38 - Mike Epstein

About This Player
Mike Epstein played nine seasons in the Major Leagues and two of them with the Oakland A's.  While playing for the Stockton Ports of the California League in 1965, Epstein was given the nickname "Super Jew" by rival coach, Rocky Bridges, after hitting a home run over the light tower in center field; Epstein would go on to lead the California League in batting average and home runs and earn the MVP for the league.

Epstein made his Major League debut in 1966 for the Baltimore Orioles with whom he played only six games.  When Epstein was demoted back to the minors, Epstein refused to report and was later traded to the Washington Senators.  Epstein had his finest season in 1969 in which he hit .278 with 30 home runs and 85 RBI in the reconstituted Senators' only winning season.

Epstein joined the Oakland A's when he was traded, along with pitcher, Darold Knowles, from the Rangers in May 1971.  In 1972, Epstein hit 26 home runs, third in the American League, for the World Champion A's.  During the playoffs, Epstein wore a black armband in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered during the Munich Olympics; teammates Ken Holtzman and Reggie Jackson also wore black armbands.

Epstein was traded to the Texas Rangers in 1973 and traded again mid-season to the California Angels.

“The reason I got traded from Oakland was because there was an altercation in the clubhouse in Texas. Reggie (Jackson) was spouting off, doing dumb things…and I wound up going over and knocking him out. He was unconscious on the floor…club owner Charlie Finley…got me on the phone and said, ‘I ought to trade you.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘You’re the bad apple.’ I said, ‘I would think that you would go and ask the other guys on the team. The bad apple is unconscious on the floor in the clubhouse.”
- Mike Epstein, Matzoh Balls and Baseballs

Epstein was inducted into the United States National Jewish Hall of Fame in 2004.  He ranks sixth all-time in home runs among Jewish Major Leaguers.

Currently, he runs the Mike Epstein Hitting school.

For more information:
Mike Epstein | Jewish Baseball News

About This Card
While Mike Epstein had already been an established Major League veteran in 1973, he's barely featured on the front of his own baseball card.  Epstein, shown in the bottom right, is holding Jim Spencer at first base.

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.

274 - Darold Knowles

About This Player
Darold Knowles played in 16 big leagues seasons with seven different clubs.  Knowles was traded to the A's in 1971 and became the set-up man for Rollie Fingers.  Knowles missed the 1972 World Series because of an injured finger.  However, he pitched in all seven games of the World Series in 1973, the first pitcher to appear in all seven games of any World Series.

Knowles was also known for his defensive, leading the American League in range factor in 1972 and picking off runners at a rate of one per 24 innings; one of the highest rates in Major League history.

About This Card
Darold Knowles is shown sporting the mustache that became a signature trait for the 1972 Oakland A's.  The mustaches started when Reggie Jackson showed up to spring training that season sporting a mustache.  A's owner, Charlie Finley, did not like the mustache, but also did not want to confront Jackson.  Finley wanted the rest of the team to start growing mustache so that Jackson might feel less individualist and shave his off.  However, as other players started to follow Jackson's lead, Finley began to like the look and encourage the rest of the team, as well as manager, Dick Williams, to grow mustaches.  By Father's Day, all 25 players on the roster were sporting mustaches.

Knowles continued to sport the mustache after his days with the A's at least until he was photographed for his 1980 Topps card.

For more information:
Thirty Years Ago... Birth of the Mustache Gang