#34T - Mike Fitzgerald

What a card: Mike Fitzgerald served as the catching replacement for Gary Carter after he was obtained from Montreal along with Hubie Brooks, Floyd Youmans and Herm Winningham in a trade on Dec. 10, 1984.

How'd that go: Initially, not great. Fitzgerald hit just .207 in 108 games for the Expos in 1985. But he managed to hang with Montreal through the 1991 season.

Backatya: Fitzgerald's rookie season with the Mets in 1984 earned him a spot on the Baseball Digest All-Rookie team. 

Back-to-back: It's interesting to me that Fitzgerald received one Topps card with the Mets and then he was immediately dealt to another team. It kind of makes the Mets card particularly special.

The flagship card is No. 104 and was blogged originally on Oct. 16, 2012.

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

#33T - John Felske

What a card: Like the most recent manager profiled in this set, this is John Felske's first Topps card since he was a player back in the 1970s. Felske appeared in the 1973 Topps set.

My observation on the front: Man, I love those Phillies patches from that era. I thought they'd wear them forever and the font would never change.

More opinion from me: Like Davenport, this is another manager that I don't remember. He lasted a bit longer than the Giants manager, but I'm pretty sure I didn't watch a single Phillies game between 1985-87.

Something you might know: Felske was named the Phillies manager after Paul Owens stepped down from the job after the 1984 season. Owens also was the general manager at the time.

Something you might not know: During the 1980s and early '90s, Felske owned a small franchise of quick oil-change shops in the Chicago area. He noticed the growing popularity of oil-change shops in California during the 1970s and decided to give it a try.

My observation on the back: Felske couldn't get past Randy Hundley in the Cubs lineup in the late 1960s.

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

#32T - Mariano Duncan

What a card: This is the ninth rookie card in the Update set. Mariano Duncan made his major league debut in 1985 and played in 142 games for the Dodgers, finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

My observation on the front: That's first base coach Joey Amalfitano in the background.

More opinion from me: Duncan's performance in 1985 was easily his best for the Dodgers. He flat-out stunk after that and became one of those frustrating players who performed much better for succeeding teams (the Reds, Phillies and Yankees).

Something you might know: Duncan's one season with the Yankees in 1996 was so successful that not only did he hit .340 that year but his often-repeated phrase "we play today, we win today" appeared on T-shirts worn by Yankees teammates.

Something you might not know: When pitcher Joaquin Andujar moved out of his home in the Dominican Republic for a bigger house, Duncan and his family moved into Andujar's old place.

My observation on the back: Samuel, Fernandez and Duncan are all from San Pedro de Macoris. This is right when the city started to become known in the baseball public as a goldmine for shortstops.

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

#31T - Ken Dixon

What a card: This is the eighth rookie card in the Traded set. Ken Dixon appeared in 34 games for the Orioles in 1985, including 18 starts. He won eight games and posted a 3.67 ERA.

My observation on the front: I'm pleasantly surprised by action shots in 1980s Traded sets, they don't seem to come along all that often.

More opinion from me: I'm interested in the billboard behind Dixon. It looks like a glass of milk or a milkshake?

Something you might know: Dixon pitched for the Orioles through 1987 and then was traded to the Mariners. But he never pitched again due to shoulder problems.

Something you might not know: Dixon struggled to deal with the end of his baseball career by the age of 30. He was arrested for cocaine possession in 1991 when drugs were found in his car (he said they weren't his). Decades later he helped co-found Diamond Dream Foundation, which promotes baseball in the Washington D.C. area.

My observation on the back: This write-up makes me wish he had six different hobbies.

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

#30T - Ivan DeJesus

What a card: Ivan DeJesus came to the Cardinals from the Phillies, traveling to St. Louis with reliever Bill Campbell in exchange for pitcher David Rucker.

How'd that go: DeJesus got into just 59 games with the Cardinals in 1985, his fewest games in a season since 1976. It also began an end-of-career pattern in which he played for a different team in each of his final five seasons.

Backatya: DeJesus began his career with the Dodgers (just like his son, Ivan Jr.) and was dealt to the Cubs in the trade that sent Bill Buckner to Chicago for Rick Monday.

Back-to-back: I've always liked the DeJesus Traded card because the close cropping reminds me of similar treatment with some 1970s favorites. Also the bright red cap drew me in. However, the closer I look, the more it appears that the hat is airbrushed. The "S" in the logo looks off-kilter.

The flagship card is No. 791 (second-to-last card in the set). It appeared on this blog on May 23, 2018.

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

#29T - Brian Dayett

What a card: The Cubs acquired Brian Dayett from the Yankees in a six-player deal on Dec. 4, 1984. Dayett and pitcher Ray Fontenot were sent to Chicago in exchange for pitchers Porfi Altamirano and Rich Bordi, outfielder Henry Cotto and catcher Ron Hassey.

How'd that go: Dayett barely played for the Cubs, starting with just 22 games in 1985. The plan for him to become Chicago's eventual left fielder never materialized.

 
Backatya: St. Leo College is noted more for the pitchers it has sent to the majors, among them Bob Tewksbury, Frank DiPino and Jim Corsi.

Back-to-back: Dayett's flagship card is No. 534 in the set. It was blogged on May 17, 2016.

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

#28T - Jerry Davis

What a card: This is the seventh rookie card in the set and one of the more obscure players. Davis played in 44 games for the Padres in 1985, batting .293. He never returned to the majors.

My observation on the front: Brown is an odd color for a professional team (unless your name is "the Browns"), but the Padres need to own it as part of their history from the beginning by including the color in their primary uniform. None of this blue stuff.

More opinion from me: I have absolutely no memory of Jerry Davis.

Something you might know: Davis won the starting left field job and led off during the defending NL champion Padres' opening game in 1985. A knee injury forced him to retire by 1987.

Something you might not know: If you're looking for this card on COMC, you will have to do a search for former 1970s infielder Jerry DaVanon because that's the name listed on the site for Davis' 1985 Traded cards.

My observation on the back: Davis is a Christmas baby.

The blog wants to speak now: The Other Cards category is updated.

#27T - Jim Davenport

What a card: This is Jim Davenport's first Topps card since the 1970 set when he was still a player.

My observation on the front: Is that a uniform under that jacket? It looks like a regular white T-shirt.

More opinion from me: There are some managers from the mid-1980s that didn't last long. Since I paid little attention to the baseball season or baseball cards at that time, I have zero memory of people like Davenport managing.

Something you might know: Davenport spent just one season managing the Giants in 1985. In fact, he was replaced late in the year by Roger Craig.

Something you might not know: When current Giants manager Bruce Bochy played Little League ball in North Carolina he used a Jim Davenport-model bat.

My observation on the back: It amazes me how many years Topps capitalized words like "doubles".

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated.

#26T - Danny Darwin

What a card: Danny Darwin came to the Brewers from the Rangers in a four-team deal on Jan. 18, 1985. The deal also involved the Mets and Royals and six players changed teams.

How'd that go: Darwin started 29 games for the Brewers in 1985 and lost a career-high 18 games (against eight wins). He also led the AL in home runs allowed with 34.

Backatya: The Yankees of 1998-2000 are now the last team to win the World Series three consecutive years. That was not a pleasant time.

Back-to-back: Darwin would pitch for seven teams during his 21-year career but this was his first appearance in a new uniform after spending seven years with the Rangers.

The original card was blogged on Oct. 26, 2013.

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

#25T - Dave Collins

What a card: The Oakland A's obtained Dave Collins, along with shortstop Alfredo Griffin, from the Blue Jays for relief pitcher Bill Caudill on Dec. 8, 1984. The A's were Collins' sixth major league team (he'd play for eight).

How'd that go: A little bit of a disappointment. Collins was on-fire with the Blue Jays in 1984. He fell back to average numbers with the A's in 1985 and moved on to the Tigers in 1986.

Backatya: Regarding Collins' interests at the bottom and how they match up with my interests: Strike 1, Strike 2, Strike 3, Strike 4.

Back-to-back: The original flagship card of Collins wins out over the traded card, despite the appearance of a batting cage in the A's card.

Collins' flagship card is No. 463 and was blogged on Oct. 15, 2015.

The blog wants to speak now:  The Pop Culture tab is updated.