50 Years in Cards: 1983

Part 22 of our 50-year Diamondvision Display...

What is it: 1983 Topps #134, Hubie Brooks

What makes it interesting: We're getting a little better. The '83s aren't quite a classic set, but it's a vast improvement, design-wise. The photography had improved somewhat, and Topps also added little headshot insets on each card. The '83 Team set doesn't include anything super memorable, but the '83 Traded set includes a few gems, among them Darryl Strawberry's Rookie card, Keith Hernandez's first Mets card, and Tom Seaver's return.

Hubie Brooks was one of the pieces of the Mets "Youth Movement" in the early '80s. After being chosen as the #3 pick in the draft in 1978, Hubie debuted with the Mets in 1980, and finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year vote in 1981. His numbers would improve over the next few seasons, and so would his favor with the fans. If Mookie Wilson was one of the most loved Mets from that era, Hubie was certainly up there as well, even if he played a game that was more steady and dependable as opposed to exciting. By 1984, he was entering his prime with the Mets, setting career highs for hits, home runs, RBIs and runs scored, and adding a then-club record 24 game hitting streak into the mix.

But, just as the Mets were turning the corner, Hubie found himself traded to Montreal for Gary Carter. Hubie hated to leave and many fans were sorry to see him go. But, as it is in Baseball, in order to get something, you must give up something, and Hubie was the piece deemed expendable at the time. Hubie would go on to have several fine seasons with the Expos, making the All Star team a pair of times and even winning a Silver Slugger in 1986. Hubie would return to the Mets via trade from the Dodgers prior to the 1991 season, and although he had a reasonably fine season, the Mets were regressing and he was traded away to the Angels. Nonetheless, Hubie continues to be remembered fondly for his presence on a Mets team that was beginning to find its way to contenderhood.

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50 Years in Cards: 1982

Part 21 of our 50 years of Magic...

What is it: 1982 Topps #143, Mookie Wilson

What makes it interesting: Topps finally started to turn the corner a little bit in '82. It's not perfect, but it's a start. After several years of bland, boring designs, Topps finally came up with something a little more eye-catching.

Speaking of eye-catching, that was Mookie Wilson in his early, wild years. Stuck playing on a team that constantly seemed to be going nowhere, Mookie gave his all every day and eventually was rewarded by being a central figure of the 1986 World Series Champions. One of the most beloved figures in team history, Mookie was always known for his outstanding speed, which would show up every time a fly ball was hit out to Center Field at Shea, or when he was legging out one of his 62 triples or 281 stolen bases, marks which would last for years as the club record before being surpassed by a man of equal excitement, Jose Reyes. Or maybe it was one of the many times he would shoot around the bases and score from second on an infield ground out. Or was it his charitable, gentlemanly attitude that endeared him to fans for years.

But, perhaps, Mookie is probably best known for a certain ground ball he hit on the night of Saturday, October 25th, 1986. On one of the seminal nights in Mets History, Mookie's at bat in the 10th inning of that game proved he was always equal to the pressure of the moment. Always known as a free swinger, Mookie fouled off several pitches from Bob Stanley, but never missed one. Down by a run with 2 outs, any one misstep could have spelled doom for the Mets and the rally they had going, but Mookie wouldn't give in. Finally, Stanley threw a pitch that Mookie couldn't swing at—because he had to dive out of the way of it—and the deficit was now a tie. Three pitches later, came that fateful ground ball, the image that is forever burned into our minds, and the call that echoes through our ears...

(I'm of the belief that even if Buckner fielded the ball cleanly, there was no way he was ever beating Mookie to 1st base)

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50 Years in Cards: 1981

Part 20 of our 50-year Rallye Relay...

What is it: 1981 Topps #414, John Pacella

What makes it interesting: Another bland design from Topps in '81. The different colored borders for each team is sort of reminiscent of the '75s, but not really. This is also the first year that Topps officially started making a "Traded" series, a (usually) boxed set of 132 cards that came out after the season and featured cards of players that were traded during the season and Rookies that debuted that year, etc, etc...

I admittedly know very little about John Pacella. Probably because, outside of the fact that his horrible mechanics led to his cap flying off his head every pitch, there doesn't appear to be much to remember. His '81 Topps Card is the only card that featured him with the Mets (he also can boast 3 cards from 1983, when he was on the Minnesota Twins). His fun fact on the back of the card rather succinctly states that he "has unique habit of losing his cap each pitch), and the photo on the front reveals as much. In 3 seasons with the Mets, spanning 39 games and 18 starts, Pacella did nothing to distinguish himself. He left the Mets with a 3-6 record and a lousy 4.83 ERA. After debuting in 1977, Pacella also appeared in parts of the 1979 and 1980 seasons, but he was gone by '81. He would manage to stick around until 1986, surfacing with the Yankees, Twins, Orioles and Tigers, but he fared no better wherever he ended up. His career spanning only 74 games, Pacella finished with a career mark of 4-10, and an ERA of 5.73. The essence of a true never-will-be. But, even the never-will-be's somehow manage to make their mark, and for Pacella, it was that darn cap always flying off his head.

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50 Years in Cards: 1980

Part 19 of our 50-year Home Run Apple...

 What is it: 1980 Topps #641, Ed Kranepool

What makes it interesting: Well, Topps tried a little harder with the '80 set, adding some swishes and swooshes along the edges. But it's still not one of their better efforts. The Mets team set is full of players like Dock Ellis, Richie Hebner and Gil Flores, who were only around during the miserable '79 season. But come 1980, the de Roulets, the last vestiges of the Joan Payson era, were gone, replaced by new owners Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon, who purchased the team for a then-record $21 million. With them came a new General Manager, Frank Cashen, who stripped the team of most of its useless dreck and began to arm them for a new era in a new decade.

Ed Kranepool was one such Met who left with the new ownership. He retired following the 1979 season after playing 18 seasons in the Major Leagues, all of them with the Mets. Kranepool is, of course, always remembered fondly for his time with the club, which had begun way back in the club's original season of 1962, when he was only 17 years old. Kranepool made one All Star team, in 1965. He also contributed to the Mets World Series runs in 1969 and 1973.

Always beloved by the fans, Kranepool retired as the Mets all-time leader in many categories, and currently remains the club leader in Games played, At Bats and Hits (many of his club records have been surpassed by David Wright). He also retired as the all-time leader in Hits at Shea Stadium, a record he will carry forever. A true Met Lifer, Kranepool was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1990.

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Vacation!

Although it's a rare occurrence for me, I'm going to be on vacation for the next week, conveniently coinciding with the All Star Break and not much to write about, baseball-wise. Nonetheless, among the places I'll be spending my vacation is in Cooperstown, NY, and the Baseball Hall of Fame, replete with the plaque of our lone Hall of Famer, Tom Seaver. It's my 5th such trip to The Hall, and my first in over 10 years.

Fear not, however. I'll be leaving you with a fresh set of installments of "50 Years in Cards" for your enjoyment while I'm away.

Enjoy the All Star Game, everyone!