Orioles Card "O" the Day

An intersection of two of my passions: baseball cards and the Baltimore Orioles. Updated daily?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Tippy Martinez, 1981 Donruss #354

It always seemed like it would be hard to take an unflattering picture of Tippy Martinez, but here we stand. When you take a look at the cards that Donruss churned out in their inaugural 1981 set, it's hard to believe that they ever had a second set. The drab borders and Local-Eyewitness-News fonts don't seem like the kinds of things that would grab the imaginations of young collectors. The photos are washed-out, blurry, and/or yellowed as if they were taken by your nearsighted Aunt Melba with her Polaroid.

The Orioles are clinging to a shortening lead against the Yankees in the late innings. I wish they could turn the ball over to Tippy Martinez, who had 9 wins, 17 saves, and 66 appearances against New York in his career, his highest totals against any team. His 3.13 ERA vs. the Bronx Bombers was lower than his overall mark of 3.45. Having debuted in the major leagues with the Yankees, Tippy certainly wasn't intimidated by the guys in pinstripes.

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