Here’s
a “not-so-missing” card for a guy who appeared in four Major League
games during the 1972 season, those four being the only games he’d play
at the big league level over his 14 seasons as a professional player,
Detroit Tigers outfielder Ike Blessitt:
Blessitt started his career at the age of 17 in the Detroit Mino League
system in 1967 but didn’t get a taste of the “big show” until 1972,
going 0-5 with two strikeouts in that aforementioned cup-of-coffee.
It wasn’t for the lack of trying however, as Blessitt managed to stick
around pro-ball until the age of 38, playing for Yucatan in the Mexican
League in 1988!
All in all, he played for three MLB organizations: the Tigers, Oakland
A’s and Milwaukee Brewers, but was never able to make it back to the
Majors, before putting in serious time in the Minors until the
late-80’s.