The front: Batting practice at Yankee Stadium. Looks like
there are already some fans in the seats.
The back: Summers’s father, a US Navy boxing champion,
nicknamed his baby son “Champ”. According to Summers, “Dad took one look at me
when I was born and said, ‘He looks like he just went ten rounds with Joe
Louis.’” Summers would get into a lot of fights as a kid because of his name.
The player: 1979 and 1980 were Summers’s only seasons as a
regular; for most of his eleven-year career he was a pinch hitter/fourth
outfielder. He was traded to the Giants before the 1982 season but returned to
Detroit two years later to end his career with the 1984 World Champs.
The man: A Vietnam vet, Summers spent a year as a
paratrooper, driver and lifeguard. He was driving a truck full of sandbags that
hit a landmine; fortunately, the sandbags absorbed most of the blow and Summers
“only” suffered a concussion and broken nose. After his playing career ended,
Summers spent many years as a minor league coach and manager. He died of kidney
cancer in 2012.
My collection: I have 13 of his cards, from 1978 to 1985. I
would be interested in trading for 1976 Topps #299.
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