I Love the 80s - 1982 New York Mets

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!

The team in 1981 finished in 5th place, with manager Joe Torre wearing out his welcome. The narrative around the Mets is that they are always the runner-up in vying for the attention of New York fans. In 1982 this was no different, as articles would say the Mets were trying to "steal" New York from the Yankees. The big off season trade to acquire George Foster would not result in an instant change of their fortunes. 

In 1982, The Mets would do even worse, despite the key acquisition of Foster and the early quick start. The team's high water mark of 27-21, was followed by a deep dive. The team finished with 97 losses and a sixth place finish in the NL East. One of the more notable moments for the Mets in 1982 was a highlight shared with another team. It was in August that Joel Youngblood got a hit for the Mets, was traded to Montreal, then picked up another hit later that same day. That month, the Mets dropped 24 of 29 games, and the New York Times headline declared that the Mets "must start from scratch" in 1983. 

The Cards:

Topps #494 Hubie Brooks - Just one example of many, the season that Hubie Brooks had in 1982 was a far cry from his 1981 campaign, and well short of his career averages. After hitting .307 with a 116 OPS+ and finishing 3rd in the ROY vote, Brooks slashed just .249/.297/.317 in 1982. He actually had a pair of subpar seasons before blossoming into a star player in 1984. After being traded to Montreal, Brooks would make 2 All-Star teams and won a pair of silver slugger awards as the Expos' Short Stop. 

Topps #465 Lee Mazzilli - Mazzilli was drafted out of a Brooklyn high school by the Mets in 1973, was an All-Star in 1979, and made a circuitous route through the major leagues between 1982 and 1986 to make his way back onto to the Mets' 1986 World Series roster. He was traded to the Rangers in April of 1982 for Ron Darling and Walt Terrell, and would split that season between Texas and the Yankees. He then played for the Pirates for a few years before being released mid way through the 86 season. The Mets picked him up for the tail end of the year, and he ended up being a trusted pinch hitter. He had a pair of hits in the World Series in just 5 plate appearances.

Topps #143 Mookie Wilson - Mookie was more or less immune to the slump that plagued most of the Mets in 1982. He hit .279, just above his career average, while stealing 58 bases as the team's leadoff man. He tallied career highs in hits and RBI in addition to those steals. His speed was also on display in the post season, as he swiped 4 bags in 1986, 3 in the World Series, without being caught. He was also a standout in the field, leading the NL in putouts as a Center fielder in 1982. 

Fleer #536 Rusty Staub - Le Grand Orange was in rare form in 1981, hitting a career high .317 as a pinch hitter. In 1982, he like so many Mets had a backslide, hitting just .242. He actually hit more homers in 81 in a strike shortened season with nearly 100 fewer plate appearances than he did in 1982. Of course he would come back in 1983 with another fine season, now 39 years old and still providing value to the Mets as bench bat. The 6 time All-Star had over 2,700 base hits over his 23 year career.

Fleer #524 Pete Falcone -  Pete Falcone is featured here on one of the most iconic card collector's cards of the 80s. For a deep dive on this card, I recommend the Shlablotnik Report. Falcone was another hometown product from Brooklyn like Lee Mazzilli, though his path to Queens came via San Francisco and Saint Louis. He had a successful 1981 out of the bullpen for the Mets. 1982 was a rough season as a member of the starting rotation - going 8-10 with a 3.84 ERA. 

Fleer #539 Frank Taveras - The Mets everyday SS in 1981, Taveras was traded in the off-season to Montreal, where he played just 48 games. It was a far cry from 1979, when he played in a bewildering 164 games split between the Pirates and the Mets.  He was known mostly for his speed, having led the NL in steals in 1977, and swiping 300 bases in his career. For the Mets in 1981, he hit just .230. His first career home run came after 1,594 at bats, but he made the most if it- the blast was a grand slam. What might not surprise you - it was an inside-the-park homer. 

Topps #592 Craig Swan - Swan led the Mets' starting rotation in Wins and ERA in 1982 and was the team's only starting pitcher with an ERA+ above league average. He was the 1978 NL ERA champ, with a 2.43 mark. Pitching for the Mets during some of their most challenging seasons, Swan had just three campaigns in which he had more wins than losses. He was fairly stingy with the gopher ball, posting a 0.8 HR/9 mark for his career. In 1982, he connected for his own long tripper, the lone homer of his career. The homer was also notable in that he hit it off of Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins. 

Topps #478 Ray Searage - Known more today for his role as a pitching coach, particularly in Pittsburgh, Searage was a 7 year MLB vet. He was used exclusively out of the bullpen in the big leagues, appearing in 254 big league games. Searage pitched in 26 games as a rookie with the Mets in 1981, and sported a 3.68 ERA. He also had a single plate appearance, and notched his first and only big league hit. He reached on an infield nubber to the pitcher, but as far as the boxscore is concerned, it was a line drive. He would spend 82 and 83 in Cleveland's minor league system, before returning to the bigs with Milwaukee. He would have a great stint with the White Sox in 1986, sporting a 0.62 ERA over 29 appearances.

Topps #432 Mike Scott - 1982 was not Mike Scott's year. He had a tough time as a starter, with a 5.21 ERA over 22 starts. In 15 relief appearances he did a little better, notching 3 saves and finishing 10 games. He would bounce back in a big way once he was traded to Houston. He was the NL Cy Young Winner in 1986, and won 20 games in 1989. Scott was also named MVP of the 1986 NLCS, despite the fact that the Astros were eliminated by the Mets. His 2 starts in the NLCS were both complete game victories over his former team, including a shutout in Game 1 out dueling Dwight Gooden. The game 6 win by the Mets in 16 innings saved them from having to face Scott again in Game 7. 

I Love the 80s : 1981 Texas Rangers

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!

In 1980, The Texas Rangers finished 4th in the AL West with a 76-85 record. In '81, they improved to finish 2nd in the West, their highest ranking in the standings until 1994, when the team finished in 1st place, but missed the playoffs (along with all other teams) due to the '94 Strike that prematurely ended the season. 

The 1981 Rangers were led by Manager Don Zimmer, who would be fired in 1982 but asked to interview candidates to replace him in a move that typified the bizarre and contentious relationship with team owner Eddie Chiles. The 1981 squad had a Silver Slugger (Al Oliver) and a pair of Gold Gloves (Jim Sundberg and Buddy Bell), but ultimately trailed the Royals and Athletics in the standings.

The Cards:
Fleer #620 Richie Zisk - Zisk completed his 3rd and Final season in Texas in 1980, tying for the team lead in Homers with 19. His best season came in 1977 with the White Sox hitting 30 homers and driving in 101 runs. Zisk was a two-time All-Star in '77 and '78.  

Donruss #387 Al Oliver - "Scoop" took over for Zisk as the Rangers primary DH in 1981, but had an even bigger post-Texas season in 1982. Now with Montreal, Oliver would win the NL Batting Title, while also leading the league in hits, doubles, total bases and RBI. He'd finish 3rd in the NL MVP vote that year.

Topps #158 Fergie Jenkins - The Hall of Fame hurler was making his second run with the Texas Rangers in 1980 and '81. He had probably his best MLB season his first time through the Rangers' org in 1974, when he posted a 25-12 record and an eye-popping 29 Complete Games. Doing so in the oppressive heat of Texas makes it all the more impressive. In 1980, Jenkins was 12-12 with 12 complete games. He would pitch another season in Texas, then two more campaigns with the Chicago Cubs before retiring with 286 career victories.

Donruss #25 Bump Wills - Son of Dodger great Maury Wills, Bump was a chip off the old block on the base paths. The switch hitting second baseman led the Rangers in stolen bases in 1980 and 81, He'd steal 196 over the course of his career, ranking at the top of the Rangers' all-time leaderboard. 

Topps #517 Richie Zisk - After his time in Texas, Zisk went to the Pacific Northwest for a terrific trident of seasons in Seattle. He was used solely as the Mariners' DH, and bumped up his slash line compared to his time in Texas. He'd retire with 1,477 hits and nearly 800 RBI. 

Fleer #629 Rusty Staub - Staub was used mostly as a DH for Texas in 1980, hitting for average and getting on base at a high rate (.370). His .828 OPS was the highest since his All-Star campaign in 1971 with the Expos. Starting in 1981, Staub would become the Mets' main pinch hitting option until his retirement following the 1985 season. 

Fleer #626 Al Oliver - Oliver was a Texas Ranger for 4 seasons, and won the Silver Slugger award in 2 of those 4 campaigns. His .319/.358/.456 triple slash as a Ranger were the highest rates of any of his stops in the big leagues. He'd have notable success north of the border for both the Expos and the Blue Jays. In 1985 with Toronto, Oliver hit .375 in a losing effort in the ALCS. 

Donruss #496 Mickey Rivers - Rivers was the everyday Center Fielder for the Rangers in 1980 and 81, leading the team in batting with a .333 average in 1980 and in runs scored in 1981. He came to the Rangers in 1979 from the Yankees in the Oscar Gamble trade. Rivers would finish his 15 year career with 1,660 hits, 499 RBI, 267 stolen bases, and a .295 average.

Topps #371 Charlie Hough - Hough spent the entire decade of the 1980s as a starter in the Rangers rotation, and became the team's all-time leader in Wins, Strikeouts, complete games, and losses. He had just converted to a knuckleball pitcher in 1979, and the pitch allowed him to move from the bullpen to become a starter. He'd win at least 10 games a season from 1982 to 1990, and ended his career with a symmetrical 216-216 record.

Scenes from the last Card Show of 2018

There was an oversaturation of card shows in the Twin Cities, this month - with shows on each of the first three weekends. I planned ahead for this craziness, and I went to just one show. My birthday is in December, so I had some extra cash to spend. Even though I only went to one show, I've split the trip into three parts. This is the odds and ends entry!

Joe Mauer is featured here in a card from 2002, printed up not long after his rookie league season had ended. The front has a picture from his high school days with Saint Paul's Cretin-Durham Hall Raiders - where he was the #1 ranked player in both Baseball and Football. He passed on a scholarship to play Quarterback for Bobby Bowden at Florida State so he could catch for his hometown team. The $5.15 Million dollar signing bonus from the Twins helped too. The back calmly explains that Mauer is probably going to be one of the best players in baseball for the next decade plus. The back was not wrong.

I revealed to one of the vendors that I was looking for cards with players on the phone. He gave this card to me for a quarter - close enough! Bud Grant was a unique multi-sport star as well. A three-sport star at the University of MN, he was on the 1950 NBA Champion Minneapolis Lakers team as a reserve, but he also played Defensive End and Wide Receiver for the Eagles. Unhappy with his NFL salary, Grant moved on to the Winnepeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, where he led the league in Receptions three times and receiving yards twice. He also set a CFL record by intercepting 5 passes in a playoff game. He went into coaching later on of course, first in the CFL winning 4 Grey Cup titles. He returned to the NFL, leading the Vikings to all four Super Bowl appearances in the team's history.

Speaking of Vikings greats, this was the only other card I picked up at the show more recent than the 1980s. Cris Carter was a tremendous talent at WR for the Vikings. He was an 8x Pro Bowl selection, and finished his career with over 1,100 Receptions, 13,000 yards, and 130 Touchdowns. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in his home state of Ohio in 2013

Speaking of Hall of Famers, here's College Football Hall of Famer Jim Plunkett. He was the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner, beating out Archie Manning and Joe Theismann for the honor. Drafted #1 overall by the Boston Patriots, the longtime Patriot and Raider was a 2-time Super Bowl Champion, including an MVP winning performance in Super Bowl XV.

What the heck are these? The vendor I purchased them from said he was "pretty sure" they were 1971 Bazooka cards, hand cut from a cardboard box. they have plain brown blank backs.

Say Hey! Not a bad pick up for less than $10 for the pair. Next up, I'll share the 60s and 70s vintage I found at the show. 

Ship of Fools

What do all of the following players have in common? All were born on April 1st. Pretty much everything you read on the internet today will be total nonsense, but the following facts about each of these guys is 100% True.

"Le Grand Orange" Rusty Staub was in the bigs seemingly forever. As a pinch hitter he lasted well into the 1980s. In the photo above, he's still below the legal drinking age. He's one of only 4 guys to have a home run before turning 20 and after turning 40. Can you name the other three?

 When Curt Flood refused to be traded to the Phillies in 1969, Willie Montanez was the player that ended up taking his place. Willie was up in the big leagues for good in 1971, and responded with a 30 homer campaign. He had several good seasons in the majors, but none quite as good as his rookie year. He was part of several big trades in his career- the aforementioned Curt Flood trade sent Tim McCarver to Philly and Dick Allen to Saint Louis. In 1976 he played in 163 games, he was traded mid season from San Fran to Atlanta in a deal that included Darrell Evans. He was also part of the massive four team deal in 1978 that included Al Oliver, Bert Blyleven, and various other pieces that changed teams between Atlanta, the NY Mets, the Pirates, and the Texas Rangers. The Rangers later traded Montanez to San Diego for yet another Hall of Fame pitcher. Can you name him?

Phil Niekro is the winningest pitcher of the April Fools, and the only Hall of Famer (Though Staub may have a case with the veteran's committee some day). He won over 300 games, struck out over 3,000 batters, and pitched in more than 800 games for more than 5,400 innings. His signature pitch was the knuckleball, and he has more wins than any other pitcher with that specialty in their arsenal. Along with his brother Joe, they hold the record for most combined career wins by siblings. His 300th win was a shutout, which set another record. He was the oldest pitcher to record a shutout at the time. Do you know who broke that record?

 Ron Perranoski (not so sneakily wearing a Dodgers uniform under that magic marker) played for the Saint Paul Saints and the Minnesota Twins - a feat that is now quite commonplace, but at the time was much more rare. He has 4 World Series rings -- 2 as a player and 2 as a pitching coach -- all with the Dodgers. He led the American League in Saves in 1969 and 1970 as a member of the Minnesota Twins.

 He Struck out 6 batters in a row in 1966 - who has the most consecutive strikeouts, with 10?

 Rich Amaral was a pest to left handed pitching in 1993, his rookie season. By that time, Amaral was already 31 years old. His road to the majors was a long one, but his persistence paid off. He ended his playing career with nearly 500 major league hits, which is nothing to sneeze at for anyone, especially considering he had a late start.

 He was the PCL batting champ in 1991, which finally propelled him to the big leagues. He managed to play for parts of 10 seasons in the majors after that. 31 is old, but which rookie was the oldest?

 Frank Castillo came within a few inches of a no-hitter in 1995. Pitching for the Cubs against Saint Louis, Castillo had two outs in the ninth inning without surrendering a hit. Cardinals outfielder Bernard Gilkey hit a liner out towards Sammy Sosa. Despite a diving effort, the ball skipped away to the wall and ended up as a triple. Castillo managed to salvage the shutout, and the process reached a career high of 13 strikeouts. Gilkey's hit ruined Castillo's no-no -- which active player has broken up 3 no hitters with a 9th inning hit in his career?

 The Ax Man is still slinging the ol horsehide today- he signed a 2 year deal with Oakland this past offseason.

Back in 2011, John Axford tied for the league lead in saves with 46. He converted a total of 49 straight save opportunities from 2011 and into 2012. In 2015, Axford took over the closer role in Colorado, and ended up saving 25 games for the Rockies, his highest season total in 3 years. Axford is second all-time among Canadian born pitchers in saves. Who is number 1?

Fresh off some big time postseason heroics (and one flub he'd rather forget), Daniel Murphy took his talents to the nation's capital this offseason. His six consecutive postseason games with a home run set an MLB record, and also set a Mets team record for most homers over the course of an entire postseason. Murphy's new team hasn't had many chances at post-season glory, but which batter has the most homers in a postseason for Washington? 

Three White Sox, Two Reds, and One Grand Orange

Here they are - the third class of the Topps All-Star Rookie Team, selected "by the Youth of America" following the 1963 season and featured in the 1964 Topps set. 

I have completed the run of these up through 2015, at least all regular issue cards that bear the All-Star Rookie Trophy. Mets Catcher Jesse Gonder didn't get a trophy on his card despite being named to the 1963 squad.

Outfielder - Jimmie Hall
Rookie Card
Jimmie Hall was a revelation for the Twins in 1963. Hall crushed 33 homers (a new major league record for Rookies) and drove in 80 runs, finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. His first four major league seasons in Minnesota hitting at least 20 homers each year and holding his own in a formidable batting order. He was a key piece in the trade that sent last year's Topps All-Star Rookie Dean Chance to the Twins from the Angels. In California, Hall had a decent first year, but his production fell off precipitously after going west. His loss of power is traced by many to a vicious beaning he suffered while still with the Twins. The Angels' Bo Belinsky hit Hall in the cheek with a pitch that Hall seemed to not see until it was too late. The lefty slugger had extreme lefty/righty splits, managing only 4 of his 121 career homers against left handed pitchers. His lack of power against lefties started to catch up with him, and his role as a regular diminished by the late 60s. The writing was already on the wall in 1965 - during the World Series, Hall was benched against lefties Claude Osteen and that other Dodger lefty... Sandy Koufax. His 8 at bats in the Series came against righties, but still had disastrous results. 5 strikeouts and no hits. In his 4 years with Minnesota, Hall averaged 25 homers. After the trade, Hall bounced from LA to the Yankees, to Cleveland, Chicago, and a brief stint with the Atlanta Braves. His last four uniforms came in just two seasons of baseball.
 

Third Baseman - Pete Ward
Pete Ward came to the White Sox from Baltimore in the Hoyt Wilhelm/Luis Aparicio trade. Ward's 1963 season was tremendous. He totaled career highs in homers and batting average, and racked up an OPS+ of 134. Ward finished just ahead of Jimmie Hall on the AL Rookie of the Year ballot, finishing in second place.
Ward was a mainstay of the White Sox lineup in the 60s, appearing in over 900 games for the pale hose. The son of an NHL player, Ward was born in Montreal, but moved to the states by the time he was in high school. His second year with the Sox saw his star status rise even higher, he continued his excellent performance at the plate and finished the season in the top ten for the MVP award.

Ward was known for his unorthodox batting stance:

Ward's Rookie Card was in the 1962 Topps Set.

First Baseman - Rusty Staub
Pete Ward was born in Montreal, but it is the place that Rusty Staub became a star and a fan-favorite. Staub had a pretty unremarkable rookie campaign for the Colt .45s - except for the fact that Rusty was just 19 years old. By 1967 Staub had grown into his body and started a run of 5 straight All-Star appearances. twice in Houston, then three with the expansion Montreal Expos. His career high 30 homers came in 1970 as a member of the Expos. Le Grand Orange, as he was known by the Montreal faithful, was already a fan favorite in Houston. Staub is the only major leaguer to have more than 500 hits with four different teams (Houston, Montreal, the Mets, and the Tigers). Staub nearly lasted as long in the majors as the next guy on this list, retiring in 1985 after a successful run as a pinch hitter for several seasons with the Mets. Only 12 players have played in more Major League games than Rusty Staub, and all of those players above him on the list are in the Hall of Fame... well, almost all of them.
Rusty's Rookie Card was in the 1963 Topps set.

Second Baseman - Pete Rose
Oh Boy. Where to begin? Pete Rose was a hometown hero, growing up in Cincinnati then becoming a star for the Reds. He was the emotional leader of their run of World Series champion teams of the 70s, as well as a key contributor to the 1980 Phillies team that won it all. You know about the hits, you know about the "Hustle," so what can be said about Peter Edward Rose that hasn't been said hundreds of times before? Rose was the 1963 NL Rookie of the year - with 170 base hits, scoring over 100 runs, 25 doubles, and stole 13 bases. Rose started his career with an 0 for 12 streak, but Reds manager Fred Hutchinson stuck with him, and once he got his first hit, they just kept piling up. Rose won Batting Titles, led the league in Hits multiple times, and finished his career as the All Time leader in base hits. Is there a more divisive figure in sports than Pete Rose? Loved, hated, respected, feared, and reviled.  
You know all about Pete Rose's Rookie Card. This ain't it. But it's a better card.

The Backs... wait 30 Triples and just 20 Doubles in 1961?!?

Left Handed Pitcher - Gary Peters
How do you beat the guy that set the major league record for homers as a rookie and win the Rookie of the Year award? How about leading the league in ERA, throwing 4 shutouts, and winning 19 games? Not bad. And hey, Gary Peters was no slouch at the plate himself - he managed to hit 19 homers in his career (3 in his rookie season), quite respectable for a pitcher! He was used regularly as a pinch hitter throughout his career. Peters followed up his exceptional rookie campaign with a 20 win season in 1964, losing the Cy Young race to that pesky Topps All-Star Rookie Dean Chance. Peters anchored the White Sox rotation in the 60s, named twice to the All-Star squad and finishing on top of the ERA race again in 1966 with a 1.98 mark for the season.  A back injury in 1968 and a rotator cuff injury in 1969 did not keep him out of the rotation, but limited his effectiveness. The cumulative effect of the injuries caught up with Peters and his was out of the league by 1972. In 2000, the White Sox honored Peters by naming him to the White Sox All-Century team.
Peters had a long road to a regular gig in the Majors, his Rookie Card is from the 1960 Topps set!

Shortstop - Al Weis
The third White Sox player named to the All-Star Rookie team, Al Weis wasn't a starter for his team, playing behind Nellie Fox and fellow All-Star Rookie Ron Hansen (formerly of the Baltimore Orioles). Weis seemingly got the nod at Short by virtue of playing on the same team as Peters and Ward. Or possibly for having the same rookie card as Pete Rose? Weis did lead the White Sox in Stolen bases, which he did again in 1964. Weis' other claim to fame was his involvement with the 1969 Miracle Mets. Despite being a lifetime .219 hitter, Weis played in all 5 World Series games and hit .455 ! His game 5 homer off the Orioles' Dave McNally tied the game late.
Weis' rookie card is worth thousands of dollars. He shares it with Ken McMullin, Pedro Gonzalez, and some mouthy kid from Cincinnati. You'll find it in the 1963 Topps set, but beware of fakes!

Outfield - Tommy Harper
Harper's rookie season was not that far off from his teammate Pete Rose. He didn't hit leadoff, so he had about 200 fewer plate appearances, but hit .260 with 10 homers and 12 steals. Harper combined speed with power for 15 seasons in the majors, finishing with just under 1,000 career runs scored and over 400 stolen bases. His best season came with the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969. He got the franchises' first hit and over the course of the season stole 73 bases, the most in the majors since Ty Cobb stole 96 waaay back in 1915.  Or maybe his best season was in 1970 with Milwaukee, when he belted a career high 31 homers and stole 38 bases. Or maybe his best season was in 1965 with Cincinnati, when he lead the league in runs scored and collected 166 hits. Tommy Harper could beat you a lot of different ways.
Tommy's Rookie Card is also in the 1963 Topps Set

Right Handed Pitcher - Ray Culp
Culp made the NL All-Star Team as a rookie and hurled 5 shutouts. He was a little wild, leading the league in Walks allowed, but was still an effective pitcher. In 1964, Culp struggled with an elbow injury, and missed the final two months of the season. Some point to his absence as a contributing factor to the Phillies late season swoon that year. He later found success in Boston as the team's Ace pitcher, winning 14 or more games in 4 straight seasons. His signature pitch was the palmball.
Ray's first Topps Card was in the 1963 set, a savvy collector will seek out his 1960 Leaf card, his true rookie card.

Outfield - Vic Davalillo 
When Ichiro Suzuki came to the states and set the majors on fire, his style of play was reminiscent of the swift footed Vic Davalillo. A great centerfielder with a strong arm, Vic was one of the few players from Venezuela to become an MLB regular (following in the footsteps of superstar shortstop Luis Aparicio and Chico Carrasquel) in the 1960s. He only appeared in 90 games in his rookie campaign, but he hit .292 which was saying something in the offense starved and pitching rich era. Davillilo was traded in 1968 for fellow Topps Rookie All-Star Jimmie Hall. He was a regular contributor in Cleveland before that trade, making an All-Star team in 1965, winning a Gold Glove in 1964, and stealing over 20 bases 3 times for the tribe. His other claim to fame later in his career. Along with Manny Mota, Davalillo formed a dynamic pinch hitting duo for the Dodgers in the late 70s and early 80s. Davallilo played in to the 80s and played his final game at the age of 44. After his major league career ended, he continued to play in Venezuela, hitting over .400 for his team in 1981. His final game as a player came in 1987(!). He was part of the inaugural class of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame. Not only for his MLB contributions, but also his dedication and love for his home country and the development of baseball in Venezuela and throughout Latin America.