Card of the day today is number 126 in the 1992 Studio set. I remember when this set came out. I thought it was a great set at the time and still do. The photography and interesting information on the backs of the cards are what really makes the set work.It appears that the photographer caught Jeff just before a really embarrassing situation. The back of the card informs us that, in addition to chewing gum, Jeff also collects baseball cards. How cool is that?
Kunkel bounced back and forth from the minors to the big show from 1984 through 1988. His first full season with Texas was in 1989. That was also his next to last. Following the 1990 season he was granted free agency. After appearing in 20 games with the Cubs in 1992 his Major League career was over. With a career batting average of only .221 and a fielding percentage of .943 it is understandable that he had trouble sticking on a MLB roster. The cool thing about Jeff though is the position he played. This card says infield. That is less than the whole truth. Jeff played just about every position except for catcher. He even pitched a few innings for Texas. A more accurate description might be "UTL" for utility player. If a guy can do it he can be worth a decent penny as a utility player.
3 comments:
On his 1989 Fleer card, he's listed as an "IF-P". That's the first time I've ever seen that. (It's also the first time I've seen a position player with a 90+ MPH fastball.)
You had me. I had to go look at my 1989 Fleer team set. That is correct on the position Fleer gives him.
Very strange that he's listed as a pitcher at all. He actually only pitched 6 2/3 IP in his pro career, just 2 2/3 in the majors.
The other interesting thing is that he made the majors in his 2nd pro season. Usually a player as bad as him doesn't reach the majors so early.
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