1973 Topps Enzo Hernandez
My guess is, unless you are old school, you are asking yourself, "What's an Enzo and why is he on this site right now?" Well, I'm sorry to say, the reason he is our Memory of the Week is, Enzo Hernandez committed suicide in his native Venezuela a few years back at the age of 63.
Why Enzo, why? According to the article I read, he had suffered from depression for some time. That's always sad to hear. Was it connected to the back problem that ended his career prematurely? We'll never know.
But on to the happy things about this former Padres shortstop. First of all, he was indeed the first major leaguer named Enzo, so for that reason alone, you have to love him. Secondly, look at that uniform. Is that not a thing of beauty? Oh, the Padres of the early 70s and their yellow...
And let's not forget the incredibly cool 1973 Topps design with the great looking cartoon in the lower right hand corner that depicts the position. Oh how I love the 1973 cards.
I was only four when this series was released but it's the first baseball card series that I remember from my youth. I didn't have many, but on occasion I'm guessing Mom and Dad would buy me a pack or two. Maybe that's what started the obsession, who knows?
As for Enzo himself, well, he wasn't much of a hitter. Then again, shortstops in the 70s weren't known for their hitting. We could go on for days talking about the Jim Masons, Johnnie LeMasters and Tom Veryzers of this era. But Enzo could field. And he could do it in a puke yellow uniform which is even more impressive.
It's getting sad seeing more and more players from my youth passing on. Sure, I don't remember seeing Enzo play, but I had all of his baseball cards which is the reason he indeed a baseball card memory!
Rest In Peace Enzo.
