Scott Fennessy sent in this 1974 Herb Washington APBA card. The “weird” thing about this card is that all things considered, it’s not that weird at all.
As most baseball historians know, Washington was used by Oakland A’s owner purely as a pinch runner in 1974. For his original card, APBA used a pinch running system which still somewhat resembled an APBA baseball card. Washington’s original 1974 card was actually featured as Monster Monday card on The APBA Blog back in 2012.
Here are Washington’s stats for 1974 for the A’s:
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 Totals | 92 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
Washington’s original 1974 card
When APBA republished the the 1974 season six years ago, they decided to give him a standard hitting card, that is, a card we roll on for him to hit. No nifty pinch hitting system like his original card.
I’m sure many will argue that the system used for the original card for “Hurricane Herb” was imperfect but I do appreciate APBA’s willingness to think outside the box. The new Herb Washington will certainly find a role as a pinch runner as a player rated (F)ast. It also helps that he has a first column 11 too.
Some numbers puzzle me. Despite not coming to the plate, he has two 24s. He also has a 55-22. I can see the logic in giving him a standard template of the equivalent of an American League pitcher’s hitting card but those numbers make me scratch my head.
Thanks, Scott!
“Updating” Herb Washington’s card is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Herb NEVER came to the plate in his major league “career” (105 games in 1974 and 1975 seasons and 5 in the 1974 post-season).
Why kill an innovative idea by making “Pinchrunner” Herb a mediocre fielder and hitter, since he never played as either?
BTW – Happy Birthday Herb, who turns 66 on April 4, 2018!
Hello APBA bloggers. I was curious if anyone could make a determination as to how many bases he could steal on this card if only used as a pinch runner as meant?
My personal guess is that he wouldn’t get the 29 based on how the current hit and run charts punish would be base stealers.
Modern card is unrealistic, lame, and boring. Combine his original card with Ken Holtzman on the original 74 As and now we’re having fun.
William,
When I was in my mid-teens in the 1970s, I played a best-of-nine or best-of-11 series pitting the 1974 Ken Holtzman card against one of the All-Time All-Stars teams.
He CRUSHED the “stars”. (lol)
Their pitching grades had ZERO affect on his batting and he was a grade BZ pitcher.
I wrote a game-by-game review and submitted to the old APBA Journal. To my surprise, the article was published in one of the journals … my FIRST published work. I was thrilled!
I went on to a sports writing career that spanned 34 years years, but, I’ll ALWAYS remember the first time an article of mine appeared in print for thousands to see when I was but a teenage boy.
Interesting note about the Holtzman card … he had ZERO at-bats during the regular season or ALCS. The card is based on him going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a walk in the World Series.
Did anyone notice in the original card Herb was born in 1950 and in the card copyrighted 2012 in 1951…..which correct?
Plus…just notice in the original born in Mississippi and the other Michigan…Huh?
40-some years ago I played a best-of-seven series pitting the 1974 Ken Holtzman card against one of the all-time all-star teams. Ken spanked them pretty good. (lol)
I was a teenager at the time and wrote an article about it, submitting it to the APBA newsletter, and they published it. I was absolutely THRILLED they did. It was my first published article.
Four years ago, I wrapped up a sports writing career for the Galion (Ohio) Inquirer that spanned 34 years. Wrote literally thousands of articles during that time …
but I’ll ALWAYS remember my INITIAL published piece in the APBA Journal.
I would love to be able to get my hands on that story, if there’s any way possible.
It would’ve been somewhere in the 1976-78 range.
Thank you very much.
Jon Kleinknecht
Galion, Ohio
Hi Jon,
I have a sizable collection of APBA Journals at home. When I find some time, I’ll look through them and see if I can find that article.
thanks for writing!
Tom