1981 Topps Keith Hernandez

 

The front: I'm pretty sure that's Shea Stadium, that was the color of the outfield wall at the time. In five day games at Shea in 1980 (three won by the Mets), Hernandez went 6-for-23, with two doubles.

The back: Hernandez was a left-handed quarterback at Capuchino High School.

The player: Keith Hernandez had some very good seasons for the Cardinals and Mets, most notably 1979 when he was NL co-MVP, when he hit .344 with 11 HR and 105 RBI. Often considered one of the best defensive first baseman in baseball history, his offensive numbers, while solid, haven't been able to get him to crack the Hall of Fame, even as standards have watered down considerably over the past decade. In 2088 games he hit .296 with 162 HR and 1,071 RBI.

The man: Hernandez has been a lightning rod for controversy during and after his career. The Cardinals got rid of him when they thought his drug use was a bad influence on the team. He gets credit for helping lead the Mets when they won a World Series in 1986, but doesn't seem to get as much blame for the way the team quickly fell apart and underachieved with him as captain in the years since, most notably getting into a fistfight with Darryl Strawberry in spring training 1989. Hernandez, who posed in a Confederate uniform for a magazine profile in 1986, has made some controversial sexist and homophobic remarks in his 20 years as a Mets announcer.

My collection: I have 114 of his cards, from 1975 to 1991. I would be interested in trading for 1977 Hostess #115.