1981 Topps Joaquin Andujar

 

The front: Andujar looks in for the sign at Shea Stadium. Andujar pitched in one game at Shea in 1980, on Sunday, August 3. He came into the game in the bottom of the 6th, with the Astros up 2-1. He pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, but blew the save in the eighth, allowing a game-tying single to Claudell Washington. Houston would go on to win 3-2 in ten innings, on a home run by Cesar Cedeno.

The back: 1979 was one of four seasons Andujar was an All Star; the others were 1977, 1984 and 1985.

The player: Andujar became a star with the Cardinals. He was a key member of the World Series teams of 1982 and 1985, and won 20 games in 1984 and 1985. In 13 seasons with the Astros, Cardinals and A's, he went 127-118 with a 3.58 ERA.

The man: Andujar was one of the biggest personalities in baseball in the 1980s, with on-the-field showmanship, occasional bursts of anger, and famous quotes like "there is one word that sums up baseball: youneverknow". He was one of the players charged in the Pittsburgh cocaine trials. After his career he owned a trucking business in the Dominican Republic. He died of diabetes in 2015.

My collection: I have 44 of his cards, from 1977 to 1989. I would be interested in trading for 1983 Fleer Star Stickers #7.