#352 - Joe Morgan

What a card: This is Joe Morgan's final Topps card (along with the record-breaker card). He retired after the 1984 season, yet was given a card in the set.

My observation on the front: Donut cameo!

More opinion from me: Well other than the fact that Morgan still pisses me off, this is a pretty nice farewell photo for Morgan. He's taking his bat (and donut) and going home. See you in the broadcast booth, losers.

Something you might know: Morgan won back-to-back MVP awards in 1975 and 1976 to become the seventh of the 13 players who have won back-to-back MVP honors.

Something you might not know: Morgan played dominoes during his baseball career because he thought the same attributes needed to succeed in dominoes -- concentration and memory -- were important in baseball, too.

My observation on the back: Complete career stats!

The blog wants to speak now: Been stuck on the Pop Culture tab lately. It's updated again.

#5 - Record Breaker, Joe Morgan

What a card: This card recognizes Joe Morgan surpassing Rogers Hornsby for the most home runs for a second baseman for a career. Morgan finished with 268 lifetime, a record that was surpassed by Ryne Sandberg. Jeff Kent now holds the record with 351.

My observation on the front: Green-and-gold is what makes the A's unique in baseball. But at other times they look like the million high school teams that feature green-and-gold as their colors. This is one of those times.

More opinion from me: Morgan has both a record-breaker card and a regular base card in this set, but he didn't play a game past 1984. That's not exactly unusual, but there are a lot of players that were left out of the set that immediately followed a player's final year. I suppose it was all in the timing of Morgan's retirement announcement.

Something you might know: Morgan began his broadcasting career in 1985 for the Cincinnati Reds. It continued (and continued and continued) through 2010, when it mercifully ended.

Something you might not know: The player who suggested that Joe Morgan flap his back arm like a chicken, as a reminder to keep his elbow up, was Nellie Fox.

My observation on the back: Morgan's home run came off the Rangers' Frank Tanana in the first inning.

The blog wants to speak now: Takin' it easy with only a tiny update of a birthday in the pop culture section.