Gregg Olson, 1991 Donruss #393

Valued reader Zach left a comment on yesterday's blog entry requesting the zesty green border of 1991 Donruss Series 2, which solved my daily dilemma of which card to post. The base cards in this set are enough of an eyesore, with their neon Trapper Keeper stripes and splotches in the margins, but the MVP subset cranks it to 11. The goofy clip art baseballs in the background of the photo are reminiscent of Donruss' 1987 set, and the bold yellow "MVP" wordmark on top, complete with rainbow gradient drop shadow, complete the sensory overload.

As for Gregg Olson: with all due respect to the Otter, the fact that Donruss tabbed him as the most valuable player for the Orioles in the just-concluded 1990 season is emblematic of the team's tumble to fifth place in the East. The Birds' sophomore closer was very good, with a 2.42 ERA, 37 saves, and 74 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. But if the standout player on your club is only on the field for the equivalent of eight-plus games, there are probably some everyday players who didn't meet expectations.

Bob Melvin, 1991 Donruss #335

It's past my bedtime, and I'm glued to the American League Wild Card Game on my television. In the bottom of the ninth, Bob Melvin's Athletics are trying to close out a 7-6 win over Jeremy Guthrie's Royals. I have no real stakes in this game, but I can't stop watching. The playoffs have just begun. I might be a wreck by the time the weekend gets here...

John Mitchell, 1991 Donruss #710

This evening, the wife and I are going south for dinner, drinks, and a movie with friends of mine from college. The movie? The Rifftrax Live simulcast (if you're too busy to click, think Mystery Science Theatre 3000) of the classic film "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians". This has inspired me to post a 1991 Donruss card for the first time in two years. One red and green abomination deserves another.

What's that, John? No, of course not! I would never call YOU an abomination! I was talking about the hideously busy yet somehow dull design of the card, you see. On a totally unrelated note, I have to go now.

Pete Harnisch, 1991 Donruss #181

Without much warning, I've been waylaid by a monster cold. I believe in sharing, so you all get to suffer. These 1991 Donruss cards could make you ill just by looking at them. I'll keep it brief, so you don't have to stare too long. Look away...now.

Ron Kittle, 1991 Donruss #613

You might not remember Ron Kittle's time in an Orioles uniform. I'm sure he would like to forget it. In mid-1990, the White Sox traded the 32-year-old slugger to the O's for Phil Bradley. He played in only 22 games with Baltimore, batting just .164 (10-for-61) with a couple home runs and three RBI. He returned to Chicago in 1991 but retired after being released in August.

Though his career ran out of steam quickly, the former Rookie of the Year made the most out of the time he had in the majors. Ron hit 176 home runs in just 843 games, and averaged one homer for every 15.4 times at bat, the 22nd-best ratio of all time. He also averaged one home run per 17.1 plate appearances. There are currently 27 players (including five currently active) who hit between 176 and 186 career home runs. Of all of these men, "Kitty" had the best PA/HR ratio. Interestingly enough, he also had the lowest number of RBI at 460. This was probably attributable to his boom-or-bust offensive approach: his career batting average is a scant .239, and he struck out 744 times total. He also wore the hell out of a pair of glasses.

Jose Mesa, 1991 Donruss #765

This week's reader request comes from William, whose stated reason was "just sayin'". That's not actually a reason at all, so I'll try to do some legwork and figure out why he wanted to see this card today. Is it because Tuesday was the 13th anniversary of Jose's blown save that cost the Indians the World Series? Perhaps. Is it because his 321 career saves are 13th all-time and are a record among Dominican-born major leaguers? Maybe. Is it because this photo affords an excellent view of Mesa's surprisingly well-toned glutes? I would never make such a baseless accusation. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Brady Anderson, 1991 Donruss #668

At the time that this card was printed, Brady Anderson was struggling to stay in the major leagues. He'd hit .216 in his first three seasons in the major leagues, with only eight home runs in 825 at-bats. The O's had sent him down to the minors at least once each season, and would do so again in 1991, when he batted .230 with 27 RBI in 113 games.

Now, I don't want to be an armchair hitting coach here, but maybe Brady would have had slightly better results if he weren't using seven or eight bats at once. I'm just throwing it out there.

Curt Schilling, 1991 Donruss #556

So we go from a really minimal, visually appealing card to a cluttered, completely fugly card. The good news is that I have enough of a variety in my collection that we won't be seeing any more 1991 Donruss for a long time. About the only good thing I can say about this card is that in the grand Donruss tradition, it lists the player's full name on the back. Curt's middle name, FYI, is Montague. Heh.

Many casual baseball fans probably aren't even aware that Curt Schilling pitched for the Orioles. They acquired him in a 1988 deadline deal; they sent veteran starting pitcher Mike Boddicker to the Red Sox for Schilling and a rookie outfielder named Brady Anderson. It was actually a pretty sharp trade by O's general manager Roland Hemond. Of course, this trade might look even better if Schilling had grown up a little sooner.

The brash young righthander was notoriously immature, and it may have been reflected in his early career trajectory. He didn't stick in the major leagues for a full season until 1992, four years after his first callup. Schilling's final numbers in Baltimore (1988-1990): 1-6, 4.54 ERA, 1.47 WHIP. Hindsight is 20/20, but you can bet that if the Orioles knew that the light bulb would come on for Curt, they would have thought twice about sending him to Houston in the Glenn Davis trade. In the end, it's just one more reason for Birds fans to be annoyed by Mr. Bloody Sock.