Cards That Never Were: Jim Nettles Topps 1980 & '82

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I have borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts. Many creations (not just baseball) of others can be found on the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group.

The younger brother of Graig Nettles, Jim Nettles was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 4th round of the 1968 MLB draft. The Twins had previously drafted Graig, who spent the 1967-'69 seasons with the Twins. Jim made his MLB debut in 1970, missing being a teammatwe with brother Graig, who had been traded to the Cleveland Indians. Jim played three seasons with the Twins, before being traded to the Detroit Tigers after spending the '73 season in the minors. After playing the '74 season with the Tigers, Jim bounced around the minors for a few years, befopre returning to the majors with the Kansas City Royals in '79. He spent '80 in the minors and returned for one last hurrah with the 1981 Oakland A's. All told, Jim appeared in 240 games and had 129 hits, including 16 HRs and 47 RBIs.

For his efforts, he appeared on Topps cards from 1971-'73 and '75. That left '80 and '82. Pictures were not easy to find, but I did the best with what I could get and was able to fill Jim's gaps.