1981 Topps Mike Sadek

 

The front: Something weird is going on with Sadek's arm. Is it resting in something soft, like a towel, with his arm at just the right angle to be cut off? Or, knowing that he had a reputation as a prankster, is that even his arm at all in that sleeve?

The back: The pinch-hitting experiment lasted four games, with Sadek going 1-for-6 as a lefty.

The player: Mike Sadek was a part-time catcher for the Giants from 1973 to 1981. His games played varied from 19 to 64 during that time. In 383 total games, he hit .226 with 5 HR and 74 RBI.

The man: Sadek, who died in 2021, stayed active in the Giants public relations department after his playing career ended, until retiring in 1999. He was known for being somewhat unusual. One quirk was taping a baseball card to his locker of each pitcher he hit a home run off of. (He only hit five in his career, off of Grant Jackson, Jamie Easterly, Dave Robert, Phil Niekro and Larry McWilliams.) On the topic of cards, his son recently posted his extensive collection of graded cards of his dad on Reddit.

My collection: I have nine of his cards, from 1974 to 1981. I would be interested in trading for 1979 San Francisco Giants Police SGA #NNO.