#760 - Nolan Ryan

What a card: Nolan Ryan was still going strong for the Astros at age 37 in 1984, although he did appear in the fewest total innings for a complete season (183.2) since 1971.

My observation on the front: Part of the "wow factor" of Ryan signing with the Astros was him wearing that bright orange cap and the rainbow stripes across the chest. The Astros ditched that gear for the 1982 season, though, and I always found the blue tops and stripes restricted to the shoulders not nearly as exciting (although I understand the switch).

More opinion from me: I get the feeling that Ryan didn't give a wit what he wore on the field.

Something you might know: More strikeouts and no-hitters than anyone, folks.

Something you might not know: Ryan's mother, Martha, who died in 1990, is a descendant of John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence.

My observation on the back: Ryan's childhood dream was to be a cowboy, so mission accomplished.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#759 - Jim Fanning

What a card: Jim Fanning receives a card as Expos manager as he moved out of the front office to replace Bill Virdon as manager with 30 games left in the 1984 season. But Fanning was no longer Montreal's manager when this card came out. The Expos had hired Bob Rodgers and Fanning headed back to the front office.

My observation on the front: I am curious to know who the man is in the background. He seems to have a lot of hair.

More opinion from me: I wonder how old this photo is? This appears to be a spring training site, but Fanning was in the front office with Montreal, wearing a suit and tie, during spring training 1984. His first stint as Expos manager included spring training in 1982, so perhaps this was a three-year-old photo at the time.

Something you might know: Fanning led the Expos during their only postseason appearance in 1981. He replaced Dick Williams late in the '81 season and helped them reach the NLCS.

Something you might not know: Fanning created Major League Baseball's Central Scouting Bureau, the precursor to the current MLB Scouting Bureau, in 1968. But he left the job as the bureau's director to become the first general manager in Expos history.

My observation on the back: The write-up is interesting in that I'm assuming Fanning held the player development position while also serving as manager.

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated.

#758 - Ray Burris

What a card: In 1984, Ray Burris enjoyed one of his more productive pitching seasons since his days with the Cubs in the late 1970s. The A's took advantage of that by trading him to the Brewers after the season for Don Sutton.

My observation on the front: Burris' beard was a late development in his career. It didn't show up until his 1984 cards. (And then, oddly, it disappears from his 1986 Topps Brewers card, even though his '86 Fleer and Donruss cards show him with a beard).

More opinion from me: I like everything about this card, except for all the blasted printing air bubbles on it.

Something you might know: The high point of Burris' career is likely the 1981 NLCS when he pitched for the Expos. He won Game 2, throwing a shutout and outpitching Fernando Valenzuela, and then allowed only one run in eight innings in the decisive Game 5, exiting with the game tied 1-1. Rick Monday would break the tie with a home run off of the Expos' Steve Rogers an inning later.

Something you might not know: Burris grew up in a family of sharecroppers in Oklahoma. Among his duties as a youngster was milking cows, pulling cotton, churning butter, slaughtering pigs and wringing chicken necks.

My observation on the back: Majoring in Recreational Leadership sounds kind of fun.

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated.

#757 - Willie McGee

What a card: Willie McGee enjoyed another fine season in his third year with the Cardinals in 1984 but the best was yet to come.

My observation on the front: My, my, that is one very '80s photograph.

More opinion from me: I am mystified as to why McGee did not receive a card number ending in a zero or a five. As if to prove Topps wrong, McGee would go on to win the National League MVP award in 1985.

Something you might know: McGee burst on the scene as a rookie in 1982, enjoying one of the best World Series first-year performances in Game 3 that year, hitting two home runs in the game and making a leaping catch at the wall.

Something you might not know: During McGee's rookie year, some players called him "E.T." (the movie came out at the same time McGee was called up to the majors). McGee disliked the nickname and thought it was rude.

My observation on the back: McGee was not allowed to play sports on Sunday, his church didn't permit it. So he sneaked out to play baseball. Later, McGee found out his father knew he was sneaking out, but didn't stop him.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated, backdated to Dec. 6th.

#756 - Rob Picciolo

What a card: Rob Picciolo played his only season with the Angels in 1984, batting just .202. He was released after the season and signed by the A's, the team with which he made his major league debut back in 1977.

My observation on the front: Even though Picciolo was a longtime coach with the Angels and Padres, I associate him only with the Oakland A's.

More opinion from me: Picciolo died just last month. Even though I've done my share of cardboard eulogies on the other blog, it feels weird to write this post so soon after his death.

Something you might know: Picciolo was Oakland's starting shortstop in 1977, the year that the A's sank to last place after gutting their former three-time Series champion team. Picciolo received the unenviable task of replacing Bert Campaneris and hit .200 in 140 games.

Something you might not know: Picciolo is one of the few major leaguers to appear on a card with his toddler son. The card also features his son's vitals on the back (height: 2-4, weight: 23).

My observation on the back: Well, I'll be darned, the fourth-place Phillies, huh? Mike Schmidt was the only real HR hitter on that team and he slugged 36. After that it was Ozzie Virgil with 18, Von Hayes with 16, Juan Samuel with 15, Sixto Lezcano with 14 and Len Matuszek with 12.

The blog wants to speak now: No update this time. Just want to mention that with me finishing the 1971 Topps blog, I will probably update this blog a little more often. It won't be once a day though.

#755 - Ken Singleton

What a card: Ken Singleton struggled through his final season in 1984, batting just .215 in 111 games. He retired after the season and this is his final card from his playing career.

My observation on the front: I don't think I realized just how impressive Singleton was in terms of stature. This card does show it. He is a big dude. And I don't mean fat.

More opinion from me: I've mentioned this before: Singleton was my youngest brother's favorite player when we were growing up. I suppose he still is. We don't really talk about it anymore.

Something you might know: Singleton stepped into the broadcasting booth soon after his playing career ended. He started with the Orioles, then moved on to the Canadian teams, the Blue Jays and most notably the Expos. For the past 20 years, he's been a broadcaster with the Yankees, although he's trimmed back to "analyst" the last couple of years and doesn't do much play-by-play anymore.

Something you might not know: Singleton grew up in a house in Mount Vernon, N.Y., that was previously owned by the family of Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca.

My observation on the back: Mount Vernon is no joke when it comes to high school athletics, but I suppose that's obvious if Ken Singleton was playing for them.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#754 - Larry Milbourne

What a card: Larry Milbourne completed his second tour of duty with the Mariners in 1984, appearing in 79 games. He last played for the Mariners from 1977-80.

My observation on the front: It appears to be cold at the game. Also, I think I see a security guard or usher in the background. Or just a guy in a jacket.

More opinion from me: That 2B-SS-3B designation underlines his utility role, which lasted his whole career.

Something you might know: Milbourne proved to be a valuable asset for the 1981 Yankees, appearing in 14 games that postseason. He hit .316 against the Brewers in the ALDS and .462 against the A's in the ALCS.

Something you might not know: Milbourne played a small part in the biggest controversy of  the decisive Game 6 of the 1981 World Series. With the score between the Yankees and Dodgers tied at 1-1 in the fourth inning and the Yankees' Graig Nettles on second base with two out, Milbourne came to the plate. The Dodgers walked Milbourne intentionally, bringing up pitcher Tommy John's spot in the order. But Yankees manager Bob Lemon replaced John with pinch-hitter Bobby Murcer, who flew out. The Yankees bullpen blew the game as the Dodgers scored eight more runs and won the World Series.

My observation on the back: Something about this write-up isn't correct. There is no "Milville High School." There is a "Millville High School" that is in New Jersey, but it is in Millville, N.J., which is in southern New Jersey and not anywhere near Port Jervis, which is in New York (Port Jervis is where you can stand in one spot and be in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania all at the same time. I enjoyed that quite a bit when we would go through there when I was a kid).

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated (Dec. 9th again).

#753 - Greg Brock

What a card: Greg Brock produced his second straight season of hitting in the .220s as the replacement for all-star first baseman Steve Garvey.

My observation on the front: It's just occurring to me now that a guy I hired about a dozen years ago, who left almost 10 years ago, looks a lot like Greg Brock. I always knew this guy looked like someone but I couldn't place who.

More opinion from me: I think this card arrived at the height of my disgust for Brock's performance for the Dodgers. I so wanted him gone. I think he sensed it, because 1985 was his best season with L.A.

Something you might know: Brock absolutely tore apart Triple A pitching, convincing Dodgers brass that they didn't need to re-sign mainstay Garvey, who went to the Padres. For a brief, black period, the Padres actually had a better first baseman than the Dodgers.

Something you might not know: Brock is the high school baseball coach for Loveland High School in Loveland, Colo. Loveland is a rival school of Mountain View High School. Brock also coached baseball at Mountain View. In fact, he founded the baseball program.

My observation on the back: Those 3 teams remain the only MLB teams with nicknames that start with "P". But it reminds me that for the most recent year of baseball expansion, baseball picked two teams with nicknames that start with "D" -- the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays, robbing the Dodgers of elite status as the only team with a nickname starting with "D". At least the Devil Rays had the eventual sense to back down and go with Rays.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated (back to Dec. 9th).

#752 - Bob Owchinko

What a card: Bob Owchinko returned to a Topps set for the first time since 1983 after appearing in 49 games for the Reds in 1984.

My observation on the front: I'm hoping that Owchinko is sitting in the bullpen and not in the dugout in this photo. There aren't nearly enough bullpen shots, and all but four of Owchinko's appearances in 1984 were in relief.

More opinion from me: I can't think of Owchinko and not recall Roger Angell's New Yorker account of an Owchinko pitching performance while at Eastern Michigan. Bob Welch was also on that team and Angell wrote about him, too. I read about it in Angell's book "Five Seasons" when I was a teenager. That book left a major impression on me.

Something you might know: Owchinko was the No. 1 pick of the San Diego Padres (fifth overall) in the 1976 amateur draft.

Something you might not know: Owchinko is second all-time in career pitching appearances among players born on Jan. 1. Only Hall of Famer Tim Keefe has more (lots more, 600-275).

My observation on the back: The most recent player to steal home in a World Series here in 2018, I believe, is Angels designated hitter Brad Fullmer, who stole home on the front end of a double steal in the first inning of Game 2 of the 2002 World Series against the Giants. Records of steals of home aren't the greatest for some bizarre reason, but I think no one has done it in a WS since 2002.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#751 - Kelvin Chapman

What a card: This is Kelvin Chapman's first Topps card even though he first reached the majors in 1979. He returned to the Mets in 1984 and appeared in 75 games, batting .289.

My observation on the front: That's a solid '80s look right there.

More opinion from me: To me, Chapman was the precursor to the Mets' clean-cut infield youth craze that would arrive a few years later with Gregg Jefferies and Kevin Elster, although Chapman toiled in the minors for much longer and was in his late 20s when this card arrived.

Something you might know: Chapman played on the 1978 Jackson (Miss.) Mets, the Double A team that featured Neil Allen, Hubie Brooks, Jeff Reardon and Mookie Wilson.

Something you might not know: Chapman's son, Jason, was drafted by the Reds in 2006 but he never played professional baseball. There was some friction in high school between Jason's family and the school's coaches, and he eventually switched schools.

My observation on the back: Chapman was doing so well with his hobbies until he mentioned "watching the television." That is not a hobby, especially if the television isn't on.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#750 - Rollie Fingers

What a card: Rollie Fingers returned to action in 1984 after missing the entire 1983 season recovering from a torn muscle in his right forearm that cost him pitching in the 1982 World Series.

My observation on the front: It's just occurring to me now how weird it would feel to carry a handlbar mustache on your face every single day of your life, seeing that curl out of the corner of your eye, every single day of your life. It'd drive me crazy.

More opinion from me: Fingers' Topps cards from 1974-76 were the absolute best when I was kid. Nothing cooler.

Something you might know: Fingers was just the second relief pitcher to win the MVP award when he received the honor in 1981.

Something you might not know: Fingers was born in Ohio, but his father, a steel mill worker, moved the family to California. The family couldn't afford hotels on the trip west so they would sleep in sleeping bags by the side of the road.

 My observation on the back: Fingers' father played in the Cardinals chain. One of his roommates was Stan Musial.

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated with a rather topical magazine cover.