Giants of the Game

Number three on the list is JR Richard, standing at 6’8. He pitched his entire career with the Houston Astros. Not only was he a great pitcher, he suffered a stroke at only thirty years old and recovered to live a fairly normal life. He could hold eight baseballs in his right hand (try that someday if you’re ever bored). The Houston Astros had some ugly, ugly cards, but my personal favorite of the ugly cards is the 1978 Topps card. There are at least five shades of ugly in this card, along with a very dull background, which makes the ugly really pop. Another favorite is his 1979 Record Breaker card. In it, he had the decency to wear an Astros jacket. Some of the wild colors still show through, but his mitt covered most of it.