Terry Kennedy, 1989 Topps #705

I'll say one thing for Terry Kennedy; he took a good picture. Some of the most memorable cards in my collection feature TK: on his 1987 Topps card, he seems to be shouting at a teammate or opponent from his perch in the dugout; he also has a great 1992 Upper Deck card with a closeup of his eyes framed by his catchers' mask. The card I'm featuring today is right up there with the best of them. It's an uncharacteristically dynamic action shot for the 1989 Topps set, with Terry perched over home plate, mask already flung away, waiting anxiously for the relay throw as the coaches look on from the blurry Oriole dugout. The intense concentration is etched on his face as the unseen base runner barrels down the third base line.

Terry became the first second-generation Orioles player when he arrived from San Diego along with Mark Williamson in the October 1986 trade that sent Storm Davis to the Padres. His father Bob had been a third baseman and outfielder for the O's in their infancy. The younger Kennedy had the unenviable task of replacing an all-time fan favorite in Rick Dempsey. While Terry was named to the All-Star team in 1987, it was more on name recognition than merit; the three-time National League All-Star batted just .250 that year. It would be his last year as a full time player. In 1988, Terry was one of many Birds to have a lousy year, dropping to .226 with just three home runs in 85 games. The following January, he was swapped to the Giants for fellow catcher Bob Melvin, who was a dependable part-timer for the O's for the next three years.

The future is bearing down on Terry Kennedy, but he doesn't flinch. Here comes the throw...