#33 - Dusty Baker

Card fact: There are just too many card photos taken in New York. But anytime you can feature the old-style scoreboard at Shea Stadium, then all is forgiven.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card of Dusty. I was not a fan of the green-green combination in the set as a kid. It just wasn't as colorful as the other designs. So players with this color combo were deemed boring. Perhaps not coincidentally, not a single Dodger card features the green-green combo.

What I think about this card now: The Braves wore some odd uniforms in the '70s.

Other stuff: Baker was a natural born hitter. He had some great years for the Dodgers, and he just annihilated the Phillies in the postseason. Then he had a falling out with L.A., ended up with the Giants (yuck!), and all the good will he had built up with me during his playing days began to deteriorate. I've never liked him as a manager, especially when he was with the Giants, and his managerial moves in general drive a number of fans insane. But perhaps his worst moments are as an ESPN commentator. Eesh. Painful.

Back facts: Johnnie B. Baker is one of the all-time greatest "real names" in baseball history. ... Also, beating out Hank Aaron as "The Brave of the Year" is mighty impressive. ... The cartoon contains a punctuation error. It should be Lefty Grove's, not Lefty Groves'.

Other blog stuff: Nothing new. Today is Tom Seaver's 65th birthday. He went 22-9 in 1975 and won the Cy Young Award.