1981 Donruss, Leon Roberts

#48 Leon Roberts

Here is another '81 Donruss card that I got signed through the mail over the past year (this is going to be a common trend over the next few months). I did, however, try to get this card signed in person last summer. Actually, I had my dad try. Leon is the hitting coach for the Oklahome City Redhawks and we went to a game when they were playing the Omaha Storm Chasers. Since Omaha is the Royals AAA affiliate, my girlfriend and I 'graphed the Omaha side while we sent my dad over to 'graph the home team side. My girlfriend and I tallied over thirty autos that day while my dad got none. He was a little disappointed over the shutout, too, which is funny to me. Five years ago, I had to beg and plead with him to go and try to get a signature from someone. Now he will do it without me having to ask him twice. He has come a long way.

But, since I did not get this card signed at that game, I sent it to Leon after the season was over and I had it back in less than a week.

Leon played in the Majors for eleven seasons. He played with the Tigers, Astros, Mariners, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Royals. He was mainly a fourth outfielder-type, though he did play everyday for a few seasons. One of those seasons was 1978 with the M's and he had a career year that season. He finished the year with a .301 average with 22 home runs, 92 RBI, and 78 runs, all of which were career highs and team highs. For his career, Leon was .267 hitter who collected 78 home runs.

Leon's final season came in 1984 with the Royals and he had the opportunity to make his pitching debut that season. In an early July game in Cleveland, Royals starter Bud Black got shelled for seven first inning runs. The club went to their bullpen in the second inning and by the eighth inning, they were down 12-3. Kansas City threw Leon out the for the bottom of the inning and things did not get any better. Leon surrendered three more runs that inning on four hits and a walk. One of the four hits was a homer by Chris Bando. Leon did manage to strikeout Mel Hall to lead off the inning, though.

'81 Donruss Tracker: 94/100