when tom hutton signs, people listen

i posted a while back about this card - a 1967 topps dodgers rookie stars -

that gene michael was kind enough to sign and return.  i sent it back out, this time to tom hutton, and he quickly signed and returned it as well.

hutton also signed his 1976 topps

and 1978 topps cards for me

which is awesome in and of itself.  i love love love getting some 1978 topps signed.

hutton debuted in the majors for the dodgers in 1966.  he went 0 for 2 in 3 games for the nl champs.  his first two games were games in which koufax was pitching, and his third was in a drysdale shutout.  he replaced willie crawford in the 9th inning of his major league debut, and got his first at-bat a few days later when he replaced wes parker in the 7th inning.  he grounded out against the phillies' john morris, but at least he moved the runner over.

hutton didn't appear in the big leagues again until 1969 when he was called up for a two-week stint to replace the injured parker at first.  hutton got his first big league hit (a single) in his first game back against hank aguirre of the cubs.  when parker returned, hutton was sent down and never appeared as a dodger again.

in october of 1971, the dodgers traded hutton to the phillies for larry hisle and hutton quickly became the phils' regular first baseman.  he had hits in his first 3 at-bats for the phillies, including a game winning, walk off single.  after 6 seasons in philadelphia, including two trips to the postseason, hutton was purchased by the blue jays in december of 1977.  i have always wondered why he didn't get a card in the 1978 o-pee-chee set - there was plenty of time after the transaction occurred to include him and get the team and text variation set, especially since he was going to one of the two canadian teams.  speaking of which, hutton played for both teams - toronto and montreal - in 1978.

back to that 1967 card.  it bothers me that topps didn't take the time to airbrush a dodger hat on gene michael.  i found a team issued postcard and replaced the photo to create the 1967 topps dodgers rookie stars card that should have been

much better.

thanks tommy!