04 September 2011

mariano duncan through the mail success!

today i am featuring mariano duncan's 1992 o-pee-chee text variation over at oh my o-pee-chee!, so i figured i would show duncan some love over here, too.

i never really claimed any space on the duncan bandwagon when he hit the scene in 1985, and it had nothing to do with his jeri-curl soul-glo hair (as seen on this 1987 donruss card  - one of three cards he signed for me ttm a while back).  
i was still holding on to bill russell and duncan, like dave anderson before him, was doing his best to send the last remaining member of the infield of my youth out to pasture.  still, in what was really his only full season as a dodger, duncan played in 142 games, stole 38 bases and finished 3rd in the rookie-of-the-year voting despite a .244 average and 27 errors in the field.

two years later, duncan was firmly entrenched in tommy lasorda's doghouse, and after hitting .215 in 76 games during the 1987 season,
tommy didn't even allow him on the dodgers' roster for the 1988 campaign, although score included him in their set.
halfway through the 1989 season (with duncan back with the big club) he was dealt to the reds in the kal daniels deal.  duncan served as the dodgers' first base coach during the grady little and joe torre years, but was replaced this year by davey lopes this year.  the infield gets its revenge.

thanks for signing my cards, mariano!

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