1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman Miguel Cairo

There are players in Major League history with more eye-popping stats than infielder Miguel Cairo, but very few of them were unanimous selections for the Topps All-Star Rookie team. Cairo was playing his first full MLB season at the age of 24 in 1998. He was already playing for his 4th MLB franchise, but it was because lots of teams wanted him! The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays needed talented players to fill out their roster - and Cairo fit the bill at second base.

His rookie season included 138 hits (26 doubles and 5 Triples) and 19 stolen bases in 150 games. He was the 8th pick in the Expansion draft, plucked from the Cubs organization. 

Cairo signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a minor league free agent when he was just 16 years old out of Venezuela. He made a big impression after a great year in High A Bakersfield in 1994 - he stole a career best 44 bases while hitting .291 in 155 games. From then on he was an intriguing target for various teams looking to improve their org's speed and/or defense. Seattle picked him up in a trade with the Dodgers after the 1995 season, then flipped him to Toronto less than a month later. He had a strong season in AAA for the Jays, and made his MLB debut in April of that year. He then came to the Cubs in time for the 1997 season, and he spent another year mostly in AAA, now in Iowa. He had 159 hits for the AAA team, and once again showed decent speed with 40 steals. The Devil Rays felt he was ready to take the next step and handed him the starting 2B job for 1998.

His most prolific seasons came as Tampa's starting second baseman, where he hit .275/.319/.356. He wasn't a power hitter, is what I'm saying. But he did pile up the singles and was a talented defender. He'd end up back in the Cubs organization in 2001 after the Devil Rays wanted to give Brent Abernathy a shot as the everyday 2nd baseman. Cairo was released in November by the Devil Rays, then picked up by Oakland, and was traded late in Spring training to the Cubs. The Cubs provided Cairo with the opportunity to re-invent himself from a light hitting second baseman into a light hitting utility infielder. This would be a key development for Cairo, as his versatility would allow him to prove his usefulness to many more teams for many more years. 

After a season with Chicago (split between AAA and the big league club), Cairo caught the eye of the Cardinals' Tony LaRussa. The Cubs placed Cairo on Waivers and the Cardinals snapped him up in time for the 2001 post season run. Cairo would pick up a hit and a stolen base against the eventual World Series Champion Diamondbacks in the 2001 NLDS. The following year, Cairo would play all over the diamond, appearing at every position except pitcher, center field, and catcher. He filled the Super Utility role that was a vintage LaRussa strategy. He would give anyone and everyone a day off when called upon, and was a valuable double switch option in the National League. 

In the 2002 NLDS, Cairo reached base in all 5 plate appearances. He'd add 5 more hits in the NLCS, but the Cardinals fell just short, losing to the Giants

                       

Cairo had a great season with the Yankees in 2004, again playing all over the infield. He appeared in a career high 122 games, and topped 100 hits for the first time since his days as an everyday player in Tampa. He would go on to play for the Mets, then back to the Yankees, then the Cardinals again, then Seattle and Philadelphia before finally settling for a 3 year stint in Cincinnati. His time with Philly included his only World Series experience, though he was on the roster he did not get a plate appearance. In all, Cairo played in 17 MLB seasons, and collected over 1,000 career hits and scored over 500 career runs. 

This year Cairo has re-united with Tony LaRussa to serve as the bench coach for the Chicago White Sox.

Do you have any Miguel Cairo memories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading! 

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Catcher Scott Hatteberg

In his rookie season, Scott Hatteberg lived up to the expectations of a first round selection, hitting .277 with 10 homers for the Red Sox as their primary catcher. To make the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, you have to have a mix of potential and production, and Hatteberg was able to deliver both in 1997.

He had a brief visit to the big leagues in 1995, getting a hit in his first MLB plate appearance. Another cup of coffee came in 1996, but it was 1997 where Hatteberg got his first opportunity to make an impact at the big league level. He started the season as the personal catcher of Aaron Sele, but hit his way up from once every five days into a platoon with Bill Haselman, and eventually was the main man behind the dish. Haselman, who broke training camp as the presumptive starting catcher, finished the season playing in just 67 games to Hatteberg's 114. 

Hatteberg was selected 43rd Overall by the Red Sox, a supplemental first round pick that the Red Sox were granted for losing Mike Boddicker to free agency. Hatteberg was one of the catchers for Team USA in 1990 for the Goodwill Games and the World Cup. He was a star for Washington State (where he first teamed up with Aaron Sele), and was the team captain. Once he was drafted by the Red Sox, the organization took their time to develop their young prospect. He would make quick work of the Rookie league and Single A level, but would repeat AA twice, then AAA two more times. But by 1997, Hatteberg was out of minor league options, and he was all but guaranteed a spot on the 25 man roster. 

The timing for Hatteberg could have been better in Boston - just as he was getting a chance to be the man in Boston, an even bigger prospect was making his way through the ranks and would make his presence felt in 1998. Jason Varitek became the everyday catcher for the Red Sox by 1999, with Hatteberg playing in just 30 games. This was due in part to a serious elbow injury Hatteberg suffered which gave him nerve damage in his throwing arm. After a four month recovery period, Hatteberg was "back," but not the same. The book on Hatteberg was that you could steal bases against him - and that was before he had to re-learn how to grip and throw a baseball. His catching days (and by extension his baseball career) was in jeopardy. Despite this injury, the Red Sox continued with Hatteberg behind the plate for two more seasons. They even tried him at third base briefly in 2000, but his arm troubles were not improved by the longer distance. Following the 2001 season, the Red Sox traded Hatteberg to the Rockies for Pokey Reese. Two days later, Hatteberg was a free agent. 

One of the reasons the Red Sox kept him around for so long with a bum elbow was that he could still provide value on offense. He would become the prototypical example of "Moneyball" strategy when Oakland signed him in the 2001 off-season. As detailed in the Michael Lewis book and played for comedic effect in the film of the same name, Hatteberg was going to be able to continue his MLB career by converting to 1st Base, and provide his greatest skill - getting on base. The Moneyball approach was to identify those players that were undervalued by everyone else, but provided something that few other players could. Hatteberg was ostensibly replacing the big bopper Jason Giambi, who signed with the New York Yankees. But GM Billy Beane was not asking Hatteberg to hit 38 homers and drive in 120 like Giambi did in 2001. Instead, he just wanted Hatteberg to get on base. His first season with the A's he did exactly that - his .374 OBP was a then-career high for a full season. He did provide some bonus power, as well - he had 15 homers in the 2002 season, including a walk-off winner that clinched the A's 20th consecutive victory early in September. 

With Oakland, Hatteberg had some of his best offensive seasons, hitting double digit homers each year, a career high 82 RBI in 2004 and a .269/.355/.396 slash line across 3 seasons. 

Like many players in their later seasons, Hatteberg had honed and perfected the skills that made him a big leaguer in the first place. He actually posted a higher triple slash in his final 3 seasons in Cincinnati than he had in his years playing for Oakland. His OBP improved even more as he would provide a valuable bat in the lineup. The Reds made room for Hatteberg at First Base, trading Wily Mo Pena and moving Adam Dunn to the outfield. In 116 games in 2007 he slashed a career high .310/.394/.474 with 10 homers. Hatteberg had 1,153 career hits and a .361 OBP. He walked more times than he struck out, and more times than he drove in runs. Despite a reputation as a less than stellar defender behind the plate, he retired with a .992 fielding pct as a Catcher and First Baseman combined. 

Do you have any Scott Hatteberg Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Jose Guillen

Jose Guillen  has one of the better All-Star Rookie cards of all time. Posing with the statue of the great Roberto Clemente, and poised to become the Pirates' right fielder of the future, Guillen beamed. He shared some of the same skills that made Clemente so good, in particular a throwing arm that dazzled and delighted fans. He was a Topps All-Star rookie at just the age of 20, with a long and productive MLB career ahead of him.

Guillen would have a decent season for the Pirates as their everyday Right Fielder in 1997. He hit 14 homers and drove in 70 runs. He was the 4th youngest player in the league but was still entrusted with the second most plate appearances on the Pirates' squad. While he had a great arm (9 assists as a rookie), he struggled a bit with the leather, ranking 2nd in errors among right fielders. He ranked below league average in rate stats, however was still learning the finer points of the game.

Guillen was signed in 1993 by the Pirates as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He would spent his minor league career in Single A clubs, with an MVP season in 1996 for the high A Lynchburg Hillcats. His final minor league season, he hit .322 with 21 homers and 24 stolen bases. The steals were somewhat of a mirage, as he never stole more than 5 bases in a season before or since. He followed up his 1997 season with a nearly identical 1998 season. He performed even better in the field, and led the NL in RF assists. Despite two seasons with 14 homers and nearly as many errors, Guillen was still considered a top prospect by many observers, who were more than willing to compare him to Roberto Clemente or Dave Winfield, who did have somewhat slow starts to their Hall of Fame careers. 

After leaving Pittsburgh, Guillen began a whirlwind tour of the big leagues, never stopping in one place for more than a couple seasons. He was either burning bridges or providing tantalizing potential at seemingly every stop along the way. Tampa picked him up in 1999 near the trade deadline, and he would muster just 15 homers over the next 2 and a half seasons before being released. The Arizona Diamondbacks gave him a chance, and after hitting .229 over 54 games, he was cut loose. The Rockies had him for just two days, and decided to go in  another direction before he hooked up with the Reds in Cincinnati to finish the 2002 season. He actually played his best baseball in Cincy, including a torrid first half in 2003, when he slashed .337/.385/.629 with a 165 OPS+. He found his power stroke, hitting 23 homers for the Reds before becoming a deadline deal to the Oakland A's. It was in Oakland the he had his only taste of post season play, hitting .455 in 4 games against Boston in the 2003 ALDS. 

He then signed a deal with AL West rivals the Angels, but butted heads with Mike Scioscia on numerous occasions. Even with a career high 104 RBI, he was on the move again after one season in Anaheim. Now in D.C., Guillen had a good season, followed by an atrocious one in which he hit just .216 with just 9 homers. The next year he was in Seattle, and managed to knock in 99 runs, but wore out his welcome there just as quickly. He then signed a 3 year deal with Kansas City, and nearly fulfilled the whole contract before being traded midway through the 2010 season to San Francisco. By that point he had publicly called his teammates babies and openly complained about K.C.'s losing culture. 

His final MLB stop was a stretch run in San Francisco for the Giants team that finally got over the hump and won a championship. Guillen missed the on field celebration, he had been left off the post season roster while being investigated for the alleged use of HGH. He hit .266 with 5 homers and 13 RBI for the Giants in the closing months of the 2010 season, and they would be the last games he would play in the league.

His Career MLB Totals

I'll leave you with a more positive note, here's video of Guillen's tremendous throwing arm taken from a game in 1998. 

Do you have any Jose Guillen Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman Wilton Guerrero

A person could spend a lot of time writing about what Wilton Guerrero was not. He was not his brother Vladimir, he was not a Rookie of the Year like Dodger rookies were the prior five years, he was not the second baseman of the future. BUT! Wilton Guerrero was a very talented baseball player who may have been rushed to the big leagues before he was ready. While he may not have become a super star like his brother, he will forever have one thing over him - Wilton was a Topps All-Star Rookie!

Guerrero was a great hitter, with great contact skills. He wasn't a power hitter, but with his speed, he didn't need to be. In 1997, he had 9 triples, which led the Dodgers and was 3rd best in the National League. He was just 22 years old when the Dodgers made him their everyday 2nd baseman. The LA Dodgers were no strangers to starting rookies, and promoting young talent from within. The Rookie of the Year award is named after Dodger great Jackie Robinson. But the issues with Wilton's game were known before his call up. He was still given free reign to learn the finer points of the game on the job. He would start the 1998 season back in Triple AAA Albuquerque.

Signed in 1991 as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero had raw speed in spades. He also could hit for average. As an 18 year old, he hit .294 with 20 stolen bases in just 60 games in single A Great Falls. Guerrero would continue a steady climb up the Dodgers ladder, winning a batting title in 1995 for the San Antonio Missions. In 1996 with AAA Albuquerque, Guerrero again hit well, with a .344 average and 12 Triples. 

His tenure in LA was marked by decent hitting and speed, but also a series of mistakes that caused other players and coaches to become frustrated with the player they had lauded as a future star. In 1997 he was suspended for 7 games after it was discovered that his bat was corked. Despite stealing at least 20 bases a season in the minors, he stole just 6 bases while being caught 5 times in his rookie year. He would be traded to Montreal early in 1998 to reunite with his brother Vladimir.

With the Expos, Guerrero was not expected to be the everyday anything - he was the every other day everything. He would play all over the infield and occasionally fill in as an outfielder. He continued to hit well, even with limited at bats. He had found his niche as a utility player. He also found that his brother was very competitive. Wilton's last 3 homers as an Expo came on the same day as a Vladimir home run. He continued to hit Triples, ranking top 10 in the league in 1998 and 1999.

Wilton would sign with the Reds as a free agent before the 2001 season, and again had a great season playing all over the field. In 60 games, Guerrero hit a career high .338. He was traded twice in the same day in 2002 - going from the Reds to the Marlins to the Expos, part of a series of deals by the Marlins that sent away Ryan Dempster, Cliff Floyd, and several others. Following his 2nd tour with the Expos, Guerrero played with the Royals in 2004. He had a pair of very good seasons in AAA as well, once again finding his legs, stealing 30 bases with the Reds AAA squad in 2003, and hit .326 in AAA Omaha before the Royals called him up in 2004.

Following his playing career, he co-founded the Guerrero Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic with his brother, and he continues to run the school to help train the next generation of baseball talent. Wilton's son Wilton Jr. is still several years away, but you can see his hitting showcase here.

Do you have any Wilton Guerrero stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

I Love The 80s - 1982 Cincinnati Reds

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

" . . .  by 1982 the Reds dynasty lay in ruins" -- Anthony Giacalone

"Bards of Cincinnati now prefer the Big Dead Machine" - Bob Kravitz 8/1/1982

1981 saw the Reds very nearly make the post season - they probably should have. They had a better record than both NL play-off teams, but due to the rules set following the strike, they were shut out. They were a half game behind the Dodgers in the first half, and 1.5 games behind Houston in the second half. After finishing with a first place record but still missing the post season, the wheels fell off. 

1982 was the worst performance by a Cincinnati Reds team in franchise history. For a team that keeps records back to 1876, that is saying a lot. So, what went wrong? The team had already adjusted to losing Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Tony Perez to free agency, but the Big Red Machine was just missing too many parts by 1982.v Before the season started, George Foster and Ken Griffey would also depart, leaving the team scrambling to fill their lineup. To make matters worse, their Hall of Fame Ace was having the worst season of his MLB career. 

The Cards:
Donruss #538 Mike O'Berry - The search for "the next Johnny Bench" began in earnest in 1981 when the Reds added Mike O'Berry. At the very least, O'Berry could provide superior defense to give Bench more rest. Despite his defensive chops behind the plate, he was never really able to master hitting at the MLB level. His career MLB batting average was just .191. O'Berry had a successful run as a minor league manager, winning a championship in the Appalachian League in 1992 with the Orioles. 

Fleer #57 Johnny Bench - The 1968 Rookie of the year, and 2 time League MVP, Johnny Bench was nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career in 1982. he caught 100 or more games for 13 consecutive seasons until the strike shortened 1981. Transitioned from catching to play 3rd Base for the Reds in 1982, Bench still had 13 homers good for 2nd best on the team. His 10 gold gloves as a catcher didn't translate exactly to the hot corner, where he had 19 errors, 5th most in the NL. Bench was one of the first players to have a "farewell tour" announcing his retirement before the end of the 1983 season. Though he was no longer the same player, he was definitely still Johnny Bench, which Cincinnati fans would not soon forget.

Topps #620 Ken Griffey - The outfielders of the Big Red Machine didn't necessarily get the same star treatment as the infield, but they were no less essential to the great Reds teams of the 1970s. In 1976, it was Griffey that hit .336/.401/.450 with 34 stolen bases, and scored 111 runs. He finished 8th in the MVP balloting that year. He had his 3rd All-Star season in 1980, hitting 28 doubles, 10 triples, and 13 homers to go along with 23 steals. In 1981, Griffey hit .311 as the Reds' everyday center fielder. Griffey would be traded following the 1981 season to the Yankees.

Topps #31 Tom Seaver - If you have Tom Seaver at the top of your rotation, what could go wrong? In 1982, just about everything. The 5 time NL stikeout king managed just 62 Ks in 111 innings for the Reds in '82. He would see his ERA climb by more than 3 runs and by any objective measure, the season was a disaster. What made it more shocking was that it came after a season in which he led the NL in victories and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting to Fernando Valenzuela's historic season. Seaver of course had already won 3 Cy Young awards, and would have a renaissance season with the White Sox in 1985, but his 1982 season was a perfect example of the disaster that befell the Reds organization as a whole this year.

Fleer #630 "Big Red Machine" - George Foster was now with the Mets, Dan Driessen and Concepcion however were still trying to make the Machine hum. Driessen was still just 30 years old and primarily played 1st base for the Reds in 1982. He was the team leader in homers. Driessen was usually not the big power guy like Perez and Bench, and he didn't hit for average, but he did draw a fair number of walks and was tough to strike out. In '82 he had just 64 strikeouts in 606 plate appearances. He would be moving along as well, traded to the Expos in 1984. 

Donruss #421 Dave Concepcion - Though known more for his glove than his bat, the 9 time All-Star Concepcion won his 2nd consecutive Silver Slugger award as a short stop in 1982. He also had a special day during the 1982 All-Star game, hitting the decisive 2 run homer. Concepcion played 2,488 games for the Reds, and earned 5 Gold gloves. His batting similarity scores compares him favorably to Hall of Famers Alan Trammell, Pee Wee Reese, Bobby Wallace, and his hero- fellow Venezuelan Luis Aparicio. 

Donruss #273 George Foster - In 1981, Foster finished 3rd in the MVP race, Seaver was 2nd in the Cy Young Voting, and the team finished in 1st place. In 1982, Seaver had a terrible season, and Foster didn't play a single game for the Reds. It's no wonder the season was a disappointment. Foster did play in 1982, of course, but as a New York Met. While it wasn't his best year, he would find his footing and had several more productive seasons in New York. Foster was the 1977 NL MVP with 52 Homers and 149 RBI. He led the league in those categories and runs scored (124) and total bases (388) and slugging (.631). He was the All-Star MVP in 1976. 

Topps #97 Paul Moskau - Like many of the players on this page, Moskau was playing for a different team in 1982. He was traded to the Orioles before the '82 season, but actually played for the Pirates that year after being selected on waivers. Moskau was a spot starter for the Reds in the late 70s, then used in the bullpen in the 80s. Moskau was part of the "Little Red Wagon" Eugene Emeralds minor league championship team in 1975 while the major league Big Red Machine was in its heyday. Moskau gave an interview for Haught Corner in 2018.

 Fleer #67 Ken Griffey - I just liked this card - it's like Griffey is floating in mid-air with the blue sky and fluffy clouds in the background. Just like Concepcion and Foster, Griffey was an All-Star MVP as a Red. For Griffey, the game was 1980, going 2-3 with a homer as a reserve behind Dave Kingman. Griffey would go on to hit a home run back to back with his son, the "other" Ken Griffey, in 1991. He and his son have the most career hits of any father son duo in MLB history. While he did not win a Gold Glove, he was known as an excellent defender, and compares similarly to hitters Melky Cabrera, Amos Otis, Carney Lansford and Keith Hernandez.  

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie First Baseman Dmitri Young

"When I was growing up, I used to draw myself on the Donruss Rated-Rookie and the Topps' Future Star cards with the trophies and the cup." Dmitri, you made it! As the Rookie All-Star Squad gets started for another season, we see the trend continue with a prospect with promising stats making the squad. Dmitri Young forced his way up to the big leagues with a gaudy batting average and power potential. While his first season was a bit below his later career totals (just 5 homers in 110 games, and a .258 average), he still gave Cardinals fans a taste of what was to come.

Even before his official rookie season in 1997, Young was given the opportunity to shine. He was placed on the 1996 post season roster for the NLCS, and he hit a respectable .286 in 4 games. His rookie season in 1997, Young was called up when Brian Jordan was lost for the season due to injury. Young came in to play first base, which had been vacated by John Mabry, who was filling in for Jordan in the outfield. When the Cards dealt for Mark McGwire at the deadline, Young moved back to the outfield to make room. While shifting all over the field, Young still had an impact, getting 86 hits and driving in 34 runs.

This is one of Dmitri's least favorite cards, with a photo taken before he got braces.

Young was a first round pick (4th Overall) by the Cardinals in 1991. Young was a USA-Today All-American in high school, hitting .425 for his final amateur season. He had anonther great season in Single A Springfield, hitting 14 homers and stealing 14 bases at the tender age of 18. He was named to the Midwest League All-Star squad, and was called a "Terry Pendleton - type" player by scouts. I mean he played 3rd Base in the Cardinals org, so I guess that is an easy comparison to make...

The 1997 season would be his last in Saint Louis, as the team was getting Brian Jordan back and had a bit of a logjam in the corner outfield and a Big Mac ready to have a real Whopper of a season in 1998. Young was traded to Cincinnati in exchange for Jeff Brantley. Before the season began, it looked like he would be on the move again - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Dmitri from the Reds in the expansion draft, but Cincy was willing to double down and trade for him again. This time, the Reds gave up Mike Kelly, who was a similar rising prospect who had a promising 1997.

The Reds would get the best of that deal with the Devil (Rays). Dmitri Young revealed himself to be a great contact hitter during his days with Cincy, including four straight seasons above .300. He would also hit double digit homers each year, finishing with a then career high 21 in 2001. That number set a Reds' franchise record for home runs by a switch hitter. His slash line with the Reds was .304/.353/.488 from 1998 through 2001. The team flourished initially with Young in the lineup - finishing a close 2nd place in the division in 1998 and 1999. When the team began to struggle again, Young became one of the more valuable trade chips, and would be moved to acquire a pair of younger players as the Reds began another rebuilding process.

Young's first year in Detroit was derailed by injury, playing in just 54 games. Even so, the shortened season featured an 18 game hitting streak. The following season, 2003, would be one of his best. He posted career highs in Hits, Triples, and Homers while hitting an OPS+ of 144. He was named to his first All-Star team. In May of that year, he became the first MLB'er since Willie Mays to have 2 HR and 2 Triples in the same game. He went 5-5 (on Cinco de Mayo, no less!) and had 15 total bases, the most in a game by a Tiger since Ty Cobb in 1925. For the season, his 302 Total bases was another career high. Dmitri's great season came during one of the Tigers' worst - the team lost 119 games. The team would improve the next two seasons, and were in the thick of a playoff run in 2006 when Dmitri was released. The team had signed Rondell White in the off season to take Young's spot in Right field, despite a pair of productive seasons. Now relegated to DH duties, Young would play in just 48 games for Detroit before his release.

Young was not ready to go quietly, and he signed a deal to join the Washington Nationals. He responded with another great season, and was named Comeback Player of the Year, making his 2nd All-Star Game. He hit a career high .320 for the Nats, hitting 13 homers and driving in 74. Young was a fan favorite in Washington, just as he was in Detroit (where he was first given the moniker "D'Meat Hook"), just as he was in Cincinnati.

Young was also notable as one of the more prolific card collectors during his playing days. He sold a large portion of his collection in 2012, which focused on Rookie Cards. Some of the cards in his collection included PSA 10 rookies of Stan Musial, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Carew, Seaver, Ripken (the '82 Topps Traded version), to name just a few. The proceeds from his sale helped to underwrite a new chapter in his life as the head of the Dmitri D. Young Foundation that is dedicated to helping the youth of Ventura County, California.

Do you have any Dmitri Young stories? I'd love to hear them.  Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday, Barry Larkin!

I know that these past few weeks, months (months?) that we've been hunkered down and socially distant have been rough. One small thing that I was doing at work that I've carried over to my work-at-home life is bringing a different card to my desk every day. Since I don't have to plan very far in advance now that I work in the same place as my collection, I have a new pre-work ritual. I check baseball reference each morning for "This Day In Baseball History" and grab a card from my collection that has some connection to the current day. It's helped to make each day a little different, and kept at bay the running together of the weeks. This 1987 Donruss Barry Larkin was my card today.

Oh, I've never done a Barry Larkin post before? That's crazy. Today is Barry Larkin's birthday. Larkin was born in Cincinnati and grew up in the 60s and 70s during one of the most successful era of Reds baseball. In high school, Larkin was a multi-sport athlete and was more highly recruited to play football than baseball. He was redshirted (FORESHADOWING!) his freshman year as a Defensive Back for the University of Michigan, so he asked if he could play baseball that spring. He exceeded all expectations for the Baseball team, becoming the Big Ten Tournament MVP and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He was an All-American the next two seasons as the Wolverines made regular trips to the college World Series. He teamed up with Hal Morris and Chris Sabo at the U of M and would see them again soon. The Reds would have all three by the time the team returned to the World Series in 1990.

Larkin of course was already on the Reds' radar, they tried to draft him out of high school as well! When he came to the organization, his minor league stay was destined to be short. He played in parts of just two minor league seasons reporting directly to AA after being drafted, then crushing AAA in his second pro season, earning a late season call up to the Majors in 1986. He was named AAA Player of the Year despite not playing the whole season in the minors. The 22 year old wasted little time making an impact at the big league level, driving in a run as a pinch hitter in his debut. He still had plenty of work to prove his mettle. The balance of the 1986 season would be a test to see which Reds' #1 pick would be their shortstop of the future, Larkin or #2 overall pick from 1983, Kurt Stillwell.

Just want to pause for a second to point out this 1992 Donruss card - since when do you see a cool card from 1992 Donruss?

Stillwell was a future All-Star and a solid defender at short, but the writing was on the wall early in 1987 that Larkin was player the Reds should build around. By the end of the year, Stillwell would be traded to Kansas City, and Larkin would be the Reds' shortstop for the next 18 seasons.

On a personal note, Barry Larkin was my favorite Reds player for a long time. The Reds were my National League team because my father was from Ohio and his side of the family still live there - Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati was one of the only other ballparks I had visited until I became an adult. Ever since my first trip to see the Reds, Larkin was there. I would take a trip to Ohio every summer to visit my grandparents, and we didn't get to go every year but Reds' games and Barry Larkin in particular was always a highlight for me.

The man has personality, is what I am saying. He has a great article written for the Player's Tribune about one of his fondest memories from playing baseball, and I hope you check it out. A great tribute to the end of a long season. Whether we get to watch baseball or not in 2020, it's games like the one that Larkin describes that will stick with you long after a season or career ends.

I'm glad to see that Larkin still gets into modern products - he doesn't have the same cachet as The Big Red Machine alums like Joe Morgan or Pete Rose or Johnny Bench, and he didn't play with the same flash as the Nasty Boys or the same style as Eric Davis (or on the opposite end of the spectrum, Chris Sabo). But looking at his career as a whole you have to wonder why he's not a bigger deal. The 2012 Hall of Fame Inductee was a 12 time All-Star, with an MVP award in 1995, 3 Gold Gloves and 9 Silver Sluggers. He was the first short stop to reach the 30/30 club, and during one season reached base in 13 consecutive plate appearances. His 9 Silver Sluggers are the most all time by a Shortstop.

He played for 19 seasons, though he did have injuries that hampered him in '89, '93, and '97 during his prime production years. Bill James, as recently as 2018, makes a case for Barry Larkin as one of the best shortstops of all time.

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Third Baseman Joe Randa

Hitting over .300 with 20+ doubles and 10+ steals will get you most of the way towards a spot on the Topps All-Star Rookie roster. throw in some good defense and a successful minor league track record and you are nearly a lock!

 Joe Randa did all of that in his first full MLB season as the Kansas City Royals' primary 3rd baseman. George Brett had now been retired for a few years and long since moved over from 3rd to 1st (and DH), so a new hotshot at the hot corner was a welcome sight indeed. His .303 batting average in 1996 was best on the team among the regular starters.

Randa was drafted first by the Angels out of high school, but Volunteered to go to the University of Tennessee instead. After setting RBI records with the school, the Royals made him an 11th Round pick in 1991. He turned out to be more than ready for professional baseball, becoming the Northwest League Player of the Year, suiting up for the Eugene Emeralds. Throughout his minor league climb, Randa hit for average and flashed speed and power on occasion to go with solid defense at third.

His Royals career spanned 8 seasons, broken up by a pair of years with other organizations in the late 90s. Randa earned the nickname "The Joker" because he was often seen sporting a wry, mischievous grin.  Tony Muser's explanation was that it was just his resting face. Ok Tony. He did have plenty to smile about as a Royal however, including his two most productive MLB seasons in 1999 and 2000. In '99 Randa hit .314 and 16 homers, then followed it up by driving in over 100 runs for the only time in his career. Over 1,000 of his career hits came in a Royals uni. In 2004 he became just the 3rd player in Royals history to get 6 hits in a game. He also ended up scoring 6 runs in the contest.

His career also included a Grover Cleveland-esque non consecutive 2 year stint in Pittsburgh (1997 and 2006), and stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, and San Diego. He was very briefly an Arizona Diamondback (drafted in the expansion draft, then traded to the Tigers for Travis Fryman), and a New York Met (acquired on Dec 4th for Willie Blair, then traded to KC on Dec 10th for Juan LeBron - maybe the Mets confused him for Carlos Beltran just like Topps did?). His Reds tenure was also short lived, but memorable. He hit the first Opening Day walk-off homer in Reds history, and followed that with a 6 RBI encore in game 2 of the opening series in 2005. Between Cincy and San Diego that season, he belted a career high 17 homers. San Diego also provided him with his only playoff experience, hitting .364 in three games. His final stop in Pittsburgh saw his production and playing time decline, so he called it a career following the season. He retired with more base hits than games played, and over 700 career RBI.

Let's hear your Joe Randa stories! 

1994 Topps All-Star Rookie RHP Joey Hamilton

They're Back! It's the 1994 Topps All-Star Rookie Squad. I'm going to cover the whole team in card number order. First up is the Padres' Right Handed phenom, Starting Pitcher Joey Hamilton.

Born in Georgia, schooled in Georgia. Hamilton set school records at Georgia Southern in games, complete games, shutouts, wins, innings pitched and strikeouts - and that was with just a little over 2 seasons. Early in his Junior year, Hamilton had to undergo elbow surgery that effectively ended his college career. The injury did little to scare off major league teams in the 1991 Draft, however. He was selected ahead of pitchers like Aaron Sele, Justin Thompson, Scott Ruffcorn, and Bobby Jones. In his 2 minor league seasons, he would be promoted 5 times, finishing in AAA by the end of 1993. Padres' scouts were pleased with the big righthander's fastball / change-up combo, going from mid 90s to low 80s.

His MLB debut came the following season in May of 1994, facing off against the Giants. He was unfazed, however, hurling a quality start (6 innings, 3 ER, 3 Ks, 3 walks) and earning his first win. His first loss was another quality start, this time against Marlins knuckleballer Charlie Hough. Topps helpfully pointed out that Hough was pitching in the big leagues before Hamilton was born. More on Charlie later. Joey would make 16 starts as a rookie, 14 of which were quality starts. The highlight was a shutout in late June against the Reds, though he only struck out 1 batter. 

Hamilton was a solid mid-rotation starter for the Padres throughout the 90s, including starts in the postseason in 1996 and 1998. During the '98 World Series he'd appear in one inning of scoreless relief. Had the Padres not been in an 0-3 hole, he may have been the Game 4 starter instead of Kevin Brown. He topped 200 innings 3 times, leading the Padres' staff in victories twice. After his tenure in San Diego, he'd spend 3 seasons with the Blue Jays, and 3 seasons with the Reds, but struggled to stay healthy. He'd finish his career with 74-73 career record and a 4.44 ERA, which is roughly a full career of quality starts. (6 innings and 3 ER gives you a 4.50 ERA.) Solid production for a pitcher in the thick of the steroid era.

For no reason, here is Charlie Hough teaching Smokey the Bear how to throw the knuckle ball. Real reason - I didn't have any Hamilton Blue Jays or Reds cards, so this is the consolation prize...