What a card: Steve Balboni enjoyed a breakthrough season in 1984, playing in more than 100 games for the first time in his career and exceeding 20 home runs for the first of six straight seasons. His 1985 season would be even better.
My observation on the front: Balboni's got some arms on him, but that mustache.
More opinion from me: Balboni made a lot of noise in my neighborhood before he even arrived in the majors. As a Yankees prospect who won several MVP awards in the minors, the Yankee fans around me couldn't wait for him to reach the majors. As a Yankee hater, I relished his 1982/1983 seasons.
Something you might know: "Bye Bye" Balboni was known for his ability to hit home runs and strike out. In 1985, he finished third in homers (36) and first in strikeouts (166). The 36 homers remain the Royals' club record.
Something you might not know: Balboni's favorite player growing up was the Red Sox's Carl Yastrzemski.
My observation on the back: The trivia question is very '80s. There are just two artificial turf stadiums in the majors now -- Toronto and Tampa Bay.
The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.
In Graig Nettles' biography, "Balls," he says Balboni earned his 'bye-bye' nickname because he kept getting called up and sent back down, partially because the 1983 Yankees team was full of a bunch of old, 1b/dh types and the emerging Don Mattingly.
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