One-card wonders, update 8

Everyone has a "coming of age" year. For me, that year was 1979.

I've mentioned the year several times in previous posts. It was a year that formed some of my views on life and a year that produced some meaningful moments and lessons that I follow to this day.

It was also the year that I began to appreciate music for more than what was played on the radio. I made my first store purchases of music in 1979, most of them coming in the form of 45s, because I couldn't afford an album.

One of those 45s was "Pop Muzik" by M. I adored this song. It was unlike anything playing on the radio at the time (we were still on the disco down slope), and its quirky, robotic nature appealed to me. I bought the record at a guitar shop on the same street where I bought baseball cards. I proceeded to play the hell out of the Robin Scott masterpiece ("New York, London, Paris, Munich") and its B-side, "M Factor".

"Pop Muzik" is one of the one-hit wonders that reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart. It also arrived in the middle of what is the heyday of one-hit wonders as far as I'm concerned. Also playing on the radio along with "Pop Muzik" during the fall of 1979 were these one-hit favorites:

"Cruel To Be Kind" by Nick Lowe

"Drivers Seat" by Sniff n' the Tears

"Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles

Throw in "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, which actually peaked in early January of 1980, and "Knock On Wood" by Amii Stewart, a No. 1 disco hit in April 1979, and the year '79 is one of the most memorable for me when it comes to one-hit wonders.

"Drivers Seat," in particular, might be my favorite one-hit wonder song of all-time and remains a regular listen on my various music devices.

So it all follows that 1979 should be a great year for one-hit wonders in the baseball card world, right? A great year for One-Card Wonders?

And you would be exactly right.

This is a prime period for players who received just one card in their career. The year 1978 featured 10 one-card wonders in that year's Topps set. The 1979 Topps set is almost as solid with nine one-card wonders.

Here they are:

#172 - Mike Bruhert, Mets
#222 - Bob Beall, Braves
#292 - Don Reynolds, Padres
#336 - Bobby Thompson, Rangers
#363 - Craig Skok, Braves
#371 - Jeff Holly, Twins
#427 - Andy Replogle, Brewers
#658 - Taylor Duncan, A's
#676 - Johnny Sutton, Twins

The '79 set would have matched 1978 Topps if I could have included the following player:

The wonderfully named Horace Speed did indeed receive just one Topps card and that was in the 1979 set.

But he also appears in the 1976 SSPC set, so that disqualifies him.

Also disqualified are any players whose only appearance came on one of the three-player rookie cards that were in the 1979 Topps set. I'm only acknowledging players who received there own card.

But nine cards is still quite a bit and the reason for that I think is the increase in Topps' card set from 660 cards to 726 cards after the 1977 Topps set. I've already calculated the 1980 Topps one-card wonders and there are seven in that set. After that, Donruss and Fleer get into the act and the number of one-card wonders have shown a decrease in the 1980s so far, and I expect that to continue.

Here is the current full list, so far:

1967 Topps

#344 - Ossie Chavarria, A's
#388 - Arnold Earley, Cubs
#489 - Doug Clemens, Phillies
#497 - Ron Campbell, Cubs

1974 Topps:

#8 - George Theodore, Mets
#33 - Don Newhauser, Red Sox
#37 - Dave Sells, Angels
#77 - Rich Troedson, Padres
#421 - Dan Fife, Twins
#457 - Chuck Goggin, Braves
#573 - Mike Adams, Twins 

1975 Topps

#288 - Bruce Ellingsen, Indians
#407 - Herb Washington, A's
#508 - Bob Hansen, Brewers
#524 - John Doherty, Angels
#587 - Chris Ward, Cubs
#651 - John Morlan, Pirates 

1977 Topps

#118 - Rick Jones, Mariners
#132 - Chip Lang, Expos
#137 - Jeff Terpko, Rangers
#616 - Tommy Sandt, A's
#641 - Dan Larson, Astros 

1978 Topps:

#224 - Jerry Tabb, A's
#303 - Sam Hinds, Brewers
#311 - Jose Baez, Mariners
#386 - Bob Gorinski, Twins
#502 - Pat Rockett, Braves
#516 - Gary Beare, Brewers
#521 - Steve Staggs, Blue Jays
#591 - George Zeber, Yankees
#667 - Jeff Byrd, Blue Jays
#719 - Randy Elliott, Giants 

1979 Topps:

#172 - Mike Bruhert, Mets
#222 - Bob Beall, Braves
#292 - Don Reynolds, Padres
#336 - Bobby Thompson, Rangers
#363 - Craig Skok, Braves
#371 - Jeff Holly, Twins
#427 - Andy Replogle, Brewers
#658 - Taylor Duncan, A's
#676 - Johnny Sutton, Twins

1980 Topps:

#59 - Eddy Putman, Tigers
#72 - Fred Howard, White Sox
#156 - Tony Brizzolara, Braves
#221 - Joe Cannon, Blue Jays
#233 - LaRue Washington, Rangers
#291 - Randy Scarberry, White Sox
#347 - Harry Chappas, White Sox

1981 Topps:

 #491 - Gordy Pladson, Astros

1982 Topps:

#356 - Denny Lewallyn, Indians

1984 Topps:

#116 - George Bjorkman, Astros
#159 - Darryl Cias, A's
#163 - Lorenzo Gray, White Sox
#337 - Kevin Hagen, Cardinals
#382 - Chris Nyman, White Sox
#474 - Greg Bargar, Expos

1986 Topps:

#451 - Mark Brown, Twins
#502 - Glen Cook, Rangers
#567 - Jeff Barkley, Indians

1994 Topps:

#491 - John Hope, Pirates

1986 Donruss:

#32 - Johnny Abrego, Cubs
#42 - Rick Surhoff, Rangers
#461 - Dave Leeper, Royals
#510 - Steve Engel, Cubs
#595 - Carlos Ponce, Brewers

I think I'll take a crack at a 1960s set or two next, and then I'd like to tackle a bunch of 1980s sets.