Sunday, November 15, 2009

#31 - Dave Rader

Card fact: Up until now, the Giants have not been featured on the blog. In fact, the Giants are the last team to have a card featured in the '75 set. The Giants. Dead last. I like that.

What I thought about this card then: Blast it, I never saw it. That's four cards in a row now. I was a deprived kid.

What I think about this card now: I have always liked the super close-up shots. I don't know why. It gives the card character, I guess. Rader seems awfully pensive in this photo.

Other stuff: Rader finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1972. Must've been a slow year.

Back facts: Topps really blew its opportunity with the cartoon. Featuring Sandy Koufax's uniform number, 32, on card No. 31? You couldn't wait one more card, Topps?

Other blog stuff: I now have the first 306 cards in the set scanned. You know what that means: Reginald Martinez has officially been scanned.

1 comment:

Play at the Plate said...

Catching up on my comments. I'm checking his statline for 1972 and thinking if he finished 2nd to Jon Matlack, there couldn't have been many other rookies. Also, I'd like to know where his teammates were if he had to complete an unassisted triple play by running to 2ND BASE from home plate to double off a runner. I think that may be what he is wondering when they took the photo.