Monday, March 13, 2017

#638 - Mike Pagliarulo


What a card: This is Mike Pagliarulo's rookie card.

My observation on the front: Pre-mustache Pagliarulo looks odd to me.

More opinion from me: I will always associate Pagliarulo with former Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto fawning over him during broadcasts early in the career of "Pags". Rizzuto, no doubt, felt a kinship with a young infielder with an Italian background. But it got a little nauseating.

Something you might know: Pagliarulo, who platooned with Scott Leius at third base for the Twins during the team's World Series triumph in 1991, was named the Marlins' hitting coach this offseason, replacing Barry Bonds.

Something you might not know: Pagliarulo notably called out Tony Gwynn in the press when the two were Padres teammates in 1990. Gwynn drew criticism from a few teammates that year as they perceived him as caring only about his own stats. Pagliarulo was interviewed in a New York Daily News article, saying, "He doesn't give a ---- about his team and that's weak. Donnie (Mattingly) would have kicked that guy's ass the first day." Although Gwynn wasn't named in the article, he took those words and the other criticism to heart during a trying season for the Hall of Famer.


My observation on the back: Pagliarulo's father played in Class C and D ball for the Cubs for one year in New Mexico and Idaho.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

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