Steve Staggs Wasn't Who You (Maybe) Thought

And he definitely wasn't Jim Barr

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1978 Topps Steve Staggs (#521) - Card of the Day

If the first thought that runs through your mind when you see the 1978 Topps card of Steve Staggs above is, “Rance Mulliniks,” well, there’s probably a simple explanation for that.

Here we have a wispy Blue Jays infielder with a thick mustache, angular nose, and a piercing gaze. Isn’t this the guy we saw step into the international spotlight in the fall of 1985 when he hit .364 with a home run, double, and three RBI in the ill-fated American League Championship series against the Royals?

Turns out, the answer is “no.”

For one thing, Rance wasn’t anywhere near Canada in 1978, at least not from a home-ballpark perspective. And for another…

But, hey, this isn’t the only time the 1978 Topps Rance Mulliniks card has been involved in some good old fashioned “aren’t you so-and-so?” confusion (at least on my part).

Just ask 1981 Topps Jim Barr (story here).

So that leaves us back at 1978 Topps Steve Staggs.

As his 1978 Topps card at the top implies, Staggs started out with an expansion team…but not the Blue Jays. No, he originally signed with the Kansas City Royals in 1971 after they picked him in the second round of the second phase of the June draft.

This, after the Twins picked him in the 13th round in June of 1970 and the A’s made him their third-round selection in January of 1971 (2nd phase).

So, after rejecting those earlier overtures in favor of a return to college, Staggs began his work down on the farm in the summer of 1971. Starting with the Rookie-level Billings Mustangs, he spent six years in the Royals minor league system.

Staggs ended up playing more or less full-time at Triple-A Omaha in 1975 and 1976, but the Royals had a budding local legend named Frank White blocking the way to second base in Kansas City.

Against that backdrop, K.C. left Staggs exposed to the 1976 expansion draft, and the Blue Jays took him with the 36th overall pick. Even with all his seasoning and a completely new organizational slate, though, Toronto sent him to the minors to start 1977.

In the bigs, Pedro Garcia was the keystone starter, and he went 3-for-4 on Opening Day. His average stood at .205 by the end of April, though, and still hovered around .200 in early June when he was benched…then released late in the month.

Staggs, meanwhile, had been staying warm in the minors for the White Sox and Phillies since the Jays did not yet have a Triple-A affiliate. Actually, “warm” was more like “scorching”: .377, 5 home runs, 17 doubles, 3 triples, 20 stolen bases in 283 plate appearances.

Those performances — Garcia’s and Staggs — earned the Mulliniks-lookalike a call-up to the bigs, and he debuted on Canada Day, July 1.

Staggs drew the start at second and went 2-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBI. Staggs never looked back, starting 70 more games at second through the end of the season and hitting .258 with two dingers and 28 RBI. He also stole five bases but was thrown out trying to steal a whopping nine times.

The next March, as Staggs rookie cards were beginning to emerge from wax packs across the land, the Jays traded him to the A’s for outfield prospect Sheldon Mallory.

Skaggs began the 1978 season as Oakland’s starting second baseman and collected three hits in his first two games. But the A’s also acquired young(er) Mike Edwards on Opening Day, completing an earlier trade that sent Manny Sanguillen (back) to the Pirates for Miguel Dilone and Elias Sosa.

Soon enough, Edwards had wrested the starting 2B slot from Skaggs, who played his last game in the majors on June 20 at the age of 27. He finished out the year in the minors, then spent 1979 at Triple-A for the Expos before hanging up his spikes.

Skaggs, who passed away in January of 2024, was born 73 years ago today.

Mitchell Page, Dreamstoker

One of Staggs’ teammates on that 1978 A’s team was outfielder/DH Mitchell Page, coming off a big rookie season that produced a .307 batting average, 21 home runs, and 75 RBI.

He was in the midst of a 17-homer sophomore campaign when
Staggs pinch-ran for pinch-hitter Joe Wallis, then replaced Mike Edwards at second for the ninth inning of his (Staggs’) last game in the bigs.

Page’s power and speed (42 and 23 bases in 1977 and 1978, respectively) showed up on the back of his 1979 Topps card (#295) and kept collectors like me hooked on his promise for years.

Reed more about Page and his irresistible ‘79 Topps issue right here.

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Hope you have/had a great Monday, and that you find some time to spend with your baseball cards.

If not, I bet they’ll be there waiting for you tomorrow, anyway.

Thanks for reading.

—Adam