Funny how as a child beginning a lifelong obsession with card
collecting, certain players are remembered regardless of the fact that
barely played in the Majors at all.
Some of these guys, like todays subject Rick Baldwin, was all about timing.
Even though I was a Yankee fan, I also loved to pull Met players
out of packs since I thought their color-scheme on cards always looked
so nice (something that started for me in that perfect 1976 set!).
Years later I realize that Baldwin lasted a scant three seasons in the big leagues, and barely even played in 1976 at that!
Regardless, here's a 1978 card that I feel should have been included in the set based on his action during the 1977 season:
Over 40 games, Baldwin posted a 1-2 record with a 4.45 earned run average and a save in 62.2 innings of work.
Those 40 games would be the last he'd see on a Major League mound,
relegating him to a group of guys in my mind like Bob Myrick, George
Zeber and Mickey Klutts.
Baldwin would pitch in the minors during the 1978 season for both Seattle and Pittsburgh before calling it a career.
But alas, he lives on thanks to slabs of cardboard obsessed over by guys like myself!
