WHEN TOPPS HAD (BASE)BALLS!: Tom Shopay

Showing posts with label Tom Shopay. Show all posts

Thursday, December 8, 2016

MISSING IN ACTION- 1973 TOM SHOPAY

Here’s a “missing” 1973 card for a guy who can be the poster child for 1970’s missing cards: former Baltimore Oriole Ton Shopay:

As it is, I think I’ve already created a couple of cards for him, and today’s card is based on his 49 games played in 1972, when he batted .225 with nine hits over 40 at-bats for the ‘Birds.
Shopay originally came up with the New York Yankees in 1967 and played parts of seven years in the Major Leagues.
He would be out of the game for good after the 1977 season, ending up with a .201 batting average with 62 lifetime hits in 309 at-bats covering 253 games, all but 36 of them for Baltimore.

Monday, May 16, 2016

MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 TOM SHOPAY

It’s a bit of a stretch but I couldn’t resist creating a 1977 Topps card for former Oriole Tom Shopay, who deserved a few cards throughout the decade of the 1970’s:

Shopay appeared in only 14 games for the O’s, hitting an even .200 with four hits over 20 at-bats while playing the outfield aside from one game at catcher.
He’s a bit of a novelty for me since he really could have had cards in multiple Topps sets between 1970-1978 but only got two, in the 1970 and 1972 editions.
I already created 1976 and 1978 versions on this blog, and will most likely add a 1973 version as well, so keep an eye out for it!
As for Shopay’s career, he hit .201 over 7-partial seasons with 62 hits over 253 games and 309 at-bats playing for the New York Yankees and Orioles between 1967 and 1977, missing any Major League playing time in the 1968, 1970, 1973 and 1974 seasons.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

MISSING IN ACTION- 1976 TOM SHOPAY: "1976 PROJECT"

Here's the next "missing" 1976 Topps card in my "1976 Project" for "reader Jim", former Baltimore Oriole Tom Shopay:

Shopay had a few missing cards through the 1970's, and I have already created and posted a 1978 card for him earlier on this blog.

In 1975 Shopay appeared in 40 games, mainly in the outfield and as a pinch hitter, collecting five hits in 31 at-bats, good for a .161 batting average with a double and two runs batted in.

That year was typical for Shopay's entire seven–year career with the Yankees and Orioles, as he never appeared in more than 67 games or had more than 74 at-bats in any season.

Nevertheless, as we've seen with guys like the Red Sox Bob Montgomery, Topps did in fact give guys who stuck around cards year to year, yet after the 1972 set Shopay was shut out until he retired in 1977.

Shopay ended up playing in 253 games during his Major League career, and ended up with a .201 batting average based on his 62 hits over 309 at-bats.

Funny enough he hit a total of three home runs in those seven partial seasons, yet two of the three were hit during his rookie year with the Yankees in 1967 in only eight games. He'd go on to hit only one more in 245 games the rest of the way.

Friday, September 12, 2014

MISSING IN ACTION- 1978 TOM SHOPAY

Thanks to reader Johnny Cabrera, I started really looking at former Baltimore Oriole outfielder Tom Shopay, and the fact that his last Topps card was in the 1972 set, even though he played up until 1977.

As a matter of fact, I feel he had enough playing time in 1977 to warrant a card in the 1978 set.

So allow me to present my design for such a card (Thanks Johnny!):

Shopay's case really is a strange one.

In 1971 he appeared in 47 games, good for 79 plate appearances, and was given a slot in the 1972 set.

Yet the following year he appeared in 49 games, and was NOT given a spot in the '73 set (??).

And while he didn't appear in a Major League game in either 1973 or 1974, he came back in 1975 to play in 40 contests for Baltimore yet still not appearing on a card.

But it's 1977 where he saw the most playing time in his big league career, playing in 67 games, good for 79 plate appearances and 69 at-bats, hitting a paltry .188 with a homer and four runs batted in. But again, no card for him in 1978, even though we have other players with less playing time showing up in that great set.

Nevertheless, Shopay's career was over by 1978, toiling in the Minors that season and closing out a sporadic seven year career that began with brief time with the Yankees in 1967 & 1969 before playing out the last five seasons with the Orioles.

He finished his career with a .201 average, three home runs and 20 R.B.I.'s, with 40 runs scored and 62 hits in 309 at-bats.

Just one of those "ghosts" of 1970's baseball that makes this blog possible!