Doug Jones, 1995 Stadium Club #564

 

Given everything that's been going on in my personal life lately, I hope my few regular readers are not worrying too much when I go silent for a few days. I'm doing well, as are Janet and Baby B. We have a new due date, and it's as set in stone as these sorts of things ever are. They will induce labor at 39 weeks, otherwise known as three weeks from tomorrow: Friday, June 24. Ho. Ly. Crap. I don't feel remotely ready, but we've taken the childbirth prep and infant care classes, I've read a few parenting books, the thank you cards for baby gifts have been written and sent, and the nursery is...getting there. It's been painted, and the crib and dresser are assembled. If our kiddo is content to hang around for another 22 days, he or she will share a birthday with Doug Jones. Not one of my favorite O's ever, but he had a long, solid career elsewhere. Other than the mustachioed closer, the most prominent big leaguers in the June 24 club are current Twins starter Phil Hughes, 1970s Cardinals third baseman Ken Reitz, and 1960s slugger Don Mincher. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy the Orioles' just-concluded win against the Red Sox and I'll be doing my best not to panic. Our infant care teacher said to trust our gut instincts, and she is a professional nurse. Sounds easy enough, right?

Don't answer that.

Jeff Manto, 1995 Stadium Club #597

If you're looking for your dose of mid-1990s nostalgia tonight (and aren't we all?), this will do in a pinch. Jeff Manto, recently relieved of his position as Chicago White Sox hitting coach, has rejoined the Orioles as the organization's minor league hitting coordinator. Manto hasn't been seen around these parts since 1995, when he slugged .492 in 254 at-bats for the stunningly mediocre Phil Regan-managed O's. Jeff Manto will be molding the minds and bodies of Baltimore's offensive threats of tomorrow. Who knew?

Mike Devereaux, 1995 Stadium Club #282

One of the great things about collecting is that you can always find something to surprise you. I bought several packs of 1995 Stadium Club back when it first came out, but it was too pricey for my 13-year-old self to actually complete the set, so it sat around incomplete for a while. A few years ago I bought a Series 1 hobby box online, but I'm still far from finishing off the set. So a few months ago, I added this fantastic Mike Devereaux card to my collection, and it was the first time I'd ever seen it. This has got to be one of my favorite candid baseball photos, and it's certainly my favorite of "Devo". I'm going to assume that he's giving the camera lens a playful fist bump, and not lashing out at an expensive inanimate object in annoyance. He doesn't strike me as a violent sort of guy, and that's not a fighting posture he's taking. He's playing it cool.

Sid Fernandez, 1995 Stadium Club #188

I'm sure I've been unfairly cruel to Sid Fernandez on the rare occasions that I've blogged about him, but I just can't resist low-hanging fruit. This may be the single funniest Orioles card that I own. "El Sid" looks more like a certain pixellated adventurous Italian plumber than he does a major league pitcher as he looms large over the dugout rail and the low-laying photographer. When I look at his cheesy smile and ample chins depicted in all of their full-bleed color glory, I almost forget about the sky-high ERA and the towering home runs he allowed. This glossy little rectangle makes me glad - for just a fleeting moment - that this pear-shaped Hawaiian was an Oriole.

Jeff Tackett, 1995 Stadium Club #168

Jeff Tackett, mid-1990s backup catcher du jour, was also the go-to guy for politically themed movies during that era. It may be a surprise to newer baseball fans, but Baltimore was once the place to be for the President of the United States on Opening Day. After the Senators left for Texas following the 1971 season, the Orioles were the closest team to the White House for over three decades. With that in mind, the movies Bob Roberts (1992) and Dave (1993) each depicted the Commander in Chief character throwing out the first pitch at Camden Yards to an O's catcher. As you may have guessed, none other than Jeff Tackett was up to the task on both occasions.

To be honest with you, I haven't seen either movie. I'm much more eager to talk about this glorious card, which I have titled, "Mullet of Fury". I bought pack after pack of 1995 Stadium Club, mostly for the beautiful photography, vibrant colors, and classy design (at least on the front). On this card, we see one of the marginalized role players of the team taking a quiet moment to strap on the tools of ignorance. He is stoic and proud, his carefully trimmed mullet glistening in the afternoon sun. Truly, Jeff Tackett defines "business in the front, party in the back"...and yet, somehow it seems to be "business in the front, slightly less business in the back".