Melvin Mora, 2004 Topps Bazooka #189

I'm glad that cards like this exist, showing Melvin Mora looking as awkward and silly as humanly possible. Flat-footed, butt sticking straight out as he tries to avoid an inside pitch. Melvin was obviously a talented athlete, a two-time All-Star who hit 171 career home runs in 13 big league seasons. But he did not make it look easy. For whatever reason, it always seemed like his body was ill-proportioned; his torso was long and lean, and his legs short and stocky. He ran somewhat like a duck, although ducks don't often run. At bat, his swing was a violent, lunging thing. Any time he failed to make contact, he looked so bad that you wondered how he ever managed to hit the ball. But no two players are the same, and Melvin Mora's churning, gangly style worked for him for several years.