- This was a down year for Toby Harrah. Harrah started the season at third base, but he moved to shortstop in August when Bert Campaneris was unable to keep his batting average above the Mendoza line. Toby also had offensive struggles and had his lowest batting average as a regular player.
- After the 1978 season Harrah was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Buddy Bell.
- 1978 Stats: .229, 12 HR, 59 RBI in 139 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- June 1 - Hit a grand slam in the Rangers' 10-7 win over the Minnesota Twins
- July 13 - Went 3 for 5 with 2 HR, 3 runs scored, and 5 RBI as the Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 12-7.
- Bill Atkinson was signed by the Montreal Expos on his 17th birthday in 1971. The Canadian right hander was in the minors for the next four years. Bill was short for a pitcher (5'7", 165 pounds).
- Bill pitched for the AAA Denver Bears in 1976. At the end of the season he was called up to the Expos and pitched five scoreless innings in four September games.
- Atkinson spent the entire 1977 season with the Expos. He had a 7-2 record with 7 saves and had a 3.35 ERA in 55 appearances.
- Bill started the 1978 season with Montreal. He was sent to Denver in late June after a groin injury and spent two months there as he recovered from his injury. Atkinson was recalled in September and finished the season with the Expos. Bill was 2-2 with 3 saves and had a 4.37 ERA in 29 games in Montreal and was 1-3\with 6 saves and had a 7.41 ERA in 23 games with Denver.
- In 1979 Atkinson didn't make the Montreal club and was in Denver for most of the season. Bill was recalled in September and pitched well (2-0, 1 save, 1.98 ERA in 10 games) down the stretch as the Expos were in a pennant race with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- After the 1979 season Atkinson was purchased by the Chicago White Sox. He spent the next four seasons (1980-1983) in the minors but never made it back to the major leagues. Bill was a player-coach in 1982 and in 1983.
- After his professional career Atkinson returned to Chatham, Ontario and pitched in senior baseball leagues until 1999.
- 1978 Stats:
- Montreal Expos: 2-2, 3 saves, 4.37 ERA in 29 games
- Denver Bears (AAA): 1-3, 6 saves, 7.41 ERA in 23 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- April 15 - Earned the victory by pitching three scoreless innings as the Expos beat the New York Mets 4-3 in 11 innings.
- June 7 - Pitched three scoreless innings and got the save as the Expos beat the San Diego Padres 4-0.
- Sept 4 - Made his first major league appearance since June 28 and earned the save in Montreal's 6-5, 10 inning victory over the Chicago Cubs.
- Jorge Orta was the starting second baseman for the Chicago White Sox for most of the 1978 season. Orta left a game in the 5th inning on September 1 and didn't play for the rest of the season.
- Jorge was a good offensive second baseman, but he wasn't exactly known for good glovework. He had below average fielding percentages and range factors for most of his career. This was Orta's last year as a regular second baseman -- he was used a lot as a designated hitter in 1979 and later was moved to the outfield.
- 1978 Stats: .274, 13 HR, 53 RBI
- 1978 Highlights:
- Burt Hooton had his best season in 1978. He won 19 games and finished second in NL Cy Young Award balloting.
- 1978 Stats:
- Regular Season: 19-10, 2.71 ERA in 32 starts
- NL Championship Series: 0-0, 7.71 ERA in 1 start
- World Series: 1-1, 6.48 ERA in 2 starts
- 1978 Highlights:
- Aug 6 - Pitched a four hitter as the Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 5-1. The Dodger win knocked the Giants out of first place in the NL West.
- Sept 12 - Shut out the Giants 8-0 in the Dodgers' final game of the season against their rivals. The Dodger win put them six games ahead of the Giants and 6 1/2 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds with 17 games to play.
- Oct 11 - Allowed three runs in six innings and earned the win as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-3 in game 2 of the World Series.
- Carl Yastrzemski had back problems and a bout with bronchitis during the 1978 season, but he still managed to play in 144 games. Carl was elected to start in the 1978 All Star Game, but he declined in order to rest his ailing back.
- I like the little plaques that indicate the player was an All Star. They look better than the "banner" style that Topps sometimes used.
- 1978 Stats: .277, 17 HR, 81 RBI in 144 games
- 1978 Highlights:
- May 14 - Went 3 for 5 with a run and two RBI in Boston's 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.
- June 17 - Grounded a bases loaded single through a drawn in infield in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the game. The Red Sox came from behind to beat the Seattle Mariners 5-4.
- Sept 6 - Hit a 2-run home run for the only runs in the game as the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-0.
- Floyd Bannister was originally drafted by the Oakland A's in 1973. Bannister had led his high school (Kennedy High School in Washington) to the state championship by going 15-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Floyd decided to attend Arizona State University instead (an interesting article about the 1976 Sun Devils is here) and eventually was the first player chosen in the 1976 draft. Bannister spent only one season (1976) in the minor leagues before making the Houston staff in 1977.
- Bannister was 8-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) in his rookie season.
- Floyd had a tougher time of it in 1978. He was used as a fifth starter and a reliever for the first six weeks of the season. Bannister was in the starting rotation from mid-May until mid-July and then was a reliever for the rest of the year.
- After the 1978 season Bannister was traded to the Seattle Mariners for shortstop Craig Reynolds. Floyd spent four season with the Mariners. He was 10-15 with a 4.05 ERA in 30 starts for the Mariners in 1979.
- Bannister had a better year in 1980, although his W-L record didn't reflect it. Floyd was 9-13 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts.
- In 1981 Floyd had his first .500 or better season. Bannister was 9-9 with a 4.45 ERA in 21 games (20 starts)
- One of Floyd's best seasons was in 1982. Bannister made the AL All Star team (he pitched a scoreless 5th inning), led the league with 209 strikeouts, and went 12-13 with a 3.43 ERA in 35 starts. After the season Bannister became a free agent and signed with the Chicago White Sox.
- Bannister had a better year in 1983. He had a 16-10 record with a 3.35 ERA in 34 starts as the White Sox won the AL West. Floyd started game 2 of the AL Championship series and took the loss as Chicago was shut out 4-0.
- Floyd spent the next four seasons as a starting pitcher for the White Sox. He had records of:
- 14-11, 4.83 ERA in 1984
- 10-14, 4.87 ERA in 1985
- 10-14, 3.54 ERA in 1986
- 16-11, 3.58 ERA in 1987
- After the 1987 season Bannister was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Greg Hibbard, Melido Perez, John Davis, and a minor leaguer.
- In 1988 Floyd was 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA in 31 starts.
- Bannister's 1989 season was cut short by a rotator cuff injury in June. Floyd had shoulder surgery in late June and missed the rest of the season. Bannister ended up with a 4-1 record and a 4.66 ERA in 14 starts.
- Floyd was told after the season that the Royals would not pick up his option for 1990. Bannister ended up pitching for the Yakult Swallows in Japan in 1990.
- Bannister signed with the California Angels for the 1991 season. Floyd was used as a reliever and had a tough time (0-0, 3.96 ERA in 13 games). He was sent to Class A Palm Springs in early August and was 0-3 with one save and had a 6.59 ERA in 7 games. Bannister was released on August 29.
- Floyd was invited to spring training by the Texas Rangers in 1992. Bannister made the team and was mainly used as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. Floyd was 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA in 36 games. Bannister was released on August 13 and retired.
- Here is a "where are they now" article from 2006.
- Here is a video of Bannister talking about his time with the 1983 White Sox.
- 1978 Stats: 3-9, 4.81 ERA in 28 games (16 starts)
- 1978 Highlights:
- Willie Montanez went to the New York Mets as part of that huge 4-team trade on December 8, 1977. Montanez led the Mets in home runs and in RBI. Willie led NL first basemen in assists in 1978.
- 1978 Stats: .256, 17 HR, 96 RBI in 159 games
- 1978 Highlights:
