1981 Topps Tim Stoddard

The front: That appears to be the bullpen phone behind him.

The back: Stoddard helped the NC State basketball team make the NCAA finals in 1974.

The player: Stoddard had a great 1979, helping the Orioles win the pennant by going 3-1 with 3 saves and a 1.71 ERA in 29 relief appearances. In 1980 he was Baltimore’s closer, saving 26 games with a 2.51 ERA. His ERA ballooned to 3.86 in 1981 as he lost the closer job, and he stayed in big league bullpens throughout the decade, with ERAs in the high 3s or 4s, culminating in a disastrous 1988 with the Yankees, with a 6.38 ERA. As a Yankee fan growing up in the late 1980s it is the bad Stoddard that I remember.

The man: He has been a college pitching coach for many years, currently at North Central College in Naperville, IL.

My collection: I have 29 of his cards, from 1980 to 1988. I would be interested in trading for 1984 Fleer Update #110.