Repack Haiku #396 (Sergio Romo)

In last career game

Paid tribute to Giants fans

Wore cap signed by kids

 

2019 Topps Update #US164 Sergio Romo

A 3-time World Series winner with San Francisco, Romo ended his 15-year career in 2023 by signing a minor league contract with the Giants. Throughout Spring Training, every time a kid asked him for his autograph, he asked for them to sign his hat first. When he made his final appearance at an exhibition game at Oracle Park, he wore that hat as a thank you to fans that supported him.

 

Source: Sergio Romo finds incredibly touching way to thank fans in his final professional baseball appearance (Yahoo!)

Repack Haiku #395 (Tony Fernandez)

Last Yankee player

To wear 6 on his jersey

(Went to Joe Torre)

 

1993 Topps #465 Tony Fernandez

 

Fernandez spent the 1995 season with the Yankees, and in doing so became the last player to wear that number for the team. The following year, the number was given to their manager Joe Torre. The Yankees retired the number in 2014.

Repack Haiku #394 (Dale Sveum)

Shot by Robin Yount

During a quail hunting trip

Small ear injury

 

1989 Donruss #146 Dale Sveum

Sveum had just finished his first season as manager of the Chicago Cubs when he went hunting with the Hall of Famer. Yount's errant shot struck Sveum in the right ear, and the two friends actually laughed it off.

Source:  https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1434465-dale-sveum-cubs-manager-accidentally-shot-by-brewers-legend-robin-yount

Repack Haiku #393 (Luis Alicea)

Thirteen year career

Won World Series ring as coach

With Boston Red Sox

 

1989 Score #231 Luis Alicea (RC)

 

Alicea spent 13 years in the Majors, primarily with the Cardinals. He was the first base coach for the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

Repack Haiku #392 (Luis Medina)

In a five year span

He was drafted seven times

Six different teams

 

1989 Fleer #411 Luis Medina (RC)

I'm just going to leave this here:

• 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft by the New York Mets in the 33rd round
• 1982 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase by the New York Mets in the 2nd round
• 1982 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase by the New York Yankees in the 3rd round
• 1983 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round
• 1983 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase by the Oakland Athletics in the 3rd round
• 1984 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase by the Houston Astros in the 1st round (8th overall!)
• 1985 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Cleveland Indians in the 9th round

 

Repack Haiku #391 (Bob Melvin)

One of just eight to

win Manager of the Year

in each league (won thrice)

 

1990 Donruss #451 Bob Melvin

 

Melvin has won the award once with the Diamondbacks and twice with the Athletics. He is one of only 9 managers in MLB history to have won the award 3 times.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have an amazing 2025!

Repack Haiku #390 (Byron Mathews)

Had lone White Sox hit

During exhibition game

At the Hall of Fame

 

1993 Topps
#612 Byron Mathews (DPK, RC)

 

Mathews, who never advanced past the A league professionally, was called up to the White Sox for a 1992 exhibition game in Cooperstown against the Mets. Mets' prospect Bobby Jones pitched a no-hitter into the 7th inning until Mathews hit a single to break it up. 

Source: 1992 Hall of Fame Game

Repack Haiku #389 (Jim Adduci)

Korean team fined

Because he used banned substance

To help with back pain

 

1989 Fleer #176 Jim Adduci

 

While playing in the K.B.O., Adduci was served a 36 game ban for using oxycodon, a non-steroid he used to manage his chronic lumbar disc disease. His team, the Lotte Giants, were later fined 10 million won (US$8,730) for "inadequate player management".

Repack Haiku #388 (Julio Machado)

Three years in big leagues

Then shot and killed a woman

Four years in prison

 

1991 Topps #434 Julio Machado

 

After the 1991 season, Machado was involved in an automobile accident in his native Venezuela. He fatally shot a woman at the scene, claiming self defense from a fear he was being robbed. He served 4 years of a 12 year sentence.

Repack Haiku #387 (Kevin Ritz)

Won 17 games

Despite leading the N.L.

In earned runs allowed

 

1990 Topps #237 Kevin Ritz (RC)

 

How does a guy with a 5.28 ERA and a league-leading 125 earned runs allowed end up winning 17 games? It helps if you play in Colorado with the Blake Street Bombers providing the offense.

Seriously check out the run support he got in 1996:

 

via baseball-reference.com

Unreal...

Repack Haiku #386 (Dan Walters)

Officer Walters

Died from injuries received

During a shootout

 

1993 Topps #273 Dan Walters (RC)

 

Walters joined the San Diego Police Department after his career in the Majors was cut short by injury. In 2003, Walters was shot in the neck and then hit by a car, resulting in paralysis from the neck down. As a result of complications related to these injuries, Officer Walters passed away in 2020. It is considered a line-of-duty fatality.

Repack Haiku #385 (Pascual Perez)

He once missed a start

Driving around Atlanta

Couldn't find exit

 

1989 Fleer #390 Pascual Perez

 

In his first year with the Braves, Perez missed a start because he spent two hours driving on the freeway around Fulton County Stadium, unable to find the exit ramp.

Repack Haiku #384 (Carlos Rodon/Logan Webb)

Teammates for one year

Both earned Cy Young Award votes

While on third place team

 

2023 Topps - One-Two Punch
#12P-11 Carlos Rodon/Logan Webb

 

Rodon spent one lone season in San Francisco, but he made the most of it by earning an All-Star nod and finishing 6th in Cy Young voting. Webb also had a good year, finishing 11th in voting for the award. Despite having two great starters, the Giants finished 3rd in their division with a .500 record.

Repack Haiku #383 (Chris Sabo)

Night vision issues

Led Sabo to try "Rec Specs"

Famous for eye-ware

 

1993 Topps #245 Chris Sabo

Repack Haiku #382 (Queen City Kings)

Total home runs hit

By Puig and Dietrich less than

Total by Suarez 

 

2019 Topps Update #US71 Queen City Kings (VC)

 

An odd choice for a card if you ask me. Dietrich hit a career high 19 home runs in 2019. Puig hit 22 that year for Cincinati, and was actually traded to Cleveland at the trade deadline. The real King of Queen City that year was Eugenio Suarez, who placed second in the N.L. with 49 home runs - more than both of these teammates combined!

Repack Haiku #381 (John Valentin)

First batter after

Unassisted triple play

Hit home run of course

 

1998 Pacific #48 John Valentin

 

On July 8, 1994 in a game against the Mariners, Valentin became the 10th player in Major League history to record an unassisted triple play. He then led off the bottom half of the inning and started a 4-run rally with a home run over the Green Monster.

Here's the video clip so you can see it in all it's beauty:

 

Fun Fact: This game was also the Major League debut of Alex Rodriguez!

Repack Haiku #380 (Bob Geren)

Caught Hawkin's No-No

Which was removed from records

Because team lost game

 

1990 Donruss #395 Bob Geren

 

Geren was the starting catcher when Andy Hawkin's no-hit the White Sox in 1990. The next year, MLB clarified the definition of a no-hitter, and since the Yankees lost that game 4-0 (thanks to 3 errors in one inning!) it lost it's status as an official no-hitter.

Repack Haiku #379 (Carlos Baerga)

First hitter to swat

Home runs from both sides of plate

In the same inning

 

1991 Bowman #69 Carlos Baerga

 

In the 7th inning of a April 8th, 1993 game against the Yankees, the switch-hitting Baerga hit a 2 run home run off reliever Steve Howe. The Indians batted around that inning, and when Baerga came up again, he hit another bomb from the opposite side of the plate. This was the first time a switch hitter hit home runs from both sides in a single inning, and has only been done twice more since.

Repack Haiku #378 (John Jaha)

From minor league deal

To Comeback Player Award

And lone All-Star nod

 

1993 Upper Deck #177 John Jaha

Jaha was a productive but often injured player with the Brewers. After becoming a free agent after the 1998 season, he could only get a minor-league deal with the Oakland Athletics. He wasn't even expected to make the team, but ended up making the All-Star team and winning the Sporting News' Comeback Player Of The Year award.

Repack Haiku #376 (Sid Fernandez)

Wore number fifty

In honor of Hawaii

First All-Star from there

 

1989 Upper Deck
#168 Sid Fernandez