2004 Topps, Mike MacDougal

#113 Mike MacDougal

Here is a card of former Royals closer, Mike MacDougal. I have a few balls signed by Mike, but this is the only card. While Mike was a Royal, I was more interested in tailgating in the parking lot than going in early to get autographs. Plus, I wasn't collecting cards then, so I probably didn't even have any cards of him. Lucky for me, Uncle Moe, from My 2008 Topps Set Blog, sent me this card last year after I got a few '08 Topps cards signed for him. So today, I am thankful for Uncle Moe and his blog!

Mike, the Royals first round pick in 1999, played for the Royals for parts if six seasons. His most memorable season for me was 2003 when he made his lone All Star team (that was the last season that more than one Royal made the All Star team) and helped the Royals stay in first place for most of the year. He recorded a career-high 27 saves that season. But in 2005, Mike was the Royals pitcher of the year when he recorded 21 saves and struck out 72 in 70.1 innings. The Royals obviously didn't have very good pitchers that season.

Since his days in Kansas City, Mike has gone on to play for the White Sox, Nationals, and Cardinals. He had 20 saves for the Nats in 2009 and those are the only saves he has recorded since being traded from the Royals. With the Cardinals this past season, Mike posted a 7.23 ERA in only 18.2 innings of work.

My dad and I have a history of going to the final Royals game of the season. Back in 2001 or 2002, we were at the final game. There was hardly anyone there, so we went down and sat right behind the Royals dugout. During the game, Carlos Beltran came up to bat and on one of the pitches, he got a little off balance and in front of the pitch and he ended up throwing his bat. That bat came straight at me. I watched on Sports Center later that night and you could see me trying to hide behind my scorebook as the bat came towards me. Luckily, the Royals dugout protected me. Mike MacDougal wasn't so lucky as Carlos' bat ended up hitting him in the head and fracturing his skull. How's that for a September call-up? Mike spent a few days in the hospital, but he still has lingering effects from the incident including numbness in some fingers on his throwing hand (at least he did as a Royal). But at least I got on Sports Center.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

2003 Topps, Roberto Hernandez

#23 Roberto Hernandez

Last December, I got a random package in the mail from Arizona. It came from Uncle Moe, of My 2008 Topps Set Blog. In it were three random Royals autographs that he had sent me as a thank you for helping him out with a few cards for his blog. The best part about it was that the three cards were of three known Royals players (at least to Royals fans) that I did not have any signed cards from. How Moe could just randomly pull out three signed Royals cards from his collection of players I needed signed cards from is beyond me, but he obviously did a great job.

Ramon represents an interesting era of Royals baseball. In 2000, the Royals had the best offensive season in the history of the franchise. It was a fun team to watch and it would have been a legitimate contender if they had decent pitching. But they didn't. Instead, they had a merry-go-round bullpen that ended with the closer, Ricky Bottalico. Rickey finished the season 9-6 with 16 saves. How many teams have closers that have almost as many decisions as saves?

Luckily, the Royals GM, Allard Baird, came up with a solution during the offseason. He decided that the Royals needed a legitimate Major League closer and that was all that was standing between them and the playoffs. So, in a three team deal, he traded Johnny Damon for Roberto Hernandez, Angel Berroa, and A.J. Hinch. That was the beginning of the end of the great Royals offense and, except for a fluke 2003 season, the end of competitive Royals baseball.

But, Roberto did a decent job as Kansas City's closer. In his two seasons in that role, he recorded 54 saves. But with the loss of Damon and then Jermaine Dye at the 2001 trade deadline, the Royals offense had lost a lot of its punch and Roberto didn't get as many save situations as Baird thought he was going to get when he acquired him.

After the 2002 season, the Royals granted Roberto his free agency. He went on to pitch five more seasons in the Majors, but not as a closer. The former two-time All Star only recorded six saves after his Royals tenure. But, for his career, he amassed 326 saves, which ranks him at number twelve on the all-time list.

I believe Moe got this card signed during Spring Training. Thanks Moe!