Kent Tekulve baseball cards are truly the gifts that keeps giving.  No one can touch him in the “lifetime achievement” category.

Question: Is this style pirates cap the tallest in baseball history?  More evidence.

Full disclosure: While this card resides in the nerd archives, this is not an original scan, as once again, the scanner here at Nerd Central is on the fritz.  I had to use google images to find a digital copy of the card, which is why the image quality is not up to usual NerdBaseball resolution standards.  Thank you to this website for the image.

One of my favorite names in nerd-card history, Mr. Johnson shares his name with a Pro Football Hall-of-Famer.  I also love the old-school-Trix-looking font used on these Rangers jerseys.

Mr. Johnson played eight seasons in the major leagues, with his best work coming after his primary role changed from starter to relief pitcher.  He had five straight seasons with an ERA+ over 118, with strike out rates between 8-10 batters per 9 innings, despite not pitching at all in the 1982 and 1985 seasons.

This card also leaves the viewer pondering the question: perm or afro?

@JRSIV 81: As a legit pitcher, I want the photo on my baseball card to show me running the bases w my warmups

Thanks @JRSIV81.
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Mr. Sambito was off to an amazing career as a relief pitcher before being derailed by an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery.  In his first five full seasons, he posted ERA+’s of 154, 108, 199, 151, and 180, and was a National League all-star.  He was injured in 1982, and did not return to the major leagues until 1984, but struggled upon his return.  He did, however, help the 1986 Red Sox reach the World Series, contributing 12 saves over 44.2 innings.

While not a typical nerd card, I like to imagine that this picture was taken with some sort of supernatural camera out of a David Lynch movie or a “Twilight Zone” episode.  So when we look at the picture, we see both the way things are, and the way things once were, with these parallel existences mirroring each other through the lens.  Young Joe Sambito, can you see the injury lying in wait for your future self?  Are you helpless to prevent it?

And the guy in the back is even like the cowboy from Mulholland Drive.

Apparently, my love for Mr. Atherton’s cards is never-ending.  I have to admit, the eye-black is a nice touch.

Not only is Mr. Bonham featured in a profile view, with his face obscured by shadow, but he is forced to share his card with an anonymous shirtless fan, who is given an equal amount of baseball card real estate.  Only the early ’80s Fleer company…

If you’re new to the site, click here to see our previous post about Mr. Hume.

Mr. Hume had 4-5 great seasons as a relief pitcher for the Reds and Phillies.  Along with Rollie Fingers, he was the 1980 co-winner of the Sporting News “Fireman of the Year” award.

In 1979, Armstrong was traded from the Reds to the Padres for Paul O’Neil.  He was also the winning pitcher in the “pine tar” game.

We may have to have some sort of voting to determine the best use of the “distorted faces” tag….

Mr. Gibson played in eight seasons for the Tigers, Mets, and Yankees.  Wikipedia also lists him as a member of the Brewers, Blue Jays, and Pirates, but he did not play in a game for any of them.