1982 Fleer #7

Rodney Scott

1982 Fleer #207
Category: 2B/SS
Position: Expos Also-Ran
Bio/Summary: Poor Rodney Scott. It’s not enough that the guy had a career 71 OPS, he also didn’t even get put on his own card. 1982 was horrific; he had a 32 OPS+ with Montreal and got released then picked up by New York. It was his last year in the majors.
Rating: 7/10 – Hah, I wasn’t sure what to give this card. That sure isn’t Rodney Scott, but it’s a damn cool shot of Tim Raines in the on-deck circle. So I give it props for the great photo.

Elias Sosa

1982 Fleer #208
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: RP
Bio/Summary: I was all ready to write Elias off as a nobody for the Expos, but his numbers belie that assumption…sort of. He had some not-so-stellar WHIPs, which can be the kiss of death for a reliever. 1981 was Sosa’s last year in Montreal, and it was his worst, a sign that his career was on the downswing. He had a 95 ERA+ and a 1.373 WHIP. He was dealt to the Tigers in the offseason, and finished up his career with the Padres in 1983.
Rating: 6/10 – That Sunoco sign in the background is boss. Where is this, Philly? I like that you can see the sky above the roof; those things save an otherwise awful, out-of-focus, dark shot.

Chris Speier

1982 Fleer #209
Category: Former Expo
Position: IF
Bio/Summary: I remember Speier from his time with San Francisco in the late 80s. In 1982 he was a light-hitting infielder with the Expos, knocking an 88 OPS+ in 156 games.  I remember that he had a pretty decent glove, so that wasn’t bad at all…but having a guy like that in your lineup every day certainly doesn’t indicate a playoff-caliber team.
Rating: 8/10 – Another awesome on-deck shot. We need more of these.

 

Tim Wallach

1982 Fleer #210
Category: Expos Star
Position: 3B
Bio/Summary: Early Wallach! I didn’t even know he was in this set before coming across this card. 1982 was Wallach’s first full year as an Expo (he had auditions in 80 and 81), and he didn’t fail to produce, hitting 28 home runs and knocking in 81 runs with a 115 OPS+. Of course, he would go on to bigger and better things for the Expos.
Rating: 4/10 – Looks like the same location as the Sosa shot, but much more boring.

Jerry White

1982 Fleer #211
Category: Former Expo
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: Jerry was another one of those light-hitting outfielders that plagued the Expos in the 80s. In 1982 he posted an absymal .243/.304/.365 line, and only lasted one more year as an Expo.
Rating: 7/10 – Ah hah! Suspicions confirmed. See that Phillies player in the background? Definitely old Veterans Stadium, then. Wish I could tell whose arm that is over his shoulder, but #32 should be Tom Gorman, who didn’t make this set. *frown face*

1982 Fleer #6

Roberto (Bobby) Ramos

1982 Fleer #203
Category: Failed Prospect
Position: C
Bio/Summary: I’ve covered Bobby Ramos on this site before, when he was on the Tim Raines rookie card, but this is the first time we’ve had a “pure” card of him. What to make of him? Not much. He never played a full season in the majors, and only appeared in four games in 1982 with the Yankees, going .091/.091/.364. If you’re playing along at home, that’s a .455 OPS.
Rating: 4/10 – Tilted photo? Check. Awful astroturf? Check. Bad hair? Check. It’s a capsule of the early 80s.

Jeff Reardon

1982 Fleer #204
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: RP
Bio/Summary: For awhile there, The Terminator was the career record holder for saves, even leading the league with 41 in 1985. 1982 was the beginning of his reign as a closer, when he scored 26 in 75 games and had a 177 ERA+. The most interesting thing is that he finished 53 games, which means he was closing out games even in losses – something you’d never see of a closer these days.

Rating: 4/10 – Dude looks like a trucker here, and the picture has the same issue with the darkness and flash.

Steve Rogers

1982 Fleer #205
Category: Expos Star
Position: SP
Bio/Summary: Wow, I had no idea Steve Rogers was a five-time All Star. Why is this guy never mentioned? I mean, come on, the guy lost 22 games and was still an all-star. That counts for something! Probably for how bad the Expos were at the time. But dude pitched out of his mind most of his career, staying over 100 ERA+ for 9 years and even leading the league in it one year. What’s a guy gotta do to get attention?
Rating: 3/10 – Yikes, what an ugly dude! And an ugly card.

Scott Sanderson

1982 Fleer #206
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Wow, look how young Sanderson is here. I always associate him with his Yankees update and traded cards, so seeing him as a kid here was weird. It’s not that he’s that young, 24, it’s just that I’m so used to seeing him old. Anyway. In 1982, Scott went 12-12 with a 3.46 ERA, for a 105 ERA+. Just right around league average…about what I would think of Sanderson (and he had a career 102 ERA+, so that’s about right).
Rating: 4/10 – Again, not a great photo…tough thing about this set.

1982 Fleer #5

David Palmer

1982 Fleer #199
Category: Former Expo
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I remember David Palmer from all the 1989 sets, when he was with the Phillies and near the end of his career. Here he is in his prime, though he missed all of 1981. He returned in 1982, going 6-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 13 games, good for a 115 ERA+. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t sniff an above-average ERA+ again until 1986. Looking at his ability prior to 1982, it looks like that injury might have taken it out of him. He was never the same after.
Rating: 6/10 – I swear that’s Gary Carter in the background. The flash photography is awful here, but my imagination is somewhat inspired by this shot.

Larry Parrish

1982 Fleer #200
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: 3B
Bio/Summary: I remember Larry Parrish from later in his career, much like David Palmer, when he was finishing up with Texas and Boston in 1988. In 1981, however, the future was still his to grasp. Coming off a 104 ERA+ performance in 1980, he slumped to a 92 OPS+, hitting .244/.297/.384 in 97 games and getting traded to the Rangers in March of 82. Rough for a guy who was just a few years off an All-Star appearance and fourth place finish in the MVP race.
Rating: 1/10 – Ick. Terrible, blurry photo with a flash that washes out his face. Seriously one of the worst pictures I’ve ever seen on a baseball card.

Mike Phillips

1982 Fleer #201
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: SS/2B
Bio/Summary: Phillips was a light-hitting middle infielder who must have had a reputation with his glove, because that bat was not going to be enough, let me tell you. Not even at SS in that era. And 1982 was the beginning of the end – he had a -34 OPS+. Yikes. So I’m not surprised I’d never heard of him.
Rating: 5/10 – At least this picture is in focus and not washed out. Too bad it’s boring.

Tim Raines

1982 Fleer #202
Category: Expos Star
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: I’m not sure Raines needs any introduction…he’s another of the legit stars in this set to go with Carter and Dawson. You know, it’s kind of a shame that Expos pitching was so abysmal back then because they had the core of something really special with those three. And 1982 was at the beginning of a nice run for Rock. He had a 101 OPS+, but the big stat for that year was 78 steals in 94 attempts! That’s absolutely unheard of! Man the guy was good.
Rating: 8/10 – This card gets major props for showing a young Raines, and hey, it’s in focus and well-lit. How about that?

1982 Fleer #4

 

Jerry Manuel

1982 Fleer #195
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: 2B/SS
Bio/Summary: Yes, that Jerry Manuel. I didn’t know he was Rondell White’s father-in-law (another Expos tie), but I did know he was an abysmal player. 1981 was his last year as an Expo, and the second-most ML games he ever saw (27). He also hit the only three major league home runs that he ever hit. Go, Expos?
Rating: 3/10 – “Hmm? Haircut? Oh, no. I’m good.”

Brad Mills

1982 Fleer #196
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: 3B
Bio/Summary: Another player who didn’t get a whole lot of ML time. 1982 was the only year in which he hit a major league home run, and he never OPS+ed above 88. Yawn.
Rating: 8/10 – I don’t care how dark the background is, that’s one badass bubble.

John Milner

1982 Fleer #197
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position:  1B
Bio/Summary: Huh. Milner’s the rare guy who warrants a nickname of which I am not aware (think I typed that right). “The Hammer” appears to have had some decent years with the Mets in the 70s, but had lost whatever mojo he once possessed by the time he joined the Expos. Typical, I know. In 1982, his last season, he went .107/.212/.107 with the Expos before being released and catching on with the Pirates. They would soon realize his career was over.
Rating: 4/10 – “Look at me! My name is John! John Milner! I hit nothing for you!”

Rowland Office

1982 Fleer #198
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: This is another guy that I was shocked to learn I had not known…wow, what am I writing? But what a name! Still, another light-hitting no-name in this entry. It’s a little sad after high-rolling with Charlie Lea…heh. Office was another 70s player who was beginning to die out in 1982. In fact, he only played in three major league games that year. What I don’t get is that he was never a speedster or a power threat…or even hit for much average. So was he a good defensive player? It’s the only way I see him sticking around.
Rating: 5/10 – Dude’s got hella Jeri Curl going on.

1982 Fleer #3

 

Grant Jackson

1982 Fleer #191
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Grant Jackson was an All-Star lefty who spent most of his career in Philadelphia, bouncing between less-than-mediocre numbers and pretty damn decent numbers. Inconsistent is the keyword we’re looking for here. He only spent one year, a twilight year, in Montreal, 1981, pitching in relief in 35 games, ending up with a horrid 7.59 ERA and a 2.156 WHIP. Likely not very well remembered in Montreal.
Rating: 6/10 – This was the kind of photo Fleer got known for: a relaxing throw on the sidelines, a smile on his face. Doesn’t make it a great card, but it does get some kudos.

 

Wallace Johnson

1982 Fleer #192
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: I remember Wallace Johnson’s 1990 Donruss issue very well; I had barely heard of the guy before that, but he had been hanging around in Montreal for well on a decade at that point, but he was a bit player and had pretty much always been a bit player. He had been a rookie in 81, but 82 was his “full” rookie season (if you can call 36 games a season). He managed an anemic .198/.258/.263 line that year, with only TWO extra-base hits in 62 PAs. He never did much better than that, either. How did he ever stick around?
Rating: 4/10 – Blurry photograph, generic pose. The only things that interest me here are the weird expression on his face and the guy in the background. I can’t quite tell who that is, but I like to imagine it’s Bill Gullickson. The body would fit.

 

Charlie Lea

1982 Fleer #193
Category: Expos Star 
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I vaguely remember Charlie Lea from the 88 Topps set, but here he is in his glory as an Expos player. I was surprised to see Lea was not always a bit player. I suspect arm trouble ended his career, because his ERA+ numbers jump out at me: 96, 76, 112, 115, 199, 12, 84. The 112 there is 1982, when he went 12-10 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.131 WHIP. Pretty good.

 

Upon further research, I find I am right about the arm trouble. According to BBRef’s Bullpen:

 

“…his record was 15-10 when he was shut down in early September with what was originally diagnosed as a muscle strain in his back. When he arrived in spring training in 1985, the team’s brass realized that the injury was in fact much more serious than originally thought. He would miss the entire 1985 and 1986 seasons because of this shoulder problem.”

 

What a sad case.
Rating: 7/10 – A portrait of the star pitcher as a young man, before the tragedy that would bring his career to a smashing halt. There’s a sort of poetry here, if a sad one.

 

Bill Lee

1982 Fleer #194
Category: Former Expo
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I was giddy to find this card in the team set. The Spaceman! How awesome! I mean, he was no Hall of Famer or anything, but he’s definitely a notable. 1982 was his final season, and he went 0-0 with a 4.38 ERA (83 ERA+) in 7 games that season. Crappy, but given that he was a 119 ERA+ pitcher the year before, I’m still going to give him credit for pitching well until the end of his career and knowing when to hang it up. Go Spaceman!
Rating: 3/10 – This is a pretty ugly card. The hair, the washed out background, all of it. It’s a bummer that this card didn’t come out better.

1982 Topps #2

Andre Dawson

1982 Fleer #187
Category: Expos Star
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: I’ve talked a lot about Andre before, so I’m not going to belabor some of my other points (Hall of Famer? Probably not – but pretty damn rockin). 1982 was a decent season for the Hawk, but a little bit of a letdown after 1981. It’s hard to sniff at a 132 OPS+, but his OBP was down from the previous year, as was his SLG. Still, I wouldn’t mind having him on my team.
Rating: 7/10 – I like Andre Dawson a lot, and man, are his cards from this era hilarious. His hair was just out of control, though the background here kind of dampens that. Still, nice card.

 

Terry Francona

1982 Fleer #188
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: OF/1B
Bio/Summary: Of course Terry’s known more for his managerial record these days, but I remember a time when he was a player – and it doesn’t seem that long ago that I pulled him from a pack of 1990 Upper Deck. In 1982 Terry was in his Sophomore season, and managed a .321 BA with an OBP-heavy .703 OPS. Not too shabby, but not world-killing, either. I can see why he didn’t last years and years in Montreal, but he did well enough.
Rating: 4/10 – Wow, he looks so young here. I like the pose, for some reason – it’s almost a cliche, but not quite. My guess is it’s seeing the other player in the background and knowing that shot was taken during BP. I really wonder if the majority of these pictures were taken together.

 

Woody Fryman

1982 Fleer #189
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Woody was at the end of a fairly mediocre career here (two All-Star appearances notwithstanding). In 1982 he went 9-4 with a 3.75 ERA and  97 ERA+. See that, that’s exactly why ERA and W-L are so misleading – he was actually somewhat below average that year.
Rating: 6/10 – Not too sure about the pose, but it’s cool to see the old-school TV camera beside him and the dugout behind him. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a card with a player sitting on the edge of the dugout like that.

 

Bill Gullickson

1982 Fleer #190
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: You know, I was a bit surprised to find that Gullickson was not as bad as I had thought. He had some thoroughly decent years in there. 1982 was more of an average one, though. He had a 102 ERA+ and went 12-14 with a 3.57 ERA.
Rating: 7/10 – Looks like Spring Training. Wonder if Gullickson wasn’t available the day the other pics were taken? Oh, and I’d love to know who the player in the background is.

1982 Fleer #1

 

Stan Bahnsen

1982 Fleer #183
Category: Former Expo
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I am going to admit I was not familiar with something like 75% of the players in this set, and Bahnsen is one of them. Checking his stats, he looked like a thoroughly serviceable starter and 1968 Rookie of the Year that converted to relief duty upon joining Montreal in 1977 (okay, one year of starting in there). His career rebounded a bit from the move, and he ended up moving over to California in 1982.
Rating: 5/10 – I don’t really know what to make of most of the 1982 Fleer cards and shots. On the one hand, it’s as bland a design as you can get – almost a non-design. At the same time, the photography has some really unique shots…someone once said that Fleer made the players more human, and I’d tend to agree. In this instance, rather than “baseball player”, I see a player chilling out onfield before the game, and what I think is a rare shot from Montreal’s stadium. I give it some extra points for that.

 

Ray Burris

1982 Fleer #184
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Burris was a fairly mediocre starter that somehow managed to stick around 15 seasons, going 108-134 with a 4.17 career ERA (in a time when offense was lessened). Still, a career 1.415 WHIP and 92 ERA+? I guess that’s a bit above replacement level. I thought a lefty would be more likely to stick with those numbers, but here Ray is.
Rating: 4/10 – See what I mean about this set? I really want to like this card, but I just can’t get past the flash and the long shadows cast behind Burris. At the same time, again, it just looks like a normal guy rather than an untouchable deity. I like that.

 

Gary Carter, Dave Parker, Fernando Valenzuela

1982 Fleer #s 185, 635, 638
Category: Expos Star
Position: C
Bio/Summary: What else is there to say about Gary? Let’s look at his 1982 season, as one could make an argument that it was the best of his career. He hit 29 homers and batted .293 with an .890 OPS. Very nice, especially for a catcher! That came out to a 146 OPS+. He also had a 134 OPS+ in high-leverage situations! Good stuff.
Rating: Parker and Valenzuela Cards: 6/10 – I’m kind of splitting the difference here. The Parker/Carter card is kind of nice aside from the Cobra’s copious amount of sweat, but I’m irritated that Carter isn’t the center of focus on the Valenzuela card yet gets tagged. He might as well be in the background.

Carter Card: 3/10 – Oh, man, I like Gary Carter a lot, and I really wanted his main set card to be a good one, but I just can’t let the blurry photography (believe me, I cleaned this up a lot) pass. Again, there is some humanity and soul to this shot, but the lousy composition blows it.

 

Warren Cromartie

1982 Fleer  #186
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: What an odd story. Cromartie was a pretty good hitter who left the USA for greener (?) pastures in Japan in 1984, returning in 1991 for a swan song with the Royals. The guy was something of a Japanese legend.  Back here in the States, though, he had a good 1982, knocking 14 homers with a .722 OPS. Not stellar for a corner outfielder, but also not bad at all. I guess he did better in Japan, though, and good for him.
Rating: 3/10 – Apologies for some of the crud on the picture here…some dust got on the scanner. Again, crappy photo composition for what would have been a thoroughly decent shot. Oh, well. There are better cards in this team set.