What a card: Burt Hooton signed as a free agent with the Rangers on Dec. 20, 1984, after 10 years with the Dodgers.
How'd that go: Well, he pitched one season for the Rangers, posting a 5.23 ERA in 29 games (20 starts) and retired after the season.
Backatya: Hooton's well-known nickname is "Happy," bestowed upon him because of his perpetual glum nature. The nickname was likely created by Tom Lasorda while they both were in the Dominican Republic that offseason. The two had joined other ballplayers in a packed hotel room on New Year's Eve as they counted down to 1975. During the revelry Lasorda happened to look at Hooton, who was in the corner playing solitaire. "Hey!" Lasorda yelled. "Doesn't he look happy? It's 'Happy' Hooton."
Back-to-back: I'm not sure when I first saw the card of Hooton as a Ranger, but it looked very odd to me seeing him dressed as anything but a Dodger. He lasted longer with the Dodgers than many of his well-known teammates from the 1970s.
The flagship card is No. 201 in the set. It was originally blogged on Aug. 13, 2013.
The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.
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