Donruss the Rookies Steve Sax

The third of the top rookies to have an indiviual card in the Donruss 1982 set (Johnny Ray, Kent Hrbek previously). Steve, of course shared a card on his 1982 Topps card (off hand I o think he appeared in the Fleer set).  This appears to be a spring training photo but is that ivy on the outfield wall back there. I am surprised Steve never became a major league manager.

Topps goes cheap on 2012 Gypsy Queen card stock.

Now don't get me wrong, the title is not misleading but it is not as bad as it seems. Topps did down grade the card stock on 2012 Gypsy Queen. Basically, it is the same card stock as 2011 Allen Ginter. It is still great card stock but not as good as 2010 T206 or 2011 Gypsy Queen. I still love it over anything that is glossy and foil stamped in my hand but it is a down grade from last year

Davey Lopes

Davey resembles the player in the last post Lynn Jones. Both have the same style mustache. A pretty nondescript card for a kind of under rated player. He had good power and good speed for a second baseman. 

Lynn Jones #542

A spring training shot of Lynn Jones, backup outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. If you look close enough you can make out the words Louisville Slugger on his bat.

Enos Cabell #272

It looks like Cabell's photo was taken at the same time as Dave Bergman's  photo at Wrigley  because that sure looks like the same cloud formation in the background Back Facts; Is a cousin of Brewers Dick Davis. Note Davis appeared as a Phillie in this set

Al Holland #377

Back Facts: He once struck out 25 players when he threw a no-hitter at North Carolina AT. Made his first major league start 9/25/81 and went 8 innings to beat Padres. Was 1-0 2.04 in 3 starts at the end of last season and figures to be part of Giants starting rotation this year

Dave Bergman

As I mentioned in a post a few months ago, Dave Bergman was involved with one of the greatest baseball card mysteries of all time. On this card it looks like he had his photo taken at Wrigley on a partly cloudy day. Always love it when clouds make the photo. Finally, his 1983 Topps baseball card is probably one of the top 10 baseball cards of the 1980s

Britt Burns

A spring training shot with an interesting building in the back ground. Britt was one of those young White Sox pictures. Also, his name confuses me with 2 television female stars. One starred in Dog Eat Dog and the other is on Dancing with the Stars and is from E network.

Darrell Evans #398

It looks like Darrell just hit a pop up and is trying to find it in this slightly blurry photo. Darrell was one of those players that who the stats junkies who discovered that he was better than he was

Ross Baumgarten #104

He appears to be one happy guy.  I always liked players smiling for their baseball card. I think of that as their personalized autograph to the collector. They know they are being photographed and they respond to it. Back Facts: Grew up in CHICAGO, but Was a CUBS Fan

Allen Ripley #125

I thought there used to be a comedian named Rodney Allen Ripley but I am not sure. The interesting thing about this photo is his back foot extending upward. It looks weird.

George Frazier #584

George Frazier is one of those players I thought were still pitching until recently. Here this photo appears to be taken at Comisky Park. Back of Card states he lost 3 games in the 1981 World Series but he did have 1.61 ERA during the year.

Bryce Harper to be in Topps Series 2 with short printed card

That is the word on the street. He will have a super rare short printed card, probably given number  #661, also similiar to the Strasberg mania of 2 years ago, he will have have a card in the factory sets that come out in late summer that has a different photo. 

Dwight Evans DK

Here is a decent Diamond King card of Dwight Evans, I have already mentioned that I thought Jim Rice or Carl Yastrzemski deserved the first BoSox DIamond King card but Dwight did tie for the AL HR title with 22 in 1981

Rick Cerone #199

Coming right at you. Nothing much you can say about this card. Enjoy.  Back Facts: Won a celebrated $440,000 salary arbitration over the winter of 80-81 and never heard the end of it from Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner

Tony Pena, Tim Foli and Jason Thompson's Pittsburgh Pirates fashion parade

Here is a good look at the different Pirate uniform combinations yellow/yellow; Black/Yellow and Yellow/Black.

That is a nice shot of Foli squaring to bunt (with a round bat trying to hit a round ball). Looks like it againist the Cubs. Pena would later in 1987 be traded for Andy Van Slyke. Jason Thompson was a big slow number 4 hitter who would clog up the bases when he walked and did not swing away.

Gary Hancock

The final of three spring training shots. Gary was the Willie Midlebrooks, Lars Anderson, Josh Redick and Ryan Khalish of his day.

Del Unser

Del was the Jim Dwyer of his day. Well, I think they occupied the same days alot. I really like thos shot because it is so colorful and give enough background depth, and the Phillies uniform was not much different than what it was in the early 1970s

Danny Goodwin

We begin with a series of spring training posed shots. First up is Danny Goodwin who was twice the number one pick out of high school and college. In college he got a degree in Zoology. Danny is showing off the Twins colors

John Wathan and Clint Hurdle's card photo's were taken in the same inning of the same game.

I never noticed this before, but look at the background on these 2 cards they are almost exactly the same, though taken from slightly different angle. but both have that Royal in the background sitting in the same exact position. This is the same game but I would bet it is also the same inning.

Jeff Reardon

What we have here is a failure to comminicate or in this case what he have here is copying Topps's 1968 and 1969 sets of blotting out the team logo on the cap. One of the few times I recall a non Topps company photoshopping (kind of) at players uniform. I don't think I have seen another card like this in the Donruss 1982 set and I don't think Donruss did it again.

Vida Blue

Before there was Dwight Gooden, Roger Clemens and Steven Strasberg their was Vida Blue (who may have proceeed Jim Palmer and Tom Seaver). Blue's 1971 Topps baseball card is a classic. I love when players pose for a card. This card is not as lovely and kind of boring.

Steve Nicosia

Steve is showing of the Pirates very stylish uniforms. Here this shot shows him with his follow through on an abat. Steve was the backup catcher on the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates champions.

Mike Scioscia

A very young looking Mike Scioscia who would lead the Angels to the World Championship 20 years later.  Here he is at what looks to be Riverfront Staduim but I could be wrong.

Jim Essian

A play at the plate. Yes, that is what it looks like will happen in the next few seconds after this photo was taken. I looks like Jim has the ball in his hands and and the runner is coming down the third base line. A classic catcher shot.

Lloyd Moseby #129

Now I love the way this card looks, I love the seeing the Expos in the background and the strange yellow glow around this picture, the love the pose that Moseby is taken in, knee almost touching the ground. Lloyd was the third wheel in that great Blue Jay outfield (Bell and Barfield) Back Facts: Has four brothers and three sisters.  

Lonnie Smith #606

I don't really like this card and I don't know why. He is wearing the cool Phillies uniform from the early 1980s, he was on nice white batting gloves and he is definitely looking at something going on behind him? (it is hard to tell from where the fans are sitting. His nickname was Skates.

Joe Nolan #62

An in game shot of Nolan holding his catchers mask. Is he walking out to the mound, getting ready to go behind the plate an put the mask on - There goes the Phillips 28 logo on what appears to be a bullpen wall. This is a photo that stands the test of time

John Candelaria (The Candy Man)

One of the more interesting and hard to classify players who every played the game. He was 6'7 big and solid but was not a real hard thrower. He kind of came from a hispanic background but I would not classify him as a hispanic. I would never say he was great or dominant but he seemed like it sometimes. Here he is showing off the Pirates Black and Gold uniforms.

Dennis Leonard #264 (Barney)

In this spring training shot, you can see the name of CB Bank on the outfield wall. At least I think it is CB but you sure can make out the word Bank. The is a really purple uniform. Back Facts: signed a five year $4.5 million contract on 5/4/81. What did Matt Cain get 5 years for 35 million. 

Yankee Winners

With Donruss and Fleer coming on the seen in 1981, they began to bring back something that Topps did in the 1950s and 1960s. I think Topps 1967 set was the last set to have these superstar combos until 1981 when Donruss produced a couple of Superstar combo cards in the 1981 set. The recall Brett and Carew off hand and I think there are a few more.

One thing about this card is the contrasting of height between  Guidry and John. I forgot how small Guidry was but he threw like a whip.

Ernie Whitt

Here is Ernie in his batting stance getting reved up to hit. Here you get to see the classic Blue of the Blue Jays uniform

Dick Davis

We are continuing the Davis theme, with Dick Davis a backup journeyman outfielder for the Phillies. This is a decent batter's box shot of Dick in his bluish/red Phillie uniform. As I mentioned before the uniforms from the late 1970s and early 1980s are much more colorful than todays

Ron Davis

Here it appears that Ron is on the  mound at I think Yankee Staduim. He is in his windup ready to let the ball go with his left foot up off the mound. A nice little action shot.

Bobby Murcer

Bobby was the heir apparent to Mickey Mantle and he was not that bad. He probably was the best player in the American League from 1970-1972.  There was a drop off in his career after he was traded in 1974 for Bobby Bonds. Here in this card towards the end of his career he is back in the classic Yankee Uniform.. 

My Name is Earl

What is the name of the word for when you discover a TV show that is already off the air. For about the last 2 months I have been watching on TBS a show called my name is Earl. I checked IMDB and found out that it was on TV from 2006 to 2010. I had heard of it but never watch it. It just seemed like it would not interest me but now because of limited channels I caught one episode about 2 months ago and have been watching reruns on Saturday. It is very very funny, it causes me to laugh out loud. It stars Jason Lee who I never heard of (but realized he was in the Chipmunk moives) and Jaimee Pressley who I had seen naked in Playboy but had no idea what she was famous for. Don't know anybody elses name. It seems kind of sad to me that the series is already over. It is the first comedy I have been watching since Seinfeld (though I can not watch any reruns of Seinfeld, it just does appeal to me anymore). Here is Jaimee who  is hotter than a firecracker on the 4th of July.

Garth Iorg 353, Roy Howell #204

Garth Iorg 353, Roy Howell #204

These American Leaguers are both playing the position. It looks like Donruss was able to capture both guys working on their defense during spring training. What is great about both of these card is how the infield base running brown dirt makes a circular appearance near the bottom of the card. You can see the infield dirt more so on Iorg card than Howells. Back Facts: Garth was acquired from Yankees organization as their 4^th round selection in the ’76 expansion draft. Roy was a valuable free agent pickup by Brewers in ’81.

The Bearded Mets

Pete Falcone #380 and Pat Zachry #254. Wow, what can I say about Pete Falcone's beard. There is something going on there. I watch the Movie 300 the other day and he reminds me of Gerald Butler from that movie. You can see his name inscribed on his glove. Pat Zachry was involved in the Tom Seaver trade in 1977. He looks gangly in this photo and he is at 6'5 and 175lbs. I would say his beard is a little bit thicker than Falcones

Larry McWilliams #527

Clouds, lots of Clouds that is the first thing I notice about this card. It is a classic pitchers head shot photo.  He is Pete Rose's nemisis as he and Gene Garber combined to stop Rose' s 44 game hitting streat in 1978.

Rudy May #325

A cool shot of Rudy peering at his catcher looking for a ign. It looks like the glasses that he has on are not helping. If I was a batter I would be nervous if the pitcher had to wear glasses. Back Facts: Was a high School teammate of Joe Morgan and Willie Stargell in Oakland, Ca.

Jay Johnstone #262

This is a picture with too much shadow on it but the photo of Johnstone is suprisingly clear. I can't figure out where this was taken but I almost want to say Dodger staduim. I can't figure who is on deck behind him. 

Ruppert Jones #346

Was the Mariner's first big star in 1977,  he was only 22 years old when he put up these numbers 24-76-.263. By 1981 at the age of 26 he was on his way down. I always thought he was a big guy but he was listed as 5'10 and 171 lbs

Mike Norris #19

I think Dick Perez messed up big time on the A's white uniforms that is shown in the bottom right corner of this card. Surprisingly the A's uniforms looked great with the Donruss 1982 design but this card does not that look good. The colors just don't look right.   As I previously stated I think Ricky Henderson should have got the Diamond King card for the A's.

2012 Gypsy Queen is Live on Ebay

The first images of 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen cards are showing up on ebay. This product was supposed to be released on April 18th.

Terry Francona #627

This is a really cool shot of the former Red Sox manager on an overcast day at Wrigley Field. This is an unusually tight shot of him. Back Facts: Is the son of Tito Francona, one of the best hitters in the game during the '50s with Cleveland

Bateman's Take: I thought Tito was an O.K. player but one of the best hitters. I don't think so.

Ron Gardenhire #649

The guy that is managing the Twins reminds me of nothing like his former self from the early 1980s Mets. Here is his rookie card. This guy was thin an not gray and looking like a Grandpa.

Paul Mirabella #629

He has a definte 1970s stash on his face. It looks like this card was taken at dusk or late in the afternoon at Comisky Park. He went in the 1979 off season trade with Chris Chambliss and Damaso Garcia to the Blue Jays from the Yankess.