"Now Batting #41 Darrell Evans........" Back in January of 1985 I went to a show that was being held at North end of town it was the first show that introduced me to traded sets (Cause while waiting in line to get Darrell's autograph I saw my first traded set card of Darrell another collector had it for him to sign while I thought it was his 1985 Topps card #792 was his first instead it was the 1984 Topps Traded #36T) how I wish I could go back in time to tell younger self to get certain things now & don't question it but would it been able to find those things at that time maybe & maybe not (Like gather as many hockey cards mainly the Gretzky RCs as well some basketball cards from the `80/'81 set as well some older baseball from 66 on back or start making sets then). It was that show my mom met her favorite Detroit Tiger at the time as for me it was the 1st player I met that won a World Series even though it was the year after. The player Darrell Evans who in the 1970s was a member of the Atlanta Braves from 1969- 1976 then he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Willie Montanez (a player who's also in the set) until 1983 then was the first big time name to sign as a free agent to the Detroit Tigers where he played until 1988 then went back to the Braves before being released in 1990. In 1973 Darrell hit 41 Home Runs which placed him 3rd behind Willie Stargell who hit 44 as well his teammate Davey Johnson who hit 43 but the funniest thing Darrell hit 1 more home run then teammate Hank Aaron(Another member of this set) it marked the first time that 3 teammates hit 40+ Home Runs in a season. Then as I mentioned in the Carlton Fisk part of this series that Darrell in 1985 hit 40 Home Runs making him the first in MLB history to hit 40+ Home Runs in both leagues. Another interesting trivia answer that involves Darrell it was on 52 years ago today that Darrell was on 1st base in the bottom of the 4th inning of the Atlanta Braves hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers & Dusty Baker was on deck when Hank made history. Darrell in 2018 on our second encounter recalled how Hank was glad to hit the historic Home Run at home even though he wishes he tied it but Bowie Kuhn interfered & told the Braves he had to play at least Opening Day in Cincinnati which was 4 days earlier.
Darrell & I back in 2018 discussed April 8th 1974 as well when we first met in January 1985.
Now if you ask me does Darrelll deserve to be part of this set he again is on the fence so what do you say does he or doesn't he leave your comment below stay tuned as on deck is Don Baylor until then as former Brave Rogers Hornsby once said about signing autographs for little kids "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."
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