1989 rafael palmeiro

rafael palmeiro was traded from the cubs to the rangers in december of 1988.  here is his 1989 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

i wonder if he ever used that commercial art degree. 

palmeiro had a pretty good year for the cubs in 1988 (he finished second in the nl in batting average), but they needed some bullpen help so palmeiro was dealt (along with jamie moyer) for mitch williams and steve wilson.  he was replaced in left by roy runner up dwight smith, and things turned out ok for the cubbies that seasonas they won 93 games and won the national league east.  unfortunately, they lost the nlcs to the giants.  meanwhile, palmeiro 'blossomed' in texas, hitting 107 home runs in his first stint (covering 5 seasons) with the team, although he hit only 8 in 1989.  he went to baltimore for 5 years in the mid-90's before returning for a four year tour with the rangers.  he ended his career with another run in baltimore, this time for 1-plus seasons.

his final stats include 3020 hits, 569 home runs, 5388 total bases, and 1192 extra base hits.  of course, he also wiggled his finger in front of congress and then failed a steroids test. 

voici à vous, 1989 rafael palmeiro!