Blogging The 1982 Topps Baseball Card Set
Opening day starter for the ‘82 Dodgers, Jerry Reuss, played a key part of the team’s pitching staff late in the season during a slump to help Los Angeles make a push for the playoffs. Most everyone knows about his near perfecto in ‘80 in Candlestick, but did you know he nearly threw a perfect game against the Reds this season?
At the beginning of ‘82, nobody viewed the Yankees as a team in need of talent. They either had it, or could buy it when they needed it. Of course, history tells us that ‘82 was the start of the Yankees playoff drought and time for some rebuilding of the franchise during some dark years.
Card #5 in the set celebrates September 26, 1981, when Nolan Ryan tossed his 5th career no-hitter against the Dodgers. Most anyone had ever thrown. This game actually came in the middle of a 24 inning scoreless streak for the Ryan Express. He’d go on to toss 7 no-no’s for his career.
August 24, 1982, John Wathan stole 3rd base in a game against the Rangers, to break the single season steals record for catchers.
This card features the expression of a man playing for the Mariners in the early 1980’s, who wishes there’d never been an expansion draft. He was a below average hitter, who turned into a slugger against a certain three teams.
Steve McCatty looks more like a nerdy kid who should be home playing baseball on a video game than actually in the major leagues. The plain and dull sense of the card is offset a little by the bright yellow and green theme, but it’s still just as boring as his career was in ‘82
This is Andre Dawson’s 1st All-Star card. At the break in ‘81, Dawson’s OBP was .380 and he was slugging .598! Definitely deserved his spot on the team. His career stats show he didn’t get on base that often all the time, but he was very clutch.
The epitome of streaky. About every 30 days or so in 1982, Dave Goltz managed to be a different pitcher. It was such predictable inconsistency that you have to wonder why the Angels put him on the post-season roster.
Bob Molinaro doin’ his impression of the White Sox logo, used the power of the ’stache to hit better with RISP than when nobody was on. Too bad 52% of his plate appearances (mostly as a PH) came with nobody on base.
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