1981 Donruss, Jim Essian

#503 Jim Essian

Here is the card of Jim Essian that I got signed through the mail last year. It took about three weeks to get this card back.

Like I have said in previous posts, I haven't taken the time to collect the complete set of '81 Donruss. Because of that, I miss out on guys that could be easy to get (like Neil Allen last week). But, when I see a guy signing that I need a card of, I usually try to pick it up from Sportlots. While I love buying from COMC just because of the ease of ordering, I usually go with Sportlots when I am needing a single card. Their low prices are tough to beat for one card. I bring Sportlots up because that is how I obtained this card.

Jim played in the Major Leagues for twelve seasons with the Phillies, White Sox, A's, Mariners, and Indians. He was a .244 hitter for his career and he finished with 33 home runs and 207 RBI. His best season came with the White Sox in 1977. That year, he hit .273 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI.

This is one of a handful of cards in this set that shows a player with one team, but lists a different team on the card. In this instance, Jim signed with the Sox early in free agency after the 1980 season, just in time for Donruss to recognize his new team on this card. Jim's 1980 Topps and Fleer cards do not mention the White Sox at all.

'81 Donruss Tracker: #220