Card Spotlight: 3-11-11

1995 Zenith #2 - Alex Fernandez

Who could ever forget Zenith? Well, I could. I wasn't around when Pinnacle released this foiled card set. I'm not really sure if I would have actively collected the set. I do find the cards intriguing, but not enough to collect the entire set. I'm only interested in the White Sox cards.

I'm sure that this was considered somewhat cutting edge in 1995. Maybe I'm jaded, with all the chrome and foil that is used to overkill effect in today's sets, but this doesn't seem unique or special in any way. It might possibly be because Pinnacle used better looking technology with their 1994 flagship set, to greater effect, with their Dufex cards.

Every time I see cards from this set, I think of The Wizard of Oz. It seems odd that a yellow brick road dominates half the card. It's still a bold linear design that is pleasing on the eyes.

It's easy to forget how good Alex Fernandez was with the Sox. Cards like this one give a nice peek into his success. The back of this card features a strike frequency chart. All pitches were on par with the league average, as was first pitch. When Alex really shined was later in the count. When he was ahead of the batter, he pitched a little above average, which featured a strike ratio of slightly over 60%. When Alex was behind in the count, he threw strikes just over 70% of the time, which is well above the league average. Just think of what those numbers might have been like if the strike didn't happen.