Wednesday, December 18, 2013

#244 - Mike Jones


What a card: This is Mike Jones' first Topps card since appearing on a three-person rookie card in the 1982 set. It's also just his second solo card, the first being in the 1982 Fleer set.

My observation on the front: Something just doesn't seem right about this image. It's almost as if Jones' head was inserted into a one of those carnival cutouts so it looks as if he's wearing a Royals cap and uniform.

More opinion from me: I don't know why Jones would be airbrushed. He played for the Royals exclusively up to this point. He could actually be wearing an Omaha Royals uniform I suppose since he split 1984 between Kansas City and Omaha.

Something you might know: Jones was a promising pitcher drafted in the first round who finished fourth in the A.L. Rookie of the Year voting in 1981. But his career was derailed by a car accident in December 1981 in which Jones suffered a broken neck.

Something you might not know: Jones missed all of the 1982 season after his accident and most of 1983. But in 1984, he pitched an eight-inning one-hitter against the Indians on my 19th birthday. Brett Butler was the only player to get a hit off of him.


My observation on the back: I suppose "injured" covers "broke neck in one-car crash after which he was charged with drunken driving").

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture category is updated with a topic near and dear to Dee Snider's heart.

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