1970 Topps: card # 5

Maurice Wesley Parker; the first legitimate "star" that appears in this set as card number 5. Playing first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers for nine years, six consecutive gold gloves (1967 thru 1972 and one World Series ring (1965) is only part of his story.

Parker had a career batting average of .267 had 1110 hits, 64 HR's while driving in 470 runs. His best offensive year was in 1970 playing in a league leading 161 games, batting .319 with 111 RBI's and 47 doubles; coming in 5th in MVP voting that year as well. Defensively, Parker was phenomenal; not only those six gold gloves but he had a career fielding percentage of .996 ! In 2007, Parker was named to the Major League Baseball All-Time Gold Glove Team, being the only eligible member of the team who is not in the Hall of Fame.

Parker was part of a string of outstanding first baseman for the Dodgers, being sandwiched between Gil Hodges and Steve Garvey.

In typical Topps fashion for 1970 , the back of his card notes a non-baseball factoid stating that Parker "is an excellent bridge player".

Interesting to note is that after his life in baseball, Parker had a successful stint as an actor, about 12 years worth. He might be most known (in the crowd aged under 30) as "that ballplayer" that appeared in a Brady Bunch episode promising Greg Brady "two tickets to a game if he gets an A in math". He also had appearances in several other show including being the "star" in All that Glitters a show that ran in 1977.

A star on and off the field . . . . Wes Parker the first "star"card of 1970.

What was Topps thinking ?

In the past six weeks, since starting this blog, I have read hundreds of posts and have learned so much about card collecting that my personal collection has taken on a new life of its own. I am now looking at my cards differently (with a more tuned mind and closer eye) yet with the same interest and passion I have aways had for the game of baseball and the cards of yesterday.

Many of you have taught me to look at cards with this question: what were they thinking ?

So in my thumbing through my 1973 cards I noticed two that stand out.

What was Topps thinking . . .

This is a Steve Garvey card yet his face is completely in the shadows and Wes Parker stands taller and closer. Yes Garvey probably just hit a homerun (he only hit nine in 1972) and as he approaches home plate is being congratulated but Steve Garvey deserves better. Ok, he did not really come into his own until 1974, winning the NL MVP and 8 straight gold gloves at first base from 1974-1981 but still . . . couldn't Topps come up with a better picture ?

and then there is Jim Kaat

. . . a twenty-five year major league career as a left handed pitcher, winning 283 games and earning 16 (yes sixteen) consecutive gold glove awards from 1962 - 1977. Here is Jim Kaat . . . hitting ? Probably watching one of his 2 HR's he hit in 1972. Kaat was a "great" hitting pitcher and did hit 16 career round-trippers so I guess in 1973 Topps decided it was time to showcase his "power" not his pitching or fielding.

Just my question of the day: What was Topps thinking ?