Knocking some '84s off the want list

The tallest pile of all of the stacks, '84 Topps is up next for the 50 card treatment.  This 50 card group didn't feature a great deal of star power, but there is some interesting cards (at least for me) in this fifty.

Pat Corrales' tenure with the Indians lasted 3 full seasons plus parts of the 83 and 87 campaigns, the longest of any of the three teams he managed.   Pat managed 280 wins during that time.

I knew that Frank Robinson had managed in a few places, but I didn't know that he was a manager for 16 years in the big leagues.  Frank didn't win a division title, but did earn a couple of 2nd place finishes and won the AL Manager of the Year in 1989 with the Orioles.

It appears that in 1983 you had to be a 3rd baseman to win a batting title. I remember LaMarr Hoyt's big season in 1983, winning 24 games.  Rich Dotson was 2nd in the AL with 22, also with the White Sox.  I sure don't remember John Denny winning 19 games in 1983, along with the Cy Young award.

How about the 3 shades of Pittsburgh? Full white, black top/gold pants and gold top/black pants.  If I had to rank them I would go gold top first, all white uni 2nd and the black top 3rd.  Those gold pants just don't do it for me.

This is the first card that I remember from these sets that features a player as strictly a DH.  Ken Singleton's last 2 seasons in baseball were exclusively as a DH, including 151 games in 1983.  Even better, Ken's only WS ring was earned during the '83 season, as the O's beat the Phils in 5 games.  John Denny won the first and only game for the Phillies in the series.

After an 11 year run with the Giants, the Blue Jays picked up Gary Lavelle hoping he'd make a 1-2 punch in the pen with Bill Caudill.  By the end of the year, the Jays had Tom Henke as their closer and won the AL East title.  Gary would not pitch the 1986 season at all, and played with Toronto and Oakland to finish his career.

Easily one of the best names in baseball in the 80's.  I don't have anything to say about Mr. Wockenfuss, except that his name is fun to say.

Now try and say this one...

Thanks for reading, Robert