#65 Dan Driessen

Card thoughts: There's some seriously weird color separation going on here. The grass looks radioactive. The sky is an unnatural shade of deep blue, considering how dark the field is. Likely taken the same time as the Ron Roenicke card earlier in this set.

The player: Dan Driessen started out as the regular third baseman for the Big Red Machine teams in the mid 70s. While his on base percentage and average were high, he lacked the power generally sought in a corner infielder and he was a terrible fielder. He was reduced to a utility role in the 1975 and 1976 seasons when Pete Rose was switched to third. He returned to a starting role in 1977, filling some big shoes after star first baseman Tony Perez was traded to the Expos before the season. Driessen responded by having a career year, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 91 while stealing 31 bases and hitting .300. He would go on to have several more solid years for the Reds, driving in about 70 runs a year and fielding his position admirably, leading the league in fielding percentage in 1978, 1982, and 1983. However, his batting average struggled to get above .260, though he still got on base a lot, leading the league with 93 walks and 6 hit by pitch in 1980. When his power numbers began declining in the early 80s, Driessen was traded (like Perez before him) to the Expos for pitcher Andy McGaffigan in the middle of the 1984 season. Another midseason trade during the year represented by this card brought him to the Giants where he shored up first base, which had been split between ineffectual David Green and Scot Thompson. He would play sporadically in 1986 and 1987 with the Astros, Giants and the Cardinals before retiring at age 37.

Dan Driessen was the first designated hitter in National League history, filling that role in the 1976 World Series when it was used for the first time in post season play. He is the uncle of former first baseman and Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry.

Rear guard: There's an error on the back of this card. It does not show Driessen's league lead in walks in 1980. As a kid, this is what I looked for to determine "good" players. So all these years, I just thought Driessen was some boring common(er). For shame Topps! Scrub or not, Driessen had several milestones in 1982. His grand slam came off the Cardinals' Jim Kaat, who was pitching in relief of Andy Rincon. Driessen also drove in another run off of Kaat with a triple.

#64 Floyd Bannister

Card thoughts: I really hate these cards with the players wearing jackets. Makes them look like they are wearing pajamas or something. The photographer caught Bannister in a weird light. If you look closer, you'd swear he was wearing a silly putty mask.

The player: I remember thinking Floyd Bannister was a pretty good pitcher. And he was for the White Sox in this era, having 16 win seasons for them in 1983 and 1987. Unfortunately, due to playing for bad teams (see the Mariners in 1982, when he led the league in strikeouts yet had a 12-13 record), Floyd Bannister for most his career was quite mediocre. The Astros sure expected more. He was drafted as the first pick in the country (as shown by this Topps card) and burned through the minors. But the Astros gave up on him after two seasons, sending him to the Mariners for Craig Reynolds, who was a decent enough shortstop but not really a good exchange for a former #1 draft pick. Bannister struggled to post a plus .500 record with the Mariners, but was starting to show promise by 1982. He decided to sign with a better club the next season and was a huge part of the White Sox making the playoffs that year. He lost his only ALCS start, however, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings against the Orioles. After 1988, he drifted from the Royals, to Japan, to the Angels, and finally ended his career with the Rangers in 1992.

His son Brian Bannister played for the Royals and Mets in the early part of this century. Both father and son played with ageless wonder Julio Franco. Here's a nice article detailing Bannister's post baseball life.

Rear guard: Lots of room for Bannister's accomplishments on the back. Bannister's debut came in relief, when he gave up two runs to the Giants, taking the loss. He would get his first win 10 days later, pitching a complete game against the Pirates, giving up 3 runs, 3 walks, and 11 hits while striking out 9. Hardly a dominant performance.

#63 Ron Roenicke

Card thoughts: All that's missing is the soccer ball and team trophy

The player: Roenicke played 8 seasons in the majors, mainly as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement in the late innings. He never lived up to the promise of being the first round draft pick of the Dodgers in 1977. With a .238 career average, he was a better defender than hitter.

Roenicke is in his first year managing the Brewers, after "graduating" from the managerial school of Mike Scioscia, regarded as one of the best managers in the American League. He replaced Joe Maddon, current Rays manager, as the Angels bench coach in 2006.

Rear guard: I believe that is "a" game Topps. Every one knows Willie McCovey: hall-of-famer, good Samaritan. Dick Dietz? In 1970 he would hit 22 home runs, drive in 107 runs and have .941 OPS at age 28. He would hit 23 home runs the rest of his career, which only lasted three more years.