#708 - Lance Parrish All-Star

Who is the man: Lance Parrish led the league in double plays turned by a catcher with 11 in 1984. He'd lead the league in that category two more times in his career.

My observation on the front: I still think this is spring training even though the sun seems to have disappeared.

More opinion from me: I just saw a picture of Lance Parrish as he is now. He looks old. Lance Parrish shouldn't look old.

All-Star performance: Parrish went 0-for-2 in the 1984 All-Star Game. He struck out twice, against Charlie Lea and Dwight Gooden.

Legitmate All-Star Card or Fake All-Star Card: It's legitimate. Parrish received his first All-Star start in 1984.

My observation on the back: I don't see many known heavyweights on that list of home run leaders. A lot of solid players not known for their slugging (Kingman excluded, of course).

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

#160 - Lance Parrish

What a card: This card arrived in packs fresh off of the Tigers' World Series title with Lance Parrish as the starting catcher. During that 1984 season, Parrish's offensive performance fell off slightly from the previous two years but he still hit 33 home runs.

My observation the front: The card is off-center and miscut. That annoys me.

More opinion from me: The photo is tremendous. A beautiful ballpark setting. I've often wondered whether Topps took special care with the photos of the previous season's World Series-winning team in order that they would stand out from other teams. Some of the Tigers cards do stand out in this set.

Something you might know: Parrish is considered one of the better hitting catchers in American League history. He did strike out a lot and didn't get on base a ton. But his defense was very good and he caught Jack Morris' no-hitter in April of 1984.

Something you might not know: Parrish was in contention for the Dodgers' catching job in spring training of 1993, but lost out to a rookie named Mike Piazza. The Dodgers sent Parrish down to the minors, where he backed up future Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu. Parrish later asked for his release and made it back to the majors with the Indians.

My observation on the back: Walter Alston won six All-Star Games. Joe Torre almost caught him, winning five -- the 2002 game in which he managed ended up a tie because (*ahem*) someone ran out of pitchers.

The blog wants to speak now: A quick update to the Music tab today.