Friday, May 2, 2014

no. 288 - joe moeller


Who is the man: Joe Moeller had appeared in a career high 31 games -- 19 of them starts -- in 1970. He would enter his final season in the major leagues on a high note.

Can ya dig it: Come on now, he's not even trying to disguise the fact that he doesn't really have a ball in his glove.

Right on: Since this is a Dodgers card, I have a few dupes of it. I should see if there is one in better shape than this to slip into the 1971 set binder.

You see this cat Moeller is a bad mother: Moeller is the youngest player in Dodger history to start. He was 19 years and 2 months old when he started in 1962.

Shut your mouth: Moeller took quite a bit of resentment from the rest of the Dodgers during his first year. He was a bonus baby and received more money than some of his teammates had made in four years. When it came to divide up year-end bonuses among the players, Duke Snider said Moeller "doesn't need it. He already got a big bonus." Moeller received just a half-share.

No one understands him but his woman: Moeller was an archery champion as a youngster, but he hated the sport because his father made him practice every day until dark. Moeller finally asked his father if he could quit archery if he won a national title. His father agreed. Moeller won the junior national title, and never picked up a bow and arrow after that.


(A word about the back): Moeller had cards as far back as the 1963 set, yet he was only 28 when this card came out.

3 comments:

  1. The first 1971 card I ever had. The card has "JH" on the back -- the initials of the kid across the street who fleeced me in a trade for it.

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  2. I remember first seeing this card and thinking it might be as valuable someday as similar looking cards from Dodger pitchers past like Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax. Spoiler: I was wrong.

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