1981 Donruss, Rick Reuschel

#561 Rick Reuschel

I got back from my trip to the Metrodome tonight and I had this card waiting for me in the mailbox. I sent this card to Rick on the 25th on got it back either Friday or Saturday. That is one of the better turnarounds that I have recieved this year.

So far, this is probably the darkest card in the set that I have had signed (the scanner brightened it up a bit). The set is great for autographs because most of the shots are posed and are really bright. But, there are a few action shots that look like this or worse. Luckily, Rick signed it on the best spot possible- right along his leg.

I remember Rick from his playing days. But all I knew of him was from 1987 on up. He was just a common player and I never paid him any mind. I had no idea until recently that how long of a career he had. He played for 19 seasons and was a three-time All Star. He made his first All Star team at the age of 28 and didn't make his second one until the age of 38. He won 19 games with the Giants the next season, but didn't make the All Star team. But, he was an All Star the following year and went on to win 17 games for the Giants. For his career, he won 214 games and struck out 2,015 batters. That sounds like a pretty respectable career and I am glad that I was able to add him to my '81 Donruss collection.

On the way home today, I made an impromptu visit to a neat little museum. I will do a post on that tomorrow (which is actually today) and throw in a few shots from the Metrodome as well. There will even be an autographed card from a Hall of Famer in the post.

'81 Donruss Tracker: 34/100