2001 DECADE 1970’S BAT PART V

 

               "Now Batting #3 Bobby Grich......" We are now on part 5 of this series of my 2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970s Single Bat Game Used pieces that has 48 subjects & there's only 97 sets available of this set to make but your reading mine so you can have 96 others trying to make this set but I think I might be the only one that has done it. Bobby Grich was an All-Star 2nd baseman for the Orioles most of the 1970s before leaving becoming 1 of the first Free Agents to test the market back after the 1976 season.

 During the 1977 season Bobby found himself in Anaheim playing with the Angels. He was an underratted 2nd baseman when he was playing but overall the 6 time All-Star only led the Home Runs in 1981 well he actually tied with the league lead with 22 along with Dwight Evans(Another member of this elite set),Tony Armas,Eddie Murray (He too is another member of the set) mind you the season was delayed by the biggest strike year that year. He won the Silver Slugger that year as well but Bobby was known for his glove work winning 4 Gold Gloves. When Bobby broke into the Baltimore line-up he started off as a back up to Davey Johnson but the Orioles brass were high on him that they traded Johnson to Atlanta after the 1972 season. Then as I mentioned before a few weeks after the final out of the 1976 World Series he & 23 other players filed for free agency. 

That's him & I in 2010 discussing the baseball free agency process back in 1976 & how it has changed.

                      When I talked to Bobby back in 2010 at the National Sports Card Convention about it he told me its totally different than when he was an active player. He said he felt more pressure from Earl Weaver managing him that he needed a change & he could've gone to the Yankees to back up young Willie Randolph but instead wanted to go to a warmer area to play & so that's how he chose the Angels plus at the time Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy himself saw that Bobby could make a difference for his ballclub plus Bobby was living in California at the time & wanted to be close to his family. There were 5 years(1970,1971,1979,1982,1986) where Bobby could have played for in the World Series but he got a ring for the 1970 Orioles even though he was on the post season roster he never got to play. Plus he was just on a grizzled veteran squad for the Angels in 1982 unfortunately the Brewers had taken down the Angels in 5 games. Then 4 years later Bobby's base hit had been the Game winning hit in Game 4 then he slugged what he thought was the back to back game winning hits with his Game 5 home run with the help of Dave Henderson (who later got the winning hit) Glove work by deflected it into the stands. Then Boston later won it on Henderson's hit sparking the comeback in the 1986 ALCS so after Game 7 of the series Bobby quietly announced his retirement.   So does Bobby make the cut to me he is a borderline player to be included so where does Bobby fit in your views.  So until our next installment which has Bill Madlock waiting for his turn at bat until then I am reminded of what Rogers Hornsby another famous 2nd baseman who once said "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, Hes a Communist."