicted to finish last in their division. The Giants had one of their few good seasons in that era and were alive until the final week of the season)
• Earl worked as an announcer for ABC in 1983 and 1984 and was also a consultant for the Orioles.
• Weaver was coaxed out of retirement in 1985 by Baltimore owner Edward Bennett Williams. The team was struggling and it was felt that Weaver could give them a shot in the arm. Baltimore played better than .500 for Weaver in 1985, but they finished last in the AL East with a 73-89 record in 1986. It was Weaver's only season below .500 in the major leagues and the first time one of his teams finished below .500 since 1957. Weaver retired (this time for good) after the 1986 season.
• In 17 major league seasons Weaver had a record of 1553-1123 (.580) with four AL pennants and one World Championship.
• Electronic Arts came out with Earl Weaver Baseball in 1987. I remember spending a lot of hours playing that game before I got a PC and was able to play the APBA and Strat-O-Matic computer games.
• Earl managed the Gold Coast Suns in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.
• Weaver was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
• Earl had his "10 Laws of Baseball"

• No one’s going to give a damn in July if you lost a game in March.
• If you don’t make any promises to your players, you won’t have to break them.
• The easiest way around the bases is with one swing of the bat.
• Your most precious possessions on offense are your 27 outs.
• If you play for one run, that’s all you’ll get.
• Don’t play for one run unless you know that run will win a ballgame.
• It’s easier to find four good starters than five.
• The best place for a rookie pitcher is long relief.
• The key step for an infielder is the first one—left or right—but before the ball is hit.
• The job of arguing with the umpires belongs to the manager, because it won’t hurt the team if he gets kicked out of the game.
• Earl died of an apparent heart attack while on an Orioles fantasy cruise on January 19, 2013.
• Earl Weaver's SABR biography

One of Earl's infamous arguments with an umpire

Earl's farewell in 1982

1978 Topps Baseball #205 - 1977 Victory Leaders

• I've been gone for a few weeks tending to some home matters. We have two new foster boys (2 and 4) in the house and they've been keeping us pretty busy. Things are starting to settle down into a routine so I should be able to start blogging again :).
• Steve Carlton led the NL in victories four times during his Hall of Fame career. Lefty was the NL Cy Young Award winner in each of those seasons (1972, 1977, 1980, and 1982)
• There was a three way tie for the AL lead in victories. Jim Palmer led the AL in wins three straight years (1975, 1976, and 1977). Palmer was the Cy Young Award winner in 1975 and in 1976 and he finished second to Sparky Lyle in the 1977 balloting. Dave Goltz and Dennis Leonard had their only taste of the league lead in wins in 1977, although Leonard won 20 or more games in two other seasons.
• Hall of Fame count:
• American League: 2 - Jim Palmer and Nolan Ryan
• National League: 2 - Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver

1978 Topps Baseball #188 - Al Bumbry

• Al Bumbry missed most of the 1978 season due to a severe ankle injury. He broke a bone and tore ligaments in the ankle during a game against the Texas Rangers on May 12. Bumbry returned in September but he played in only five games and was 1 for 5 in those games.
• Al came back in 1979 to help the Orioles to the AL pennant.
• Here is a good 1981 article about Al talking about his days in Vietnam. .
• 1978 Stats: .237, 2 HR, 6 RBI in 33 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• April 16 - Had two hits and scored two runs in Baltimore's 7-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
• April 28 - Went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run to help Baltimore beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4.

1978 Topps Baseball #160 - Jim Palmer

• Jim Palmer had his eighth (and last) 20-win season in 1978. Jim was an AL All Star (he started the game and allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings) and won a Gold Glove award. Palmer completed 19 of his 38 starts and led the AL with 296 innings pitched.
• 1978 Stats: 21-12, 2.46 ERA in 38 starts
• 1978 Highlights:
• Apr 15 - Pitched a 2-hit shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in his first start of the season. Jim struck out seven batters and walked only one in Baltimore's 7-0 victory.
• June 1 - Shut out the AL East rival New York Yankees 1-0 on two  hits.
• Sept 23 - Pitched a complete game and earned his 20th win of the season as the Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 6-1.

1978 Topps Baseball #119 - Denny Martinez

• Dennis Martinez had a good year in 1978. It was his first season as a full-time starter. Martinez was part of a good rotation with ace Jim Palmer, Mike Flanagan, and Scott McGregor. All four won 15 or more games and each starter pitched 13 or more complete games.
• 1978 Stats: 16-11, 3.52 ERA in 40 games (38 starts)
• 1978 Highlights:
• June 16: Pitched a shutout against the Oakland A's. Baltimore won the game 6-0.
• Aug 25: Pitched a 2-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners as the Orioles won the game 5-0.
• Oct 1: Allowed two runs and got his 16th win of the year as the Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2. The game capped off an amazing run in which Martinez pitched 12 complete games in 14 starts between July 29 and October 1. One of Dennis' "non-complete" games was an 11-inning game in which Martinez pitched 11 innings and allowed no runs (the Orioles lost 1-0 but Dennis didn't get the decision). Martinez went nine innings in the other game and didn't get the decision.

1978 Topps Baseball #96 - Baltimore Orioles

• The 1978 Baltimore Orioles won 90 games, but they got off to a 5-10 start and never got closer than six games behind after June 20. The Orioles were very good at hitting home runs (3rd in the AL) and fielding the baseball (1st in the AL). They had a good pitching staff, but there were a few holes in the club that would be filled in time for the team to win the AL pennant the next season.

Team Record: 90-71, .559, 4th in AL East, 9 games behind the New York Yankees

• Managers(s):
• Earl Weaver (9th full season with team)
• Attendance: 1,051,724, 10th in American League
• Team Batting: .258 (10th in AL)
• Team Home Runs: 154 (3rd in AL)
• Team Stolen Bases: 75 (11th in AL)
• Team ERA: 3.56 (5th in AL)
• Team Fielding: .982 (1st in AL)
• AL All Stars: Jim Palmer (starting pitcher); Mike Flanagan (P); Eddie Murray (1B)
• Award Winners: Gold Glove (Jim Palmer - P; Mark Belanger - SS)
• League Leaders: Jim Palmer (innings pitched - 296); Mike Flanagan (games started - 40)
• Batting Leader: Ken Singleton (.293)
• HR Leader: Doug DeCinces (28)
• RBI Leader: Eddie Murray (95)
• Stolen Base Leader: Larry Harlow (14)
• Victory Leader: Jim Palmer (21)
• Losses Leader: Mike Flanagan (15)
• Saves Leader: Don Stanhouse (24)
• Best ERA (starters): Jim Palmer (2.46)
• Best ERA (relievers): Don Stanhouse (2.89)
• Players who could have had 1978 Orioles cards (over 100 AB for position players, over 40 innings pitched for pitchers):
• Carlos Lopez (OF) (pictured with Seattle Mariners) : .238, 4 HR, 20 RBI in 129 games (193 AB)
• Joe Kerrigan (pictured with Montreal Expos) : 3-1, 3 saves, 4.77 ERA in 26 games (2 starts)

1978 Topps Baseball #65 - Ken Singleton

• Ken Singleton had surgery on his throwing elbow to remove bone chips before the 1978 season. Ken started the 1978 season hitting well for average (.341 at the end of April), but it took a while for him to hit with power. Singleton hit his first home run of the season on April 30 and had only three home runs at the end of May. Ken still had a good season, but not as good as 1977 (3rd in MVP voting) and 1979 (2nd in MVP voting).
• 1978 Stats: .293, 20 HR, 81 RBI
• 1978 Highlights:
• April 30 - Hit his first home run of the season and knocked in four runs in Baltimore's 8-7 win over the Chicago White Sox.
• June 4 - Went 3 for 4 with a home run and knocked in all four Oriole runs as Baltimore beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1.
• July 19 - Had four hits to help the Orioles beat the White Sox 10-3.

1978 Topps Baseball #36 - Eddie Murray

• Eddie Murray was on his first All Star team in 1978. Murray didn't play in the 1978 game, but he would be on seven more All Star teams in his career.
• Eddie had a slight improvement over his rookie 1977 season. His numbers in 1978 were VERY close to his career 162-game average.
• 1978 Stats: .285, 27 HR, 95 RBI in 161 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• May 10 - Hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Orioles a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox
• June 13  - Hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Orioles eventually beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 in 11 innings.
• Aug 3 - Hit a 2-out home run in the 10th inning to lift the Orioles to a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

1978 Topps Baseball #9 - Doug DeCinces

• Doug DeCinces had one of his best power years in 1978. Doug hit 28 home runs and had 37 doubles. He had to deal with comparisons with his predecessor Brooks Robinson and although he wasn't as good defensively, Doug's defense was above league average.
• 1978 Stats:
• .286, 28 HR, 80 RBI in 142 games
• 1978 Highlights:
• July 18 - Went 3 for 4 and knocked in three runs in Baltimore's 5-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.
• July 25 - Homered twice (including a grand slam) to lead the Orioles to a 7-6 win over the Texas Rangers
• Sept 9 - Started a triple play with runners on first and second on a sharp grounder by Rick Cerone. Doug fielded the ball, touched third, and then threw to 2B Rich Dauer. Dauer tagged second base and threw to 1B Eddie Murray to get Cerone.

1978 Topps Baseball #4 - Brooks Robinson '77 Record Breaker

• Here is one record that will be tough to break. Carl Yastrzemski tied the record in 1983, but he hung up his spikes and didn't break it. Derek Jeter is the active leader with 19 years with the New York Yankees (1995-2013).
• It's a nice touch for Topps to do a "goodbye card" for Brooks in 1978. A similar thing was done for Al Kaline in 1975.