Friday, April 25, 2014

#202 Mike Scioscia

About the Front: This is a great action photo; Mike Scioscia's helmet, suspended in midair, completely makes the card. But I almost wish they'd gone with a wider angle to provide context. Is he in the middle of a lunge home, preparing to tag a runner? We'll never know.

About the Back: I have a friend from Upper Darby. It's a nice little suburb just to the west of Philadelphia.

Triple Play:

1. In 1990, Scioscia became the first Dodgers catcher to start the All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Roy Campanella in 1954.

2. Mike was not known for his speed. As Tommy Lasorda once put it: "If he raced his pregnant wife he'd finish third."

3. He is currently in his 15th season as Angels' manager. He's won Manager of the Year twice (2002, 2009), and led the team to their first World Series title in 2002.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I first knew Scioscia as the catcher on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's ringer softball team. "Mike Scioscia's tragic illness made us smile..."

Bill James Said: Zippo. Mike signed with the Padres after the 1992 season, suffered a torn rotator cuff in spring training '93, and never played in the big leagues again.

On This Date in 1993: April 25. Todd Stottlemyre outduels Alex Fernandez in a 1-0 Toronto win over the White Sox. Darrin Jackson's eighth-inning solo home run makes a hard-luck loser out of Fernandez.

2 comments:

  1. Love this card. Mostly because from the photo you don't really know why Scioscia's helmet is flying off. Probably a collision, but the other player is barely seen.

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  2. Night Owl - The umpire is half-seen too, scrambling to get a better vantage point. There's a lot happening.

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