Wednesday, May 21, 2014

#219 Bip Roberts

About the Front: Oh no! We've been Bipped!

About the Back: Yes, Topps namedropped 19th century star Big Ed Delahanty, who died after falling off a bridge and being swept into Niagara Falls. He had been travelling on a train and was ejected for being drunken and disorderly. You could look it up.

Triple Play:

1. In 1994, Roberts had a league-best 24-game hitting streak.

2. He spoiled Pedro Martinez's perfect game bid on June 3, 1995 with a leadoff double in the tenth inning.

3. Bip is now a TV analyst for Comcast Sports Network covering the Oakland Athletics, and coaches at Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I loved the commercial featuring Tony Gwynn mocking the worthlessness of Bip's rookie card.

Bill James Said: "Went on the disabled list with a sprained thumb on July 2, came back for a couple of weeks, and then broke his ring finger."

On This Date in 1993: May 21. Down 8-1 after five innings and 10-4 through seven, Oakland scores five runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to rally past the White Sox, 12-11. Rickey Henderson homers, triples, and drives in five for the A's. Robin Ventura goes deep twice in a losing cause.

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