Friday, November 1, 2013

#229 - Dave LaPoint


What a card: Dave LaPoint was already a San Francisco Giant by the time this card appeared in packs. He was one of the four players sent to the Giants on Feb. 1, 1985 for Jack Clark.

My observation on the front: Baseball was a whole lot brighter in the '80s, thanks to uniforms like this.

More opinion from me: LaPoint is from the Upstate New York town of Glens Falls, which isn't all that far from me. During my couple of visits to Glens Falls when LaPoint was pitching, it was clear what a big deal he was to the folks there.

Something you might know: LaPoint pitched in two games of the 1982 World Series for St. Louis against Milwaukee, the team that traded him less than two years prior. He pitched the eighth inning of Game 1 and then started Game 4, which the Cardinals lost 7-5 as his error helped open the door to a 6-run inning by the Brewers in the seventh.

Something you might not know: LaPoint signed a contract with the Brewers as a 17-year-old and began his career in Newark, N.Y. But the team found out that LaPoint hadn't graduated from high school yet and took him out of the game. LaPoint drove home and graduated a day later, then drove back to join the team.


My observation on the back: I'd love to figure out who the youngest pitcher was to win a game in both leagues, but it's proving to be more time-consuming than I thought.

The blog wants to speak now: The Music category is updated. Come on. I'm talking to you. Come on.

2 comments:

Phantom Dreamer said...

The St. Louis Cardinals' powder blues! Outstanding!

Matt Runyon said...

One year the nickname on his APBA card was "Snacks".