Gary Thomasson

The freckle-faced lefthander was a Topps Rookie All-Star in 1973, as he hit .285 for the Giants. The ball Thomasson hit for a homer on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium in 1977 went into the Hall of Fame as the first ML home run with a Rawlings baseball. A solid fourth outfielder and backup first baseman, he set career highs in every offensive category in ’77, hitting 17 homers in 145 games. The next spring he was one of the seven players sent with cash from San Francisco to Oakland for Vida Blue. In 1981-82, playing in Japan, he hit .249 with 20 HR in 477 at-bats for Yomiuri.