it's a matt young week crossover event - through the mail successes!

matt young week is in full swing over at oh my o-pee-chee!  young had variations in every set from 1987 through 1992, except for 1989, and i'm highlighting them all right now.  over on this site, i figured i would show the cards that matt has signed through the mail for me over the last year or so.

we'll start, appropriately enough, with young's 1987 o-pee-chee card

young was acquired from the mariners in exchange for lefty dennis powell.

1987 topps traded

he pitched just one year for the dodgers, winning 5 games while losing 8 and saving 11 others.

1987 fleer update

his first game wasn't very good as he came in with a 2-run lead in the 8th inning against the astros on 4/7/87.  granted, he came in with 2 on and nobody out, but he promptly walked the first batter he faced to load the bases and then allowed the tying runs to score on wild pitches.  he would allow a couple more runs and be saddled with the loss.

1988 score

young's final appearance as a dodger resulted in his 8th loss of the season.  he came on in relief of tim crews in the top of the 8th inning against the braves on 9/17/88 and allowed an infield single followed by a force out at home follwed by another single.  2 of the 3 inherited runners scored, and brad havens relieved young.  havens didn't fare much better, allowing his inherited runner to score, so young was charged with 2 earned runs in one-third of an inning.

1988 topps

in between those games, however, he had moments where his potential flashed and all was right in his world, like on 5/23/87 when he entered a game against the mets with 1 on and 1 out in the 8th with the dodgers leading by 2.  he allowed a single to keith hernandez, but got kevin mcreynolds and darryl strawberry to fly out to end the inning, and then he struck out the side (gary carter, howard johnson, and dave magadan) in the 9th for the save.

thanks matt, and hope you enjoy your week!