#48 Bill Almon

Card thoughts: Boy, that yellow Pirates batting helmet does not go well with the home uniform. This picture makes Almon look like a short guy. He was actually 6'3". You'll note that lots of cards in this set have this kind of teal/light blue blurry background. This is because a lot of the action shots were taken in the astroturfed, all purpose stadia so common in baseball in the 80s. They all had that bluish background. Since Almon is in his home uniform, it's obvious that this photo was taken in Three Rivers Stadium.

The player: It's appropriate this blog is highlighting Bill Almon while the baseball draft is going on. It's also a cautionary tale for all those fans who are certain their team's #1 draft pick is going to be a star. Almon was the first pick overall in the 1974 draft for the Padres, yet he never became a great player. He did lead the league in sacrifices with 20 during rookie year while picking up 160 hits; and later, as the starting shortstop for the White Sox he hit .301 in 1981 (and came in 19th in MVP voting?!); but he spent most of his career as a utility infielder for a variety of teams including the Expos, Mets (twice), A's, and Phillies. Despite all his travels, he was the only trade he was involved was when the Padres got former all-star second baseman Dave Cash from the Expos for him.

Almon was the last player from Brown University to make the majors (which shows he was no slouch in the brains department). He would coach baseball there after his retirement from 1993 to 1996.

Rear guard: Players in the first round that the Padres passed on to pick Bill Almon: Rick Sutcliffe, Garry Templeton, Lonnie Smith, Lance Parrish, Dale Murphy, and Willie Wilson (all of whose cards also appear in this set).

#47 Juan Berenguer

Card thoughts: Just a classic shot of Berenguer's pitching motion at old Tiger Stadium. The dark mustache perfectly complements his black and white Tigers home whites. This would be Berenguer's last Tigers card.

The player: Juan Berenguer was an inconsistent starter with the Mets, Royals, and Blue Jays until he signed with the Tigers in 1982 after leading the league in losses the year before. He found his niche as a starter for the next couple of years winning 9 games in 1983 and a career high 11 in the World Series winning year of 1984. He did not pitch in the post season that year, however. His transition to the bullpen during the year shown was not successful and he was traded to the Giants the following year for oft-traded Dave LaPoint, future star Matt Nokes, and Eric King. After a good year in San Francisco, Berenguer signed with the Twins where he had his greatest success. A hard throwing middle reliever when that was a rare commodity, he captivated the hearts of sun-deprived Minnesotans with his on-the-mound antics every time he struck out a batter. Nicknamed "Senor Smoke" and "El Gasolino," Juan consistently won about 8 games a year and had an ERA in the 3s from 1987-1990. But he was terrible in the '87 World Series, losing a game and giving up 5 runs and 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings.

Despite this, Berenguer starred in a wince-inducing video dreamed up by a bunch horrible ad exec types where a terrible "rap" (I use this term in the loosest sense) was performed by a bunch of faceless studio musicians while Berenguer showed off his signature strikeout move. I kid you not. 

Berenguer had one more good year in him with the Braves, where he signed in 1991. In his only season as a closer, he saved 17 games and had a stellar 2.29. In a bit of bad luck, Berenguer was wrestling with his kids on a off-day and broke his arm, preventing him from going to the World Series with the Braves. He never really recovered from that injury and his career ended a year later with the Royals. I guess playing in Minnesota gave the Panamanian a taste for hockey: His son currently plays minor league hockey.

Rear guard:  Berenguer's first major league win came against the Cardinals. He pitched 7 1/3 innings and gave up 9 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 4. The game was saved by Jeff Reardon, his first major league save.

#46 Billy Hatcher

Card thoughts: You don't often see a ballplayer as relaxed as this. Hatcher's  blue away jersey is blending into the blue seat. This is cruelly appropriate: Hatcher would ride the pines as the 5th outfielder for most of the 1985 season, his talent invisible to manager Jim Frey.

The player: The Cubs had a lot of great position players in the minors in the early 80s: Shawon Dunston, Joe Carter, Pat Tabler, and Mel Hall all come to mind. Hatcher was another prospect in this mold. His calling card was blazing speed--he stole 84 bases in the California League in 1982. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, Hatcher would be traded in 1986 to the Astros for serviceable, unspectacular outfielder Jerry Mumphrey.

For the rest of his career, Hatcher always seemed to come up big for playoff bound teams. His best season with the Astros was in 1987 when he scored 97 runs, drove in 63 more, and hit .296 with 70 steals. He also got caught that year with a corked bat, which, using the time honored excuse, he claimed belonged to a pitcher. He kept up his hot hitting in the playoffs, hitting 2 home runs and batting .280 in the 6 game ALDS. After slumping with the Astros a couple of years later, he was sent to the Pirates for veteran Glenn Wilson, and then to the Reds. Once again, in the Reds' World Series winning season of 1990, Billy Hatcher shined. Although his regular season stats were average, in the World Series he hit an incredible .750 with 7 straight hits. He also scored 6 runs and had 4 doubles.

The rest of Hatcher's career alternated between starting and as a reserve outfielder. He would hit .262 in his last full-year as a regular with the Reds (1991) and a solid .287 with 71 runs scored for the Red Sox in 1993. But without the bright lights to motivate him, after that year Hatcher drifted from the Phillies to the Rangers as a reserve who could be counted on for the big hit and bursts of speed off of the bench but not much else.

After his 12-year career ended in 1995, Hatcher has gone on to have a long career as a coach at the major league level. He was a coach for the Rays from 1998-2005 and currently serves as the Cincinnati Reds' first base, outfield, and baserunning coach, a job he's held since 2006.

Rear guard: What a horribly miscut card! There is no record of Vaughn stealing home in this game. He did score a run, but it looks like it was on a fielder's choice. Hippo Vaughn also led the league in innings pitched and strikeouts during the 1919 season.