Leon's Rookie Card Was a Real Hoot(en)

Also, one of these things was not like the others

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1978 Topps Rookie Pitchers (#478) - Card of the Day

Some of the most successful pitchers in history have been, uh, a bit bottom-heavy. “Pitcher’s got a big butt!” isn’t just a Little League taunt.

But being bottom-heavy, in and of itself, doesn’t guarantee success on the mound.

Take the 1977 Topps rookie pitchers card above, for example.

Here we have four guys with all the hope in the world and standing on the brink of making their mark in The Show. And yet, when all was said and done two years later, the quad had managed 149 total appearances in their combined big league careers.

All of them were done before they turned 30.

And yet, in the fine tradition of nasty power pitchers (non-Unit Department), this pitcher card is bottom-heavy. Specifically, the number of big league appearances breaks down as:

Top: 7 appearances

• Jim Gideon (1)

• Leon Hooten (6)

Bottom: 142 appearances

• Dave Johnson (53)

• Mark Lemongello (89)

So, yeah, almost a clean sweep for the bottom half of this card.

Depending on how you look at things, that also goes for the headwear bestowed upon the two members of 1977’s expansion teams.

On the bottom, Topps was content to let the Mariners’ Johnson stand on the merits of his Kareem specs and flowing business cut.

But on top, they outfitted Hooten with a full-blown Blue Jays airbrush blob, which actually isn’t so bad as these things go.

Maybe Topps was just looking forward to today, when Hooten turns 76, and decided to bestow the birthday boy with a special party hat.

But the really fun thing about Hooten on this card? His half dozen big league appearances came way back in April and May of 1974, as a member of the Oakland A’s. No word on whether Charlie O. ever threw him a birthday party.

Orry Main Joins the Party

Also born on April 4 was former Cardinals second baseman Tom Herr, who came into the world on this date in 1956.

Herr put together a season for the ages in 1985 when he drove in 110 runs despite hitting just eight home runs. He did hit a long ball on the NLCS that fall, though.

Herr was back at it again two years later, taking Les Straker deep in the first inning of Game 7 of the 1987 World Series. Fleer captured his triumphant home-plate reunion with on-deckman Dan Driessen the next year.

I wrote about that card here, because it’s just the sort of insignificant hunk of cardboard that really floats my boat.

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Hey, this first full week of the new season is almost in the books, and no teams have been mathematically eliminated yet. Woohoo.

Hope your Thursday is as bright and sunny as a Cesar Cedeño smile.

Thanks for reading.

—Adam