Operation Topps – Topps 1986 (Pack 36)

We are back from our trip to Virginia and I am fresh off a good night’s sleep, so I am ready for a solid review and I apologize for a late review today as I decided to sleep in.  I am excited since this is my last pack of this box and I moved the new box to my desk.  I do hope to see some nice cards in the next box.  I’m still looking for the Rose card and the Ripken card.  Most of the other good cards from the set I already have, oh yeah, I just remembered we need the Clemens card too.  This is proving to be a ton of fun, like I figured there would be about 400 cards out of this box.  I am just hoping the same out of the next box.  I know at this point it’s a pipe dream but what can I say, here is to hoping.  And now for pack number 36.

1. Lance Parrish – C – Tigers – 740 – Lance is a bona fide star.  You may not remember him for much as he was towards the end of him career in the late 80′s but he was the go to guy for the Tigers for a very long time. In 1986 Lance was 30, he had just had one of the best years of his career in 1985.  In 1986 though he hit 0.257/22/62, not elite numbers by any stretch of the imagination but not horrible either.

2. Billy Hatcher – OF – Cubs – 46 – Billy just completed his rookie year. In December 1985 he was traded to the Astors ( the team I remember him being with).  In 1986, he hit 0.258/6/36/38 which when you look at his entire career, is basically what he did year toyear.  He wasn’t a bad hitter, just one where he would be either the 2nd or 3rd outfielder for any team.  I don’t remember Billy for anything more than some speed, a little pop and enough of an average where he would be a 5th or 6th hitter in the lineup.

3. Charlie Leibrandt – P – Royals – 77 – Charlie had some unproductive years with the Reds before being traded to the Royals in 1984.  In 1985 he put together a great season 17-9 with a 2.69 ERA and a WHIP of 1.224 and he would be 5th in Cy Young voting.  In 1986 it was more of the same he went 14-11/4.09/1.301, true it wasn’t as good as his previous year but definitely as good as a 3rd starter should be.  Don’t forget that Royals team had some serious talent at pitcher (Saberhagen, Gubicza and Danny Jackson), so when Charlie did as well as he did, he did it as a 3rd man in the rotation, so not too shabby.

4. Jim Gott – P – Giants – 463 – Not I do remember a Jim Kaat, but Jim Gott?  I just don’t remember him, let’s take a look at his stats.  In 1985 he went 7-10/3.88/1.32, but in 1986 he got injured and missed almost all of the season.  It was after the 1986 season when he went from starter to reliever and actually that was the best thing he could do.  He was an average starter but as a reliever he was above average (slightly).  We will hear more about him in 1988.

5. Toby Harrah – SS/2B – Rangers – 535 – I was too young to really know about how good Toby was.  He had been around for so long, he was actually on the Senators.  He is another guy like Bob Grich, who I never heard of but had some great stats.  After looking at Toby’s stats, I see the same thing, a player who averaged a 0.266/19/75/15 season. Unfortunately 1986 would be Toby’s last year in the pros, he was 37, and if he played a full year he would have hit his average stats again.  He was definitely one of those players that got overlooked as to how good he really was.

6. John Stuper – P – Reds – 497 – I don’t remember John and rightfully so as 1985 would be his last professional season.  He wasn’t awful, just nothing to get excited about.  His 1985 season he went 8-5/4.55/1.545, just not good at all.  He probably deserved one more shot at the show, but after 4 years, he is the same guy he was and never progressed as a better player.

7. Jack Clark – 1B – Cardinals – 350 – By 1986 Jack was one of the premier players in the majors.  In 1985 he was traded to the Cardinals after playing nearly a decade in San Francisco.  He has the distinction of being one of the few leaders of his team to lead them to not one but two World Series losses.  After the second I think the Cards get upset with him and moved him on. But if you are wondering in 1986 he went 0.237/9/23 after he missed most of the season due to an injury.  I think had he played the whole year, the Cardinals may have had a shot, I mean they would have lost to the Mets but still would have been better than the Astros, as he went down so did the Cardinals.

8. Larry McWilliams – P – Pirates – 425 – 1985 was the down turn in his career, in 1986 he really took a tumble and it would lead to switching to 5 teams in 4 years until he retired.  Not a whole lot to write about for Larry, he was a below average pitcher on a good team, so you know where that means, he would be bad on any other team.

9. Nelson Simmons – DH/OF – Tigers – 121 – Double, previously reviewed in pack 20.

10. Cesar Cedeno – OF/1B – Cardinals – 224 -  Double, previously reviewed in pack 20.

11. Kent Tekulve – P – Phillies – 326 – Double, previously reviewed in pack 4.

12. Scott McGregor – P – Orioles – 110 -  Double, previously reviewed in pack 24.

13. Bert Blyleven – P – Twins – 445 -  Double, previously reviewed in pack 24.

14. Cecil Fielder – 1B – Blue Jays – 386 -  Double, previously reviewed in pack 24.

15. Mel Hall – OF – Indians – 647 –   Double, previously reviewed in pack 24.

I should have figured that seeing 7 doubles in the final pack would be about normal.  After opening a full box, I would say if you are going to get new cards in a pack it would be 8 while you would see about 7 doubles. That is on average.  As for the rating, I would put this one at 2.0 stars.  The Fielder double helped, but I liked the Parrish and Clark cards.  As always don’t forget my other blog bad hits.