Jim Dwyer, 1988 Donruss #459

I love the 1988 Donruss set just as much as any person possibly could, which is to say not at all. It's ugly, it's dull, and it's more ubiquitous than Starbucks. But as I was looking at this scuffed-up Jim Dwyer card with its dinged corners, I had a brainstorm. I think the cards in this set are actually improved by taking damage. It gives them character, and makes them seem like they're from a bygone era. In a way, they are - 1988 Donruss is four years older than Manny Machado. So as I sort through the hundreds of '88D cards that I've managed to accumulate (primarily through osmosis - I sure didn't actively seek them out), I just might place a premium on those copies that have been beaten up a bit. They shouldn't be hard to find; the dark borders and flimsy card stock have ensured that many of Pigpen Dwyer's ilk look much worse the wear after nearly three decades.

Jim Dwyer, 1988 Topps #521

Janet and I spent most of the weekend running errands, so when we passed the card aisle in Target yesterday she insisted that I pick up some cards. (As if there were any doubt that she's a keeper...) I couldn't resist the allure of the 250-card mystery repack cube. I don't seem to have gotten any new Orioles cards, but I did get three copies of this classic junk wax Jim Dwyer number. It's got everything you could want in a card: a 37-year-old Pig Pen avoiding eye contact with the camera and sporting the worst, scraggliest mustache this side of Jake Arrieta. He looks as unhappy as someone can look in the shadow of a Florida palm tree. Anyway, I'll add him to the ever-multiplying 1988 Topps pile.

Jim Dwyer, 1988 Fleer #558

When Jim Dwyer arrived at the ballpark that afternoon, Billy Ripken offered him a coffee. Jim was running late for his photo shoot with Fleer, so he accepted it gladly and gulped it down in no time. There was something odd about the flavor, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Ten minutes later, as he posed with his bat resting on his left shoulder, he had a sudden and awful realization. Billy had done it again.

Jim Dwyer, 1981 Topps Traded #757

A few minutes ago, I checked my email and found a trade proposal. One of my readers saw that I needed Ron Perranoski's card for my 1965 Topps set, and I had replied to him over the weekend to find out what he'd be looking for in return. Interestingly enough, his favorite player is/was Jim Dwyer, and it looks like I'll be able to fill a need in his player collection. Next I checked the Baseball Reference Bullpen's daily almanac to see if there were any Oriole-centric tidbits for January 3. As serendipitous coincidence would have it, today is "Pigpen" Dwyer's 61st birthday! It's also Monkton resident A.J. Burnett's birthday, but he's both a Yankee and a multimillionaire, so he gets nothing and likes it.

One more Jim Dwyer fun fact: the 2011 Hall of Fame class is being unveiled this Wednesday, and Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris are candidates who each have very ardent supporters. Dwyer was a contemporary of both players, and faced them many times. He batted 50 times against Morris, drawing 9 walks and hitting safely 12 times for a .300 average and .420 on-base percentage. In 28 trips to the plate against Blyleven, he managed only two walks and four hits (.154 AVG, .214 OBP). Make of that what you will.

Jim Dwyer, 1985 Fleer #176

When you're hot, you're hot. Take the Orioles, who head into the All-Star Break having won their first road series of any kind since last September. By sweeping the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, they've also got their first four-game road sweep since 1995 and their first four-game sweep at Texas since 1976. Maybe July will be kinder to the O's than April, May, and June were.

July was a good month for Jim Dwyer - July 1983, to be specific. The veteran outfielder made his mark with the Orioles as a pinch hit specialist, but he actually started a dozen of the 15 games he played for the club that month. Manager Joe Altobelli was wise to use him more frequently, because he was scorching. In 48 trips to the plate, Jim had nine walks, 18 hits, eight doubles, a triple, four home runs, and 17 RBI. He scored 14 times and batted .474 with a .574 on-base percentage and a 1.053 slugging percentage! The Birds, who would go on to win the World Series that year, went 11-4 with Dwyer making appearances in July. At the time, he set a record for the best batting average in a single month in major league history. A few players have passed him since, but his otherworldly performance is still fifth-best all-time.

Today you can still see Jim in a professional baseball capacity down in Fort Myers, FL, where he has been the hitting coach for Minnesota's Class A affiliate (the Miracle) since 2006.

Jim Dwyer, 1986 Fleer #274

"Howdy, folks! This is your old pal, Jim 'Pigpen' Dwyer, comin' atcha from the not-too-distant past with a brief announcement! Like most good men and women, I'm enjoying a relaxing Labor Day Weekend...um, in the past. Right. Anyway, I'm doing some fishing, a little bit of reading, and of course, squeezing in a photo shoot for Franklin's new vulcanized rubber batting gloves. But I thought I would drop in to let you know that your good friend and blogger Kevin is still toiling in his new living space, unloading and meticulously arranging boxes full of the kind of mind-boggling garbage that takes twenty-six or so years to accumulate. He's been up since six this morning, and he's a bit too weary to talk about baseball cards at the moment. But tomorrow is a day of rest, Lord willin', and I'm sure he'd like nothing better than to pop back in during the day to do his thing. Thanks for your time, and for talking me out of that Broncos Super Bowl pick."