pop up tip-eo

let's take a break from all of the double play turns to continue with the weekly baseball tip, courtesy of steve garvey and the 1979 post raisin bran steve garvey's baseball tips box panel set.  here's the fifth installment.

anybody remember 'pop-up video' on vh1?  that was a fun show to watch, most of the time.  i enjoyed learning that the camera in a flock of seagull's 'i ran' video was covered with tinfoil for the scenes in the mirrored room.  anyway, the garv is here to remind us how to field a pop-up, also knows as a pop fly, but once it leaved the infield, it becomes a fly ball or sometimes a can of corn.

there are lots of good cards to showcase with garvey's tip in practice.  in fact, we can work our way through the fielding sequence.  here's mark grudzielanek pointing out that there is, in fact, a pop fly in play on his 1999 topps card.

then, on his 2000 topps stadium club, the g-man is positioning himself under the ball and signaling that he is going to catch it.

'not so fast!' says angel pena on his 2000 upper deck card

'you stay away from me', he continues, but it's cesar izturis who is getting his glove up into a position to catch the ball on his 2004 topps card

and then it is orlando hudson who finishes the play on his 2009 upper deck o-pee-chee card

garvey doesn't mention it, but outfielders do their own thing.  derrel thomas used to do the 'basket catch' in reference to willie mays, and some believed that jim edmonds purposely positioned himself so that he would have a greater likelihood of having to make running or even diving catches.  some outfielders just lumber over and catch the ball at their chests, like bobby abreu is about to do on his 2012 topps update card

or raul mondesi is another example, as he is shown loping after a fly ball on his 1999 topps stadium club card

i am guessing that he would tell you that you should catch balls the way garvey tells you - kind of a do as i say, not as i do thing.

incidentally, what is with the back of that mondesi card?

it's not the first time i've seen him posing as a lefty.  i'm guessing this photo was taken in jest, but with mondy, who knows?

only about 7 more weeks until spring training!