Random Topps Card of the Day: 1976 Topps #275 Rick Manning

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, February 20, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1976 Topps #275.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick Manning, outfielder, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: May 23, 1975.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1975 stats (Indians): 120 G, 480 AB, 69 R, 137 H, 16 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 35 RBI, .285 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Indians #1st, June 1972. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: Do you notice the drawing of the outfielder running to make the catch on the bottom left corner of the card? That could easily have been inspired by the play of Rick Manning (or maybe not, but work with me here). In 118 games in the field, he committed 9 errors in 352 chances for a .974 fielding average. Okay, that might not be impressive, but the following year, as the Tribe's primary centerfielder, his .987 fielding percentage thanks to committing only 5 errors in 372 chances earned him the Gold Glove award in 1976. He was no slouch at the plate either, hitting .292 with six home runs, 43 rbi's, and 16 stolen bases in 138 games. In 1977, his was knocked out for the better part of two months thanks to an awkward slide on the base paths, which caused him to hurt his back and require surgery. He remained with the Indians until 1983, when he was traded to the Brewers in a five player trade that sent Brewer fan-favorite Gorman Thomas to the "Mistake by the Lake." In his nine years with the Tribe, he hit for a good .263 with 36 home runs and 336 rbi's, and stole 142 bases. After five seasons and 492 games with the Brewers (.237, 20 HR, 122 RBI), Manning retired as a player. Since 1990, Manning has been the color commentator for Cleveland Indians telecasts. On the back of Manning's 1975 Topps card, there is a cartoon sketch of a baseball caroming off the fence much to the dismay of the fielder and the words "Cookie Lavagetto's 9th inning single with 2 out spoiled Bill Bevens' no-hit bid in the 1947 World Series (according to Baseball-Reference, Lavagetto's hit was a double). In a sign of things that were yet to come, in 1981, Rick Manning made the final catch that clinched Len Barker's perfect game.
• Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1980 Topps #300. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama