Least amt. of AB's yet on a card?
 

Does anyone know (I don't, that's why I'm asking) what player in MLB history has the fewest at bats yet appears on a card? Is it Emil Geiss (12 ab's - 1 hit)? How about AFTER 1900? Just curious and maybe show some scans of these known "unknowns".

I can name that tune in...............Frank Zinn: 8 AB

How about none
 

T207 Irv Lewis - he never played a regular season game.

How about...
 

1975 Topps Herb Washington--Oakland A's. Zero ABs.
Pinch runner extraordinaire.

That Herb Washington stuff is crazy. Guy finished in the top 10 in stolen bases in 1974 and didn't get a single at bat. Also appeared in 3 World Series games and won a ring. Amazing.

Herb Washington never had a major league at bat, yet his career totals show 33 stolen bases and 30 runs scored. Possibly the strangest lifetime record of all time.

And one very unaesthetic baseball card.

http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...Washington.jpg

The Old Judge set has many players with no ABs. The interesting question is what is the least positive number of ABs for someone with a card. The optimal number is one.

Weird!
 

I forgot about Washington, probably because I was thinking of guys who actually had an at bat. How about a guy with at least 1 AB yet still on a card not attributed to a minor league team?
Posted this question at the same time as oldjudge above. Let's keep it to a card issued after 1900 since the OJ thing has been stated.

During the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Keith McDonald of the St. Louis Cardinals had a total of 9 AB's, 7 AB's during the 2000 season and only 2 AB's during the 2001 season.

What is more impressive is that in the 2000 season, for the 7 AB's he had 3 hits, of which all were HR's. He did not have any hits during the 2001 season.

As for baseball cards, according beckett.com he has 25 Major League cards and 14 minor league cards (could have the most cards for fewest MLB AB's?)

Baseball-Reference stats link: http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...cdonke01.shtml

Walter Alston might just slide through. 1 At bat as a player. And has a few cards as a manager. Not sure if he has any as a player, probably not.

Steve B

Most amazing thing about Herb Washington was that he wasn't even a very good base stealer; was successful only 62% of the time.

Technicality
 

I think we need to be looking for someone who had just one Plate Appearance and walked. In that case he would have zero At Bats.

Jay:

I think in the Old Judge set we have these three guys:

Bob Gamble (1 Game, 3 Plate Appearances, 3 At Bats, 1 Hit)
Whitey Gibson (1 Game, 3 Plate Appearances, 3 At Bats, 0 Hits)
Tony Hellman (1 Game, 3 Plate Appearances, 3 At Bats, 0 Hits)

A bit modern but qualifies
 

Adam Greenberg had a single plate appearance with the 2005 Chicago Cubs. Was hit in the head on the first pitch by the only pitch he ever saw as a major league player and had to leave the game. He never recovered from the concussion he suffered and never made it back for another major league game.

He has cards in the various 2005 sets. Official Career stats:

1 G
1 PA
0 AB
1 HBP
1.000 OBP

Wow. What a story. Terrible luck - but better than what happened to Ray Chapman. Here's a link to Greenberg in 2009, still playing the game.

http://njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/070...Greenberg.html

Bob Leroy Powell
 

Bob Leroy Powell appeared as a pinch runner in 1955. Topps chose to use Chico Carrasquel's photo in the card action shot. Powell wore #21 in 1955 but did wear #17 in one game in 1957. Mr. Powell never had an AB but did score a run in 1957.

Greenberg mentioned being a MOT (member of the Tribe) and that there were only 12 such players in baseball. Not many people know that the guy who SHOULD be elected rookie of the year in the AL, Danny Valencia, of the .311 BA and great glove, is also Jewish.