#16 Wilton Guerrero
Here is a card that I picked up from COMC for a mere sixty cents. I normally try to avoid buying Signature Rookies cards if I can. But Wilton falls into a certain category where I make an exception. Like John Mabry, I got something signed by Wilton at a game once and it was not a baseball card. It was a wrong that needed corrected and I could not pass it up for sixty cents.
I got a roster signed by Wilton in St. Louis in 1998. Jim Eisenreich also signed the roster and I posted a picture of it a few years back. It can be seen here.
Wilton broke in with the Dodgers in 1996 and was a regular in 1997. He hit .291 with them that year and had career highs in home runs(4), triples(9), and RBI(32). He was then packaged in a deal at the deadline in '98 and shipped off to Montreal for Carlos Perez and Mark Grudzielanek. He played with the Expos for two and a half seasons, and got some decent playing time, before signing with the Reds in 2001.
He played sparingly in Cincy for a season in a half before being part of a three team deal that included Carl Pavano, Cliff Floyd, and Ryan Dempster. He finished off the 2002 season with the Expos before spending all of '03 in the minors. He resurfaced in the Majors in '04 for 24 games with the Royals. I am a die-hard Royals fan, but I had no idea Wilton was ever on the team. I was in basic training for most of that season, so I guess that is my excuse. 2004 was the last time he played a Major League game.
For his career, Wilton hit .282 with 11 home runs and 127 RBI.
Speaking of Royals, did anyone notice that they went up 2-0 in the ALCS today? Whether you like the Royals or not, you have to admit that they sure make their games interesting.
It is impossible to tell in this scan, but this card is a mini-sized. It is not quite Allen and Ginter mini, but is the same size as the Old Judge card I posted yesterday.
No comments:
Post a Comment