NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1979 ED PUTMAN

Here’s a “not so missing” 1979 for former Chicago Cubs player Ed Putman, who could play the infield while also spotting you behind the plate:

Putman, who you may remember from the 1980 Topps set while a member of the Detroit Tigers, appeared in 17 games for the Cubs during the 1978 season.
He hit .200 with five hits over 25 at-bats, driving in three while scoring two himself, while playing third, first and catcher out in the field.
Originally up for five games in 1976 with Chicago, he’d go on to play in 21 games with the Tigers in 1979, which turned out to be the last action he saw on a Major League field.
He finished his brief three-year Big League career with a .239 average, collecting 17 hits over 71 at-bats in 43 games, suiting up for the Cubs and Tigers between 1976 and 1979.

NOT REALLY MISSING IN ACTION- 1977 ED PUTMAN

Here’s a “not so missing” 1977 card for former catcher/first baseman Ed Putman, who played the first games of his Big League career with the Chicago Cubs in 1976:

Putman appeared in five games for the Cubs as a 22-year-old, hitting a robust .429 with three hits over seven at-bats.
After spending all of 1977 in the Minors, he made it back to Major League ball in 1978 when he played in 17 games, hitting .200 with five hits over 25 at-bats along with three runs batted in.
After a trade to the Detroit Tigers for Steve Dillard in the 1978/79 off-season, Putman played in what turned out to be the last games of his career, playing in 21 games, going on to hit .231 with nine hits in 39 at-bats, apparently enough playing time to warrant a card in the 1980 Topps set. Go figure.
He’d spend the next two seasons in the Minor Leagues, for both the Detroit and Baltimore Orioles organizations, but would never play Big League ball again, retiring before the 1982 season.