283 - Ray Sadecki

About This Player

Ray Sadecki had an 18-year career in Major League Baseball and played six years with the New York Mets. Sadecki made his big league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on May 19, 1960 at the age of 19. Sadecki played in seven seasons with the Cardinals before we was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1966. He was traded again to the New York Mets before the start of the 1970 season.

Sadecki was a member of the Mets pitching staff from 1970 through 1974. He played the role of a swingman: pitching mostly in relief, but making the occasional spot start. As part of a pitching staff in 1973 that included Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Jon Matlack in the rotation, Sadecki helped the Mets come back from being nine games behinds the Chicago Cubs in the standings to win the National League East Division and, eventually, the National League Championship. Sadecki pitched in four games of the seven-game World Series and earned the save in Game 4, but the Mets ultimately lost the series to the Oakland A's.

Sadecki bounced between different teams late in his career. He was traded in 1975 and returned to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was traded again in 1975 to the Atlanta Braves and later to the Kansas City Royals. He was released by the Royals in 1976 and signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. Sadecki joined the New York Mets again in 1977, but was released after pitching in four games.

In 2002, Catholic Charities of Kansas City and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund renovated a baseball field and renamed it in honor of Sadecki, who is also a Kansas City native.

Sadecki was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

About This Card
The back of Ray Sadecki's card highlights his achievement of 19 career shutouts. He finished his career with 20 shutout with the last one earned in 1974 with the Mets.

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.

271 - Tom Hutton

About This Player
Tom Hutton played in 12 big leagues seasons and six of them with the Philadelphia Phillies.  Hutton spent seven years in the Dodgers' minor league system, where he was a two-time minor league MVP, with brief call ups in 1966 and 1969.  Hutton was later traded to the Phillies for Larry Hisle and moved straight to the Major League roster in 1972.  Hutton was a reserve first baseman, emergency outfielder and left-handed pinch hitter, although he might be best known for his uncanny ability to hit off of perennial Cy Young Award winner and Hall of Famer, Tom Seaver; in 62 plate appearances against Seaver, Hutton hit .320 with three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 walks.  After six seasons, Hutton played half of a season with the Blue Jays and finished his last four seasons with the Expos.

Hutton went into broadcasting after his playing career ended and currently works at the Florida Marlins' color analyst.

About This Card
Hutton is seen here in a fairly new Veterans Stadium.  The Phillies played their first game in Veterans Stadium in 1971 and would play there for 33 seasons before moving to their current ballpark, Citizens Bank Park.

502 - Bobby Valentine

About This Player
Bobby Valentine enjoyed ten seasons as a utility infielder and outfielder for five different clubs.  Valentine made his Major League debut in 1969 with the Dodgers; in the season, Valentine had only been brought in as a pinch-runner in five different games.  Valentine remained in the big leagues in 1971 and started in five different positions that year.

Valentine was traded to the Angels in 1973, though his season was shortened from a multiple compound leg fracture when his spikes got caught in the chain link fence at Anaheim Stadium while attempting to catch a home run ball hit by Dick Green.  Though the injury robbed him of his speed, Valentine returned the following season and played in 117 games and made 414 plate appearances, the second most of his career.

Just before the end of the 1975 season, Valentine was traded to the Padres.  On June 15, 1977, Valentine, along with pitcher Paul Siebert, were traded to the Mets for Dave Kingman as part of "Saturday Night Massacre."  On that night, Tom Seaver was also traded to the Reds for four players and Mike Phillips was traded for Joel Youngblood.  To make room on the roster for the new players, player-manager Joe Torre retired as a player.

Valentine's playing time was limited with the Mets and we was released just before the 1979 season.  He signed with the Mariners shortly after and finished his playing career in Seattle.

Valentine might be better known in baseball circles as a Major League manager.  Valentine managed the Rangers for eight seasons and managed the Mets for seven seasons, which include a National League Championship in 2000.  He has also been successful as a manager in Japan with a Pacific League Championship in 2005 with the Chiba Lotte Marines.  Currently, Valentine serves as a color analyst for ESPN.

About This Card
Bobby Valentine played the entire 1972 season with the Dodgers.  As such, here is another example of a picture having been airbrush with the stripes on the pants, the red color over the stirrups and the "Dodgers" whited out of the jersey.  Still you can see a trace of Dodger blue in the shirt underneath the jersey.