Steve Carlton 1980 Burger King Pitch, Hit, & Run

 

Steve Carlton 1980 Burger King Pitch, Hit, & Run (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

The backs of the Pitch, Hit, & Run cards were on red card stock, different from the blue that regular 1980 Topps were printed on. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

The 1980 Burger King Pitch, Hit, & Run was a 34-card set issued by Topps. With every order of large fries at Burger King, you’d get 3 cards plus a checklist. Burger King also issued a 1980 Phillies team set.

Steve’s Pitch, Hit, & Run card uses the same photo as his 1980 Topps card, and both cards have the All-Star banner. The back of the Pitch, Hit, & Run cards used a red stock, instead of the blue that Topps used for 1980.

1980 would prove to be an amazing season for Carlton. He led the NL in wins, going 24-9. Carlton led all of MLB with 286 strikeouts-his closest competitor in either league was Nolan Ryan, with 200 k’s. Steve threw 304 innings, becoming the last pitcher to date to throw 300 innings in a season, a distinction that won’t be broken anytime soon. Carlton won his 3rd Cy Young Award in 1980.

The 1980 Phillies won the NL East, and then beat the Houston Astros in a thrilling NLCS. Carlton was 1-0 in the NLCS, and 2-0 in the World Series. Lefty was on the mound for the decisive Game 6, as the Phillies captured their first World Series title, beating the Kansas City Royals.