Dan Ford, 1982 Topps Traded #35T

Hey, it's Disco Danny! I already had this card, but I just picked up another copy when I bought a 1982 Topps Traded set from a local hobby shop for ten bucks. Before you go thinking that I got the steal of the century, I will clarify that the set does not contain card #98T - you know, that Ripken guy. This omission was clearly stated on the price tag sticker, so there's no need to go to the Better Business Bureau. I'm just thrilled to have a (near) complete master set of Topps from the year of my birth, and the 1982 Traded set features terrible airbrushed caps aplenty and a few Hall of Famers tossed in for good measure: Reggie Jackson, Fergie Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, and Ozzie Smith to be precise. Oh, and Cal, who I'm now obligated to track down for the sake of a completed set. Fortunately, a cursory check of a few online hobby dealers suggests that Junior's first-year card can be gotten in the neighborhood of $100. That's one-third of the price that it fetched the last time I truly paid attention to such things. So it's certainly an easier "get" than Brooks Robinson's 1957 Topps rookie card.

Dan Ford, 1983 Topps #683

Yesterday was not only the Orioles' home opener, it was also the 28th anniversary of my first home opener...not that I was in attendance at Memorial Stadium that day. But there's a chance it was on the TV or radio at our old rowhome in Middlesex. It wasn't a pretty game by any definition. The O's lost to the Royals 7-2 in a sloppy game that featured two errors by each team. Kansas City hit three home runs (Jerry Martin, Willie Aikens, and George Brett); Baltimore hit into three double plays. Dan Ford, of all people, was the only member of the Birds with more than one hit. He went 2-for-4 with a double and scored both Oriole runs, but also muffed a fly ball to plate the first Royals run. Of course, the 1983 season ended on a much happier note, with the Orioles hoisting their third World Series trophy. I didn't know what was going on, but my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles were all happy. Every one of them rooted for the O's; some day, I would too.

I'm doing this bit of navel gazing tonight after reading a great blog post by Matt Taylor of Roar from 34. Yesterday Matt watched the home opener in his living room with his newborn son and reflected on the lessons from the game that he would want to share with his child. As you might expect, these lessons are about being not only a good fan, but also a good person. I love the turn of phrase in his opening sentence: "Orioles baseball has been a conversation between generations in my family". The same is true for me, and I suspect it's the case for many of you. Let's keep the conversation going, whether the subject is Dan Ford or Brooks Robinson or Zach Britton.

Dan Ford, 1984 Donruss #367

A series of open-ended questions about this card:

1. Why did Donruss choose a picture of what was undoubtedly one of Dan Ford's weakest, most uncertain swings of the bat?

2. Check out the biceps on that guy. Who knew that Disco Dan had such massive guns?

3. Why did they call him "Disco Dan", anyway?

4. How did he get trapped in an impressionist painting?

5. Why are the team name and player name in two different shades of yellow?

6. As nifty as those aviator glasses look, didn't Dan realize that Rec Specs were the way to go?

7. Aren't you glad that no one wears those crummy elastic waistband pants any more?

8. Doesn't it look like Ford's trying to pulverize the Donruss logo with his bat?