1961 Topps #16, Billy Muffett

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Billy "Muff" Muffett's 1961 Topps #16 baseball card is
shown here, both front and back:

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/016_Muffett-a.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/016_Muffett-b.jpg

You're at County Stadium in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It's
a cold September night, and the league leading Braves
are playing the second place Cardinals who are 5 games
behind. A win tonight will clinch the pennant for the
Braves, the first one since the Boston Braves won the
pennant in 1948.

After 9 innings the game is tied 2-2. It's now the bottom
of the 11th and the score is still 2-2. The Braves Johnny
Logan singles, bringing Hank Aaron to the plate. The
Cardinals pitcher, who the Cards had just brought up
from the minors in early August, sends a first pitch
curve ball to Hank. Next thing you know Wally Moon
is watching the ball go over his head to straight away
center field for a game winning, and pennant winning
2 run homer.

As Hank crosses the plate, the players pick him up and
carry him off the field. It's one of Hank Aaron's favorite
memories.

Oh yeah, the rookie pitcher who threw that curve??

Yep, Billy Muffett.

Billy came up with St. Louis late in the '57 season, and
was a reliever for them in 1958. He was traded to the
Giants after the '58 season, but only pitched 7 innings
with them in '59, and was sent to the Red Sox before
the 1960 season.

Billy was put in Boston's starting rotation in 1960, and
ended the year with a 3.24 ERA (Note the back of the
card lists his ERA at 3.17 for 1960.). He didn't fare too
well in 1961 though, going 3 & 11 with a 5.67 ERA.
This was his last year, as he only pitched in one game
in early 1962.

His lifetime ERA is 4.32.

He did stay in baseball, and coached for the Cardinals
from '67-'70, the Angels from '74-'77 and for the Tigers
from '85-'94.
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John Wade