Time to post up a "missing" 1987 card for one of my all-time favorite players, Paul O'Neill, who wouldn't get a Topps card until the 1988 set came around:
O'Neill actually made his
Big League debut with five appearances in 1985 before coming back for
three games in 1986, with Topps leaving him out of their sets in 1986
and 1987.
It wasn't until the 1987 season that P'Neill would
get some significant playing time, hitting .256 with 41 hits in 160
at-bats in 84 games.
During his time in Cincinnati, the Reds
insisted on him trying to be a "slugger", something that caused some
friction between player and management.
Of course, as we all
know, as fate would have it, the Reds would trade him to the New York
Yankees for Roberto Kelly before the 1993 season, and the rest, as they
say, is history.
Once in the Bronx, O'Neill became a
perennial All-Star and .300 hitter, leading what would become a
four-time World Champion dynasty as he would be their #3 hitter, even
winning a batting title during the strike-shortened 1994 season.
I
absolutely loved this guy during his Yankee tenure, getting to see him
play hundreds of times before he'd retire after the 2001 season.
About
as solid a player as they came, he even would go out with style,
collecting his FIRST 20-home run/20-stolen base season in his last year
at the age of 38.
The man was a battler.
His numbers upon retirement: 2105 hits, 281 homers, 1269 RBIs and a .288 batting average, while also swiping 141 bases.
Look out for my 1986 "missing" card for him here on the blog soon!
