#535 - Pat Putnam

What a card: Pat Putnam split his 1984 season between the Mariners and the Twins. He was dealt to Minnesota at the end of August as the Twins tried to catch the Royals in the AL West.

My observation on the front: It's been a long time since our last airbrushed card, more than 200 cards have passed! If you can get past the vast acreage of jersey without any lettering, take a look at the fakish shading on the cap.

More opinion from me: This is the last card of Putnam issued during his playing career, unfortunately. Fleer, however, managed to get Putnam in an actual Twins uniform.

Something you might know: Putnam started his career with promise, belting 18 home runs in his rookie season with Texas in 1979 and finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Something you might not know: Putnam's fondness for dog biscuits was kind of well-known, but I found it interesting that he once played an exhibition game with a dead frog in his pocket.

My observation on the back: This is probably the most mystifying player choice for a card number ending in "5" in the entire set. At the time, card numbers ending in "5" were reserved for minor stars. Putnam never previously received a "hero number" of "5" or "0" from Topps, and after batting a combined .176 in his final season, this was an odd time to award it.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated. We have a World Series champion.