#282 - The 1984 No. 1 Draft Pick Shawn Abner

What a card: This is the final card in the No. 1 draft pick subset. It recalls the Mets taking Shawn Abner with the No. 1 pick in the 1984 MLB draft. Abner went ahead of other first-round picks like Mark McGwire, Terry Mulholland, Cory Snyder and Jay Bell.

My observation on the front: Abner is wearing a Kingsport Mets uniform. He played for the Rookie League team in 1984, his first year in pro ball.

More opinion from me: You can tell that is a minor league photo from the '80s. Green concrete wall. Shadows everywhere.

Something you might know: Abner was one of the biggest busts among No. 1 picks in major league history. He would never play for the Mets, getting traded to the Padres in 1986 in the deal that brought the Mets Kevin McReynolds. Abner didn't appear on another card until 1988 and not in another Topps set until 1990. His big league career was done by 1992.

Something you might not know: Here is a quote from Abner in the Los Angeles Times in 1991 after it was well-established that he wouldn't live up to his No. 1-pick potential:

"I remember going to this card show over the winter where I was signing autographs. This guy comes up to me with about 1,000 of my rookie cards. He just walks up to me, doesn't say anything, but he shows me his cards and gives me a look like, "Look what I wasted my time on.

"This other one came up and said, 'You can play defense but you can't hit worth a (darn).' And this girl was 3 years old."

My observation on the back: The bio is stunned over Shawn's "amazing .420" batting average, but doesn't bat an eye about the .580 he hit.

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

#281 - The 1983 No. 1 Draft Pick - Tim Belcher

What a card: This card recalls the Minnesota Twins selecting Tim Belcher with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 MLB draft. So why is he wearing an A's uniform? We'll get to that.

My observation on the front: There is something not right about that photo and I think there's some airbrushing going on. Belcher played for the Oakland A's Class A and AA teams in 1984, perhaps he's actually wearing a uniform for the Madison Muskies or Albany-Colonie A's. Or maybe it's a photo from his days at Mt. Vernon Nazarene College.

More opinion from me: You could almost say that this card ushered in the era of the "pre-rookie" card. Belcher wouldn't hit the majors until 1987, with the Dodgers. Prior to this, players at the Class A/AA level who were featured in a Topps set would be on a multi-player prospects card.

Something you might know: Belcher did not sign with the Twins after they drafted him. He was then selected by the Yankees in the 1984 supplemental draft in January and picked up by the A's as a free agent compensation pick in February.

Something you might not know: Belcher pitched in 16 games for Class A Madison and averaged 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings in those games.

My observation on the back: There's a nice explanation of Belcher's path from the Twins to the Yankees to the A's -- yet he never played in the majors for any of them.

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

#280 - The 1982 No. 1 Draft Pick - Shawon Dunston

What a card: This card recalls Shawon Dunston being selected as the first pick by the Cubs in the 1982 major league draft. Dunston was selected ahead of Dwight Gooden, who was picked fifth by the Mets.

My observation on the front: This picture is very similar to the one Topps used of Dunston on his 1986 card.

More opinion from me: This card basically serves as Dunston's rookie card for Topps. He had no other regular card in the '85 set. But this was a big one as in the spring of '85, Dunston was going after 39-year-old Larry Bowa's job at shortstop and it was big news. Meanwhile, Donruss made Dunston a Rated Rookie in '85 and Fleer featured him on a prospects card with Billy Hatcher.

Something you might know: Dunston was considered a can't miss prospect and the best prospect out of the New York area since Carl Yastrzemski.

Something you might not know: Dunston hit .790 his senior year in high school and went 37-for-37 in stolen base attempts.

My observation n the back: Ummmm ... I can't dispute anything written there, but that doesn't mean it's interesting.

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

#279 - The 1981 No. 1 Draft Pick - Mike Moore

What a card: This card recalls the Mariners selecting Mike Moore with the No. 1 pick in the 1981 MLB draft. Moore went ahead of Joe Carter, who was selected No. 2 by the Cubs. Seattle did pretty good in its first three rounds, selecting Mark Langston in the second round and Phil Bradley in the third.

My observation on the front: This is the third straight card featuring a player in a blue pullover jersey. It's definitely the '80s here.

More opinion from me: Ball in glove or no? That's a toughie, but I say "no".

Something you might know: Moore spent one year in the minors for Seattle and started 27 games for the Mariners in 1982, going 7-14.

Something you might not know: Moore signed without an agent and had a deal with the Mariners in a matter of hours.

My observation on the back: I got nothing. I can't wait until these card backs go away.

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

#278 - The 1980 No. 1 Draft Pick - Darryl Strawberry

What a card: This card recalls the Mets' selection of Darryl Strawberry as the No. 1 pick in the 1980 MLB draft. He was the only real star to be drafted in the first round, with No. 10 pick Kelly Gruber ranking a distant second.

My observation on the front: This is Topps' first posed shot of Strawberry, which makes it seem more like a Donruss or Fleer card from that time. Topps was totally into the action shot at that point in the '80s.

More opinion from me: I'm wondering if Strawberry is the reason this subset was created in the first place. Strawberry was huge among collectors then and it was the perfect excuse to get another Strawberry card in the set.

Something you might know: Strawberry hit the Mets' pro ranks as an 18-year-old. At age 21, he made the big-time and was NL Rookie of the Year for the Mets in 1983.

Something you might not know: Strawberry's big brother, Michael, was also drafted in 1980, by the Dodgers in the 31st round. He played two years in the low minors for L.A.

My observation on the back: I'm positive the competition Strawberry faced in high school was much more intense than it is where I live. But our best high school players hit like .700 in a season, so .400 doesn't look that impressive to me.

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

#277 - The 1979 No. 1 Draft Pick - Al Chambers

What a card: This card recognizes the Mariners selecting Al Chambers with the first pick of the 1979 MLB draft. The Mets picked Tim Leary second.

My observation on the front: It's very cloudy wherever Chambers is.

More opinion from me: This is Chambers' only Topps card. He very nearly didn't make this subset because Topps focused only on No. 1 picks who were still playing in the majors. Chambers would have only four more at-bats in his major league career after the 1984 season.

Something you might know: Chambers is considered one of the biggest busts among No. 1 draft picks in MLB history. He'd play in only 57 MLB games and was done by age 24.

Something you might not know: After his baseball career ended, Chambers got a job mixing the ingredients for chocolate syrup at Hershey Foods.

 

My observation on the back: Reading that is like reading my social studies textbook in 9th grade.

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

#276 - The 1978 No. 1 Draft Pick - Bob Horner

What a card: This card recognizes the Braves selecting Bob Horner as the No. 1 pick in the 1978 amateur draft. He was chosen ahead of Lloyd Moseby, Hubie Brooks, Mike Morgan and Andy Hawkins, who went in picks 2 through 5.

My observation the front: I'm quite sure that this photo came from the same session that produced Horner's rookie card.

More opinion from me: I don't have a lot of fond memories about the Braves -- unless you're talking about their losing ways from the '70s -- but that Indian feather on the sleeve kicks up some nostalgia.

Something you might know: Horner bypassed the minor leagues to join Atlanta in 1978 and played 89 games, winning Rookie of the Year honors.

Something you might not know: Horner was drafted by the Oakland A's out of high school in the 15th round, but obviously he didn't sign.

My observation the back: Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz was a high school teammate of Bob Horner's at Apollo High School.

The blog wants to speak now: The News and Pop Culture categories are updated.

#275 - The 1977 No. 1 Draft Pick - Harold Baines

What a card: This card recognizes Harold Baines as the first pick of the 1977 MLB draft by the White Sox. Chicago selected him just ahead of Bill Gullickson and Paul Molitor.

My observation on the front: I'd love to know when this photo was taken. All of Baines's early White Sox cards show him with a full beard, including his rookie card in 1981. This card appears to be taken during the same time as the photo on this card. But that still doesn't tell me when. Just curious whether this is a photo from before his '81 Topps picture.

More opinion from me: Baines is another victim of the "snow" that has appeared on some of the cards in this set. It unfairly portrays him as having a dandruff problem.

Something you might know: The White Sox picked Baines even though Gullickson was from nearby Orland Park, Ill.

Something you might not know: Baines was a participant in one of the more horrific "pitcher-hit-by-batted-ball" incidents in MLB history. In 1981, Baines' line drive up the middle caught A's reliever Bo McLaughlin in the face, fracturing McLaughlin's jaw, nose, cheekbone and shattering his eye socket in five places. McLaughlin was in such poor condition that doctors weren't sure he'd last the night. He'd never win another game.

My observation on the back: Well, we finally have an interesting little tidbit about Bill Veeck observing Baines on a Little League field, but it was already mentioned on Baines' base card.

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

#274 - The 1976 No. 1 Draft Pick - Floyd Bannister

What a card: This card recognizes the Astros' selection of Floyd Bannister with the No. 1 pick in the 1976 amateur draft. Topps skipped the '75 draft in which Danny Goodwin was selected first for a second time (how cool would it have been to have two Goodwin cards in this subset? OK, not so cool).

My observation on the front: This is a terrific look at the Astros' late '70s uniforms. It was quite the thrill in 1985 to get a splash of nostalgia in the set as the Astros had toned down their rainbow uniforms by the mid-1980s.

More opinion from me: Bannister's first solo card in the 1978 Topps set features a photo taken at Shea. I'm guessing this picture is from the same photo session.

Something you might know: Bannister finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1978. Andre Dawson, Steve Henderson and Gene Richards finished ahead of him.

Something you might not know: Bannister was cut from his high school freshman baseball team. He would later lead Kennedy High, south of Seattle, to a state title.

My observation on the back: I have nothing to say about these backs. They're so dull.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames and News categories are updated.

#273 - The 1974 No. 1 Draft Pick - Bill Almon

What a card: This card commemorates the Padres picking Bill Almon with the No. 1 selection in the 1974 amateur draft. The '74 draft was noted more for the Braves' selection of Dale Murphy at No. 5, as well as the draft that featured Lonnie Smith, Lance Parrish, Garry Templeton, Rick Sutcliffe and Willie Wilson. (In case you're interested, Topps skipped over the 1970, 71, 72 and 73 drafts, where the picks were, respectively, Mike Ivie, Danny Goodwin, Dave Roberts and David Clyde).

My observation on the front: This photo featured Almon without a mustache, which was odd because his other Padres cards feature him with a mustache. Only on a four-player rookie stars card in the 1977 set is Almon without a mustache.

More opinion from me: This card looks a lot like Almon's first solo card  ...

... except for the mustache, of course.

Something you might know: Almon was called up to the majors by the Padres the same year he was drafted. He played in 16 games and hit .316. But he wouldn't play regularly until 1977.

Something you might not know: Almon was called "Billy" by Topps through the 1980 set. It then changed to "Bill" starting in 1981.

 

My observation on the back: Always enjoyable to have a Rhode Island native on a baseball card. But I expect this subset to be flooded with California boys. Right now it's California 2, rest of the U.S. 1.

The blog wants to speak now: Sorry, the NCAA Selection Sunday wiped me out big time. No tab updates today.

#272 - The 1969 No. 1 Draft Pick - Jeff Burroughs

What a card: This card commemorates the Senators' selection of Jeff Burroughs with the No. 1 pick in the 1969 MLB amateur draft. The Astros selected J.R. Richard with the No. 2 pick.

My observation on the front: This is a great old-time look on a card from 1985. It might be the first color photograph of a Senators uniform in a Topps set since the 1971 set (or the 1972 set if you count all those airbrushed Rangers).

More opinion from me: This was the coolest of the draft pick subset cards for me because I simply wasn't around for the Senators and to pull a Senators card was pretty fantastic.

Something you might know: Burroughs was a 19-year-old phenom when he made his major league debut in 1970.

Something you might not know: Burroughs hit a home run in his very first exhibition game, which thrilled his manager Ted Williams, who had been talking up Burroughs as the player who would follow him as the next .400 hitter.

My observation on the back: Zzzzzzzzzz ... he hit a home run in the '68 Legion regional final? Do go on.

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

#271 - The 1968 No. 1 Draft Pick - Tim Foli

What a card: This is the beginning of the third subset in the 1985 Topps set. After the Record Breaker and Father-Son subsets, cards 271-282 featured past Major League Baseball No. 1 draft picks. It's a 12-card subset, so not every No. 1 pick is featured.

My observation on the front: The best part of this subset, for me, was seeing players that I knew in uniforms that I never knew or barely knew they wore. Tim Foli was an Expo, Pirate or Angel to me. But a Met? He looked so weird as a Met. And so weird without glasses.

More opinion from me: I just went through and tried to determine why Topps skipped certain years of No. 1 picks in this set. The best I can determine is it wanted to stick to players who were still in the majors as of the 1984 season. Some of the No. 1 picks that they skipped -- for example Mike Ivie and David Clyde -- were done playing by 1985.

Something you might know: The Mets sent Foli, Ken Singleton and Mike Jorgensen to the Expos in 1972 for Rusty Staub.

Something you might not know: Foli got into a few scraps during his career. While with the Mets, first baseman Ed Kranepool thought Foli was purposely bouncing balls to first base during infield practice. Because of that, he refused to participate in a pregame toss with Foli in front of the dugout. Foli got in Kranepool's face and teammates broke it up.

My observation on the back: Goodness, I hated these backs. High school and college highlights? So boring.

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