1983 dave collins

what's more american to celebrate on the fourth of july than baseball and the yankees dumping a player with two years left on his contract?  that's what they did after the 1982 season, when they sent dave collins, a guy they signed to a 3-year deal a year earlier, to the blue jays (with mike morgan, fred mcgriff, and cash) for dale murray and tom dodd.  and you wonder why the yankees missed the postseason for 14 years.  here's collins' 1983 o-pee-chee card:

here's the topps front:

now the o-pee-chee back:

and the topps back:

collins spent his first season in toronto as their primary left fielder.  he hit .271 in 118 games, and stole 31 bases.  in 1984, however, collins returned to the form he displayed with the reds in 1979 and 1980, hitting .308 and stealing 60 bases.  he also set career highs in doubles and triples (his 14 3-baggers led the league) and his .811 ops was the best of his career as well.  for his efforts, collins was named blue jays' player of the year, but was later traded prior to the 1985 season.

voici à vous, 1983 dave collins!