What a card: This is the second-year card of Bobby Meacham. He had just finished his first season as the primary starting shortstop for the Yankees.
My observation on the front: I love seeing photos of Yankee players in spring training. Not because I have any affection for the Yankees -- you know me better than that -- but because there are so many card photos of Yankees (and players on other teams) in Yankee Stadium. It's refreshing to see a Yankee somewhere else.
More opinion from me: Those who grew up knowing only Derek Jeter as the Yankees' shortstop maybe don't know what a wasteland the shortstop position was for the Yankees during the '80s. After Meacham, who was basically booted from his starting role because he had problems hitting and fielding, came Wayne Tolleson, Rafael Santana, Alvaro Espinoza and Andy Stankiewicz.
Something you might know: Meacham is the Astros' first base coach.
Something you might not know: Meacham was involved in one of the more memorable '80s play-at-the-plate moments on Aug. 2, 1985. That was the game when White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk tagged out two Yankees at the plate, Meacham and Dale Berra. On a Rickey Henderson double, Meacham waited to see if the ball might be caught. Berra didn't. And Ozzie Guillen, taking a throw from Luis Salazar, threw to Fisk who tagged Meacham and then Berra.
My observation on the back: The bio blurb is a little strange. Meacham attended college for only three years because he signed with the Cardinals after being drafted as the eighth overall pick. But how are you supposed to take that sentence -- awesome, he went to college for three years?
The blog wants to speak now: Just one update in the News category today. Something about some league called the "USFL."
Look at the Baseball Trivia Quiz. So it appears that at least in 1985, Topps used SO, for strikeouts instead of "K". I only point this out because of all the bloggers pointing out this change on the 2012 Topps cards.
ReplyDeletein those days, I was determined I'd be the Yanks SS someday. I lived in NY & watched a lot of Yankees games. I remember thinking that Meacham was awful. I suppose Derek Jeter was probably thinking the same thing miles away as he watched too. I suspect a lot of young Yankee fans in the 80's grew up wanting to play shortstop, 'cause it would be easy to get on the team AND they'd get to play with some awesome guys like Winfield and Mattingley.
ReplyDeleteI know that guy! he went to my high school and my college. But unlike him, I managed 4 years at San Diego State. I remember while there, someone told me that the average stay of a student at SDSU was less than one year.
ReplyDeleteSad, I've been to probably a dozen Astros games in last couple years and never even realized he was first base coach... Am I drinking that much?
I don't recall all the details, but the trade in which the Yankees acquired Meacham from the Cardinals in December 1982 was supposedly somehow linked to the deal that sent Willie McGee in the opposite direction a year earlier.
ReplyDeleteThe McGee trade itself was for Bob Sykes, who never played in the majors again. The Cards then evened things up by sending Meacham and Stan Javier to New York for three low-grade prospects (none of whom ever reached the majors). Does anyone else remember ever hearing anything about this?
A double play at the plate!? Awesome.
ReplyDeleteMeacham went on to, of course, be the first base coach involved in Milton Bradley's infamous blowup with umpire Mike Winters that led to a knee blowout. Meacham was quoted as never seeing such disrespect from an ump in 25 years in pro baseball.
ReplyDelete