Orioles Card "O" the Day

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

Friday, September 17, 2010

Vintage Fridays: Chico Salmon, 1972 Topps #646

You might know that Chico Salmon was known as "Super Sub" because he played every position on the field besides pitcher and catcher. You might also know that despite this versatility, he was not particularly adept with the glove; one Orioles teammate cracked, "If Chico's hands get any worse, we'll have to amputate". If you really know your stuff, you'll be aware that Chico's birth name was "Ruthford". But did you know that he was a superstitious man who was deathly afraid of ghosts?

As a child in Panama, Chico was told terrifying stories of ghosts that could enter rooms through open windows or keyholes in doors. He carried his fears into adulthood, and reportedly insisted on sleeping with the lights on until he served in the army and had no choice in the matter!

So let that be a lesson to you parents: you might think that it's all in good fun to tell your children ghost stories or let them watch scary movies, but you never know what will stick in their minds for years to come.

2 comments:

Jim from Downingtown said...

I never liked that the players' positions were not on the front of the 1972 cards.

Kevin said...

Jim - Yep, that was a misstep on Topps' part.