Nick Capra appears today on card number 155 of the 1987 ProCards set. This card is interesting for a couple of reasons.First is that Capra didn't get a card in the 1986 ProCards Eighty-Niners set. That in spite of spending most of 1985 and all of 1986 with Oklahoma City. Strange that ProCards would not have included him in the 1986 set.
The second thing that makes this card unusual is the position designation. Capra is shown as playing centerfield. His is the only card in the team set to have such a specific listing. The rest of the outfielders are shown with OF on their cards. Several of the infielders are shown as INF. Baseball-reference lists Nick as an outfielder/pinch-runner and he seems to have played all three outfield positions during his career. No clue as to why ProCards decided to be so specific with his position here.
By 1987 Nick Capra had already made three trips to the Major Leagues with Texas. He had appeared in 13 games in 1982, 8 in 1983, and 8 in 1985. He wouldn't be up in 1987 though as he spent his entire season at Triple A with OKC. Even if Nick was having trouble sticking in the Bigs he must have had considerable talent. After drafting him in the third round of the 1979 draft the Rangers assigned him to start his pro career at Double A Tulsa. By 1981 he was at Triple A and never dropped below that level again.
Following the 1987 season Nick was granted free agency. He signed a one year deal with the Kansas City Royals on December 18, 1987 and would appear in 14 games for KC in 1988. Most of the season would be spent in Triple A. Another one year contract with the Royals followed but there was no call-up in 1989. In January of 1990 he would return to Texas as a free agent. A two game stint in Arlington in 1991 and his Big League career was over.
Nick would hang on in the minors as a player until 1995 and would play for three more organizations. After hanging up his spikes he would manage in the White Sox minor league system for 11 seasons.
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