639 - Willie Crawford

About This Player
Willie Crawford played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues and 12 of them with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A high school standout in baseball, football, and track, Crawford was signed two days after graduation by Tom Lasorda, who was a Dodger scout at the time. All 20 Major League teams were interested in the left-handed hitting Crawford, but the Los Angeles native signed with this hometown Dodgers for a $100,000 bonus.

Crawford made his Major League debut in 1964 at the age of 18.  Because of the "bonus baby" rule in place before the amateur draft was instituted, Crawford spent the entire 1965 season on the Dodgers roster though he only had 27 at bats. Crawford spent the next three seasons mostly in the minors though he was finally established as a big league outfielder in the middle of the 1968 season.

Although he never became the superstar the Dodgers hoped he would be, Crawford hit very well against right-handed pitching and was cast as a platoon player during his tenure. His finest season came in 1973 in which Crawford hit .295 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI; he hit .325 against righties while batting .205 against lefties in that season.  Crawford played his final two seasons, through a number of trades, with the Cardinals, Astros, and A's.  The Dodgers signed Crawford for spring training in 1978, but was released before the regular season began.

Crawford spent 1978 and 1979 playing in the Mexican League before retiring from baseball at age 32.

Crawford passed away August 27, 2004 from kidney disease at age 57.

About This Card
Willie Crawford struggled against left-handed pitching throughout most of his career hitting 50 points higher against righties: .275 vs. righties and .225 vs. lefties.  However, his Topps card highlights the one season in which Crawford hit much significantly better against left-handers.  In 1971, Crawford his .377 against lefties and .263 against righties.

324 - Al Downing

About This Player
Al Downing enjoyed 17 seasons as a Major League pitcher and his last seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Downing made his big league debut with the New York Yankees in 1961 and spent his first nine seasons with the team.  He earned his only All-Star appearance in 1967.  He was traded to the Oakland A's to start the 1970 season and finished that season traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.

After a dismal 1970 season in which he pitched to 5-13 record, Downing was traded to the Dodgers.  He responded to the trade with only 20 win season, five National League leading shutouts and the National League Comback Player of the Year Award.  Downing also finished third in the Cy Young balloting behind Ferguson Jenkins and Tom Seaver.

Downing is also known for giving up Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974.  Despite this, Downing made his third post-season appearance with a Dodgers team that lost to the Oakland A's in the World Series.

Downing pitched in his final game in 1977.

About This Card
I wonder if Topps drew their pitcher silhouette based on Al Downing or if Al Downing was asked to pose like the silhouette.

490 - Claude Osteen

About This Player
Claude Osteen pitched 18 seasons for six different teams.  Osteen made his Major League debut with the Reds in 1957.  However, the greatest portion of his career was spent with the Dodgers.  During his nine seasons in Los Angeles, Osteen won 20 games twice and was selected to the All-Star Game three times.  Showing himself to be a workhorse, about one third of his games were complete games and a third of those were shutouts.  He proved his value in two World Series with an 0.86 ERA in 21 innings, including a complete game shutout in Game 3 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins.

About This Card
Osteen received the nickname "Gomer" due to his resemblance to Gomer Pyle from the TV series.  Do you see a resemblance?

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.

621 - Joe Ferguson

About This Player
Joe Ferguson spent 14 seasons as a Major League catcher and right fielder and 11 of them with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Ferguson made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 1970 and bounced in and out of the minors through 1972.

Ferguson played his first full season with the Dodgers in 1973.  That year, he was the starting catcher and had his finest season hitting .263 with 25 home runs and 88 RBI and led the National League in sacrifice flies.  Ferguson also provided to be a defensive asset by leading the league on fielding percentage for a catcher and setting a Major League record for fewest errors by a catcher in a season.

The following year, Steve Yeager took over the majority of the catching duties and Ferguson split time at catcher and right field.  While Ferguson was known for his strong arm behind the plate, he used it well in right.  In the 8th inning of Game 1 of the 1974 World Series with Sal Bando on third ready to tag up, Reggie Jackson hit a fly ball to center field as Jim Wynn camped under it.  Charging from right field, Ferguson cut in front of Wynn to catch the ball and heaved the throw to the Yeager to get Bando out at home.  In Game 2, Ferguson hit a two-run homer off of A's pitcher, Vida Blue, to give the Dodgers their only win in the series.

Ferguson was later traded to the Cardinals in 1976, to the Astros in 1977 and back to the Dodgers in 1978.  He was released by the Dodgers in 1981 and signed by the Angels, with whom he would play two more seasons before his final game in 1983.

After his playing days had ended, Ferguson had coached at various levels of professional baseball.

About This Card
While the 1973 card was only his second card, Topps alludes to an early event that could have possibly lead to a prestigious career.  In 1971, Ferguson hit a 9th inning home run against Luke Walker to spoil his chance to become the first Pirate pitcher to throw a no-hitter.

442 - Dick Dietz

About This Player
Dick Dietz played eight seasons as a big league catcher.  Dietz, nicknamed "The Mule," made his Major League debut with the Giants in 1966 and remained in San Francsico for six seasons.  He was an All-Star in 1970 and a key member of the 1971 National League West Division championship team.

Dietz may be best known for his role in an umpire's controversial decision.  On May 31, 1968 at Dodger Stadium, Dietz had come to the plate in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and no outs to face Don Drysdale, who had pitched 44 consecutive scoreless innings at this point.  With a 2-2 count, Dietz is hit on the elbow with Drysdale's pitch.  With a hit by pitch, Dietz would have taken first base and the Giants would have scored the run and ended Drysdale's streak.  However, the home plate umpire ruled that Dietz did not attempt to avoid the pitch and was not given the base.  Dietz returned to the plate and hit a fly ball out.  Drysdale retired the next two batters to win his fifth consecutive shutout and continue his streak.  Drysdale eventually pitched 58-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, a Major League record at that time.

Prior to the 1972 season, Dietz was placed on waivers and his contract was purchased by the Dodgers.  Because of a broken finger early in the season, Dietz only played 27 games for the Dodgers.  His contract was sold to Atlanta the following season, where Dietz became member of a Braves' "F-Troop" bench brigade.

For whatever reasons, whether concerns about his decline performance or his involvement in the players' union, Dietz was not offered a contract in 1974 and force to retire at the age of 32.

Deitz died on June 27, 2005 from a heart attack.

About This Card
Despite Dietz years with the Giants and his success in 1970 and 1971, I can imagine it might have been hard for Giants' fans to see him in Dodger Blue.

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.

126 - Jim Brewer

About This Player
Jim Brewer enjoyed 17 seasons in the Major Leagues, including 12 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, three World Series appearances and an All-Star selection in 1973.  Brewers has 132 saves throughout his career, including 125 with the Dodgers.  Brewer appears in 474 games for the Dodgers, the third most in club history behind Don Sutton and Don Drysdale.  Brewer, with advice from Warren Spahn, developed a screwball to become one of the National League's most effective relievers in his time.

Brewer is probably best known for an incident during his rookie season with Billy Martin.  Linked below is an article from The Milwaukee Journal about the incident:
Baseball Must Share Martin's Guilt In The Jim Brewer Incident

Brewer died in 1987 from injuries resulting from a car accident the day before his 50th birthday.

"You have to take good care of yourself. But the big thing is not losing your interest. A lot of guys I 've known have just gotten tired of the lifestyle and given up on themselves. I've had two operations on my arm and I've had back problems. It would have been easy for me to quit, but I haven't. That's because I feel like I want to play baseball all my life."
- Jim Brewer

About This Card
I did not know much about Jim Brewer before writing this entry.  I find the fun facts on the backs of the cards interesting and the fact about Brewer led me into more research, including his tie-in to Warren Spahn and, despite the Billy Martin incident, Brewer was able to enjoy a lengthy career in baseball.