#CardCorner: 1973 Topps Carmen Fanzone

Fanzone would hit one more home run that September while compiling a batting average of .186. Still, the Cubs liked Fanzone’s versatility, which allowed him to appear in games at third base, first base, and the outfield corners. So in 1972, the Cubs included Fanzone on their Opening Day roster as a utility man, with the job of backing up players like Santo, first baseman Jim Hickman, and outfielders Billy Williams and Jose Cardenal.

For the first time in his career, Fanzone would not spend a day in the minor leagues. Maintaining his roster spot in Chicago throughout the summer, Fanzone hit only .225 but did provide protection at five different positions while appearing in 86 games.

Playing in Chicago provided an extra benefit. Since the Cubs played all of their home games in the daytime hours at Wrigley Field, Fanzone was now free to pursue musical gigs at night. Once the game ended, Fanzone typically made his way to a local establishment to play jazz sessions. As Fanzone would say many years later, “it was good therapy for me.” The Cubs seemed to respect Fanzone’s musical talents, as they asked him to perform the National Anthem with his trumpet on more than one occasion.

Typically, Fanzone played for the Salvation Army during the off-season and taught music classes in the winter. He also played the trumpet at night spots in Chicago and area high schools. He specialized in jazz music, with a little classical thrown in for good measure.

As much as the music meant to him, Fanzone made baseball his first priority during the season. Thanks to his season-long stint in Chicago in 1972, Fanzone earned his first appearance on a Topps card as part of the 1973 set. The photograph, taken during one of the Cubs’ trips to New York in 1972, shows off the team’s new road uniform. By 1972, the Cubs had made the switch from flannel button-down jerseys to polyester pullovers, while adopting a thick, blue elastic waistband, a replacement for the traditional black belt. By this time, Fanzone would have been willing to wear a cumber bun as part of his uniform; he was simply grateful to call himself a fulltime major leaguer.

With his first Topps card appearance set in stone, Fanzone put up his best season in 1973. Again fulling a jack-of-all-trades role, he hit .273 and posted an OPS of .797, a terrific number for a bench player. With Santo now 33 and showing some signs of wear and tear, some speculated that Fanzone might soon take over the third base job. Given his offensive flashes, along with a reputation for good defensive play at the hot corner, the Cubs thought they might have found a successor to the aging Santo.

It didn’t happen. That October, the Cubs traded Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins to the Texas Rangers for a package that included hot shot third baseman Bill Madlock. It was not Fanzone but Madlock succeeding Santo, who was soon traded to the crosstown White Sox.

Once again returning in a reserve role, a discouraged Fanzone hit only .190 and reached base just 26 percent of the time in 1974. Those numbers were not sustainable, leading to the Cubs’ decision to release Fanzone in December.

At 33 years old, Fanzone did not want to stop playing. He found some work in the minor leagues, signing a contract with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. At the time, the Islanders made a habit of signing veterans, making them a haven for major league castoffs. Veteran players enjoyed life with the Islanders, who provided a fringe benefit in the form of the warm sun and endless beaches of Honolulu. In 1975, the Islanders employed several former big leaguers, including Fanzone, catcher Chris Cannizzaro, infielders Steve Huntz and Sonny Jackson and and outfielder Rod Gaspar.

On paper, the move to Hawaii looked good, but Fanzone played only sparingly and didn’t hit much. A .217 batting average, combined with a severe ankle injury in midseason, convinced everybody that it was time to retire.

In contrast to many players, Fanzone had little trouble in making the transition from ballplayer to real life. After leaving the Islanders, Fanzone became a fulltime musical performer. In one of his more notable gigs, he played trumpet for the Baja Marimba Band at the Fairmount Hotel in New Orleans. The gig lasted two full years.

Even 40 years after the end of his baseball career, Fanzone still dabbles in music, though he spends much of his time working as a troubleshooter for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Federation of Musicians. (The federation is a union for musicians.) He maintains an office in Hollywood; the room is filled with photographs of celebrity musicians and former teammates, a reminder of the many “names” he has met along the way. Though he never did become a musical superstar, Fanzone has certainly emerged as one of the most successful athletes-turned-musicians in sports history. And he has no regrets about splitting his pursuits to include both baseball and the band.

For many players, baseball is everything. But for a music man like Carmen Fanzone, there is clearly life after baseball.