Card Spotlight 5-9-08 (Late)

Another casualty last week, because of my new work schedule and the adjustment period, was the Card Spotlight. So, better late than never, here it is.

Don't you just love the smile that Mike has? I have no memory of Mike Diaz, but I have what seems like a million cards of his 1989 Topps card. This 1989 Upper Deck card? Not so much.

Why do I have so many of his 1989 Topps card? It's probably due to several factors. One being card overproduction. Another being that Mike did not play in the majors past 1988. Mabe it's that combined average of .235 between the Pirates and the White Sox in 1988. But it could be that his Topps card is ugly.

His 1989 Upper Deck card is quite different. There is a nice smiling photo of Mike. It's like he knows that he's basically stealing money from the Sox and now he's laughing his way to the bank. He could be smiling because he's back in Chicago. He started his career with the Cubs in 1983.

I will always remember the news reports of Upper Deck destroying the masters of the cards on camera so the cards would never be printed again. That and the hologram on the back were a huge deal when this set came out. Maybe that is why I don't come across too many 1989 Upper Deck cards, unless I specifically buy them.

I'll be honest with you. Nothing has jogged my recollection of Mike being on the White Sox. I know he was there, but I can't remember him on the Sox, or on the Pirates or on the Cubs. You'd think that with a nickname like Rambo, Mike would stick out a little more. Oh well, he can join the growing legion of players that I don't recall playing for the Sox in 1988. Yeah, I'm looking at you Kelly Paris. At least Upper Deck proved that Mike can take a nice picture.