177 - Bill Plummer

About This Player
Bill Plummer spent ten seasons in the Major Leagues.  Plummer made his big league debut with the Cubs, but spent most of his playing career catching with the Cincinnati Reds and backing up Johnny Bench. Plummer was a member for five of Cincinnati's playoff teams, including their two World Series wins, but never played in the World Series.  

Despite being a .188 hitter, Plummer had some big moments. In 1974, Plummer slammed two home runs in one game against Philadelphia's Steve Carlton. 

For more information on Plummer's career with the Reds:

Sports Illustrated - July 18, 1977 - Few Things Come To Him Who Waits

Plummer spent his final season with the Seattle Mariners in 1978. Plummer stayed with the Mariners coaching and managing throughout the minor league system.  Plummer became manager of the Seattle Mariners in 1992, but was fired after one season.  

Afterward, Plummer continued to manage in both independent and minor league baseball.  He joined the Arizona Diamondback system in 2000 and was last coaching in 2013 with the Single-A Visalia Rawhide.

About This Card
Although Plummer debuted with the Cubs in 1968, he did not have an appearance on a Topps card until five years later.

194 - Jorge Orta

About This Player
Jorge Orta enjoyed 16 seasons in the Major Leagues and eight of them with the Chicago White Sox.  Orta, born in Mexico, is the son of Pedro Orta, a Cuban-born outfielder who was a baseball superstar during his career in the Mexican League.  The younger Orta also turned down a basketball scholarship at UCLA to start his professional career in the Mexican League.

Orta was signed by the White Sox out of the Mexican League.  He made his Major League debut in 1972, although he spent much of the year with the Double-A Knoxville Sox.  Orta earned the starting second base position in 1973. Orta hit for a batting average of .316 in 1974 and finished second in the American League batting race to the Minnesota Twins' Rod Carew.  Orta earned the first of his two All-Star selections in 1975.

Orta signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians in 1980 and became the team's starting right fielder. Orta got six hits in a game on June 15, tying an American League record for most hits in a game.  (In the same game, Toby Harrah drove in seven runs in the 14-5 win over the Minnesota Twins.)  Orta was later selected to his second All-Star game.

For more information:

The Rochester Sentinel - June 16, 1980 - Toby Harrah and Jorge Orta lead Cleveland explosion

Orta would be traded later to the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays before arriving to the Kansas City Royals.  As a member of the Royals, Orta would become a platoon designated hitter sharing the role with Hal McRae. 

Orta became the center of a controversial blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series.  In the ninth inning, Orta coming in as a pinch hitter, would be called safe on a close play at first base.  Replays showed that the pitcher tagged the base before Orta reached, but the momentum would shift in the Royals' favor and the would win the game and the series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Orta played his final game with the Royals in 1987.

Orta was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

About This Card
Jorge Orta's 1973 Topps card is a true rookie card without any "Rookie" designation and long before Major League Baseball and Topps created the "Rookie Card" logo. There are a small number of rookie cards in the 1973 set without the "Rookie" designation.  Today, however, you will rarely see a rookie card go by without Topps making any mention of it.

133 - Dave Roberts

About This Player
Dave Roberts played in 10 Major League seasons and six with the San Diego Padres.  Roberts was also one of four players named "Dave Roberts" and one of two who played in 1973.

Roberts began his professional career as a phenom with high expectations placed upon him becoming the sixth player since the amateur draft was instated to go straight to the Majors without spending time in the minor leagues.  He was drafted out of the University of Oregon as the first pick overall in the June 1972 amateur draft.  He was signed to a big league contract later that month and made his debut that day entering in the 12th inning of second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Roberts spent most of the season at 3rd base, but was moved to 2nd when the Padres promoted Dave Hilton that September.

Roberts would begin 1973 as 2nd base, but was demoted to the minors after struggling in April.  After hitting successfully for the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders, Roberts was promoted back to the Majors and took over the starting third base position from a struggling Hilton.  Roberts posted his most successful numbers in 1973 hitting .286 with 21 home runs and 64 RBI.

However, Roberts would start to struggle the following year and the Padres would continue to have trouble finding their regular third baseman.  Roberts would lose the starting role to and win it again from Dave Hilton in 1974. He would also be replaced by Mike Ivie, a converted catcher, and win the job again in 1975.  Roberts would spend the entire 1976 season at Triple-A and return the following year as the Padres' backup catcher. 

As Roberts struggled offensively, he would expand his defensive flexibility by playing at other positions and, thus, extending his playing career.  Roberts would play his first games in the outfield in 1978.  He was traded to the Rangers and spend the next two seasons as their utility player.  Roberts would later play one season each with the Astros and Phillies before ending his career.

Roberts was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

About This Card
In his first Topps card, Dave Roberts is celebrated with the Topps All-Star Rookie Cup.  Considering the excitement surrounding rookies in today's sport card market, I wonder how much fan fare Dave Roberts received as a first overall pick entering the Majors immediately.

603 - Rookie Third Basemen (Terry Hughes / Bill McNulty / Ken Reitz)

About These Players
Terry Hughes was only in the big leagues briefly in three seasons.  Hughes played in only two games with a total of three at bats for the Chicago Cubs in 1970.  He returned to the Majors in 1973 with the St. Louis Cardinals with whom he spent only 11 games and spent 1974 in 41 games with the Boston Red Sox.

Bill McNulty played in a total of nine games with the Oakland A's in 1969 and 1972.  Though he was traded to the Texas Rangers in 1973, he never played a game on the big league roster.

Out of the three players, Ken Reitz had the most successful career.  Reitz made his big league debut in 1972 and earned the starting third base spot immediately after being called up.  In his 11-year career, Reitz played with the St. Louis Cardinals in eight of them.  Known for his defense, Reitz won the Gold Glove in 1975 and led all National League third basemen in fielding percentage in six seasons.  Reitz earned his only All-Star selection in 1980.

About This Card
Hughes, McNulty and Reitz all appear for their first times in the 1973 set.  Hughes appears as a Cub, even though he was on the Cardinals roster and appeared in some games in 1973.  McNulty was in the Rangers organization in 1973, but never played a game for Texas.

139 - Carmen Fanzone

About This Player
Carmen Fanzone enjoyed five seasons in the big leagues and four of them with the Chicago Cubs.  Fanzone made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1970 and played in 10 games that year.

Fanzone was traded the following year to the Cubs and responded with a home run in his first National League at-bat against Astros' pitcher, Ken Forsch.  He spent his tenure as a utility infielder and pinch hitter.  His best season came in 1972 in which he substituted for an injured Ron Santo at third base.  In his 86 games that year, Fanzone set career highs in home runs, RBIs and runs.

Also an accomplished trumpeter, Fanzone spent his nights after day games at Wrigley Field looking for gigs.  Occasionally, he played the National Anthem before Cubs home games.  After his playing career ended, Fanzone continued to pursue music professionally.

Currently, Fanzone works as a business representative for Professional Musicians Local 47 in Los Angeles, California.

For more information:
Los Angeles Times - July 3, 2011

About This Card
Although Carmen Fanzone made his Major League debut in 1970, he would not make his Topps debut until 1973.

469 - Dan Monzon

About This Player
Dan Monzon enjoyed only a brief career in the Major Leagues. Monzon was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1967.  He made his big league debut in 1972 and remained on the Twins roster for two seasons in a utility role.  Monzon was demoted back to the minor leagues in 1974, traded to the Montreal Expos organization and would remain in the minors through 1977.

Monzon started his next phase in baseball in 1978 as a minor league manager for the New York Mets organization. He later became a scout and covered Latin America for the Mets, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.  In 1995, the Boston Red Sox named Monzon their supervisor of Latin American scouting.

Monzon died tragically in an automobile accident the Dominican Republic in 1996 at the age of 49.

About This Card
Dan Monzon appeared in one of many shots that Topps photographers took at Yankee Stadium.

561 - Jim Geddes

About This Player
Jim Geddes pitched for the Chicago White Sox in 1972 and 1973.  Geddes pitched a total of 26 innings over the course of 11 games.  Despite the brief call-ups, Geddes spent most of his career in the minor leagues and would retire from baseball in 1975.

About This Card
Jim Geddes makes his only appearance on a Topps card in the 1973 set.

608 - Rookie Pitchers (Steve Busby / Dick Colpaert / George Medich)

About These Players
Steve Busby enjoyed eight seasons with the Kansas City Royals.  After his debut in 1972, Busby quickly became one of baseball's stars with two All-Star selections, a 20-win season in 1974 and two no-hitters.  However, Busby was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff in 1976.  He subsequently became the first player to undergo rotator cuff surgery.  While Busby was able to pitch for three more seasons after the surgery, he never regained his previous form and was out of the Majors after 1980.

Dick Colpaert played only one season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  In 1970, pitched a total of 10-1/3 innings over eight games.  Colpaert was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 1972 Rule 5 Draft, but never pitched a game for the Tribe.

George Medich spent 11 seasons in the big leagues and four with the New York Yankees.  Better known as "Doc," Medich received his nickname early in his career and while he was a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh.  By the end of his career, Medich played for seven different teams.

About This Card
Busby, Colpaert and Medich all appear for their first times in the 1973 set.  Colpaert appears his only time in a Topps set and not with a team he played with in the Major Leagues.

197 - Ed Goodson

About This Player
Ed Goodson played in eight seasons in the Major Leagues and six of those with the San Francisco Giants.  Goodson was drafted by the Giants in 1968 and made his big league debut in 1970.  Used primarily as a bench hitter and a backup first baseman and third baseman throughout his career, Goodson had his finest season in 1973 in which he started 93 games at third base and hit .302 with 12 HR and 53 RBI.  Goodson was traded to the Braves in 1975 and later traded the following year to the Dodgers, with whom he would play his last two seasons.

About This Card
Despite having played in three seasons previously, Goodson was featured on a Topps card for the first time in 1973.

181 - Jack Brohamer

About This Player
Jack Brohamer enjoyed eight seasons in the Major Leagues.  Brohamer made his big league debut with the Indians in 1972 and made an impact immediately and earning the starting job at second base.  Brohamer was even selected as the second baseman for the 1972 Topps All-Rookie Team.  However, his playing time would soon decline.  Brohamer eventually lost the starting job to Duane Kuiper in 1975 and was later traded to the White Sox after the season for Larvell Blanks.  Brohamer started the majority of his games in 1976 at second, but was used in a utility role the following year.  Brohamer later signed with the Red Sox and ended back up with the Indians before finishing his career.

About This Card
Brohamer appears to be tagged out by Orioles' second baseman, Bobby Grich.  (Of course, this is how a player would like to be immortalized on a Topps card.)  May 28, 1972, Brohamer hit 2-for-4 with a run scored.  In the third inning of that game, Indians' center fielder, Tommy McCraw, grounds to Grich, who tags out Brohamer and throws to Boog Powell at first to complete the double play.

610 - Rookie Pitchers (Jimmy Freeman / Charlie Hough / Hank Webb)

About These Players
Jimmy Freeman pitched very briefly with the Braves: 19 games in 1971 and 1972.  Otherwise, Freeman spent eight years in the minors before and after his short call up.

Charlie Hough enjoyed the lengthiest career out of these three and lengthier than nearly all players who played in the Majors: 25 seasons.  Hough, well known for his knuckleball, started his career with the Dodgers and pitched mostly in relief.  He pitched 11 seasons with the Dodgers and did get postseason in the Dodgers' three World Series losses in 1974, 1977 and 1978.  Hough joined the Rangers in 1980 and was soon converted to a starter.  He pitched another 11 seasons with the Rangers, including an All-Star selection in 1986.  Hough pitched two seasons with the White Sox and another two seasons with the Marlins before retiring.

Hank Webb spent six seasons in the Majors, although bouncing in and out of the minors throughout his career.  Webb made his best league debut with the Mets in 1972.  His best season was in 1975 in which he pitched 115 innings with 7-6 record and 4.07 ERA.  Webb final in his final big league season in 1977 with the Dodgers.

About This Card
Charlie Hough is the last player from this set to retire and one of two players in this set who appears in his last regular-issue Topps card as late as 1994.  (Nolan Ryan also appears in the 1994 Topps set.)

Freeman and Webb both appear for their first time in a Topps set in 1973.  Hough previous appears in the 1972 set.

33 - Jim Breazeale

About This Player
Jim Breazeale spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues with a few brief stints in the Majors.  Breazeale was drafted in the first round of the 1968 amateur draft.  He made his big league debut in 1969 at the age of 19 and played in three games that season.  He returned to the big leagues in 1971 and played in ten games.  Breazeale remained on the Braves' roster for the entire 1972 season used primarily as a pinch hitter and a backup first baseman.  Breazeale would remain in the minors until 1978 when he was drafted by the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft.  He would see only minor playing time with the White Sox.

About This Card
The cartoon states that Jim Breazeale is the backup first baseman to Hank Aaron.  Breazeale played 16 games at first base and was used more often as a pinch hitter.  Teammate, Orlando Cepeda, played more at first, 22 games, before he was traded to the A's.

This card is Breazeale's only Topps card.

537 - Bill Slayback

About This Player
Bill Slayback enjoyed a very brief pitching career with the Detroit Tigers from 1972 through 1974.

Slayback is better known as the voice behind the song, Move Over Babe.  Recorded in 1973 and written by long-time sports broadcaster, Ernie Harwell, the song celebrates Hank Aaron's journey toward baseball's home run record.

For more information:
Move Over Babe (Here Come Henry)

About This Card
This card is Bill Slayback's only Topps card.

The cartoon about Slayback's skill outside of baseball is an understatement.  In the book, Hank Aaron and the Home Run that Changed America, author Tom Stanton described Slayback's many talents.

Slayback who provided the music, was something of a Renaissance man. He sang, played numerous instruments, painted, sketched, and made furniture.

616 - Rookie Pitchers (Norm Angelini / Steve Blateric / Mike Garman)

About These Players
Norm Angelini pitched just over 19 innings in relief in 28 games with the Kansas City Royals in 1972 and 1973.   Except for his brief stay in the big leagues, Angelini was a career minor leaguer with a 13 year career spread among the Royals, Braves and Expos minor league systems.

Steve Blateric had very brief call ups with the Reds in 1971, Yankees in 1972 and Angels in 1975.   Also a career minor leaguer, Blateric spent 13 seasons with six different organizations.

Mike Garman enjoyed nine Major League seasons.  Garman made his big league debut with the Red Sox in 1969 and had bounced in and out of the minors for a spot start early in his career.  In 1973, Garman was established as a Major League reliever and remained with the big league club the entire season.  Garman was traded to the Cardinals in 1974, traded to the Cubs in 1976, traded to the Dodgers in 1977 and traded to the Expos in the middle of the 1978 season.

About This Card
Steve Blateric appears in an airbrushed Yankees uniform (notice no "NEW YORK" on the chest as well as the funky "NY" logo on the cap) although he only appeared in one game for the Yankees and never played in the Yankees minor league system.  The Yankees acquired Blateric in a conditional deal with the Reds late in 1972.  Blateric was returned to the Reds in the spring of 1973.

Angelini and Blateric both appear for their only time in a Topps set in 1973.  Garman is seen for the third time in a Topps set with appearances in 1971 and 1972.

606 - Rookie Outfielders (Gary Matthews / Tom Paciorek / Jorge Roque)

About These Players
Gary Matthews enjoyed 16 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Giants, Braves, Phillies, Cubs and Mariners.  Matthews was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1973 with the Giants and selected to the All-Star Game in 1979 with the Braves.  His son, Gary Jr., last played in the Major Leagues for the Mets in 2010.

Tom Paciorek enjoyed 18 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Dodgers, Braves, Mariners, White Sox, Mets and Rangers.  His finest season came in the strike-shortened season of 1981 with the Mariners in which he hit .326 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs and was selected as an All-Star.  His brothers, John and Jim each saw playing time in the Majors very briefly.

Jorge Roque played in 65 games over four Major League seasons.  Roque played for the Cardinals from 1970 through 1972.  He was traded to the Expos prior to the 1973 season for veteran catcher, Tim McCarver.  Roque played his last game in the Majors in 1973.

About This Card
Matthews appears on a Topps first for the first time in the 1973 set.  Paciorek appears for the first time in the 1971 set while Roque appears for the first time in the 1972 set.

451 - John Vukovich

About This Player
John Vukovich enjoyed ten seasons in the Major Leagues and two of them with the Milwaukee Brewers.  Vukovich began and ended his career with the Phillies and played as a utility infielder and later as a coach.

Vukovich passed away on March 8, 2007.

About This Card
Why does this portrait show only the bottom of the bill of his cap?  Vukovich was traded from the Phillies to the Brewers prior to the 1973 season.  In this case, it must have been very convenient to use this photo instead of having to airbrush an "M" logo on his cap.

Also, having made his Major League debut in 1970, Vukovich had not yet been featured on a Topps card until this set.

601 - Rookie Catchers (Sergio Robles / George Pena / Rick Stelmaszek)

About These Players
Sergio Robles played only 16 games over three seasons.  Robles came to the Orioles as part of a trade that sent Frank Robinson to the Dodgers in 1971.  Robles was called up briefly the Orioles in 1972 and 1973 and again in 1976 for the Dodgers.

George Pena was a career minor league catcher with seven different organizations, but never broke in with a Major League club

Rick Stelmaszek played in three seasons with three different teams starting with the Washington Senators who moved to the Texas Rangers.  Stelmaszek has most of his Major League success as a bullpen coach and is currently in his 30th year as a coach with the Minnesota Twins.

About This Card
Topps included a subset of rookie cards featuring three players.  The rookie cards featuring multiple players had been a regular feature in all of Topps sets to include players who had either appeared briefly in the Major Leagues or were expected to appear.  Add in that these cards only appear in the last series of the 1973 set and these rookie card experience an inflated demand.  Robles and Pena appear on a Topps card for the first time in 1973 while Stelmaszek had appeared in the 1970 Topps set.