What a card: Joaquin Andujar was coming off a major comeback season when this card was issued. After a post-World Series letdown in 1983 (and 16 losses), Andujar led the league with 20 victories for St. Louis.
My observation on the front: You can see the medallion Andujar is wearing. He used to wear medallions and chains on the mound, which distracted hitters. He was often told by umpires to remove them.
More opinion from me: Andujar is the central figure in the single worst meltdown I've seen on a baseball field. His Game 7 tirade in the 1985 World Series got him suspended for the start of the following season. I thought he was stark-raving loopy.
Something you might know: Andujar was a World Series star for the Cardinals in 1982, winning two Series games to help St. Louis to the championship. But he's probably most known in baseball circles for saying: "there is one word in America that says it all, and that word is 'you never know.'"
Something you might not know: While with the Astros, he once got into a physical fight with teammate and best friend, Cesar Cedeno. "I was only trying to keep my heavyweight championship," Andujar said afterward.
My observation on the back: Some of the abbreviations on card backs are comical. San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Rico, is abbreviated as S.P. De M., D.R.
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Coming into Game 7, the Cards were already understandably miffed at home plate umpire Don Denkinger, since they felt certain his call at first base the night before was the only reason they were still playing.
ReplyDeleteIn the 5th, everyone realized that the Royals had put the game out of reach, including Andujar, who found himself in the unfamiliar role of eating innings. After issuing a walk by missing the plate badly, he was repeatedly shown pointing directly at Denkinger while full-face screaming "F--- YOU!!" It was pretty shocking to me at the time and, as a Royals fan, his ejection was exhilarating.
Andujar's career record is even money on this card, but "One Tough Dominican" finished nine games over by the time the book was closed in 1988.
"Some of the abbreviations on card backs are comical. San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Rico, is abbreviated as S.P. De M., D.R"
ReplyDeleteYou mean the Dominican Republic, not Puerto Rico.