#84T - John McNamara

What a card: John McNamara was named the Red Sox's manager mere days after Ralph Houk stepped down from the Red Sox and announced his retirement from managing. McNamara resigned his job as manager of the Angels to take the Red Sox job.

How'd that go: Well, on the good side, his Red Sox faced his old team, the Angels, in the 1986 ALCS and the Red Sox won. On the bad side, McNamara is forever remembered for the things he didn't do in the Red Sox's loss in the World Series that year.

Backatya: Exactly two years after McNamara was named manager of the Red Sox, Boston won Game 1 of the 1986 World Series, 1-0, over the Mets. 

 
Back-to-back: Well that's certainly a difference in demeanor between the two cards.

The flagship card is No. 732 in the set and was originally blogged on Dec. 6, 2017.

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

#67T - Bruce Kison

What a card: Bruce Kison signed as a free agent with the Red Sox on Jan. 14, 1985.

How'd that go: Kison, who just passed away last June, pitched one season for the Red Sox, appearing in 22 games. That was his final season in a 15-year major league career.

Backatya: The word "scoot" isn't used enough.

Back-to-back: Another case where I like both photos. The flagship card might be more appropriate for someone at the end of his career, but Kison would have one more Topps card, in the 1986 set.

The flagship card is No. 544 and was originally blogged on June 17, 2016.

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

#785 - Tony Armas

What a card: Tony Armas enjoyed a career year in 1984, setting career highs in just about everything and blasting 43 home runs for the Red Sox.

My observation on the front: This kind of captures the thrill of the game that I felt as a youngster. The player stepping to the plate, looking to the first base coach, bat in hand. Add the old-school Boston road jersey and it's very awesome.

More opinion from me: Armas really liked to strike out and did not like to walk.

Something you might know: Armas' son, Tony Jr., pitched for several MLB teams, including the Expos, during the early 2000s.

Something you might not know: Armas was the first player from Venezuela to receive a million-dollar-a-year salary in the major leagues.

My observation on the back: Add Randy Johnson, Clemens, Blyleven, Seaver and Sutton to the list of those who have surpassed Walter Johnson.

The blog wants to speak now: The Dodgers have just thrown the first combined no-hitter in their epic pitching history. I'm going to celebrate instead of research.

#761 - Jerry Remy

What a card: Jerry Remy's 1984 season was cut short by continued knee problems. He was done playing not even halfway through the season and retired in 1985. This is his final Topps card.

My observation on the front: If you had to come up with a prototype of a second baseman from my childhood it would be Jerry Remy.

More opinion from me: Remy was a favorite when I was a kid. I liked his Angels cards and then was thrilled when the Red Sox acquired him.

Something you might know: Remy became a longtime broadcaster for the Red Sox very shortly after his career ended. He dealt with another recurrence of lung cancer in 2017.

Something you might not know: Remy was one of a few early 1980s baseball players to pose in Playgirl in various states of undress. Others were George, Brett, Dennis Eckersley, Dan Ford, Phil Garner, Rickey Henderson, Steve Stone and Steve Yeager.

My observation on the back: Given Remy's eastern Massachusetts roots and that prominent Boston accent, it's a wonder he escaped the area for three years in California.

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

#734 - John Henry Johnson

What a card: John Henry Johnson appeared in 30 games, all but three of them in relief, in his second year with the Red Sox in 1984. He was released in April of 1985 and spent all of '85 in the minors before re-emerging with the Brewers.

My observation on the front: Another one of those backgrounds where it looks like the pitcher is the only one in the ballpark.

More opinion from me: I will always associate John Henry Johnson (such a great name) with the bad, old Oakland A's of the late 1970s.

Something you might know: Johnson, a top pitching prospect, was one of the seven players the Giants traded to the A's in March 1978 for all-star pitcher Vida Blue.

Something you might not know: Johnson surrendered the first hit of Rickey Henderson's career, a leadoff double.

My observation on the back: Another trivia topic that features the team shown on the front.

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

#707 - Tony Armas All-Star

What a card: Tony Armas put together a monster season in 1984, leading the league in home runs with 43.

My observation on the front: Armas looks like the photographer interrupted him in the middle of something important.

More opinion from me: The 1979 Oakland A's team featured Rickey Henderson, Dwayne Murphy and Tony Armas in the outfield yet they went 54-108. That is bizarre.

All-Star performance: Armas was named a reserve for the 1984 All-Star Game but did not get into the game.

Legitimate All-Star card or fake All-Star Card: Fake! He didn't even play, let alone start.

My observation on the back: Aside from home runs and RBIs, Armas also led the league in total bases and strikeouts (156).

The blog wants to speak now: I am exhausted. No tab updates today. Sorry.

#686 - Mike Easler

What a card: Mike Easler was coming off his most productive season when this card was issued. Provided the most playing time since beginning in the majors in 1973, Easler made the best of it, recording a career-high 188 hits, 27 homers and 91 RBIs.

My observation on the front: Easler appears to be saying to someone in the dugout, "hey man, I can't hit when no one is watching."

More opinion from me: I can't be the only one who spent several years wishing Easler would get more playing time. He always seemed to hit, yet received sporadic at-bats for the first half of his career.

Something you might know: "The Hit Man" batted .338 for the Pirates in 1980 in his breakout season. He parlayed his hitting success into a career as a hitting coach after his playing days ended.

Something you might not know: When Easler was traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees in 1986, it was the first time in history a trade included nothing but designated hitters.

My observation on the back: Easler did not receive a card of his own until 1980 (he did appear on a four-player rookie card in the 1978 Topps set). Look at all those years listed before he received a card!

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

#661 - Steve Crawford

What a card: Steve Crawford was coming off his first season as a reliever when this card was issued. Hyped as a promising starter in the Red Sox chain, Crawford struggled until moving into the bullpen for good in 1984.

My observation on the front: This is another card with "snow" on it. Steve seems as distressed by this as I am.

More opinion from me: Early '80s Red Sox pitchers mean a lot to me. That was the period when I really started getting into baseball, knowing upcoming players, etc. After the crushing disappointment of 1978, my brother and I rooted for every new Red Sox player and I focused on the pitchers.

Something you might know: Crawford received the victory in Game 2 of the 1986 World Series. He also won Game 5 of the '86 ALCS, which was the game in which Dave Henderson hit the two-run home run to highlight the Red Sox's comeback against the Angels.

Something you might not know: Crawford was mentioned in the Wade Boggs-Margo Adams scandal when Adams told all in two Penthouse articles. In those articles, it was revealed that married reliever Bob Stanley was photographed in a hotel room with a stripper by Boggs and Crawford. The players said Stanley was set up as part of a joke. Adams, who added that she had the negative, said they did it because they were mad at Stanley for being a blabbermouth.

My observation on the back: Crawford indeed took less money to sign with the Red Sox because Yastrzemski was his idol. It all began when he received a Yaz model bat when he was a kid. He had no idea who Yastrzemski was at the time.

The blog wants to speak now: The Music tab is updated.

#633 - Glenn Hoffman

What a card: Glenn Hoffman was in comeback mode when this card was issued. He lost his starting job to Jackie Gutierrez in 1984 and sat the bench for most of the season.

My observation on the front: Hoffman appears to have lost his right hand.

More opinion from me: Hoffman's inability to hit, particularly early in his career, did not go unnoticed in my household when I was growing up. He was the subject of a bit of derision.

Something you might know: Hoffman is the older brother of one of the best closers in history, Trevor Hoffman.

Something you might not know: Hoffman's career was undermined by cardiac issues that were discovered in 1986 after he experienced repeated faintness. He was cut by the Red Sox in 1987. (He later played for the Dodgers in '87 and the Angels in '89).

My observation on the back: The trivia question isn't quite clear. The record McCovey tied was most hits in a major league debut (4).

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

#606 - Rich Gale

What a card: This is the final Topps card issued during Rich Gale's career. 1984 was his last big-league season and he was pitching in Japan by the time most collectors pulled this card out of packs.

My observation on the front: Gale is 6-foot-7. He doesn't look it on all of his cards, but he definitely does here.

More opinion from me: Gale without a mustache makes me sad. I associated Gale with the late 1970s Royals and he had a red, wispy mustache, dammit.

Something you might know: Gale enjoyed a terrific rookie season for the 1978 AL West champion Royals, winning 14 games in 30 starts and finishing fourth in the rookie of the year voting.

Something you might not know: Gale was arrested on a charge of indecent conduct for allegedly exposing himself to an undercover state trooper at a rest stop in Maine in September 2000. The charge was dropped in a plea deal on a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.

My observation on the back: It is a well-told story that Gale was a bartender at the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel when two walkways collapsed into the lobby, killing 114 people on July 17, 1981. Gale said he was less than 60 feet away from the collapse.

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

#580 - Dwight Evans

What a card: Dwight Evans was coming off a career year in a number of categories when this card was issued. He played in all 162 games in 1984, led the league in at-bats (738) and runs (121), matched a then-career-high in homers (32) and set a then-career mark in RBIs (104). He also led the league in OPS (.920), not that anyone knew what that was then.

My observation on the front: It appears that Evans is using a black bat, which is always cool.

More opinion from me: I often separate Evans into two eras, his pre-mustache career and his mustache career. The mustache first appeared in 1981 (and in his 1982 cards). Not-so-surprisingly (to me), Evans became one of the more complete offensive players in baseball at the same time. He kept the mustache and remained an offensive force.

Something you might know: Evans was always known as a terrific right fielder and during the 1970s it overshadowed his offensive ability. He won eight Gold Gloves and made a famous catch on a long fly ball by Joe Morgan in extra innings of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

Something you might not know: Evans briefly experienced vertigo during his career, saying that during that time he'd look up to catch a fly ball and see three or four balls. "I was just hoping to catch the right one," he said. "It was the worst feeling I've ever known."

 
My observation on the back: The bio reads like the 1971 Topps backs. I have no interest in a player's youth achievements.

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

#555 - Bob Stanley

What a card: Bob Stanley had completed his third straight season as the Red Sox's primary closer when this card was issued in 1985. He had 55 saves combined over the previous two seasons.

My observation on the front: Lots of hazy sunshine on that card.

More opinion from me: Stanley is not fondly remembered by Red Sox fans, and as someone who grew up with two Red Sox fans in the house, I experienced their opinion of Stanley first-hand. The main complaint about him is that he never let you feel comfortable as a fan, even when he would eventually save the game.

Something you might know: Stanley is remembered for throwing the wild pitch in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series that allowed the Mets' Kevin Mitchell to score the tying run, and then throwing the pitch that Mookie Wilson hit to first base that Bill Buckner flubbed, allowing Ray Knight to score the game-winner.

Something you might not know: Stanley might have gotten out of that 10th inning with the game tied had he thrown to second base in an attempt to pick off Ray Knight during the Wilson at-bat. Marty Barrett signaled for the pick-off and waited for Stanley's throw but Stanley didn't notice. "We had Knight dead," Barrett said.

My observation on the back: Granted, this card came out before the '86 World Series, but a Mets trivia question on the back of Stanley's card? That's rough.

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

#529 - Rich Gedman

What a card: Rich Gedman was coming off a breakout season when this card was issued. He set career highs in almost every category in 1984, and it would be the best season of his 13-year career.

My observation on the front: The pointing-the-bat-at-the-pitcher thing -- whether it's a timing device or not -- is always cool.

More opinion from me: Gedman will forever be a favorite of mine because he was up front with me, unlike an Astros teammate, on where I could find Craig Biggio, who I was searching out for an interview in the Houston locker room.

Something you might know: Gedman caught Roger Clemens' 20-strikeout game against the Mariners in 1986, setting an AL record for catching putouts in a game.

Something you might not know: Gedman's wife, Sherry, is still second all-time in University of Connecticut softball history for career ERA at 0.57.

My observation on the back: Mike Piazza now holds the career home run mark by a catcher with 396. But before that, Carlton Fisk broke Yogi Berra's record.

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

#502 - Rick Miller

What a card: Rick Miller was entering his final major league season when this card was released. He'd play in just 41 games in 1985, mostly as a pinch-hitter.

My observation on the front: The people in the background appear to be discussing the plant growing out of Miller's head.

More opinion from me: Miller's card here isn't all that different from one of his very early cards.

Something you might know: Miller was a terrific defensive outfielder who won a Gold Glove with the Angels in 1978.

Something you might not know: As a high school player, Miller was invited to a pregame workout by the Detroit Tigers. Another high school player there was future Cardinals and Brewers catcher Ted Simmons.

My observation on the back: Miller married Janet Fisk a year after Carlton Fisk won the 1972 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

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

#477 - Bob Ojeda

What a card: Bob Ojeda had just completed the busiest season of his career to date when this card came out. He appeared in 33 games in 1984, pitching 218 2/3 innings for the Red Sox, and tossed five shutouts.

My observation on the front: Ojeda's cap appears to be crooked.

More opinion from me: Ojeda looks like he's pitching in a dream. There's nobody around.

Something you might know: Ojeda went 18-5 and finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting the year after he was traded from the Red Sox to the Mets. He ended up facing his ex-teammates the very next year in the 1986 World Series.

Something you might not know: When Ojeda left Sports New York last offseason after six years as a pre- and postgame analyst for Mets games because the sides couldn't agree on a contract, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a well-known Mets fan, took to Twitter and booed the decision.

My observation on the back: Other major leaguers who went to College of the Sequoias include former Royal and Brewer Jim Wohlford, former Braves catcher Johnny Estrada, and former Astros manager Brad Mills.

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

#451 - Bruce Hurst

What a card: Bruce Hurst had completed his second straight 12-win, 12-loss season for the Red Sox when this card was issued.

My observation on the front: He looks determined.

More opinion from me: There was a period in the '70s and '80s when it seemed like the most important aspect of the Red Sox team was finding a top-line pitcher. The Red Sox always had the offense, but finding that lights-out pitcher seemed like the key to breaking "The Curse". Since I grew up in a family of Red Sox fans, I remember Boston fans pinning their hopes on certain pitchers and Bruce Hurst was one of them. Hurst pitched sporadically for Boston in 1980 and 1981, but I knew all about him long before he broke out in 1983 because I knew Red Sox fans were desperate for him to be great.

Something you might know: Hurst enjoyed a terrific World Series in 1986, pitching two victories for the Red Sox against the Mets. He was famously named MVP of the Series in Game 6 ... until Mookie Wilson's grounder went through Bill Buckner's legs.

Something you might not know: Hurst pitched five innings in the longest game in organized baseball. The 33-inning between the Red Sox's Pawtucket team and the Orioles' Rochester team featured 14 pitchers. Hurst was Pawtucket's seventh pitcher of the game and he threw five shutout innings. (It still wasn't as impressive as Rochester's Jim Umbarger, who threw 10 shutout innings between the 22nd and 32nd innings before the game was called and resumed two months later).

My observation on the back: For the longest time, I didn't know Hurst was from Utah. As a kid, I just assumed Red Sox players were grown on a farm in Massachusetts somewhere.

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

#424 - Al Nipper

What a card: This is Al Nipper's Topps rookie card. He finished seventh in the AL Rookie of the Year voting after essentially registering what we would be the best season of his seven-year MLB career.

My observation on the front: This looks like a photo that a card company that didn't have a major league license would run. It would've fit right in with 2010 Upper Deck.

More opinion from me: I always got Al Nipper confused with another Red Sox-Cubs pitcher from about the same time, Allen Ripley. I know anyone who was born after 1985 can't appreciate this, but let the old man have his memories.

Something you might know: Nipper started Game 4 of the 1986 World Series for Boston against the Mets. He lost the game, pitching six innings and allowing seven hits, including a two-run home run to Gary Carter. He also allowed a titan blast to Darryl Strawberry in Game 7, made famous by Strawberry's noticeably slow trot around the bases. Nipper hit Strawberry in the hip with a pitch the next time he faced him, in spring training, causing the benches to empty.

Something you might not know:  Nipper was the Red Sox's co-rookie pitcher of the year in 1984. He shared the award with Roger Clemens.

My observation on the back: Wow, two straight posts that mention Dale Murphy. The five walks in one game still remains the regulation-game record and is held by many players, although the 5-walk game is even less common than throwing a no-hitter.

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

#376 - Jeff Newman

What a card: This is the final card of Jeff Newman issued during his career. He was released by the Red Sox on April 4, 1985.

My observation on the front: If you're a catcher, that's a pretty good card for your last one.

More opinion from me: I will always equate Jeff Newman with those horribly overmatched A's teams of the late '70s when Charlie Finley basically left his club for dead.

Something you might know: Newman was the A's All-Star representative in 1979 when Newman had his best season but the A's were atrocious (54-108 W-L mark). Newman didn't play in the game.

Something you might not know: Newman pitched an inning during a game against the Royals on Sept. 14, 1977. He hit batter Hal McRae and gave up a single to George Brett but was unscored upon. The game wasn't the blowout that you see these days when a position player takes the mound. The Royals led 6-0. (Of course, with offense more difficult to come by in the '70s, I guess that was considered an insurmountable lead).

My observation on the back: Cal Ripken Jr. is now the Hall of Famer who has played in the most consecutive games.

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

#350 - Wade Boggs

What a card: Wade Boggs was entering the 1985 season after a second straight season of reaching 200 hits, although his average dropped from .361 in 1983 to .325 in 1984.

My observation on the front: It looks like Boggs pulled the ball, which was the least likely hit direction for him. Boggs hit up the middle the most often, followed by opposite-field hits.

More opinion from me: I've always thought Boggs is just a little off.

Something you might know: One of the greatest pure hitters of all-time, Boggs burst onto the scene with great praise in 1982 and compiled a Hall of Fame career with three A.L. East teams, the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays.

Something you might not know: Boggs displayed countless superstitions and many had to do with his pregame rituals. One of them was running wind sprints at exactly 7:17 p.m. every day before a game. When Bobby Cox was managing the Blue Jays, he once tried to throw Boggs off by having the clock at Exhibition Stadium skip from 7:16 p.m. to 7:18 p.m.

My observation on the back: Boggs hit .325 and his career average plummeted from .357 to .344.

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

#322 - Dave Stapleton

What a card: Dave Stapleton suffered a knee injury early in the 1984 season and played just 13 games that year. But Topps was good to him and gave him a card anyway.

My observation on the front: The old style Boston road uniforms, which the Red Sox wore in the '80s after not wearing them since the late 1960s, are as basic as you can get. Normally, I would find that boring. But I like these.

More opinion from me: Every time I think of Stapleton now, I think of the letter he wrote to Seth Swirsky that was featured in Swirsky's book "Baseball Letters" in 1996. When Swirsky asked Stapleton if he was surprised when Red Sox manager John McNamara did not use him to replace Bill Buckner at first base in the late stages of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series (and we know how that ended), Stapleton responded thusly:

"Yes, I was surprised because I had already loosened up my legs and arm to go into the game in the 7th inning. I had usually gone in at this time in all other play-off games if we were ahead. The reason he left Buckner in was to be on the field when we won the game so he could celebrate with the others. As you well know, nobody got to celebrate because of this bad decision. Mr. McNamara never did have my respect as a manager or a person but that doesn't matter. It does no good to beat a dead dog. he has to live with his decision the rest of his life. And great Red Sox fans all over the country have to continue to suffer on as a result of it. And I feel sometimes that I got released after the "86" season because he didn't want me there to remind him of his mistake."

After all these years after reading that, I still say "wow".

Something you might know: Stapleton started his major league season with a bang, batting .321 in 106 games in 1980 and finishing second to Joe Charboneau in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Something you might not know: Stapleton's batting average declined every single year of his career. From 1980 to 1986 it went: .321, .285, .264, .247, .231, .227 and .128. I have no idea if that's a record. But he has to be in a very small group.

My observation on the back: Tom Seaver holds the record for opening day starts with 16. The record he tied, I believe was Steve Carlton's. There is a Sporcle quiz that you can take related to this. It's only through 2011, but you get the idea. And I already gave you two answers!

The blog wants to speak now: I'm trying to stave off a cold, so I'm going to sit this part out. Time for bed.