1975 Topps Willie Montanez
The Showboat...
Anyone that remembers Willie remembers him catching the ball and flipping it in one quick motion. He was my favorite player when I was six years old.
I was not a happy camper when the Phillies decided to ship him off to San Francisco. Of course years later I realized that the Phillies got the better end of the deal landing "The Secretary of Defense," Garry Maddox in the deal. But back in 1975, I wanted Willie.
Looking back, I wish I had been old enough to appreciate Willie's replacement at 1st base, should be Hall of Famer Dick Allen, one of the greatest Phillies of all time. But alas, I did not.
Little known fact, Willie actually finished his career with the Phils in 1982 with a whopping 16 at bats (and only 1 hit) during the final two months of the season. Bet you didn't know that!