Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Mike Piazza

Don’t get mad at me. These are “fun cards.” If I want to make a card of Mike Piazza wearing a Marlins uniform, I will. So what if he only played five games for the Fish?

Honestly, the Dodgers never should have traded this guy. He was the franchise in the 1990s, and they were foolish to let their relationship deteriorate. Yes, he is wearing a Mets cap on his Cooperstown plaque, and statistically, that’s what it should be. But it shouldn’t, because he never should have worn a Mets cap as a player. He should have been a career Dodger.

Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Goose Gossage

Rich “Goose” Gossage was a reliever for the majority of his career, but in 1976 the White Sox used him as a starter. Despite a 5-7 record as the All-Star break, he was still recognized as a great pitcher due to his 2.91 first-half ERA and was named an All-Star. He was traded to the Pirates after the season, returned to the bullpen and never started a game again.

Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Rollie Fingers

Rollie Fingers played for the Oakland A’s, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers. But he was also a member of two other organizations for a grand total of seven days, though he never played a game for either team. The A’s sold him tot he Red Sox in 1976, but three days after the deal the dictator commissioner of baseball Bowie Kuhn voided it and ordered the reliever back to Oakland. He ended up leaving Charlie Finley for San Diego that off-season.

In December 1980, the Padres traded Fingers to the Cardinals, who then traded him four days later to the Brewers. He would finish his career in Milwaukee…but might not have, had Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott lifted the facial hair ban on her players. Fingers considered signing with the Reds, but opted to retire when he was told he would have to shave his famous handlebar mustache.

Fun Cards: 2019 TWJ Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson was one of my first favorite baseball players. I didn’t start following baseball until the tail-end of his career, but I enjoyed hearing about his swagger. His 1988 Fleer card is one of my all-time favorites, and I just came into possession of his rookie card less than a year ago via a Twitter giveaway contest.

Congratulations, Sean Manaea!

Sean Manaea pitched the first no-hitter of the 2018 season last night against the Boston Red Sox. He struck out ten batters and only walked two. Marcus Semien score all three Oakland runs, crossing the plate after doubles by Jed Lowrie in the first inning and Stephen Piscotty in the third, and hitting a solo home run in the fifth.

Fun Cards: “Baseball Immortals” Tony LaRussa

I admit I had issues with Tony LaRussa‘s selection for the Hall of Fame. His alleged ignorance of what Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire were doing in the bathroom stalls never sat right with me. When you look at his success, however, it is difficult to deny his place among the immortals (if you even agree that managers should be in the Hall, which I honestly don’t). LaRussa led Oakland to one World Championship and the Cardinals to two more.

Fun Cards: “Baseball Immortals” Rickey Henderson

The 2009 Hall of Fame class included one player in his first year of eligibility, and one in his last. Rickey Henderson is considered the greatest leadoff hitter in history, and stole more bases than any other major leaguer. In 25 seasons, Henderson stole 1405 bases; no other player has stolen 1000. In 1998, he led the AL with 66 swipes at the age of 39. He racked up 110.8 WAR in his career and ranks third among left fielders according to JAWS, behind the cheater Barry Bonds and the legend Ted Williams.

Fun Cards: “Baseball Immortals” Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley‘s career began as a starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, and he was a fairly successful starter. From 1975 through 1986 for the Indians, Red Sox, and Cubs, Eck won 151 games, was selected to two All-Star teams, and received Cy Young Award consideration in 1978 and 1979. Before the 1987 season started, the Cubs traded Eck to the Oakland A’s, where he became one of the most dominant relief pitchers in history. He collected 320 of his 390 career saves while wearing the green and gold for nine years. He was selected to four more All-Star teams and in 1992, Eckersley won both the Cy Young Award and the AL Most Valuable Player Award.

Fun Cards: “Baseball Immortals” Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson may have been my first favorite baseball player, or at the very least, my first favorite non-Reds player. I thought I remembered his 500th home run, but after looking it up, I don’t believe that is correct. His 500th came in 1984, slightly before I started paying attention to the sport. Perhaps I thought I remembered it because he was the last player to reach the milestone before Mike Schmidt in 1987, and I do remember Schmidt’s pursuit of the mark.

Reggie hit 563 home runs in all during the regular season, and 18 in the postseason. In 1973, he was named both the AL MVP an the World Series MVP for the Oakland A’s. He was also named the 1977 World Series MVP with the Yankees. His induction into the Hall of Fame was a no-brainer, which means the 27 voters who omitted his name from their ballots had no brains.

Fun Cards: “Baseball Immortals” Joe Morgan

Jay Jaffe developed a ranking system that utilizes both career WAR and a player’s seven-year peak WAR. His system, called JAWS, ranks Joe Morgan as the fourth-best second baseman of all-time, behind Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Collins, and Nap Lajoie. A lot of people don’t realize that Morgan spent several season with the Houston Colt .45’s/Astros before coming to the Reds in 1972. He was twice an All-Star in Houston, but the The Little General found true success in Cincinnati. As a member of the Reds from 1972-1979, Morgan was named to the All-Star team every year and won back-to-back MVPs as Cincinnati won back-to-back World Championships in 1975 and 1976. Despite all of his awesomeness, there were 81 BBWAA voters who did not think he was deserving of a spot in Cooperstown his first year on the ballot. Fortunately, he still received 81.8% support, so he cleared the 75% threshold and was inducted alongside Jim Palmer.

SSPC occasionally made questionable decisions in their photo selections. They showed Ralph Kiner with the Indians rather than the Pirates, and Frank Robinson with the Dodgers rather than the Reds or Orioles. I decided to have a little fun and use a picture of Morgan with Oakland as an alternative to the more logical Cincinnati card. Consider this a “fun card” SP.