Floyd Rayford, 1987 Topps #426

If my week (and counting) of recovery from wisdom tooth extraction surgery has an avatar, it's Floyd Rayford's musty 1987 Topps card. Thanks to an infection that developed in the middle of last week, it's now been eight days since I've been able to: exercise, sleep soundly, chew food like a normal human being, drink a beer...it hasn't been fun. I dragged myself out of the house on Saturday for the first birthday party of my best friend's son, and while we were gift shopping at Target I thought that I could find a pick-me-up in the card aisle. I was way too crabby to buy anything Topps, so I grabbed a 100-card repack hanger even as my brain shouted "BAD IDEA BAD IDEA BAD IDEA WALK AWAY". I don't need to tell you what I found inside. This Floyd Rayford card, bunches more 1987-1991 Topps, a smattering of 2010 Topps just to keep me guessing, some Donruss junk wax, maybe a dozen cards that were new to me. So there's your lesson: don't try to make even small-scale hobby choices when medicated and dealing with pain and discomfort.

Floyd Rayford, 1986 Fleer #283

As if you needed any more proof that the polyester-and-elastic era of the 1970s and 1980s was not the high water mark of baseball aesthetics, I give you the sight of Floyd Rayford's gut spilling over his waistband. You and I could fill out a uniform at least as well as Sugar Bear, don't you think?

Floyd Rayford, 1984 Topps Traded #96T

Because the weekend got away from me and also because you can never have enough "Honey Bear" in your blog, I will pass along some days-old news. Former Orioles third baseman/catcher/fire hydrant-shaped-person Floyd Rayford is currently a hitting coach in the Twins' farm system and he is climbing that ladder. He has been promoted from the AA New Britain Rock Cats coaching staff to AAA Rochester, a team that he should know well. He did spend parts of seven seasons during his playing career in a Red Wings uniform, after all. You keep plugging along, Floyd. Today the International League, tomorrow the world.

Mike Boddicker, Mark Corey, and Floyd Rayford, 1981 Topps #399

9/23/08: Somehow I had a brain cramp and didn't hit the "Publish Post" button last night. Forgive me.

Topps' Future Stars/Top Prospects/Rookies/etc. cards have always been a delicious exercise in guesswork. In 1982, the Reds' Future Stars were Scott Brown, Geoff Combe, and Paul Householder. Strike three, you're out. The 1980 Mets card featured Dan Norman, Jesse Orosco, and Mike Scott. Two outta three ain't bad. In this instance, they hit on one of the three up and coming Orioles youngsters. Mike Boddicker anchored the team's staff as they won their third World Series in 1983, and was an effective pitcher for a decade. But what of the others?

Floyd Rayford hung around into the late 1980s, and peaked with a .306 average and 18 home runs in 1985, so he at least had something of a career. Plus, as I've pointed out, he was an endless source of entertainment for my uncle. So even though "Honey Bear" is something less than a household name today, he was a better choice for Future Stardom than, say, 1987 selection Tim Pyznarski.

Mark Corey? Well, somebody at Topps just refused to give up on him. 1981 marked the third consecutive year that they had earmarked him as a Future Star. In 1979, he appeared in an Orioles Prospects triptych with John Flinn and Sammy Stewart. The following year, he joined Dave Ford and Wayne Krenchicki as the would-be O's greats. As you may have guessed, Mark never quite made it to the dizzying heights that Topps forecast for him. An 0-for-8 in 1981 slammed the lid shut on his career, leaving him with a career batting average of .211.

But he still had more of a career than 1995's Coming Attraction, Brian Sackinsky.

Floyd Rayford, 1986 Topps #623

I never like to write several downer entries in a row, so what better way to rebound from yesterday's rant than a cameo from Sugar Bear? Take a look at that lovable, roly-poly face and tell me whether you'd think to stick Floyd at the hot corner. I feel kind of sorry for him, as he spent parts of seven seasons in the majors, six of them with the Birds. In the middle of 1983, they traded Rayford to the Cardinals, eventually receiving Tito Landrum in return. Tito played an important role in the O's championship run, batting .310 in limited action and stroking the game-winning home run in the decisive fourth game of the ALCS. Meanwhile, the Orioles reacquired Floyd on the eve of the 1984 campaign. He was out of the organization just long enough to miss out on a World Series win.

My uncle loved to give Rayford a hard time. Several times he's told me about the days when he and a good friend would buy some cheap seats in old Memorial Stadium, toss back a couple of beers, and shout "FLOOOOYYYYYDDDD!" at the top of their lungs. On one occasion, they came to realize that Floyd wasn't even in the game that day. Of course, I have a feeling it wouldn't have mattered to them anyway. So for J.T., here's one more for the road...

"FLOOOOOOYYYYYDDDDD!"