1978 Topps Ted Turner

Recently, I made the last 2 cards for the 1st Series (1981 Minnie Minoso, and 1997 Alejandro Pena), and made the first 3 for the Second (1980 Disco Demolition Night Highlights, 1990 Bo Jackson All-Star Game Highlights, and 1993 Topps Stadium Club Derek Jeter 1st Day Issue). I had saved them as drafts, and planned on posting them 1 by 1, maybe 2 per week, until I was caught up. Unfortunatly, Blogger had other ideas, and posted them on the days they were first made as drafts, so I am now up to card #29, but some of the last 5 cards are out of order, so just throwing that out there in case you missed the last few cards.

Today's card is a 1978 Topps card of Ted Turner, who managed the Atlanta Braves for 1 game in 1977 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. I don't believe any card company has made a card of Mr. Turner, and I only saw 2 customs when I went searching on Google. Ted took over for manager Dave Bristol after the Braves lost 15 games. Ted had the Braves rallying in his lone game, down 2-1 in the 8th. With a runner on, he sent Darrel Chaney to pinch-hit, and Chaney hit a ground-rule Double. If it wouldn't have went over the wall, the run would've scored and the game would've been tied. Pirates manager Chuck Tanner (who would manage the Braves later in his career) sent in Goose Gossage, who retired the side and got the Save. After the game, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn declared that someone who owned part of a team couldn't manage it, and that was Turner's last game on the field. Braves coach Vern Benson took over for Turner, and later in the season, a man named Bobby Cox would manage the team. 34 years later, Cox would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, so it wasn't a totally bad year for the Braves in 1977. Turner would own the Braves until 1996, the year after they would win their only World Championship Trophy for him.