My 3 Sets -- 1977 Padres Schedule cards

1977 was an interesting year for baseball cards, especially if you're a San Diego Padres fan. Besides the nine-disc Burger Chef set, there were food cards from Hostess and Kelloggs, Glove Discs from Pepsi, RC Cola cans, and Family Fun Centers cards.

Which brings me to the second of my three sets I recently purchased -- the 1977 Padres schedule cards.

The cards, which measure 2 1/4" by 3 3/8." have a sepia tone-colored photo on the front, along with a square border and the Padres '77 rounded logo at the bottom, with the players' named beneath the logo. On the back, at least within the initial set, are listed the 1977 schedule of special events. 

Issued in 1977, this 89-card set consists of 41 cards labeled "One In A Series of 40 Player Photos" on the back (yes, you read right, that's 41 cards "in a series of 40 player photos"), 40 cards without the "One In A Series of 40 Player Photos" on the back, and eight cards with blank backs.

Here are Nate Colbert and Butch Metztger's cards, as well as the back with "One in A series of 40 Player Photos." While I have all of the blank back cards, I don't have any of the backs without the "One in A Series..."

Dave Winfield alone has four cards, one of which is the blank-backed version. Other players with "parallel" cards include Bill Almon, Steve Arlin, Dave Campbell, Mike Champion, Nate Colbert, Rollie Fingers, Dave Freileben, Cito Gaston, George Hendrick, Enzo Hernandez, Mike Ivie Randy Jones (3 cards), Fred Kendall, Clay Kirby, Willie McCovey, McNamara (3 cards), Fred Norman, Gene Richards, Derrell Thomas, Bobby Tolan and Jerry Turner.

Another interesting facet is that it also contains Padres admin officials, too. Besides owner Ray Kroc, who I consider the savior of San Diego Baseball (period!), the set incudes GM Buzzie Bavasi, the ageless announcer Jerry Coleman, Manager John McNamara and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (with Randy Jones), as well as coaches Joe Amalfitano, Roger Craig, Bob Miller, Bob Skinner, Whitey Wietelmann and Don Williams.

One of the cards, number 20, even highlights Marine Lieutenant Jim "Tuba Man" Eakle, who owned a couple of interesting dive bars called "Tuba Man’s Grand Slams" - one on University Avenue and one in North Park. Tuba Man played - you guessed it - the tuba, during interludes at San Diego Padres games.

So far, I have 47 of the 89 cards, including these three Randy Jones cards, so I'm half way to accumulating this set.

Even though I lived in San Diego at that time, I don't particular remember this card set. I'm sure they were probably a stadium give-away, or perhaps included when you bought tickets at the booths, In any case, I don't remember seeing them.

It's funny, but if anything, I remember the brown plastic Padres coffee mugs and Chargers rally towels Square Pan pizza used to give away. We had one on the corner of Newport Ave. and Bacon St. in Ocean Beach we used to go to when we were Jones-ing for pizza.

In any case, here's the checklist for this set.

1A           Bill Almon/Kneeling

1B           Bill Almon/Shown chest up/bat on shoulder
2              Matty Alou
3              Joe Amalfitano, Coach
4A           Steve Arlin/Follow through
4B           Steve Arlin/Glove to chest
5              Bob Barton
6              Buzzie Bavasi GM
7              Glenn Beckert
8              Vic Bernal
9              Ollie Brown
10A        Dave Campbell/Bat on shoulder
10B         Dave Campbell/Kneeling, capless
11           Mike Champion
12           Mike Champion and/Bill Almon
13A        Nate Colbert/Shown waist up
13B         Nate Colbert/Shown full figure/blank back
14           Nate Colbert and/friend Kneeling next/to child with bat
15           Jerry Coleman, Announcer
16           Roger Craig, Coach
17           John D'Acquisto
18           Bob Davis
19           Willie Davis
20           Jim Eakle/Tuba Man
21A        Rollie Fingers/Shown waist up/both hands in glove/in front of body
21B         Rollie Fingers/Head shot
22A        Dave Freisleben/Washington jersey and/cap blank back
22B         Dave Freisleben/Kneeling
23A        Cito Gaston/Bat on shoulder Padres on jersey
23B         Cito Gaston/Bat on shoulder Padre on jersey
24           Tom Griffin
25           Johnny Grubb
26A        George Hendrick/Shown chest up/wearing warm-up jacket
26B         George Hendrick/Shown waist up/wearing white jersey
27           Enzo Hernandez
28           Enzo Hernandez and/Nate Colbert
29A        Mike Ivie/Batting pose, shown/from thighs up
29B         Mike Ivie/Batting pose/shown from shoulders up/blank back
29C         Mike Ivie/(Bat on shoulder)
30A        Randy Jones/Following Through
30B         Randy Jones/Holding Cy Young Award
31           Randy Jones and/Bowie Kuhn COMM/Randy holding trophy
32A        Fred Kendall/Batting pose
32B         Fred Kendall/Ball in right hand
33           Mike Kilkenny/Blank back
34A        Clay Kirby/Follow through
34B         Clay Kirby/Glove near to chest
35           Ray Kroc OWN/Blank back
36           Dave Marshall
37A        Willie McCovey/With mustache/bat on shoulder
37B         Willie McCovey/Without mustache/blank back
38A        John McNamara MG/Looking to his left/blank back
38B         John McNamara MG/Looking to his right
38C         John McNamara MG/Looking straight/ahead, smiling
39           Luis Melendez
40           Butch Metzger
41           Bob Miller, Coach
42A        Fred Norman/Short hair, kneeling
42B         Fred Norman/Long hair, arms/over head
43           Bob Owchinko
44           Doug Rader
45           Merv Rettenmund
46A        Gene Richards/Shown chest up/stands in background
46B         Gene Richards/Shown from thighs up
47           Dave Roberts
48           Rick Sawyer
49           Bob Shirley
50           Bob Skinner, Coach
51           Ballard Smith, GM
52           Ed Spiezio
53           Dan Spillner
54           Brent Strom
55           Gary Sutherland
56           Gene Tenace
57A        Derrell Thomas/Head shot/wearing glasses
57B         Derrell Thomas/Kneeling, not/wearing glasses
58A        Bobby Tolan/Batting pose
58B         Bobby Tolan/Kneeling, holding/cleats in hand
59           Dave Tomlin
60A        Jerry Turner/Batting pose, gloveless/wall in background
60B         Jerry Turner/Batting pose/both hands gloved
61           Bobby Valentine
62           Dave Wehrmeister
63           Whitey Wietelmann, Coach
64           Don Williams, Coach
65A        Dave Winfield/Batting pose, waist up/field in background
65B         Dave Winfield/Batting, stands in/background, black bat/telescoped
65C         Dave Winfield/Two bats on shoulder
65D        Dave Winfield/Full figure, leaning/on bat, blank back

If you come across any of these, let me know.