486 - Danny Ozark MGR

About This Manager
Danny Ozark spent eight seasons as a Major League manager and seven of them with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1973 to 1979.  Before arriving to the big leagues, Ozark spent 19 seasons in the Dodgers' minor league system.  Ozark joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965 as a coach on Walter Alson's staff and served for eight seasons until he was hired to manage the Phillies.

Ozark was hired by the Phillies in 1973 and took over a team that was in last place the previous season.  Ozark led the team to a last place finish in 1973, but improved the ball club in the following years.  Ozark led the Phillies team that included Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton in 1976 to a club record 101 wins and to three straight first place finishes in the National League East from 1976 to 1978.  However, the Phillies would lose in three straight NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Phillies acquired Pete Rose for the 1979 season, but a disappointing record led to Ozark's dismissal on August 31 of that year.

Ozark would again become a Major League manager in 1984 taking over the Giants after Frank Robinson's dismissal.

Ozark died in 2009 at the age of 85.

About This Card
In addition to Danny Ozark, this card also features C.B. Beringer (career minor league pitcher), Bill DeMars (who played briefly for the A's and Browns), Ray Rippelmeyer (who played briefly for the Senators) and Bobby Wine (former Phillies and Expos shortstop for 12 seasons).

202 - N.L. Playoffs

About This Playoff Series
The 1972 National League Championship Series paired the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Cincinnati Reds.  In a five-game series, the first two games were played in Three Rivers Stadium and the final three at Riverfront Stadium.  This series went back and forth through the first four game until the pinnacle of the match in the final game.  This series would also be the last on-field appearance of Roberto Clemente.

Game 5 would prove to be one of the most memorable games in postseason history.  The Pirates took the early 2-0 lead with an doubel from Richie Hebner to score Manny Sanguillen and a single right after from Dave Cash to score Hebner.  The Reds would drive in a run in the third inning off of a double from Pete Rose to score Darrel Chaney.  Reds starting pitcher, Don Gullett would be knocked out of the game at the beginning of the 4th inning and Cash would single to score Sanguillen.  Cesar Geronimo would hit a home run in the 5th inning off of Pirates starter, Steve Blass, to cut the Pittsburgh lead at 3-2.

However, the Pirates brought in closer, Dave Guisti in the bottom of the 9th and Pittsburgh would collapse.  Johnny Bench hit a lead off home run tie the game.  Right after, Guisti gave us consecutive hits to Tony Perez and Denis Menke.  George Foster was brought in to pinch-run for Perez and Bob Moose was brought in to relieve Guisti.  Foster would advance to third base on a sacrifice fly from Geronimo.  Moose would retire Chaney with a pop up for the second out.  With pinch-hitter, Hal McRae, at the place, Moose would throw a wild pitch and Foster would score the winning run to end the game and advance the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series.

About This Card
The photograph shows the final play of the series: George Foster after scoring the winning run with Pete Rose and third base coach, Alex Grammas, out to congratulate.

471 - All-Time Hit Leader (Ty Cobb)

About This Player
Ty Cobb, also known as "The Georgia Peach", enjoyed an illustrious 24-year career with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics.  Throughout his career, Cobb won 11 batting titles, led the American League in hits eight times, won one Triple Crown in 1909 and a Most Valuable Player award in 1911.  At one time, Cobb held the all-time records for nearly every major batting category, including batting average, hits, and runs scored.  Cobb also managed the Tigers while as a player for six seasons.  Cobb was one of five charter members of the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted in 1936.

Ty Cobb had held of the record for career hits for 62 years until the record was broken by Pete Rose in 1985.

For more information about Ty Cobb:
The Official Web Site of Ty Cobb

About This Card
Ty Cobb is shown with a total of 4,191 hits.  In 1981, however, The Sporting News reported that a historian from the Society of American Baseball Researchers (SABR) discovered that Ty Cobb was awarded two hits too many in 1910 and that his true hit total was 4,189.  With Pete Rose in the midst of reaching Cobb's record, Major League Baseball had ignored overwhelming proof that a mistake was made.  Announced by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn at the time, "The passage of 70 years, in our judgment, constitutes a certain statute of limitation as to recognizing any changes."  Cobb's official total of 4,191 hits remains today, while most baseball encyclopedias and record books use 4,189.

495 - Tommy Helms

About This Player
Tommy Helms enjoyed 14 big league seasons, including four with the Houston Astros.  Helms made his Major League debut in 1964 with the Cincinnati Reds.  Helms won the National League Rookie of the Year.  With the Reds, he was a two-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner.  Helms joined the Astros as part of a ten-player trade that sent the future Hall of Fame second baseman, Joe Morgan, to the Reds.  Helms later played with the Pirates and the Red Sox to close out his playing career.

Helms served as a coach on Pete Rose's staff when Rose was named manager of the Reds in 1984.  Helms served briefly as the Reds' manager in 1988 while Rose was serving a 30-game suspension and, again, in 1989 after Rose accepted placement on baseball's ineligible list after his accusations of gambling.

About This Card
Trying to pick out the locations of the pictures on the cards in this set is a challenge for me.  I assume the picture is at a Spring Training park somewhere.  While Spring Training ballparks have changed dramatically since 1973, the ballpark still resembles many minor league ballparks today.