It feels like I haven't done a "Dedicated Rookie" in a long while,
so allow me to present my 1975 dedicated rookie card for perennial Gold
Glove first baseman Keith Hernandez:
Hernandez was just about to launch his stellar Major League career in 1975 after playing in 14 games during the 1974 season.
Topps gave him a spot on one of the multi-player rookie cards in
the 1975 set, but a dedicated card for him seems like a natural for this
blog.
As far as his career, all he would do from then on is win a batting
title in 1979, a co-MVP Award the very same year (sharing it with
Pirate legend Willie Stargell), take home 11 Gold Glove Awards for his
magic at first base, and get named to five all-star
games.
He was part of a World Champion team with both the St. Louis
Cardinals in 1982 and the New York Mets in 1986, and would finish his
17-year career with over 2000 hits, 1000 runs scored, 1000 runs batted
in and a .296 average.
He became an instant darling here in New York to so many kids when
he arrived during the 1983 season, and I have to admit even though I was
a rabid Yankee fan and WORSHIPPED Don Mattingly, Hernandez was a guy I
just had to like no matter what.
It just seemed that it was the Hernandez trade that got the
mid-80's Mets team going in the right direction, soon to be joined by
the likes of Cone, Gooden, Carter and crew.
