Interview with Chuck Cary

Chuck Cary, who pitched eight years in the major leagues, graciously responded to my baseball card questions. He had his most success with the Yankees, winning ten games for some terrible teams in 1989 and 1990, but his baseball card story comes from when he broke in with the Tigers.

"Bo Rosny: Do you have any stories about cards of yourself or of other players?

Chuck Cary: I guess the only stories I may have about baseball cards would be the time I saw my first card. I was in the clubhouse in old Comiskey Park, and Kirk Gibson had my card and was going to flush it down the toilet because it looked so ugly he said. He was joking, and then showed it to me. That was cool finally getting to see your face on a baseball card. It was something you dream about all your life. Besides watching my kids putting them in the spokes of their bikes, I can't think of many other baseball card stories.

BR: Do you have a favorite card of yourself or of another player?

CC: Billy Ripken F*&# Face card

BR: Do you collect baseball cards?

CC: I do not."

Thanks for the great story, Chuck! The card that Kirk Gibson thought was so ugly must have been his 1986 Fleer Update card; it was the only major league card to come out when Cary was still with Detroit.

As I am a Yankee fan, I couldn't resist posting at least one card of Cary in pinstripes.

Here he is on a 1991 leaf, in a day game at Yankee Stadium. He made four day appearances at Yankee Stadium in 1990, three of them starts, and pitched well in all of them, giving up just six runs in 16.2 innings.