1981 Topps Nino Espinosa

 

The front: Warming up in the bullpen. I don't know if this is Veterans Stadium or spring training.

The back: Espinosa and his older brother moved from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx in 1970, after Nino's high school graduation. He quickly drew the attention of a Mets scout who signed him that September.

The player: Nino Espinosa came up with the Mets in 1974 and became a member of their starting rotation in 1977. After two good seasons with some bad Mets teams he was traded for the Phillies. With Philadelphia he encountered recurring injuries and struggled to contribute. Overall in 140 games he went 44-55 with a 4.17 ERA.

The man: After his playing career he became a scout for the Cubs, setting up their Dominican scouting organization. In 1987, at the age of 34 he died of a heart attack. The next season Cubs minor leaguers wore black armbands in his honor. (can be seen on many 1988 Cub minor league cards - example)

My collection: I have seven of his cards, from 1977 to 1981. I would be interested in trading for  1979 Topps Burger King Philadelphia Phillies #11.