2003 Topps, Dustin Yount

#T208 Dustin Yount

Here is a card that I got signed by Robin Yount's son in 2008. Dustin signed this card in Souix City, Iowa at a Souix City Explorers American Association game. That was the first independent league game I ever went to and Dustin was playing for the Lincoln Saltdogs at the time. I got Dustin to sign it after the game was over and he looked long and hard at the card like he had never seen it before. I guess it might have been the first time that he saw the gold version.

Prior to that game, while the teams were warming up, there was a man walking around in the stands in some Brewers gear. He had on a Mitchell & Ness early '80s style Brewers jersey with Robin Yount's name and number on the back, as well as the Brewers old glove hat. Dustin must have appreciated the gesture because he sent the bat boy into to the stands to give the guy a baseball that he had signed. I thought that was pretty neat.

Unfortunately, Dustin's career has not come close to mirroring his father's. He was drafted out of high school by the Orioles in 2001. He slowly moved up the ranks, despite his lack of hitting. Hit didn't hit over .250 until his fourth season in the minors and that was after repeating low A. He struggled in his first stint at AA in 2006 and in 2007, he was reassigned to the O's high-A team. In 13 games there, he went 1-33 (.030) before the O's released him. He played with three different independent teams over the rest of 2007 and 2008. Last year, he did not play at all.

But, this year, the Dodgers gave him a shot and assigned him to AA. In 34 games there, he was hitting .229 before recently being sent down to the Dodgers high-A team. There, he is teammates with his younger cousin, Austin Yount.

I think that this is the first card I have posted on here of a player in shorts.