Thought it would be fun to go through my small collection of Toronto Blue Jays cards and pull out 10 of the most interesting. Only rule is that I wouldn't feature any cards I've already shown on the blog. (I was almost too sad to follow through with this post, what with the news that Marcus Stroman -- the most likable guy on a team full of likable guys -- is going to miss the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL. Ugh.)
I've got a handful of beat-up Blue Jays cards from the 1977 Topps, the team's expansion year. Chuck Hartenstein here is easily my favorite. The aviators, the mutton chops, the long hair -- a guy couldn't like more like the '70s if he tried. Judging from the back of the card, Hartenstein had been out of the majors since 1970, when he appeared in games for the Pirates, Cardinals and Red Sox. I assume he had been bouncing around the minors since then, since the back of the card says he was "purchased from Hawaii" by the Jays.
Jesse Barfield was probably the Jays' biggest star when I first became aware of them, a slugging right-fielder with a cannon of an arm (basically a lesser version of Jose Bautista). This is his rookie card from 1982 Topps Traded. The 1982 design is one of the nicer ones of the decade, I think.
It occurred to me as I was pulling cards out for this post that I had to be careful not to just feature rookie cards. But I had to include this one, since its my favorite rookie card of my favorite Blue Jay as a kid. First off, the 1990 Score design looks great, one of the best Score has ever had. And second, it shows Olerud playing in the field with his trademark hard ballcap (which he had to wear because of a brain aneurysm he suffered in college).
It occurred to me as I was pulling cards out for this post that I had to be careful not to just feature rookie cards. But I had to include this one, since its my favorite rookie card of my favorite Blue Jay as a kid. First off, the 1990 Score design looks great, one of the best Score has ever had. And second, it shows Olerud playing in the field with his trademark hard ballcap (which he had to wear because of a brain aneurysm he suffered in college).
The greatest Blue Jay oddball card ever. The hype in Canada surrounding Lindros was H-U-G-E in 1990. So Score -- which had, um, scored a licensing deal with Lindros giving it the exclusive right to produce hockey cards of him before he joined the NHL -- did what any exploitive capitalist would do: It made a baseball card of him, too. The picture comes from a "tryout" the Blue Jays gave Lindros, which I assume was a giant publicity state. Look at how hard he's trying to swing that bat!
Came across this card in a few months ago in a dime box at the local card show and snapped it up immediately. From 1993 Upper Deck, it celebrates the biggest trade in Blue Jays history (and one of the biggest in baseball history): The deal in which the Jays sent Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter. Though the trade was incredibly controversial at the time, it worked out wonderfully for Toronto: Alomar may be the greatest player in team history and is the first guy into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a Jays cap, and Carter is the guy behind the most famous hit in team history. You can trace a direct line from this trade in December 1990 to the back-to-back World Series championships the Jays won in 1992 and 1993.
Baseball's biggest carnival act performed in Toronto for a single season. And Jose Canseco was actually really good in 1998, hitting 46 home runs (although he was a muscle-bound trainwreck in the field by that point). With just one year in Toronto, I can't imagine there are too many cards of Canseco in a Jays uniform. This one is from Fleer Traditions.
I'm not a big fan of chrome cards, but I picked this one up in a combined shipping deal on eBay because I like R.A. Dickey and I like the Canada Day jerseys the Jays roll out every year. Pretty sure it's the only purple card own. Clashes pretty spectacularly with the red jersey.
The 2013 Blue Jays have to be one of the more disappointing sides in team history. There was so much hype surrounding the team heading into the year and they immediately face-planted. One of the very few bright spots that year was Munenori Kawasaki, who came up from the minors after an injury to Jose Reyes and added some much-needed levity to the clubhouse. He hit a homerun against the Baltimore Orioles that year -- the only one of his career -- which was the highlight of the season. Everyone, teammates and fans alike, was so happy for him. This card, from 2014 Topps Heritage, perfectly captures the essence of "Muni."
Put one of my favorite Blue Jays (well, until he was traded to the Oakland A's, that is) on one of my favorite card designs from when I was a kid and you get to be on my list of 10 Blue Jays cards.
The Jays once hoped Brett Lawrie would develop into the team's first ever Canadian-born star. That obviously didn't happen -- so here's the next in the line of the franchise's Great White North Hopes. Dalton Pompey Jr. is one of the more exciting prospects Toronto has. He's fast, patient at the plate and a great fielder. And its looking more and more like he's going to be starting in center field for Toronto on Opening Day.
Came across this card in a few months ago in a dime box at the local card show and snapped it up immediately. From 1993 Upper Deck, it celebrates the biggest trade in Blue Jays history (and one of the biggest in baseball history): The deal in which the Jays sent Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter. Though the trade was incredibly controversial at the time, it worked out wonderfully for Toronto: Alomar may be the greatest player in team history and is the first guy into the Baseball Hall of Fame in a Jays cap, and Carter is the guy behind the most famous hit in team history. You can trace a direct line from this trade in December 1990 to the back-to-back World Series championships the Jays won in 1992 and 1993.
Baseball's biggest carnival act performed in Toronto for a single season. And Jose Canseco was actually really good in 1998, hitting 46 home runs (although he was a muscle-bound trainwreck in the field by that point). With just one year in Toronto, I can't imagine there are too many cards of Canseco in a Jays uniform. This one is from Fleer Traditions.
I'm not a big fan of chrome cards, but I picked this one up in a combined shipping deal on eBay because I like R.A. Dickey and I like the Canada Day jerseys the Jays roll out every year. Pretty sure it's the only purple card own. Clashes pretty spectacularly with the red jersey.
The 2013 Blue Jays have to be one of the more disappointing sides in team history. There was so much hype surrounding the team heading into the year and they immediately face-planted. One of the very few bright spots that year was Munenori Kawasaki, who came up from the minors after an injury to Jose Reyes and added some much-needed levity to the clubhouse. He hit a homerun against the Baltimore Orioles that year -- the only one of his career -- which was the highlight of the season. Everyone, teammates and fans alike, was so happy for him. This card, from 2014 Topps Heritage, perfectly captures the essence of "Muni."
Put one of my favorite Blue Jays (well, until he was traded to the Oakland A's, that is) on one of my favorite card designs from when I was a kid and you get to be on my list of 10 Blue Jays cards.
The Jays once hoped Brett Lawrie would develop into the team's first ever Canadian-born star. That obviously didn't happen -- so here's the next in the line of the franchise's Great White North Hopes. Dalton Pompey Jr. is one of the more exciting prospects Toronto has. He's fast, patient at the plate and a great fielder. And its looking more and more like he's going to be starting in center field for Toronto on Opening Day.
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