Having analyzed several Mets Topps cards from the mid-80s recently, and one non-Topps card (we will kindly ignore how the writer thought it was Dwight Gooden pitching at Wrigley rather than Candlestick), let’s go back in time to the 1974 Topps set. Recall fondly that in 1974, the Mets were defending National League Champions.

On the card shown below, batter Gary Matthews is sliding safely into third while the third baseman awaits a throw.

Let’s get our Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat off the wall but before we have the hat set firmly on our head we can see that the scene is of Shea Stadium.  We can tell that the third baseman is wearing the home uniform of the Mets, if that’s not enough, the green fencing, the 396-foot marker in the outfield, and the Manufacturers Hanover Bank sign in the background are all giveaways that this is our beloved Shea.  After that Gooden at Candlestick fiasco, we’ll be sure to double-check all evidence.

  • Who is the Mets third baseman shown in the picture?  A quick check of baseballreference tells us sleuths that wearing No. 11 for the Mets in 1973 was Wayne Garrett, who was the Mets starting third sacker that season.

Entering the 1973 campaign, Jim Fregosi was the team’s starting third baseman.  Fregosi, had been acquired prior to the 1972 season in a trade with California that sent the Angels Frank Estrada, Don Rose, Leroy Stanton and a young right handed pitcher named Nolan Ryan.  While Fregosi had reported overweight the previous year to Spring Training, in 1973 he was both in shape and enthusiastic.  However, a sore arm impeded his throws to first base.  The return from trading Nolan Ryan, ended on July 11 when the Texas Rangers purchased his contract from the Mets.  At the time, Fregosi was batting .234 and had 9 errors on the season.

Garrett had a career year for the 1973 “Ya Gotta Believe” Mets. Inserted into the lead off spot, he was second on the club with a career-high 16 home runs, and was also second in triples and walks; he was third in RBIs, doubles, runs, hits and OPS+.  His stolen base total of 6 was enough to lead the team.  The 1973 Mets had little team speed; the 27 stolen bases by the club are the lowest in franchise history in a nonstrike year).  On the defensive side, Garrett was second among NL third basemen with 36 double plays, and for the season he had a positive dWAR of 1.2.  His total bWAR of 4.3 was the highest of any position player on the team.

In the 1973 World Series Wayne Garrett hit two home runs against the Oakland A’s, including a lead off blast in Game Three at Shea. However, he made the final out of the World Series, hitting a popup while representing the tying run against A’s reliever Darold Knowles.

Returning to the card in question, let’s pose and answer several additional questions:

  1. What game was the shot taken from?  Obviously a day game, another check of baseballreference shows that the Mets hosted the Giants in only 2 days games in 1973 – on Aug. 25 and 26. We can eliminate the game of the 26, since Garrett did not play in that game. That leaves us with the game of Saturday, Aug. 25. Elementary Sherlock.
  2. What inning was the play taken, and was it a triple or was Matthews advancing as a base runner?  In the top of the first, Gary Matthews singled and was sacrificed to second.  Yes, a sacrifice bunt in the top of the first – baseball was played differently in 1973.  However, Mathews scored three batters later from second on a single by Garry Maddox, so we know it’s not the first inning.  In the top of the fifth inning, Matthews stepped in against Tom Seaver, and stroked a two-out single to left field.  The following hitter was Tito Fuentes, who followed with a single of his own to left field.  The box score at baseballreference shows that his hit advanced Matthews to third.  This is the play that the Topps photographer captured on the card for us to see 45+ years later.
  3. Did Matthews score?  No, Matthews was left stranded, as Seaver retired Bobby Bonds on a fly ball to center fielder Don Hahn.
  4. Don Hahn?  Wasn’t Willie Mays the Mets center fielder in 1973?  A check of the record shows that Don Hahn, he of the lifetime .236 batting average and a grand total of seven career home runs played 83 games in center for the Mets in 1973, over Willie Mays.  Mays played a total of 45 games in center that season for the Mets, totaling less than 340 innings.  Mays even played 17 games at first that season.  A reminder that in the game of life, Father Time is undefeated.
  5. Did the Mets win the game?  No, the Giants, behind the shutout pitching of Tom Bradley, beat Seaver and the Mets, 1-0.
  6. The third base coach McNamara pictured on the card; was that John McNamara, the manager of the 1986 Red Sox who lost to the Mets in the World Series?  Sharp eyes, Watson.  Yes it is.

Let’s put our deerstalker hat back on the wall until next time.  Have a favorite Mets card you would like analyzed?  Mention it in the comments below and we’ll see if we can write an article on the card you request.

LGM