#143 - Cliff Johnson

Card fact: This is Cliff Johnson's rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it.

What I think about this card now: Hoo-boy. Not a lot. The photo is pretty much identical to Johnson's 1976 Topps card, which was one of the very first doubles that I ever had.

Other stuff: Johnson didn't spend very much time with the Yankees, but that's how I most remember him. He was one of the very few Yankees that didn't irritate me. I don't know why. Probably because he wasn't a regular player. Johnson got into a famous brawl with teammate Rich Gossage in 1979, and was shipped to Cleveland shortly afterward.

Johnson holds the record for most career pinch-hit home runs with 20.

Back facts: You can tell Johnson paid his dues in the minors. Six years of bus rides before he reached the big leagues. But he stuck around once he arrived, playing in the majors until 1986.

Other blog stuff: I have decided to switch a couple of the color combo names. The green-yellow combo, which I originally called the "Lemon-lime design" is now in need of a name. That's because the yellow-green combo, which you saw on the last post, will be called the "lemon-lime design," since the yellow on the top and the green on the bottom suits it better.

That means I need a name for green-yellow again. Suggestions? Peas and corn? Oakland A's? The colors used by 60 percent of high school/college teams across America? Something about St. Patrick's Day?