1969 Topps, Jim Gosger

#482 Jim Gosger

I got this card signed at the Kansas City A's reunion as Jim was leaving the ballpark. He signed this card and I thanked him and then he replied with something that I had never heard before. He actually thanked me for asking for his autograph. I didn't even know how to respond to that and I just stood there thinking "did he just say that" as he walked off. Looking back on it now, I can tell that it was a sincere thank you and I hope that my asking for his autograph capped off his night at the ballpark. If so, it would most likely be a first for me.

Jim played in the Majors for parts of ten seasons with the Red Sox, A's, Pilots, Mets, and Expos. He was a light hitting outfielder that only appeared in more than 100 games in a season twice. He finished his career with a .226 average with 30 home runs.

I love the quote on his Baseball Almanac page. "I didn't think that I was I that bad of a ballplayer, but they're (the media) making a believer out of me." - Jim Gosger (1969).

This is the first Seattle Pilots card that I have posted on here. It is not the first Pilots card that I got signed (that one is for tomorrow), but it it the first to be posted.