Sunday, November 18, 2018

1981 Topps Buck Martinez

The front: Martinez is doing the batter version of “Suttoning” while smiling at someone to the photographer’s right.

The back: Martinez pitched the eighth inning of an 18-8 loss to the Royals. He allowed one run, on a double by Hal McRae.
The player: Martinez was a career backup catcher, known more for his defense than his bat. In seventeen seasons he hit .225 with 58 HR and 321 RBI.

The man: After his playing career ended he became a Blue Jays announcer. He made the rare leap from announcing to managing in 2000 when the Blue Jays named him their manager. He was fired in 2002. Martinez went back to broadcasting in 2003 and returned to the Blue Jays in 2010, where he remains today.

My collection: I have 22 of his cards, from 1972 to 1987. I would be interested in trading for 1970 Topps #609, 1971 Topps #163 and 1976 Topps #616.

1 comment:

  1. Crazy that he pitched an inning....I wonder what’s the story is behind that?

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