why don't we slide

hey - we are another week closer to spring training, and that means it's time for the next installment of steve garvey's baseball tips, as brought to you by post raisin bran back in 1979.  or is it the other way around?  either way, let's learn about sliding.

if only pedro guerrero had followed garvey's sound advice...

when it comes to sliding, there are lots of good examples on baseball cards.  one of my favorites is the 1977 topps 'turn back the clock' card featuring maury wills

on it, wills is sliding in to third base at dodger stadium during a game against the giants, presumably from the 1962 season when he set the record for most steals in a season.  that was also the year dodger stadium opened.  thanks to the field level scoreboard and the giants' third baseman, we should be able to pinpoint the play.  except for the fact that from 1961 through 1969, number 42 for the no-cals was pitcher bobby bolin.  the only other giants to wear that number during will's career during the dodger stadium era were also pitchers who were on the 1972 giants.  very strange.  unless that's a 12 on the back of the giant player, which would mean that it's jim davenport which makes complete sense.  and, the giants had 10 hits and 2 errors on october 3, 1962 when maury wills stole his 104th base of the season.  he stole third off of the battery of don larsen and ed bailey.  so, the photo topps used is the actual photo of his 104th stolen base.  i guess it's just a shadow that made me see 42 instead of 12.  glad that's sorted out.

there's no mistaking who's at third base on stan javier's 1992 topps card

that's former dodger mariano duncan.  there's a lot going on on that card - two umpires, including the first base umpire who is doing some lunges, and it looks like eddie murray is checking things out down the right field line as javier is kicking up some dust.

it doesn't have as much going on as chris gwynn's 1992 upper deck card, though

i first wrote about this card and identified the game the photo came from a while back.  it's one of my favorites, even if gwynn isn't sliding too gracefully.  it's actually a double play turn at third base, which doesn't get much airtime.

another thing those last two cards have in common, besides sliding dodgers, is that i have had both of them signed through the mail - here's the gwynn

and here's the javier

javier also signed a 1992 fleer ultra card

and a 1991 upper deck card

gwynn also signed his 1991 upper deck card

as well as his 1989 upper deck card

and 1990 upper deck card

plus his 1991 topps card

1992 fleer card

and the 1992 o-pee-chee

and 1992 topps combo

thanks to these two guys (and you too, maury) for showing us some sliding techniques.  and thanks for signing my cards!