Common Cards, Uncommon Photography

I've started to get into photography a little bit myself, so I can appreciate how hard it is to capture a good action shot.  As I sorted through lots of my old cards I found myself paying more attention to the photos of all those commons I had tucked away for years, and then I got an idea - why not create a segment on the blog to highlight all the great photos that tend to go unnoticed as we search for all the star players and hits?  So I started to set aside a pile of cards, and today I'm putting out the first batch.  Enjoy!

1997 Upper Deck Chad Curtis #344:

The pictures on this card highlight Chad's travels through the big leagues - he started with Detroit in 1996, moved to the Dodgers during the season, and opened up 1997 with the Indians.

2002 Upper Deck Alex Escobar #389:

 

A beautiful shot of a diving grab.  I wonder if he held on?

1991 Topps Carlton Fisk #170:

Definitely not the kind of guy Carlton wants coming in for a collision.  I also love Detroit's on deck hitter in the background.

1993 Upper Deck John Habyan #719:

The card lists him as 6'2" and 191 pounds, and it shows with how he appears to be all arms and legs coming at the hitter.

1997 Sports Illustrated Todd Hundley #88:

"Nooooooooo!"

1998 Upper Deck Kirt Manwaring #353:

Ahhh, Spring in Colorado.  Much like Spring in Milwaukee.

1993 Upper Deck Orlando Merced #150:

Perfect timing on this photo.  Also, note the pansy on the right that is covering up for dear life.  You don't deserve seats that good pal!

1994 UD Collector's Choice Craig Paquette #225:

I don't normally look at the photos on the backs of cards, but just happened to see this one.  Nothing like having a picture of you taking one right in the mush on your own baseball card!

1998 Topps Stadium Club Eduardo Perez #273:

I don't know if the scan will do this one justice - it's an unbelievably crisp, clear shot.  Perfect timing with the ball right on the bat, and you can see the way his foot and leg bend under the force of the swing.  I also like this one because it appears to have been taken from an angle you don't normally see.

1998 Sports Illustrated Curt Schilling #130:

This one just makes me laugh because it looks for all the world like Schilling is doing a full follow-through on this pitch to his son, like he just launched a 97mph heater at him. 

1992 Donruss Triple Play #64:

I don't think he got enough height on that kick.

 1998 Topps Scott Servais #92:

Find the ball in this shot.

1999 Upper Deck Todd Walker #139:

And finally, nothing unusual here, just a sweet action shot!

Previous Trivia Question:

Pretty much any baseball fan can tell you that the Yankees have the most World Series titles (27). What team has the second-most?

 

A:  The St. Louis Cardinals are second on the list of most World Series titles with 10 championships in 17 appearances. The Athletics are third with 9 titles in 14 appearances.

 

Today's Trivia  Question:

 

How many stitches are there on a regulation baseball?