#322 Dan Van Gorder - Cincinnati Reds

Look at this, another rookie card.  Of course Dave Van Gorder only has two cards so maybe it deserves another title like half-of-his-career-card.  I don't know, maybe you have some better ideas.  Van Gorder's other card is an odd one and can be seen here. 
This card is a bit different in that Van Gorder clearly is need of some shades as he squints across a spring training infield.

 

 

Look at Van Gorder squint.  Seriously Topps, that's the best picture you had of this guy?  I'mstarting to think maybe he was about to sneeze.

 

Player: Dave Van Gorder was a second round pick out of USC in 1978 and never played below the AA level.  It could not have been easy following in the big footsteps of Johnny Bench but Van Gorder tried when he was called up to Cincinnati in June of '82.  Everyone was looking to see who the Reds next catcher would be.  Alex Trevino had a head start on Van Gorder and our subject did little to gain on him hitting just .185 in 137 at bats.

Sent back to AAA Indianapolis for the '83 season, he did nothing to inspire Reds management and took a big step back hitting just .226/.287/.311.  Van Gorder got off to a better start in '84 and was recalled in July.  He batted 113 times while sharing catching duties with other career back-ups Brad Gulden and Dann Bilardello.  The catching situation was so bad that Van Gorder's .228 average was the best of the group and Gulden's .308 slugging percentage was .028 higher than Bilardello's and .060 higher than Van Gorder's.

Van Gorder broke camp with the Reds in '85 and the Reds added Alan Knicely to the trio while removing Gulden.  Van Gorder slugged the first two homers of his career and avoided the minor leagues for the first time but hit just .238.  The Reds acquired Bo Diaz in August which spelled the end of the Reds catching woes.

The burly backstop was back in the bushes in '86, with his major league action limited to ten hitless at bats in September.  Van Gorder signed with the Orioles and spent a few months as their backup with five hits in 21 at bats.  Released by the Orioles after the season, he was now 30 years old and had shown no improvement from his younger days and his career was over.

 

Flipside:  The 15 home run season at Indianapolis in '81 was a rare burst of power for Van Gorder as he never slugged more than six in a season before or after.

 

Oddball: USC won the College World Series with Van Gorder behind the plate.  They had several fringe level players like Van Gorder, Dave Hostettler, Bob Skube, Jeff Schattinger, and Chris Smith. Teammate Dave Engle ended up with the most accomplished baseball career but another player went on to a Hall of Fame career in another sport.  Former Bengal offensive tackle Anthony Munoz pitched at USC...what an intimidating presence he must have been on the mound!

 

History:  Van Gorder had a career typical of a third string catcher with a .212/.280/.267 line in 468 plate appearances.  With a better arm, perhaps he could have earned a little more playing time, but he threw out just 18% of the runners stealing on him. His strength defensively was apparently his ability to block balls in the dirt as he allowed just five passed balls in his career. 

According to his Wikipedia page, he is currently a manager for UPS in Las Vegas.

#296 Greg Harris - Cincinnati Reds

Maybe Topps felt badly about Greg Harris' rookie card.  On the '82 issue you could barely see his face. So perhaps they tried to make up for it by putting almost the same picture of the pitcher on this card twice.  The main photo shows Harris with a big grin or possibly in mid-sentence.  The inset looks like the photographer and Harris stood up and snapped one off from a different angle.
In case you are wondering, this is Greg A. Harris who is sometimes mixed up Greg W. Harris both pitchers with overlapping careers.

 

Player:  Greg Harris was signed by the Mets as a free agent in 1976.  In the minors he was used as both a starter and reliever.  He made his debut with the Mets in May of '81 and started 14 of his 16 games.  The curveballer took his lumps winning just three games with a 4.43 ERA.

 

In February of '82 the Mets made a big move trading Harris, Alex Trevino, and Jim Kern to the Reds for George Foster.  Harris began the year in AAA and was called up in late May.  He struggled with a 4.83 ERA as a spot starter / mop up man in 91 frames.  He was banished to the minors for all but one inning in '83, placed on waivers in September and was claimed by the Expos at the end of the year.

Harris pitched for both the Expos and Padres in '84 having been traded to the latter for Al Newman in July.  His combined stats include a 2.48 ERA in 54 innings, mostly in relief.  Although hit hard in the NLCS, his postseason highlight was pitching 5.1 shutout relief innings in a losing effort against the Tigers in Game 3 of the World Series.  After the '84 season Harris' contract was sold to the Texas Rangers.  He pitched exclusively out of the pen the next two years and did well.  He appeared in 131 games, earned 31 saves, with ERAs of 2.47 and 2.83 while racking up 224 innings pitched.

The 1987 season was a big let down as Harris blew a couple of games early in the year and was buried in the back of the pen.  He emerged in June as a starter but fared no better.  He ended the year with a 5-10 record and 4.83 ERA in 141 innings.  He was signed in the offseason by the Indians but was cut in spring training and picked up by the Phillies.  Harris was able to regain his form and provided valuable middle relief for the Phils with a 2.36 ERA in 107 innings.

Harris seemed to be pitching fairly well for the Phillies in '89, (3.58 ERA, .234 OBA) when he was placed on waivers and picked up by the Red Sox.  He did well for Boston in middle relief and ended the year with a combined 3.31 ERA in 103 innings.  The next year began as usual with Harris in middle relief for the first few weeks before injuries to the starting staff forced Harris to the rotation. He made 30 starts and while he didn't blow anyone away he didn't embarrass himself either finishing with a 4.00 ERA.  He set career bests with 13 wins and 184 innings with both marks third best on the staff behind Roger Clemens and Mike Boddicker.  Harris took the loss in Game 2 of the ALCS when he entered a tie game in the 7th inning and allowed the go ahead run, retiring just one of four A's batter he faced.

Harris jockeyed back and forth from the rotation to the pen as needed in '91 and pitched moderately well with a 3.84 ERA in 174 innings. He was trusted with a set up job in the BoSox pen in '92 and responded with a 2.51 ERA in 107 innings. The rubber-armed Harris pitched an AL best 80 games in '93 with 8 saves while holding batters to a .232 average.

The wheels came off for Harris in '94 as he was released after getting pummeled in June and July.  The Yankees gave him three games before they cut him loose.  He latched on with Montreal in '95 and performed well with a 2.61 ERA 48.1 innings.  After the season, Harris turned 40 and retired with a 74-90 record, 54 saves, 3.69 ERA, 112 ERA+, 1467 innings in 15 years of major league action.

 

Flipside:  Although Harris was signed by the Mets as a free-agent, he had been drafted three times earlier, twice by the Mets, but decided to stay in school.

Oddball:  Always an ambidextrous fellow, Harris longed for years to turn around and throw from the port side something that made Boston GM Lou Gorman nervous. In fact Gorman forbade it to which Harris responded by wearing a special glove that could be worn on either hand, giving hints that he could easily switch mid-game. Harris never got to do it in Boston but finally "switch-pitched" for Montreal in the second to last game of his career on 9/28/1995 against the Reds.  With the Expos down 9-3 in the top of the 9th, he got Reggie Sanders to ground out to short to start the inning.  Harris then turned southpaw and walked Hal Morris. He stayed with it and got Eddie Taubensee to ground out weakly.  He reverted to the right side and retired Bret Boone to end the inning.

Harris so far is the only modern pitcher to pull off switch pitching in the majors, although since then there have been others to do it in college and minor league ball.  It must be catching on though as there is an entire blog devoted to it.  In fact Little League instituted a rule mandating pitchers must declare what hand they will throw with to the batter. Is this the new rage or just a fad?

History: Harris was a versatile pitcher who is good to have on the team.  He could fill any role from starter to short relief but was best suited in the middle-relief role.  Maybe someday we will see a right-handed starter who works as a lefty reliever on his off days. Or perhaps a reliever capable of always having a platoon advantage.  Yankee switch-pitching farmhand Pat Venditte has had success and received some publicity for his talents.  But he is already 27 years old and hasn't made it to the show yet. Will he get a chance?

#269 Ron Oester - Cincinnati Reds

Ron Oester's 5th Topps card is unique in that it shows the switch-hitting Red wearing batting gloves. Oester was known for eschewing protection, preferring to bat bare handed according to his Wikipedia page and others. In fact it's the only image I can find of Oester wearing gloves.

Player: Ron Oester played 13 years in the major leagues, all with the Reds.  Taken in the 9th round in the '74 draft by his hometown team, the 18 year-old high schooler had to be quite thrilled.  Oester was a shortstop in the minors and played that position in his first two years with the Reds which consisted of a pair of six game auditions in both '78 and '79.

 

Oester made the Reds 25 man roster in 1980 but was blocked by veteran Dave Concepcion at shortstop and thus shared second base with Junior Kennedy.  He posted a .277/.336/.363 line in 335 trips to the plate and made a big enough splash to earn a 4th place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. 

He became the Reds everyday starter at the keystone position in ’81 and posted what would turn out to be a career best 109 OPS+.  He was steady but unspectacular as he held the Reds secondbase job through the 1987 season.  He didn’t have much power as his career high was 11 HR in ’83 nor was he a blazer on the base paths as he never stole as many as ten bags.  He best average as a regular was in ’85 when he flirted with .300 and finished at .295.       

In July of ’87 Oester tore his ACL and missed the rest of the year, and did not return until the following July.  He batted .280 in 150 at bats during his abbreviated ’88 campaign as he shared time with Jeff Treadway.  Oester won his job back in ’89 but was hitting just .190 when a midseason injury took him out of commission for 5 weeks.  When he came back, he platooned with fellow switch-hitter Luis Quinones.  Oester had always been more potent from the left side and he batted .294 in the second half.

Oester was a bench player in 1990, batting .299 and helping the Reds in their championship season.  Although he was hitless in 12 pinch at bats during the regular season, he was 2 for 4 in the pinch in the playoffs. Early in the year, Oester decided it would be his last season when he lost his starting job to Mariano Duncan.  Winning a World Series ring was a great way to go out and Oester kept his word and retired.

Flipside:  The remark about Oester’s birthday is reminiscent of comments that Topps used a lot in the 50’s and 60’s.  It seems a bit hokey but I suppose it’s cool to have a big game on your birthday.  Besides it’s not easy finding tremendous highlights for a guy like Oester.  It wasn’t like he was going to hit 3 homers in a game or go 6 for 6.

 

Oddball: Oester, born and bred in Cincy, has had a tumultuous relationship with his team since retiring as a player. Like a lot of ex-players he got right into coaching and as former manager Jack McKeon’s third base coach, he was considered to be the favorite to take over the reigns of the Reds in 2000. When he initally turned down what he considered an insulting offer from Reds GM Jim Bowden, the Reds quickly signed Bob Boone. Oester thought he was still negotiating when Boone’s hiring was announced. He called Bowden a liar and said he was “one of the worst people in the world.” Oester somehow retained his job on the new coaching staff, but after a poor year by the Reds and a midseason scuffle with fellow coach Tim Foli, he was canned after the season.

Oester rejoined the Reds organization in ’04 when new GM Dan O’Brien hired him as the minor league operations director. But he did not last long and got the pink slip before the season was over. Frustrated after he was axed by the team for the second time in three years, he said “I guess I didn't kiss enough (butt).”

 

History:  Oester was a decent player and finished his career with a .265/.323/.356 line and 8.8 WAR.  He was the type of player that gets overlooked because he wasn’t spectacular at anything, but he was a hardnosed consistent player.  After burning bridges in Cincinnati, Oester now works in the minors for the White Sox organization.

 

#243 Duane Walker - Cincinnati Reds

The pink border on Duane Walker's rookie card makes the red on his hat and uniform look pink as well which is unfortunate.   Walker seems worried in his cameo pic. Maybe he knew the struggle for playing time he would face in the upcoming years.

Player:  Duane Walker was a first round pick in the January draft in 1976.  In his 7th year in pro ball he finally cracked the Reds roster in May of '82.  The lefthanded outfielder started 58 games, all against right handed pitchers.  He pinch hit 21 times and knocked just 2 hits in that role.  Overall he batted just .218/.298/.322.

The Reds had a crowded outfield with Walker, twenty-somethings Gary Redus, Eddie Milner, Paul Householder and veteran Cesar Cedeno all fighting for at bats.  When the playing time was sorted out, Walker pinch hit and occasionally started in left and right field with a .236 average.

Walker had his best season in the majors in '84.  In 231 trips to the plate, he batted .292 and showed some patience with 33 walks for a .391 OBP.  Add in 10 doubles and 10 homers and Walker sported a robust .528 slugging percentage. 

The '85 season wiped away any memory of Walker as a productive player.  He batted just .167 before a mid-year trade landed him in Texas.  He fared no better in his new locale as he hit .174 for the Rangers.  Walker was not a Texas Ranger for long as they parted ways in March '86. 

Walker spent the next two years in the minors before getting another chance in the majors with St. Louis in '88.  He eked out four hits in 22 at bats as he came off the bench in all 24 of his games played.  Walker retired with a .227/.311/.367 line in five seasons of major league action.

Flipside:  Those home runs against the Astros on 8/16/82, yeah, they came off Nolan Ryan in the first and third inning. 
That definitely has to be one of the  top highlights of Walker's career.

Oddball:  Walker was another player who was strictly platooned as he started just two games in his career against lefties.   His lifetime stats show he hit .179 vs southpaws and .232 vs righties.

History:   Walker blends into a blur of Reds outfielders that came up in the 80's.  Players like Walker come and go, often unable to translate moderately successful minor league seasons into positive results in the majors.  He had one productive year with 2.1 WAR in '84.  The rest of his career resulted in negative WAR each year.  

You can now follow me on Twitter at 989baseball.

#215 Mario Soto - Cincinnati Reds

This is Mario Soto's fifth Topps card and it shows him as I remember him- with an intense look on his face.  The inset shows the same fiery stare.  Hot pink border- Yikes!

Player: Mario Soto was a fireballer with an outstanding changeup who spent his whole major league career with the Reds.  He was signed by Cincinnati in '73 and after some impressive minor league seasons was called up in 1977.  He had trouble keeping the ball in the yard allowing 12 homers in 60 innings and posted a 5.34 ERA. 

 

Soto spent most of '78 in the minors, but did well in a September call up with a 2.50 ERA in 18 frames.  The Reds converted Soto to a reliever in '79 and he began the year at AAA.  He was recalled mid year and appeared in 25 games with an ERA of 5.30.  The next year he pitched mainly in long relief but also made 12 starts.  Overall it was a very good year as Soto logged 190 innings, struck out 182, with a 3.07 ERA.  His production earned him a fifth place spot in Cy Young voting. 

 

In the strike shortened '81 season, Soto won 12 in an NL best 25 starts, completing 10 of them.  He K'd 151 in 174 innings with a 3.29 ERA.  Soto was a workhorse over the '82 and '83 seasons, logging 531 innings with 31 complete games.  He was as dominant as any NL hurler, striking out 516 batters with an ERA in the 2.70s both years 

 

Soto was again durable in '84 and '85 seasons and his performance slipped just slightly.  He won a career best 18 games in '84 and posted an ERA of 3.53 and followed it with a 3.58 mark in '85.  

 

He never really was healthy again as he struggled through the next three years making just 39 combined starts with little effectiveness.  The Reds released Soto during the '88 season and he pitched one inning for the Dodgers at the single-A level before calling it quits.  Soto retired at age 32 with 100 career wins, a 3.47 ERA (108 ERA+), and 24.6 WAR in 12 seasons.

 

Stuff:  Fastball (90-95), circle change, occasional slider

 

 

Flipside:  Soto is listed at just 176 lbs.  Maybe it was a lot to ask of him to pitch over 1,000 innings over the '82 to '85 seasons. 

Oddball:  Soto had a noted temper and was suspended twice during the '84 season. The incidents are best detailed here.

History:  Soto's career ended too soon and he is often forgotten outside of Cincinnati.  His only postseason action was two scoreless relief innings in the '79 NLCS.  He received Cy Young votes four different years and was a three time All-Star. 
Soto has stayed involved with the Reds in various capacities and currently works in their front office. 
 

#191 Joe Price - Cincinnati Reds

I must say this is a rather blah picture of Joe Price considering most cards in this set have an action shot.  What’s the deal anyway?  Price appeared in 59 games in 1982 giving Topps ample time to capture him on the mound.  Price and his million dollar smile never seemed camera shy, so I’m sure he ate up the attention that this pose afforded him on his third Topps card.

Player:  Joe Price made his debut with the Reds in 1980 and split his time almost evenly between the bullpen and rotation.   He logged 111 innings and completed two of his thirteen starts with a slightly better than average 3.56 ERA.  The Reds former 4th round pick appeared in 100 games over the next two seasons (with one start), saved seven games, and posted sub three ERA’s both years.   He struck out almost a batter per inning as his easy motion made his fastball deceptively quick. 

Price joined the rotation in ’83 and although he missed time in May with a sore elbow and Septemeber with tendonitis in his rotator cuff he was 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA (132 ERA+) in 21 starts.  He made 30 starts in ’84 but he was not as effective as his ERA rose to 4.19 (90 ERA+).  He pitched his only career shutout on 7/27 against the Dodgers and his 171.2 innings would prove to be a career high as he was mainly a reliever-spot starter from this point forward.

Price worked out of the pen and made a handful of starts with a 3.90 ERA in ’85 followed by a dismal 5.40 mark in his free agent year in ’86.  Price signed with the Giants in ’87 and spent a chunk of the season at AAA Phoenix.  He was successful when he was called up and recorded a 0.914 WHIP in 35 frames.  Price was the winning pitcher in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Cards and he totaled 5.2 scoreless innings in the series.  The next year was a bit of a letdown (84 ERA+) as he pitched 61.2 innings in middle relief with three starts mixed in.

After several rocky outings in April of ’89 the Giants cut ties with Price and he signed with the Red Sox in May.  He did slightly better in Boston but finished the year with a 4.59 ERA in 38 games.  He pitched for Baltimore in 1990 (3.58 ERA in 65.1 innings), spent ’91 in the minors, and then retired.  Price finished his career with a 45-49 record and 13 saves in 906 innings of work. 

Stuff:  86-90 mph fastball, curve, slider, change 

Flipside:  That one start in '82...it was a decent effort as Price went six innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk.  He fanned eight batters but was tagged with the loss.

Oddball:  My handy-dandy copy of The Scouting Report: 1983 reports in Price's profile "...is often accused of making dates with women during his warm-up time in the bullpen."
You can't find scouting reports like that anymore.

History:  As kids and collectors were pulling this card in '83, Price was in the midst of his finest season.  His career year netted him 3.6 WAR which is nearly half his career total of 7.8.  He won a playoff game for the Giants in '87 but never played in the World Series. 
After his playing days Price stuck around Cincinatti and is now is a big-shot with a local realtor.