1981 Topps Ron Davis

The front: Nice action shot at a sun-drenched Yankee Stadium.

The back: The Red Sox were below .500 in 1980, but the four-game sweep was critical in keeping the Yankees ahead of the Orioles in a race that ended up being won by the Yankees by three games.

The player: Davis is often considered the first eighth-inning reliever, with three sensational seasons pitching before Goose Gossage in the Yankees’ bullpen. In fact, the “hold” statistic was created in part to quantify Davis’s impact on the Yankees. The Twins traded Roy Smalley to the Yankees for Davis after the 1981 season, with the idea of making him their closer. Despite 96 saves in four seasons with the Twins, Davis was considered a disappointment due to several high-profile blown saves. He finished his career with brief stops with the Cubs, Dodgers and Giants.

The man: During the 1981 baseball strike, Davis worked at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City. A building collapse there killed 113 and injured 186; Davis helped in the rescue efforts. Davis is now a highly successful youth coach in Arizona, owner of Team Davis Baseball. Perhaps his best student was his son Ike Davis, who later starred for the New York Mets.

My collection: I have 26 of his cards, from 1980 to 1990. I would be interested in trading for 1981 O-Pee-Chee #16.