Wood vs. Wood #162

 Last time 1962 cruised to an 8-1 triumph. Who will win this time?

Sammy Drake, who had cups of coffee with the Cubs in 1960 and 1961, was the Mets' 24th selection in the 1962 expansion draft. Topps used a hatless photo, and the Cubs' colors aren't too far off from the Mets, so it kind of works. Drake didn't have much success with the Mets either, and he played his last major league game in 1962, though he played three more years in the minors. On September 30, 1962, Joe Pignatano hit into a triple play. The other runners on base were Drake and Richie Ashburn. That triple play was the last major league play for all three men. Overall in 53 games he hit .153 with 0 HR and 7 RBI.. After his playing career Drake worked for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. He died in 2010.

Mike Lavalliere takes a big swing in a spring training game. Based on the Blue Jays logo above the dugout, I would assume this was in Toronto's spring home in Dunedin. LaValliere played twelve seasons in the major leagues, mostly for the Pittsburgh Pirates, for whom he won a Gold Glove and was the regular catcher on three straight NL East champions. In his 12 year career he hit .268 with 18 HR and 294 RBI. He is now a youth baseball instructor in Florida. He shared some thoughts on baseball cards (this one is his favorite) with this blog in 2010.