1993 Studio Cal Ripken

Hobby is playing basketball: The highly-competitive Ripken negotiated a clause in Orioles contract allowing him to play pick-up basketball, something banned from most players’ contracts.

 

Favorite sports announcer is Davey Lopes: Lopes was the Orioles first base coach at the time. I find nothing online to indicate that Lopes was an announcer. Was it a joke by Ripken?

 

Favorite player as a kid was Brooks Robinson: Ripken ranks with Robinson as two of the best infielders in Orioles history.

 

Pet peeve is answering questionnaires: LOL

 

Where he is now: A TBS broadcaster and owner of RipkenBaseball, one of the country’s largest youth instructional organizations.

1993 Studio Spike Owen

Hobby is golf: Only one answer for Owen.

 

Where he is now: A minor league manager in the Rangers organization, he shared his thoughts on baseball cards on my blog in 2010.

1993 Studio Robin Ventura

Hobbies are golf and family: Ventura has four children, currently aged between 18-24.

 

Favorite sports announcer is Vin Scully: Ventura played for Scully’s Dodgers in 2003 and 2004 and relished listening to Scully’s stories on the team bus.

 

Favorite player as a kid was George Brett: Good role model for a young third baseman.

 

Most prized possession is his Olympic Gold Medal: Ventura hit .408 in the Olympics.

 

Might have been a fireman if he hadn’t been an athlete: That would be a much harder job.

 

Pet peeve is pushy people: Nice alliteration.

 

Where he is now: Ventura recently turned down the Mets managerial position, saying he wasn’t interested in returning to managing.

1993 Studio Dave Winfield

Hobbies are photography and reading: He always did seem more cultured than the average ballplayer.

Favorite sports announcer is Ahmad Rashad: Rashad interviewed Winfield for a 2011 podcast.

Favorite players as a kid were Zoilo Versalles and Bob Gibson: Versalles was a star on the Minnesota Twins, Winfield’s hometown team. Gibson was Winfield’s childhood idol and he got to play against him as a rookie. Winfield introduced himself to Gibson before the game but Gibson blew him off. During the game Winfield homered off of Gibson.

Might have been mayor of St. Paul if he hadn’t been an athlete: Don’t sell yourself short, Dave – I bet you could have been mayor of Minneapolis!

Pet peeve is when people say “ax” instead of “ask”: Being intelligent and cultured were important to Winfield.

Where he is now: Special Assistant to Tony Clark, the Executive Director of the MLBPA.

1993 Studio Lou Whitaker

Hobby is watching classic movies: Nice, you don’t see many ballplayers appreciating older culture.

Favorite sports announcer is Dick Vitale: I guess he likes college basketball.

Favorite player as a kid was Joe Morgan: Morgan was the best second baseman of the 1970s; Whitaker was probably the best of the 1980s.

Where he is now: Works as a special spring training instructor for the Tigers.

1993 Studio Kevin McReynolds

Hobbies are hunting and fishing: Owns the Double Deuce duck hunting lodge in Arkansas.

 

Favorite sports announcer is Pat Summerall: A fellow Arkansas Razorback, Summerall starred in the NFL for the New York Giants and had a decades-long football announcing career.

 

Most prized possession is his hunting club: McReynolds started the Double Duce in 1988 while a member of the New York Mets.

 

Might have been in wildlife management if he hadn’t been an athlete: And that is what he did when he was done playing.

 

Pet peeve is the media: Boy is that true. Kind of surprised he even gave answers for this card.

 

Where he is now: In addition to the Double Deuce he is a partner in a restaurant business.

1993 Studio David Nied

Hobbies are ping pong, pool and video games: A rare indoorsman in this set.

 

Favorite sports announcer is Bob Costas: Popular choice.

 

Favorite player as a kid was Buddy Bell: Nied grew up in Texas when Bell starred for the Rangers.

 

Most prized possession is his NL Championship ring: He was a member of the 1992 Braves. He was on the World Series roster but did not pitch.

 

Might have been an accountant if he hadn’t been an athlete: Liked numbers, I guess.

 

Pet peeve is not being on time: Mine too.

 

Where he is now: Working for his father’s company, Cylinder Heads International.

1993 Studio Chris Sabo

Hobbies are golf and reading: Sabo has twice qualified for the USGA’s Mid-Amateur Championship

 

Favorite sports announcer is George Kell: Sabo grew up in Michigan; Kell was a Tigers announcer for 37 years.

 

Favorite player as a kid was Al Kaline: Not surprising for a Tigers fan of that generation.

 

Might have been a high school coach if he hadn’t been an athlete: Sabo is a coach at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL.

 

Pet peeve is eating with your mouth open: I assume they mean chewing with your mouth open as you can’t eat with your mouth closed. Does that make this an error card?

 

Where he is now: Managing the Green Bay Bullfrogs, a collegiate summer league team.

Wallet Card at the Jacob Ruppert Brewery

This is one of the best Wallet Card subjects I've gotten in a while. And it's baseball related!

The original Jacob Ruppert Brewery opened in Manhattan in 1867, brewing Knickerbocker Beer. The company remained in business for almost 100 years, in 1965 becoming the last Manhattan-based brewery to shut its doors. Jacob Ruppert Jr. began working in the family brewery in the 1880s and quickly rose through the family company, eventually becoming company president. In 1899 he was elected to the US House of Representatives as a Democrat, serving four terms. Ruppert purchased the New York Yankees in 1915, and turned them for a perennial also-ran into a long-standing dynasty. He owned the Yankees until his death in 1939, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.


Apparently the brewery opened up a branch in Hempstead, Long Island in 1936. It is unclear how long it remained a Ruppert brewery; it is now the back garage of a Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge dealership.

1993 Studio Frank Viola

Hobbies are golf and bowling: Viola was one of several Red Sox scheduled to play golf with President George H.W. Bush in 1991 – the outing was cancelled due to a hurricane and the news that Mikhail Gorbachev had disappeared.

Favorite sports announcer is Bob Costas: Costas was one of the leading national broadcasters during Viola’s career.

Favorite player as a kid was Willie Horton: Though he grew up on Long Island he fell in love with the 1967 Tigers.

Most prized possession is his World Series trophy: Viola was MVP of the 1987 World Series.

Might have been a statistician if he hadn’t been an athlete: His father was an accountant. “I always liked numbers, just like my dad.”

Pet peeve is not giving your best effort: Solid answer.

Where he is now: The Mets’ AA pitching coach.