Today on the blog we go ahead and "fix" another
All-Star card snub, this time a 1984 All-Star card for the National
League starter for the 1983 game, Mario Soto of the Cincinnati Reds:
1984
is really where Topps went off the rails with their All-Star cards,
pretty much just ignoring the starters of the Midsummer Classic and just
giving the honor to whomever they wanted.
There's NO better example than ignoring the pitcher who started the game in 1983 for the N.L., Mario Soto, ace of the Reds.
Soto
started the game, tossing two innings and taking the rare loss for the
N.L., though he only gave up two unearned runs in that game before the
American League blew it open later on, capped off with the Fred Lynn
grand slam off Atlee Hammaker.
Soto would go on to have an
excellent 1983 season, finishing runner-up for the Cy Young Award with a
record of 17-13, with a 2.70 ERA and 242 strikeouts, with three
shutouts along the way.
An absolute stud on the mound between
1980 and 1985, he'd strikeout as many as 274 batters (1982) while
averaging 14 wins a season before arm troubles did him in by the age of
30.
He'd retire at only 33 after the 1988 season with 100 wins
and a 3.47 ERA over 297 appearances, with 13 shutouts over 72 complete
games, striking out 1449 along the way.
