Did Danny Cater to 1970s Styles?

Or was it all a case of mistaken identity?

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1975 Topps Danny Cater (#645) - Card of the Day

Danny Cater is famous (right?) for posting the lowest batting average in a season for the runner-up to a batting title (probably).

Specifically, in the “Year of the Pitcher” in 1968, Carl Yastrzemski paced the American League with a blistering .301 average. Cater, then the first baseman for the Kansas City A’s, was next in line at .290, edging out Tony Oliva at .289.

Now, I can’t actually swear that Cater holds the official title of “Most Anemic Batting Title Runner-Up” since I did not pick through the 250 or so such titles that major leaguers have captured since Moses was smacking stones across the Red Sea with a staff.

But it’s a pretty good bet, considering that Yaz’s title-winning average was easily lowest among all champions and that Cater finished 11 points back of that.

Similarly, I also can’t swear that’s actually Cater on the front of his 1975 Topps card.

Sure, the card says “CATER” front and back, and Cater did play for the Red Sox from 1972 through 1974. But check out just about any other Cater baseball card from 1964 through 1974, and you’ll find a mostly cleancut dude, with sideburns finally sprouting from his ears in the early-to-mid 1970s.

Certainly no mustache.

But here on this nursery-ready yellow, baby-blue, and pink pastel pasteboard, we have a fella in full-on Dick Tidrow mode. And is that an airbrushed Red Sox cap on his head?

Probably not. Doesn’t make any sense, right? Cater had been with the Sawx since 1972, after all, and appeared in a “real” Boston uniform on his 1974 card. Though he did don pinstripes on both his 1972 and 1973 issues, no doubt a holdover from his two years with the Yankees.

And that 1975 cap is very dark, very blobby. You know, like an airbrushed cap.

Nah, couldn’t be.

But whether or not the 1975 Topps Danny Cater card actually shows Danny Cater, and whether or not Cater-ish is wearing a real Red Sox cap, there’s no doubt at all that it was outdated by the time most collectors started pulling it from wax packs.

Because, on March 29, 1975, the Red Sox traded Cater to the Cardinals for outfielder Danny Godby, whose entire big league career to that point consisted of 13 appearances for the 1974 Cardinals. That still constitutes his entire career, as he never made it back to the bigs.

Cater, meanwhile, hit .229 in 36 plate appearances across 22 games for the Cards before they released him. He never made it back to the big leagues after that, either. Which means this may be the net least productive Danny-for-Danny deal in MLB history.

(Again, though — can’t swear to it.)

And, since Cater was done so early in the season, he never made it back to a base-card set either. That leaves his 1975 Topps card as close to a career-capper as you can get. Plus, the cartoon on the back presents a provocative test of your baseball knowledge:

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Oh, right…why Danny Cater today?

Well, because Cater made his final big league appearance 50 years ago today. Specifically, he pinch hit for starter Bob Forsch in the top of the eighth inning against the Reds at Riverfront Stadium on June 11, 1975. With Cincy up 2-0, Cater grounded out against Don Gullett for the second out of the inning.

The Reds went on to win, 3-1. Cater was done.

So, happy anniversary to Danny Cater. Or something.

1977 Topps Don Gullett Made a Promise

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Gullett was one of those good-to-great pitchers who just didn’t last all that long. Not quite in Sandy Koufax’s league, maybe, but his career line of 109-50 with a 3.11 ERA over nine seasons sure looks pretty sparkly.

And he was sparkly enough for the Yankees to sign him to one of the first big free agent deals in November 1976. Read more about Gullett and his first Yankees card right here.

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