Thursday, January 16, 2014

no. 252 - eddie leon


Who is the man: You're looking at your American League leader in sacrifice hits (a.k.a. bunts) for 1970. Eddie Leon had 23.

Can ya dig it: Leon appears to be fielding a grounder that's arriving from the general direction of the backstop. I've never seen that play in a major league game.

Right on: It's always cool when the American flag makes an appearance on a card.

You see that cat Leon is a bad mother: Leon was selected in the first or the second round of the major league amateur draft three times before he signed. He stiffed both the Twins and the Cubs before signing with the Indians.

Shut your mouth: Leon grew up in Tucson, Ariz., where the Indians played spring training games. His parents were big Indians fans. But Leon grew up a Yankee fan. It turns out he played for both teams.

No one understands him but his woman: The Indians moved Leon from shortstop to second base so they could keep him the lineup. But a back injury eventually cost him his starting job, and he spent the rest of his career playing behind infielders like Frank Duffy and Bucky Dent.


(A word about the back): I believe Topps is sending us a subliminal message in the photo. You probably can see the words "high life" over Leon's left shoulder.

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