1981 Topps Ken Reitz

 

The front: The underrated "balancing the bat on the backs of your shoulders" look. Probably spring training.

The back: That 1,000th hit was a big one - with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Reitz singled off of Cubs reliever Willie Hernandez. Youngster Tommy Herr pinch-ran for Reitz, and scored the winning run on Garry Templeton's sacrifice fly.

The player: Third baseman Ken Reitz played eleven seasons in the major leagues, mostly for the Cardinals. A Gold Glove winner in 1975 and an All-Star in 1980, he hit .260 with 68 HR and 548 RBI for his career. 

The man: After his playing career Reitz was a community services representative for the Cardinals. He shared his thoughts on baseball cards with this blog in 2016. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 69.

My collection: I have 21 of his cards, from 1973 to 1982. I would be interested in trading for 1978 Hostess #106.