The back: Cerone's Seton Hall records have since been broken by the likes of Craig Biggio, Mo Vaughn, and Marteese Robinson, who had one of the best college careers ever but never made it past AA in pro ball.
The player: Rick Cerone was an unheralded young catcher for the Blue Jays, whom the Yankees acquired after the 1979 season after the sudden death of legendary catcher Thurman Munson. Cerone had an excellent season in 1980, hitting .277 with 14 HR and 85 RBI to help the Yankees return to the postseason. However, he struggled to maintain that success in 1981, and feuded with owner George Steinbrenner. Cerone stayed with the Yankees through 1984, though his playing time dwindled each year. He bounced around several other teams throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, including two more stints with the Yankees. Overall, in 1,329 games he hit .245 with 59 HR and 436 RBI.
The man: After his playing career, Cerone was a Yankees announcer for several years, and owned the minor league Newark Bears. He is currently involved in a variety of investments ranging from real estate to online gambling.
My collection: I have 76 of his cards, from 1976 to 1992. I would be interested in trading for 1990 Score Yankees #28.
No idea how or why... but the only athlete I associate with Seton Hall is Bobby Wanzer (a guy who retired over a decade before I was born).
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