2006 Upper Deck, Eddie Guardado

#1078 Eddie Guardado

Here is the second card of Everyday Eddie that I got signed outside of Kauffman Stadium in 2017. Eddie was the bullpen coach for the Twins and he was nice enough to stop and sign on the way into the ballpark. I posted the first card of him this past summer and that card can be seen here.

Even though Eddie spent most of his career pitching for the Twins, he did see time with a few other clubs. After the 2003 season, Eddie signed with the Mariners. He pitched for them for two and a half years and racked up 59 saves. The M's then traded Eddie to the Reds in early July of 2006 and Eddie got his first taste of National League baseball.

Prior to the trade, the Reds were 44-41 and two games back in the Central. Though Eddie pitched well that season Cincy, he ultimately did not matter and the club finished 80-82, three and a half games back of the eventual World Champion Cardinals. Though he had a 1.29 ERA and 8 saves, Eddie threw his last pitch that season in mid-August before being shut down for the rest of the season.

He nearly missed the entire 2007 season, but came back in August and was not his usual self. In fifteen games, Eddie was 0-2 in save opportunities and had an ERA of 7.24. He would become a free agent after the season and end up in Texas. But, during his tenure in Cincinnati, Eddie was 0-0 with 8 saves and a 4.23 ERA in 30 games.

When I posted that last card of Eddie, he was still the Twins bullpen coach. Since then, the Twins fired Paul Molitor and have hired Rocco Baldelli to manage the club. Naturally, the new guy wanted to build his own coaching staff and Eddie has been let go. Based on my brief run-in with him in 2017, I doubt that he is too terribly sad about it. When I asked him how he liked coaching, he said that it was just OK and that today's players are too soft.