The front: You don’t see this very often, even in cards from
this era – Wathan is not wearing a helmet in the batting cage. I think the
location is Milwaukee?
The back: According to his SABR bio, Wathan quit football in
high school because he didn’t like practicing all week just to play in part of
one game.
The player: Wathan was an unusually good athlete for a
catcher. His 36 stolen bases in 1982 set a single-season record for catchers.
His career stat line - .262 BA, 90 2B, 25 3B, 21 HR, 261 RBI, 105 SB – looks
more like that of a speedy backup outfielder. More triples than homers is very
unusual for a catcher. And having more steals than doubles is especially
surprising given that he spent his whole career with Royals Stadium as his home
park.
The man: Wathan managed the Royals from 1987 to 1991 and
later had a long career as a coach. He is currently a Special Assistant for the
Royals.
My collection: I have 23 of his cards, from 1977 to 1986. I
would be interested in trading for 1981 Coca-Cola Royals #9.
No comments:
Post a Comment