#129T - Earl Weaver

What a card: Earl Weaver returned to managing on June 14, 1985 as Orioles owner Edward Bennett Williams coaxed him out of retirement.

My observation on the front: I never saw this card in '85, but I'm sure I would have been thrilled to see Weaver back in packs.

More opinion from me: I can't say there were many times when I rooted for Weaver's O's. I always seemed to be rooting against him. But the more time passes, the more I am a fan.

Something you might know: Weaver lasted a season-and-half with the Orioles in his second term. The 1986 season would be the only full season under Weaver in which the Orioles had a losing record, and take it from me, that was bizarre. Weaver never managed losers.

Something you might not know: Weaver joked that the reason he returned to managing was to fund his cigarette habit:  "I came back because, quite frankly, Raleighs have gone from $6.50 a carton to $8.00 in the time I've been away and I've been on a fixed income."

My observation on the back: Weaver would end up finishing a mere 20 victories short of 1,500 for his managerial career.

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

#110T - Nate Snell

What a card: This is the 28th rookie card in the 1985 Topps Update set. Nate Snell appeared in 43 games as a reliever in 1985, posting the only five saves he would have in his four-year MLB career.

My observation on the front: Snell appears to be in mid-toss during spring training drills. It'd be nice if it wasn't cropped so close so we could see what he was doing.

More opinion from me: The first Nate Snell card I think of is his 1987 Topps card. I didn't buy a lot of '87 Topps, but I think he was in every pack I bought.

Something you might know: Snell spent eight years in the minor leagues before he finally received his first big-league playing time in 1984, appearing in four games for Baltimore that year.

Something you might not know: After his baseball career ended, Snell took a job with the United Postal Service and as of 2015 was still working for UPS.

My observation on the back: The informative bio is offset by a big, fat uncorrected error in the stats. Snell is given hitter's categories (which just so happen to be the same number of columns as the pitching categories) with all of his pitching stats. That leads to some disorienting reading if you forgot he's a pitcher: what the hell, 45 home runs and just 28 RBIs? 81 2/3 at-bats? Batting 2,000?

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

#106T - Larry Sheets

What a card: This is the 27th rookie card in the 1985 Topps Traded set. Larry Sheets appeared in 113 games during his rookie year in 1985, hitting 17 home runs.

My observation on the front: He just looks like a slugger.

More opinion from me: Sheets was one of those players you heard coming before he even made the majors. That 1983 season for Charlotte made some noise.

Something you might know: Sheets enjoyed one grand season the majors. That was in 1987 when he hit 31 home runs and batted .316 in 469 at-bats (the following year, he hit .230 with 10 homers).

Something you might not know: Sheets left baseball after his first year in pro ball to attend college. He came back with three games left in the season. The following year, he didn't show up for spring training and told the Orioles he was retiring before changing his mind again and reporting in June to his minor league club.

My observation on the back: Sheets stepped away from the game once again in 1981 and truly "did not play." He came back for good in June of 1982.

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

#77T - Fred Lynn

What a card: Fred Lynn came to the Orioles as a free agent, signing with Baltimore on Dec. 11, 1984.

How'd that go: Lynn lasted three-plus years with Baltimore but the steady decline that began when he came to the Angels from Boston continued with the Orioles. He'd later wind up with the Tigers (wut?), his fourth team, which was pretty strange for someone I thought would stay with the Red Sox for his career. Then he went to the Padres and nothing made sense.

Backatya: Lynn made the most of his walk year in 1984, appearing in more games than he had in over five years.

Back-to-back: Lynn's flagship card is No. 220 in the set and was originally blogged on Oct. 3, 2013. You'll notice how similar uniforms were among teams in the 1980s.

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

#70T - Lee Lacy

What a card: Lee Lacy took advantage of arguably the best season of his major league career in 1984 by signing a free agent contract with the Orioles on Dec. 7, 1984.

How'd that go: Lacy maintained his late-career success with Baltimore in 1985 and 1986 before running out of gas in his final season in 1987.

Backatya: Other McClymonds High School graduates include 1930s catching great Ernie Lombardi, NBA legend Bill Russell and MC Hammer.

Back-to-back: Lee Lacy is demonstrating the 1979 World Series on his flagship and Traded cards.

Lacy's flagship card was originally blogged on June 12, 2017. It's card No. 669. I prefer it to the Traded card. Must be the nostalgia for the Pirates uniforms.

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

#1T - Don Aase

What a card: After six years with the Angels, Don Aase joined his third major league team by signing as a free agent with the Orioles in December 1984.

How'd that go: Quite well. Aase set then-career marks in appearances and saves in 1985 and won 10 games. He'd enjoy an even better season the following year and receive the only All-Star selection of his career.

Backatcha: This is the look of the Traded card backs. You can see it is much brighter than the flagship card backs because Topps used white card stock for the Traded set for the third straight year. I remember thinking the white stock looked cheap compared with the gray stock that I knew. But little did I know that it would become the wave of the future.

Back-to-back:

The original card is No. 86, blogged on Aug. 24, 2012.

Here is the first comparison of the Traded card with the flagship card. This is the part that awed me about Traded sets when they first became a regular thing in the early 1980s.

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

#780 - Mike Flanagan

What a card: Mike Flanagan rallied from a knee injury that hampered his 1983 season to start 34 games for the Orioles in 1984.

My observation on the front: Mercy, that's another miscut card straight out of the box. When I think about how well-center today's cards are, I realize how old I am. Collectors still wail about miscut cards today, but they have no idea. We were pulling one, two, three per pack when I was a kid.

More opinion from me: Flanagan may be remembered as a broadcaster, an Orioles front-office guy or a Blue Jay. But he's nothing but an Orioles pitcher to me.

Something you might know: Flanagan won the Cy Young Award in 1979 after winning 23 games for the AL champion Orioles.

Something you might not know: Flanagan played on the freshman basketball team for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During a scrimmage against the varsity team, Flanagan pulled up for a jump shot off a fast break and -- out of nowhere -- was blocked by Julius Erving. Dr. J. was a forward for the Minutemen.

My observation on the back: Manchester is a large city, of more than 100,000 people, so no biggie that Mike and his wife didn't know each other while growing up. The baseball field behind the Manchester high school that Flanagan attended was renamed Mike Flanagan Field in Flanagan's honor in 2014. Flanagan, who suffered from depression for years, committed suicide in 2011.

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

#755 - Ken Singleton

What a card: Ken Singleton struggled through his final season in 1984, batting just .215 in 111 games. He retired after the season and this is his final card from his playing career.

My observation on the front: I don't think I realized just how impressive Singleton was in terms of stature. This card does show it. He is a big dude. And I don't mean fat.

More opinion from me: I've mentioned this before: Singleton was my youngest brother's favorite player when we were growing up. I suppose he still is. We don't really talk about it anymore.

Something you might know: Singleton stepped into the broadcasting booth soon after his playing career ended. He started with the Orioles, then moved on to the Canadian teams, the Blue Jays and most notably the Expos. For the past 20 years, he's been a broadcaster with the Yankees, although he's trimmed back to "analyst" the last couple of years and doesn't do much play-by-play anymore.

Something you might not know: Singleton grew up in a house in Mount Vernon, N.Y., that was previously owned by the family of Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca.

My observation on the back: Mount Vernon is no joke when it comes to high school athletics, but I suppose that's obvious if Ken Singleton was playing for them.

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

#726 - Al Bumbry

What a card: This is Al Bumbry's final Topps card as a Baltimore Oriole. He signed with the Padres in March 1985.

My observation on the front: You have to love the batting cage shots, but it sure seems cold there.

More opinion from me: Bumbry is one of those players that syncs up perfectly with my first collecting period. His first solo card is in the 1974 Topps set, the first cards I ever owned, and his last card is in 1986, when I gave up active collecting.

Something you might know: Bumbry was the American League's Rookie of the Year in 1973 after hitting .337 in 356 at-bats.

Something you might not know: Bumbry is one of 21 people to hold the AL record for most triples in a game with three. The players to match that mark since Bumbry are Ken Landreaux, Lance Johnson and Denard Span (the NL record is also three and the most recent entrant was Yasiel Puig in 2014).

My observation on the back: I'm not certain but I think the only Vietnam vet to last longer in major league baseball than Al Bumbry is Garry Maddox.

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

#709 - Mike Boddicker All-Star

What a card: Mike Boddicker ranked among the top American League pitchers in 1984, leading the league in earned-run average (2.79) and victories (20).

My observation on the front: This spring training shot captures some of the crowd, right down to the standing dude in brown pants and some sort of checked shirt.

More opinion from me: Boddicker features the dark-haired good looks that the Orioles seemed to continuously churn out for its pitching staff during a period that began with Jim Palmer and ended with Mike Mussina.

All-Star performance: Boddicker was named to the AL All-Star pitching staff for the 1984 game but didn't get to play.

Legitimate All-Star card or fake All-Star card: Fake. The fact that Topps is narrowing it down to "right-handed" and "left-handed" categories tips you off that there's some tinkering going on. The right-handed Dave Stieb actually started the game but you have to go to Topps' glossy set to find an All-Star card of Stieb.

My observation on the back: Topps covers three of Boddicker's four shutouts in 1984. The one missing is from Sept. 9, 1984 when he shut out the Brewers.

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

#704 - Cal Ripken All-Star

What a card: Cal Ripken Jr. played in all 162 games in 1984 to lead the league. It was his second straight season of playing in every game of the season, a habit he would continue for the next decade.

My observation on the front: Ripken is staring into a bright Florida sun.

More opinion from me: Seeing a young Ripken here just reminds me how the Ripken men do not hold on to their hair for long.

All-Star performance: Ripken went 0-for-3 in the 1984 All-Star Game, grounding out to third three straight at-bats. It was the least successful outing of any AL batter in that game.

Legitimate All-Star Card or Fake All-Star Card: It's legitimate. Ripken started at shortstop for the American League and batted third.

My observation on the back: I know you're dying to know who those three players are who were tied with 97 runs apiece. They are: Lloyd Moseby, Eddie Murray and Gary Ward.

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

#701 - Eddie Murray All-Star

What a card: Eddie Murray kicks off the final subset of the '85 Topps set, the all-star subset. Murray led the league in intentional walks in 1984, receiving 25.

My observation on the front: If I could return one thing to the modern Topps flagship set, it would be spring training photos.

More opinion from me: I'm changing things up just a bit for this subset since all of these cards are repeats of players who have other cards in the set.

All-Star performance: Murray went 1-for-2 in the 1984 All-Star game, hitting a pop-fly double into short left-center field off of Dwight Gooden in the sixth inning. He also struck out against Goose Gossage in the ninth inning.

Legitimate All-Star card or fake All-Star card?: Fake. Murray did not start the '84 All-Star Game at first base for the American League. Rod Carew did. And Carew didn't even get an all-star card! (Note: I am going by the standards for all-star cards that Topps used between 1975-80).

My observation on the back: I don't think there has been anything more 1980s in this entire set than Game-Winning RBI leaders.

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

#700 - Eddie Murray

What a card: Eddie Murray played in all 162 games for the first time in his career in 1984. He drove in more than 100 runs for the fourth straight year and led the league in walks and on-base percentage.

My observation on the front: The best card in the set, showcasing Murray's famous glare. For me, this card beats McGwire, Clemens and Puckett combined. It even edges Gooden and Hershiser.

More opinion from me: You know how many years I wished Eddie Murray was a Dodger? I got my wish. A little late. But I got my wish.

Something you might know: One of the greatest switch-hitters of all-time (and the most powerful behind Mickey Mantle), Murray was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Something you might not know: Murray's animosity toward the media is well-known, but he did talk to the media early in his career (the talking stopped around 1986 when friction developed between Murray and Orioles owner Edward Bennett Williams). In fact, one of Murray's sisters was the editor for her high school newspaper.

My observation on the back: Willie Mays remains the all-time leader in career extra-base home runs. Jack Clark is second with 18, followed by Babe Ruth and Frank Robinson with 16. Albert Pujols has 15.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated. It's a heart-warming tale.

#652 - Joe Nolan

What a card: Joe Nolan was entering his final major league season when this card was issued. At this point he was the backup to the backup as both Rick Dempsey and Floyd Rayford received more playing time at catcher than Nolan.

My observation on the front: Nolan seemingly did not go anywhere without those glasses.

More opinion from me: Take it from a young, avid collector between 1978-86: Nolan did not look like a ballplayer on any of his baseball cards. I think I was actually appalled when I pulled his 1979 Topps card.

Something you might know: Nolan took over for Johnny Bench behind the plate during the 1981 season. Bench was getting on in years and the Reds saved his legs by having him play third base. Nolan enjoyed his best hitting season that year, batting .309.

Something you might not know: Nolan, playing for the Braves, placed the finishing touch on ending Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak when he caught Rose's foul tip for strike three on the Reds legend's final at-bat of the game.

My observation on the back: You can tell Nolan spent a lot of years (seven) in the minors with those sporadic at-bats in 1972 and 1975.

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

#624 - Benny Ayala

What a card: This is Benny Ayala's last Topps flagship card from his career. He does appear in the 1985 Topps Traded set.

My observation on the front: This is kind of the perfect photo for Ayala. A well-known platoon player who was very familiar with sitting the bench during games, Ayala would often sit off by himself to think and do his hitting homework.

More opinion from me: When the current Orioles wear the the throwback uniforms and caps with the cartoon bird on the white cap background, it looks almost comical. But back when that was the regular uniform there didn't seem anything comical about it. It helped that the Orioles were very good when they were wearing those hats and uniforms.

Something you might know: Ayala was part of manager Earl Weaver's regular platoon with players like Terry Crowley, John Lowenstein and Gary Roenicke. Ayala thrived in the platoon and is remembered for the three-run home run he hit against the Pirates in Game 3 of the 1979 World Series, as well as a clutch single against the Phillies in the 1983 World Series.

Something you might not know: Ayala is the first Puerto Rican to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. It came when he played for the Mets in 1974.

My observation on the back: The last pitcher to have as many as 13 complete games in a season was Curt Schilling (15) in 1998.

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

#599 - Storm Davis

What a card: Storm Davis was coming off his best season with the Orioles when this card was issued. He won 14 games with a 3.12 ERA and surrendered home runs at the lowest rate in the American League.

My observation on the front: After seeing so many posed "looking in for the sign" shots it's nice to see a real, live one.

More opinion from me: "Storm" was a very odd name in 1982 when Davis first hit the majors. My brother and I gave my youngest brother, an Orioles fan, all kinds of garbage for having a pitcher on his team named "Storm".

Something you might know: Davis won 19 games for the Oakland A's in 1989, receiving a big contract from the Royals in the following offseason. But Davis' ERA was 4.36 despite the 19 wins, and he was cited by Bill James as the perfect example of why wins were overvalued. Davis struggled with Kansas City.

Something you might not know: Davis married his wife, Angie, at age 18. They have a blog.

My observation on the back: Storm's mother was a talk show host for a radio station in Jacksonville, Fla. Even though Storm's actual first name is George, the name "Storm" came from his mother, who read a book titled "Doctors on Trial" while pregnant with Storm. There was a character in the book called "Dr. Storm" whose personality his mother admired.

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

#574 - Joe Altobelli

What a card: This is Joe Altobelli's second Topps card as Orioles manager. His team didn't fair nearly as well as during his first year. After the Orioles won the World Series in 1983, they fell to fifth in 1984.

My observation on the front: Altobelli is a year older in this picture than I am now. I want to think I don't look this old, but I probably do.

More opinion from me: It was freaky at this time because the Orioles had a manager and it was not Earl Weaver. It took awhile to get adjusted to that fact. And apparently it took the Orioles awhile to get adjusted, too, because Weaver was called out of retirement to replace Altobelli in 1985.

Something you might know: Altobelli led the Orioles to the World Series title in his first season managing the club.

Something you might not know: That same year the Orioles won the World Series, they lost seven games in a row -- twice.

My observation on the back: Altobelli still lives in the Rochester area. He became a permanent resident there when he was the Triple A manager for the Orioles in the early '70s. He is legendary in the area as the only person to work for the Rochester franchise as a player, manager, general manager and broadcaster.

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

#550 - Scott McGregor

What a card: Scott McGregor was coming off his seventh straight season with double figure wins for the Orioles when this card was issued. He'd stretch it to nine straight for the O's.

My observation on the front: It looks cold there. Or McGregor was one of those weird pitchers who wore long sleeves in warm weather.

More opinion from me: The No. 550 is a pretty high-falutin' number for 1984 McGregor. His 1983 season, and consequently his 1984 Topps card, is more deserving of the number. But in '84 Topps his number is 260.

Something you might know: McGregor won 20 games in 1980 and pitched in two World Series for the Orioles. He did well in both but is most remembered for blanking the Phillies in the clinching Game 5 of the 1983 Series.

Something you might not know: After McGregor's career ended, he became an ordained minister and remained one for the next 14 years. But he then returned to baseball as a coach in the Orioles organization, where he still works. That's interesting to me. I haven't heard of many people who switched to a religious life switching back, especially after that many years.

My observation on the back: There have been a handful of pitchers born in Holland (the Netherlands), but only one born in Zeist!

The blog wants to speak now: The Other Cards category is updated. Unfortunately Blogger is being difficult and even though I've changed the type font color and size several times, you'll see it as red and tiny. My apologies. I'll try to adjust it later. (Update: type is no longer red).

#521 - Rick Dempsey

What a card: When this card was issued, Rick Dempsey was coming off a 1984 season that was much like his 1983 season -- except that the Orioles didn't win the World Series and he wasn't named World Series MVP.

My observation on the front: I don't know what is so fascinating in the upper deck there, Rick.

More opinion from me: Until Dempsey finally started to get some decent playing time in the late 1970s, his stats were atrocious. My brother and I enjoyed pointing them out to our little brother, who was an Orioles fan.

Something you might know: Dempsey played in three different World Series (1979, 1983, 1988) for two different teams (Orioles, Dodgers).

Something you might not know: Dempsey once decked Lenny Dykstra at home plate with his glove hand, setting off a brawl between the Dodgers and Phillies in 1990. Dykstra was upset at the umpire about an earlier called strike and blamed Dempsey for "buttering up" the ump. Dempsey said Dykstra advanced toward him, dropping his bat, and he punched Dykstra before he could do anything. Dempsey was suspended for a game.

My observation on the back: I didn't know Dempsey's rain-delay performances had a name. I just know I was not that amused. I suppose people willing to sit out in the rain would be pleased with just about anything.

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