What a card: This is Brian Dayett's first Topps card. His first card by a major card company is in 1984 Donruss.
My observation on the front: Dayett was just 5-foot-10, but he looks taller to me for some reason here.
More opinion from me: Dayett and Steve Balboni were touted as the next up-and-coming sluggers for the Yankees in the early '80s. I'm not sure how justified those predictions were -- my guess is I heard most of this from the Yankees TV broadcasters at the time -- but neither player produced for the Yankees.
Something you might know: Dayett enjoyed a couple big years in the minors but was merely a role player in five years with the Yankees and Cubs. He was expected to be the Cubs' starting right fielder in 1987 until Chicago acquired Andre Dawson.
Something you might not know: Dayett recorded his first major league hit in 1983 and his first major league home run in 1984, both against Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan.
My observation on the back: Three straight years in Double A Nashville. I don't know why I believed anything those Yankees broadcasters said.
The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.
Graig Nettles' biography "Balls" talked about the logjam Steinbrenner created in the minors because he kept signing veterans to the big league squad, forcing the likes of Balboni and Dayett to tread water in the minors.
ReplyDeleteRob stole some of my thunder...I was going to point out how Don Mattingly had something to do with Balboni's limited opportunity.
ReplyDelete