THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF 1984 DONRUSS

ONE OF MANY SWEET IMAGES.

THE GOOSE LOOKING LIKE THE GOOSE.

Simplicity often is a beautiful thing to behold.

If you don't believe that, take a look at the 1984 Donruss set.

I recently put this timeless classic into a binder and haven't been able to stop looking at it since. OK, the backs are about as exciting as lime Jell-O, but the emphasis here is on the photos. As it should be.

It's not so much that the action photography is standout; it mostly is. The spot-on exposure, composition and reproduction are what make many of the images jump off the cardboard.

Take the Mookie Wilson, for example.

LOOKIE, IT'S MOOKIE!

Under difficult lighting, Wilson's expression is perfectly captured on a sunny day instead of being rendered into an indiscernible underexposed ink blob. Many of the mug shots are done tastefully in an almost "glamour shot'' sort of way. 

Then there's the design, highlighted by a four-bar yellow rally stripe that's as simple as it gets but oddly stylish. Could do without the "'84'' logo, but no design is perfect. Well, except for '54 Bowman.

ONE OF THE BEST EVER SUBSETS.

Rated Rookies debuted in '84 and became a popular staple, but it wasn't all seriousness and rookie-mania though. Interesting cards include one of the San Diego Chicken for the second straight year, a group shot of the Cardinals' top base-stealers inexplicably titled Runnin' Reds and the unnumbered Living Legends cards.

THE ORIGINAL MASCOT CARD.

NOT AN ERROR CARD BUT SHOULD BE.

NICELY DONE TRIBUTE TO 4 FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS.

RADIOACTIVE RAY.

Even the much-maligned Diamond Kings that kick off the set with an awesome bunting design are the best of that subset's history; although, Ray Knight looks highly radioactive.

ALWAYS LIKED THE DIAMOND KINGS, ESPECIALLY IN '84.

Still, '84 Donruss is one heck of a set that's so much more than the coveted Don Mattingly rookie. What took me so long to get it into an album? Laziness, I guess. I'll feature some more cards here and there as I continue to flip the pages.

Yes, simple is simply better.

ICONIC, EVEN THOUGH THE IMAGE ISN'T THAT GREAT.

COMMON, EVEN THOUGH THE IMAGE IS GREAT.

TYPICAL OF MOST '84 DONRUSS PAGES.

LOOK OUT, EDDIE.

EXAMPLE OF HIGH DEF PHOTOGRAPHY.

1965 TOPPS BOB UECKER

A BASEBALL ICON? YOU BET.

HIT .275 IN SEVEN MINOR-LEAGUE SEASONS.

THE FRONT PAGE

• For a scrub second-string catcher who owns a lifetime .200 batting average, ''Mr. Baseball'' Bob Uecker has done pretty well for himself. After that undistinguished six-year career, Ueck became an excellent radio and television broadcaster who never missed a moment to poke fun at himself but never at the expense of calling the action professionally. His wry humor, Miller Lite commercials and movie role as the Indians' inappropriate play-by-play man Harry Doyle in the Major League trilogy have made him an iconic ambassador to the game. The mere mention of his name should ellict a smile.

THE BACK PAGE

• I wish Topps would've noted what some of those "funny-man antics'' were. 
• You have to chuckle over him getting a full share of the World Series winnings despite not playing an inning because you know he was chuckling when he read this card.

PHOTO PLAY

• Wonderful shot of Mr. Baseball, a nickname Johnny Carson gave him from his numerous home run appearances on The Tonight Show.

EXTRA, EXTRA

• Speaking of homers, on July 24, 1965, Uecker enjoyed his career moment when he hit a two-out solo shot off Sandy Koufax. The Cards would go on to defeat the Dodgers 3-2. Uecker cracked he was certain the dinger killed Koufax's Cooperstown chances.
• While that homer was one of only 14 he hit in his career, it wasn't the only time he took a Hall of Famer's dignity with the long ball. In May 1965, he embarrassed Gaylord Perry; in '66 he humiliated Fergie Jenkins; after '67, he was out of baseball.
• While he was a pretty good defensive catcher, he had a rough final season behind the plate. He had an incredible 25 passed balls with the Braves, in part because he caught knuckleballer Phil Niekro. Never missing a chance to offer a little wisdom, Uecker said the best way to catch a knuckler was to wait for it to stop rolling before picking it up.
• Ended his career with a WAR of negative 1.1.
• Began his broadcasting career in '71, four years after he retired, calling Brewers' radio broadcasts, which he still does today.
• Because of MLB's At-Bat app, I've had the chance the past couple seasons to listen to some Brewers games. Ueck is as good as advertised, witty without trying to hijack the broadcast into his personal lounge act.
• In the '70s and '80s, Uecker did some color commentary on national TV games, including the playoffs.
• Did some Wrestlemania announcing in the '80s, highlighted by getting ''choked'' by Andre The Giant. 
• While never making an All-Star team, he was named a Miller Lite All-Star. "I must be in the front row'' was one of the most popular lines from that series of commercials featuring former pro athletes and entertainment icons who had the ongoing ''Tastes Great, Less Filling'' debate.
• Underwent two successful heart surgeries in '10, proving while he didn't hit like a champion, he has the heart of a champion.
• In '03, received the Ford Frick Award and inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster's wing. Among the many priceless deadpan one-liners from his induction speech was this: "I still, and this is not sour grapes by any means, think I should have gone in as a player.''
• His part in the first Major League was a scream. He owned the part of Doyle, a whiskey-swilling wise-ass announcer for the woe-begotten Indians. He should've gotten an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but baseball movies are never taken seriously in Hollywood, just as Uecker was never taken seriously as a player. 
• Last August became the third former Brewers player to have a statue outside Miller Park, joining Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.
• Couldn't find the famous "Front Row'' commercial, but these three are classics. Note the first one with Ron Cey and the card he's holding. I think it's an original '75 Topps; the one at the end, along with Uecker's, are mock-ups.

FACE TIME: 1955 TOPPS DON MOSSI

''Little pitchers have big ears.''

That's a proverb, not a comment on Don Mossi's cards, especially this one, his rookie issue. 

Mossi, at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, wasn't exactly a tiny pitcher, but he did have, ahem, enormous fleshy flaps hanging from the sides of his head. The proverb refers to children repeating things said by adults, the ''pitchers'' referring to those for serving liquids and their large handles.

Mossi's oversized skull-grabbers might have garnered the most attention during his 12-year career, but hear this: He was key component on the Indians' staff in 1954. Because the rotation was built around future Hall of Famers Early Wynn, Bob Feller and Hal Newhouser, Mossi had to play it by ear out of the bullpen, where he was a huge asset because he threw strikes.

He had to be grinning from ear to ear when they won the American League pennant that season. You could've heard a pin drop in their clubhouse after the Giants swept them in the World Series, but Mossi pitched in three of the games and didn't allow a run over four innings.

Hearing the call to start in '57, he won 11 games and became an All-Star, but probably plenty couldn't believe their ears when hearing the news because he had only six wins at the break.

In '59, after a trade to the Tigers, Mossi had his best season, going 17-9 with a 3.36 ERA. He won 15 more games with the Tigers in '61 and led baseball in strikeout-to-walks ratio (2.91). Mossi was out on his ear by '65, retiring after battling an assortment of arm ailments.

Large ears supposedly are a sign of high intelligence, and Chinese fortunetellers say ears that stick out mean, among other things, that you're energetic and physical and prone to work outdoors. 

With fortunes and such, I tend to let it go in one ear and out the other.

SAID MICKEY RIVERS

Mickey Rivers was Mick The Quick on the field and Mick The Quip off of it.

He had a knack for covering ground quickly and conveying malapropisms effortlessly.

Rivers ambled up to the plate like an elderly old coot in need of a scooter. But after making contact or taking a walk, he was electricity sparking from a live wire as his 267 stolen bases and 71 triples attest. He swiped a career-high 70 bags and hit a major-league high 13 triples in 1975.

When he joined the Yankees in 1976, Mickey's Circus of Lunacy finally found the big top. His addition helped the Yankees win three consecutive American League championships and the World Series in '77 and '78. He took particular glee in needling Reggie Jackson, his teammate for two-plus seasons. Let's take a step back into the world according to Rivers, where any phrase or thought can be twisted up and spit out, courtesy of mickeyrivers.com:

"I DON'T GET UPSET OVER THINGS I CAN CONTROL, BECAUSE IF I CAN CONTROL THEM, THERE'S NO SENSE IN GETTING UPSET. AND I DON'T GET UPSET OVER THINGS I CAN'T CONTROL, BECAUSE IF I CAN'T CONTROL THEM, THERE'S NO SENSE IN GETTING UPSET.''

"You can't improve what's bad,

 you can only build up what's good."

"He was lost out there. He was the Lost Mohegan." 
On a teammate who just played his first game.

"what was the name of that dog on 'rin tin tin'?''

"Me and George (Steinbrenner)

and Billy (Martin) are

two of a kind.'' 

"We'll do all right if we can captitalize on our mistakes.''

"Pitching is 80% of the game
 and the other half is hitting and fielding.''

"You'd better stop readin' and writin' and start hittin'!'' 
Answering Reggie's assertion that Rivers should learn how to read and write.

"Out of what, a thousand?" 

Responding to Mr. October's claim he had an IQ of 160.

"The wind 

was blowin' 

about 100 degrees." 

"i didn't want the wind to hit me, so i tried

 to outrun the wind."

"The first thing you do when you get out 

to center field is put up your finger and check

 the wind-chill factor."

"I might have to commute.

You know, left field, DH, wherever."

Napoleon

''He's so ugly. When you walked by him, your pants wrinkle. 
He made fly balls curve foul."

On former major-leaguer Danny Napoleon.

1993 TOPPS FINEST: PAGING Nos. 19-27

THERE'S A NICE BALANCE TO THIS PAGE.

HALL OF FAMERS

• None.

FINEST OF THE NINE

• #25 Matt Williams. Any player to average 62 home runs over a 162-game stretch (from 1993-'95) earns special recognition.

FINEST MOMENT

• #24 Jose Rijo capped a memorable postseason in 1990 with his eight-plus innings in Game 4 of the World Series to close out the Reds' sweep of the Athletics.

DESIGNED TO THE NINES

• The dirty uniform, eye black and head following the flight of the ball make #23 Dave Hollins' card one of this set's best.

1993 TOPPS FINEST: #27 ALEX FERNANDEZ

PART OF A TALENTED SOX ROTATION.

ABOUT TO PUT TOGETHER A NICE FIVE-YEAR RUN.

DEFINING THE PLAYER

• Alex Fernandez was the fourth overall pick in the Major League Draft in 1990 by the White Sox and pitched 10 years before shoulder injuries shortened his career. Never an All-Star nor major award winner, Fernandez was a solid starter who averaged 15 wins a season from '93-'97. He helped the Marlins advance to the World Series during that time.

DEFINING MOMENT

• Fernandez was the starting and winning pitcher for the Marlins in Game 3 of the Division Series against the Giants on Oct. 3, 1997, pitching seven innings of seven-hit ball and allowing two runs. The 6-2 victory advanced the Marlins to the NLCS.

DEFINING SEASON

• In '93, he established career bests in wins (18) and ERA (3.13) for the AL West champion White Sox.

FIVE FINAL FACTS

1. Fernandez was the national college player of the year in '90 while playing for Miami-Dade Community College. He previously was at the University of Miami but transferred to become eligible for the draft that season.
2. On April 10, 1997, he was two outs from a no-hitter at Wrigley Fields against the Cubs. Dave Hansen broke it up with a hit up the middle just under Fernandez's glove. That was the lone hit in his 1-0 victory.
3. Allowed five earned runs in 2.2 innings in his final postseason start in '97 against the Braves in Game 2 of the NLCS. Shoulder pain began hampering him during the postseason that would result in him missing all of '98 after off-season reconstructive surgery.
4. He was never the same but came back to pitch for the Marlins in '99 and '00, winning a combined 11 games.
5. At age 30, his career was kaput after winning 107 games with a career ERA of 3.74. 

I COVERED A HIGH SCHOOL GAME ONCE THAT FORESHADOWED A STAR IN THE MAKING.

1993 TOPPS FINEST: #26 SANDY ALOMAR

PROTOTYPICAL CEREBRAL CATCHER.

ENTERED THE LEAGUE WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS.

DEFINING THE PLAYER

• Sandy Alomar Jr. put together a fine 20-year career worthy of six All-Star Game appearances despite being a bit overshadowed by Hall of Fame younger brother #88 Roberto Alomar. Sandy made his bones by being a terrific defensive catcher, but various injuries kept him from playing more than 132 games in any season. He's a manager-in-waiting after being promoted to bench coach for the Indians in 2012 and looked to be in line to succeed the fired Manny Acta after the season. But Cleveland hired Terry Francona with Alomar remaining bench coach and gaining more managerial insight from a two-time World Series champion.

DEFINING MOMENT

• In the '97 All-Star Game at home in Cleveland on July 8, Alomar came to bat in the bottom of the seventh in a 1-all game. Facing Shawn Estes, he hit a two-run homer that gave the AL a 3-1 victory. Alomar became the first player to homer in an All-Star Game in their home park since Hank Aaron in 1972.

DEFINING SEASON

• The All-Star MVP performance was only one of many highlights from his '97 season, when he set career-highs in average (.324), home runs (21) and RBI (83). He also had a 30-game hitting streak, falling four short of #138 Benito Santiago's record for catchers.

FIVE FINAL FACTS

1. The '90 AL Rookie of the Year was the first rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game. 
2. Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year in '88 and '89 in the Padres' organization, Alomar's path to the majors was blocked by Santiago.
3. As such, Alomar was traded to the Indians in '89, along with #57 Carlos Baerga and Chris James, for #94 Joe Carter, one of several shrewd moves by the up-and-coming Tribe.
4. In the '97 Division Series Game 4 against the defending World Series champion Yankees, Alomar slugged a game-tying homer off Mariano Rivera in the eighth. The Indians scored the winner in the bottom of the ninth before disposing of the Yankees in Game 5.
5. Father Sandy Alomar Sr., an infielder, played 15 years in the bigs.