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1977 Topps Sal Bando This one hurt more than usual. We just lost former A's & Brewers legend Sal Bando. His passing is even tougher as he was the first big free agent the Brewers signed and I remember it well. He only had one really good season in Milwaukee, but he was brought credibility to the franchise. Bando replaced Don Money at 3rd base for the Brewers. Money would move to 2nd base where he would be an All Star in 1978. Bando would be the Brewers GM in 1991 and would fi

1986 ProCards Bert Pena Former Houston Astros utility infielder Bert Pena passed away recently. I tried to find one of his major league cards but it looks like he doesn't have one. So instead, here is a 1986 minor league card from Tucson Toros. Pena is a perfect example of the difference between the 1980s and the 2020s. Beginning his minor league career in 1977, he would play until 1988 with parts of six seasons in the major leagues. But here's the thing about Pena that is mo

We lost 53 year old Lee Tinsley this week. Another former ballplayer gone too soon, and the second former Phillies' player to pass away in the past week. Tinsley played for parts of five seasons in the major leagues including a very brief stay in Philadelphia. I didn't even remember him playing in Philly when I first heard so I looked him up. He had only 52 at bats in 1996 after coming over from Boston in the Heathcliff Slocumb deal. He was another one of those players that

The hits just keep on coming, but this time, it's a play I watched play a lot in his day. Solid relief pitcher Bill Campbell passed away today. Campbell was solid for many teams for more than a decade and he will be missed. It's unfortunate that my biggest memory of him was the poor trades both to the Phillies and away from the Phillies. Coming off an average season for the 1983 Cubs, the Phillies gave up three players, Gary "Sarge" Matthews, reliever Porfi Altamirano, and on

1974 Topps (Washington Variation) Enough already! We lost another player from my youth, former slugger and Mr. Padre before Dave Winfield, Nate Colbert. He was a slugger who had a monster 1972 campaign for the lowly Padres, though his time at the top was limited. He had five really good seasons and then fell off a cliff, so to speak. Few realize he finished his career in 1976 with a few at bats with the Oakland A's after his release from the Expos. I know I sound like a brok