American League Pitching Leaders (#233,235,237)

Here are the 1967 cards showing the previous season's American League pitching leaders in ERA, victories, and strikeouts.

Jim Kaat and Earl Wilson each nabbed 2 of the 9 spots, with 5 other players appearing once. In contrast, the AL Batting Leaders had 3 players manning 7 of the 9 spots. Oddly enough, Earl Wilson was traded from Boston to Detroit DURING the 1966 season. Sporting a 5-5 record at the time of the trade, he went 13-5 with the Tigers, vaulting into the leader board.


Last year, the AL ERA leaders included 2 Indians and a White Sox. Now, it's 2 White Sox and 1 Indian (with 6 different pitchers!)  If I recall correctly, Gary Peters and Joel Horlen also appear on the following season's ERA leaders card. Steve Hargan continues the tradition set last year by teammates Sam McDowell and Sonny Siebert.

Jim Kaat won 25 games in 1966, and scored himself a "floating head" on one of the 1967 checklist cards, (ostensibly the 7 top players in baseball). Denny McLain won 20 games, which was just a tune-up for his 31-win season in 1968. Wilson won 18, then added a league-leading 22 wins in 1967.

Sam McDowell takes his customary spot atop the AL strikeout leaders, with Kaat and Wilson rounding out the 200+ strikeout club.