two "special" cards

for those of you who know me probably know I am a Cubs fan and prefer "vintage" cards to the "modern" cards (though I am a quiet Rays fan since I live the Tampa Bay area called Sarasota and am slowly coming around to appreciate some newer cards)

That being said, two cards came to me from Jim at GCRL that are worthy of a "special" designation. First of all they came from a very generous blogger and that always makes a card special - thank you again, Jim.

Secondly, both of these cards are Dodgers; ok true, not my favorite team by a long shot but coming from a Dodger fan makes them special as well. Many of us get flooded with cards of our favorite team's so when cards come from the senders favorite team, it should be noted as "special".

Probably not as important as the two reasons above but both of these cards are what I have termed as a "Clemente-ism" (look at some previous posts under my irregular special feature onthe right, if you need a explanation of what I mean).

This 1978 Steve Garvey # 350 showcases his batting average at the end of the '77 campaign at exactly .300 !

And this 1986 Steve Yeager # 32 after fourteen years as a Dodger has his total career homeruns at exactly 100 !

You will have to believe me because I purposely did not show the backs of these cards in hopes that some of you might look at your own collections and see if you can find any other "Clemente-isms", just to designate them "special" too.

And finally these two cards are special because they are Steve's . . . and anyone with the first name Steve in my book is "special".

4 reasons to celebrate today

April 15th is designated as Jackie Robinson Day - the day baseball changed forever and is forever grateful for the courage, sportsmanship and athletic ability of # 42. The barriers of color were removed from the major leagues in 1947 and we do celebrate that !

Twenty five years later another barrier was broken - that of facial hair with Reggie Jackson appearing in a game on this date in 1972 with a mustache. Nowhere equal in its significance as Jackie Robinson but certainly worth celebrating.

Here are my latest mustache finds . . . thanks to Reggie.


April 15th also marks "tax day" - a reason to celebrate if you know any or are an accountant (I am not but do have friends that celebrate the end today)

And lastly today, April 15th, we celebrate a birthday; Woodie Fryman. A two time all-star (1968, 1976) Fryman played for 18 seasons; most notably with the Pirates, Phillies, Tigers and Expos. A career record of 141-155 with 1587 strikeouts, Fryman had a very solid career.
Fryman also played one season with the Chicago Cubs, 1978, going 2 - 4 and appearing in only 13 games. Fryman had four one hitters in his career and is my fourth reason to celebrate today.

April 15th . . . a day to celebrate for many reasons.

"The Heater"

That was the nickname for Neal Heaton during his days at the University of Miami (1979-1981). Heaton was drafted 2nd by the Cleveland Indians (39th overall) in the 1981 draft and played for seven teams from 1982 until 1993. While his major league career record of 80-96, 4.37 era and 699 strikeouts do not accurately reflect his "heat" or potential; Heaton was actually the first UM player ever to be selected to a Major League All-Star game, 1990 (though did not play).
It was in college that Heaton was known to throw fire. The two-time All American won 42 games as a Hurricane and had 23 strikeouts in one game against Indiana State on March 10, 1981. He has had his #26 retired by the UM baseball team and elected to the UM Hall of Fame in 1992. With Coach Ron Fraser running the team like a "minor league show", attendance at Mark Light Stadium on the campus of UM was packed every night, especially when "the Heater" was on the mound.

At 6'1" and 200 lbs, Heaton was the "stud", "the sure thing", "a can't miss", a left handed fireballer who threw 93 mph. Originally drafted by the N Y Mets in 1979, they offered him a insultingly low signing bonus of only $ 35,000, and after rejecting it flat out, Heaton opted to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater OK. It was not very long until Ron Fraser (UM Coach) picked up the phone and coaxed Heaton into coming to Coral Gables.

Just one year prior to that unrelated event, in March 1978, I had visited the U and decided that is where I was going to spend "the best four years of my life". Living on fraternity row, which was right across the street from Mark Light Stadium, home games were "party time" in and out of the stadium. Many times we would sneak in during the between inning commotions (orchestrated by head coach Fraser, termed the P T Barnum of college baseball by Sports Illustrated in 1977) and watch our Hurricanes win day in and day out.

Back then . . . baseball was king in Coral Gables, Heaton was the stud on the mound and I did my best to survive the "best four years of my life".

More cards from the UK

As I promised here is my second post acknowledging the generousity of John from across the Atlantic.

Amongst the cards he sent me was a batch of 1978 Topps Chicago Cubs. That team from 1977 was as "unremarkable" a team as so many other Cubs teams from the mid seventies. A record of 81-81, one 20 game winner (Reuschel) {nobody else had more than 14}, and one player (Murcer, 27/89) who hit more than 20 HR and had more than 75 RBI's. But John did send me . . .


. . . Ivan DeJesus who led the team in stolen bases (24), triples (7), hits (166), runs scored (91) and strikeouts (90); Steve Ontiveros led the regulars in batting average with a .299 BA, and then there was Mick Kelleher and SteveSwisher - batting .230 and .190 respectively.

And Larry Biittner, yes he dotted both his i's and crossed both of his t's; did have a decent year with 12 HR's, 62 RBI's and a .298 BA but seems to be left out of the thick bushy mustache club.

A good time to say thanks again to John and to store away these easily forgettable Cubs of 1977 in my 1978 binder, alongside the likes of "unremarkable" George Mitterwald and Donnie Moore.