1982 Kellogg's Card Backs - #55 - #64

I hope that the Kellogg's card backs from 1982 are as interesting as the 1981 and 1983 that I've already shown.  The horizontal card back seems to work well.  Of course the print is small, which was fine when I was young but it's a bit challenging now.  Lots of text,  Yeah!  Let's see if the writers were positive or negative regarding the players this year.

#64 Eddie Murray - The Orioles gave Murray a five-year deal worth $1 million per year.  He made 1 error in 991 chances for a fielding percentage of .999.

#63 Vida Blue - A second mention of the 1981 players' strike.  He had a better ERA than Cy Young winner Fernando Valenzuela and runner-up Tom Seaver.

#62 Willie Wilson - he and George Brett had statistical drop-offs in 1981 after stellar 1980 seasons.

#61 Al Oliver - shoulder tendinitis caused him to be a DH all year instead of playing the outfield.  I didn't remember that about him.  He hit .300 for the sixth straight season and  "Only three things, Al Oliver will tell you, are certain - death, taxes and Al Oliver hitting at least .300."

#60 Cecil Cooper - "after looking at his career, two questions demand answers.  (1) How could the Red Sox trade him to Milwaukee for George Scott in 1976?  and (2) Why has he never won the Most Valuable Player Award?".  Nice text.  I didn't know that Tom Paciorek was runner-up in the batting title race in 1981.

#59 Mike Norris - "he changes speed more often than a Manhattan cabbie weaving in and out of traffic".  Nice.  He fields his position "like a human pitchback".  He won his second straight Gold Glove.

#58 Ken Singleton -   "one of the least publicized stars in the game".  Sure, he played in Montreal for three years.  Even though 35 years old, he expects to play a few more years since he's now in the AL with the DH.

#57 Dwayne Murphy - he's won two Gold Gloves.  He's one of the few players who progressed from Little League to American Legion ball and then to the major leagues.

#56 George Foster - "George Foster should change his middle name to RBI".  Nice way to start his bio.  In February he became a Met.  The back of the card has the Mets logo but he's pictured on the front as a Cincinnati Red.

#55 Bill  Madlock - he was a longshot to make it after being drafted by the Cardinals with the 268th pick in the 1968 draft.  He was drafted 99th by the Senators a year later.  He's already won three batting titles.  The Rangers traded him to the Cubs for Fergie Jenkins.  

Hobbies - Sports (5), Basketball (2), Automobiles (1 - Murphy), Racquetball (1-Oliver), Hunting and Fishing (1 - Blue)