1981 Topps Bill Campbell

 

The front: Hatless card! Funny how those are more fun when they are rare in a set, and not every card.

The back: In his only All-Star Game, Campbell pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the AL's 7-5 loss, getting Ted Simmons to ground out, and striking out Joe Morgan and Willie Montanez.

The player: Campbell was the closer for the Twins for four seasons, and was a big early free agent signing for the Red Sox. He had his best year in '77, leading the AL with 31 saves, but got hurt in '78 and was never as effective again. He spent much of the 1980s as an itinerant middle reliever, pitching for a different team each season from 1983 to 1987. Overall in 700 games he went 83-68 with 126 saves and a 3.54 ERA. 

The man: Before his major league career, Campbell was drafted and ultimately became one of the few big leaguers who saw combat in Vietnam. After his playing career he was a minor league coach for many years. He died in 2023.

My collection: I have 40 of his cards, from 1974 to 1987. I would be interested in trading for 1978 Hostess #107.