baker:baker, baker/baker/baker

on a day like today, the numbers speak to me.  except it's not just 12:12 on 12/12/12, it's baker:baker on baker/baker/baker.  dusty baker wore number 12 his entire career, including his two-year stint in oakland at the end of his career.  this 1985 mother's a's card of his is easily my favorite card of him in the gold and green.

baker had never played in the infield before going to oakland, and even then he was used only at first base.  so seeing him in a fielder's pose is quite different from what one might expect.  here's his 1983 topps glossy send in card

and his 1981 donruss card

with his red 12 prominently shown.

baker has signed a few cards for me over the years - i don't think i have shown these before.  a 1979 topps

and a 1981 topps

it's too bad that there's no 13/13/13 next year - joe ferguson would have been featured in a similar post. i suppose that there is 1/3/13 or the palindromic 3/1/13, or as i think of it sax/reese/ferguson.

here's to you dusty, i mean 12!

is 'suttoning' the new 'tebowing'?

it took a while for don sutton to find his signature pose - he tried the 'arms over head' and the 'pitching motion follow through' - but he eventually got there.  i suspect this newly rediscovered pose will surpass planking, owling, and yes, even tebowing, in the coming weeks.  let's let the hall of fame pitcher show us how it's done.

1979 hostess

kneel on your left leg, and support your right arm on your right knee.  left arm goes across right arm, near the elbow.  baseball glove pointing down, look to the left of the camera.  got it.

1979 topps

or, you can look directly at the camera.  that works, too.

1981 fleer

without glove, looking to the right of the camera is also acceptable.

1981 fleer star stickers

squinting in the general direction of the camera is ok, too.

1981 topps

you can even go hatless, and hold a baseball in your right hand!

1981 topps league leaders

glove pointing up, is ok, but only if hatless?  i might need a ruling.

1981 topps traded

ah, a subtle 'open suttoning stance' is apparently appropriate when wearing rainbow jerseys.

1985 mother's a's

back to basics, with the ball.  around this time, sutton tried to teach the pose to phil niekro, who couldn't quite get the right leg up.  that is the most common mistake with people who attempt to 'sutton' - they kneel on the wrong knee.  it's simple, people!  left knee down, left arm on top.

1986 donruss

back to the original 1979 hostess pose

1986 fleer

this is the most basic form of suttoning, apparently

1986 fleer mini

glove up, with a hat!  ok, sutton knows what he's doing, so glove up or down in any 'suttoning' pose is ok.

1988 mother's dodgers

a final 'suttoning' at the sunset of a career.  i wonder how many stadiums don sutton 'suttoned' in?

but wait, his penchant for posing was so strong, that even recent issues have displayed the master's form.  like 2001 topps tribute

could this be the earliest known case of 'suttoning'?

2003 topps gallery

in which we pay homage to the 1979 event

but then there is 2003 topps all-time fan favorites

a vero beach 'suttoning' that predates that which is shown on the 2001 topps tribute card, complete with a blue glove.

anyone else seen another player 'sutton' on a card?  do you have the courage to 'sutton' somewhere unique?  will tim tebow score a touchdown for the jets, and 'sutton'?  we can only hope.