Dave's Favorite Baseball Cards (Part III)

1982 Topps Steve McCatty

Question #1:

Who in the H is this South St. Louis looking mulleted hoosier in the hideous lemon-lime uniform?

Answer #1:

I have no clue-some loser with a 63-63 record in his eight year career. That's two years shy of drawing a pension from MLB. He was the pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers in 2002, which explains their 55-106 record, 4.93 ERA with 163 home runs allowed. Steve would obviously be my top choice for pitching coach, but he is currently the pitching coach for Washington Nationals AAA affiliate, Columbus Clippers. They suck too, by the way.

Question #2: Why on God's green earth is this one of Dave's favorite baseball cards?

Answer #2: Let me take you back to October 1982. The Cardinals were in the midst of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. Everyone in St. Louis was coming down with "Cardinal Fever" and losing their minds over Keith Hernandez' mustache and his cocaine-use rumors, Tommy Herr's looks and perm, Ozzie Smith's glove and back flips, Ken Oberkfell's beer belly and perm, Darrell Porter's extra long helmet visor and goggles, Lonnie Smith's brother Ozzie, Willie McGee's E.T. look alike status, George Hendrick's silence, Joaquin Andujar's psychosis and finger wagging, Bob Forsch's Game 1 shutout and Bruce Sutter's beard, mustache and split-finger fastball. We all wore red to school. Sr. Ambrose, my grade school principal, gave us updates on the day games over the PA system.

One night, my neighbor, Scott Perrot, and Dave McCubbins (of my Don Mattingly post fame) were on the front porch showing off their baseball cards and telling me of their total coolness, etc. Scott thought it would be amusing to fling baseball cards over the bushes onto my lawn and have us race down the stairs to fetch them. Whoever got to the card first was the proud owner. The 1982 Topps Steve McCatty was the prize of the first race and, due to the fact that I am fleet of foot, it was the first baseball card I ever owned. I amassed about 35 cards that night and, yes, I still have that McCatty card today!