5 Baseball Card Graduates Wax Nostalgic

Pomp and Circumstance and Hope and Bubble Gum

Dummmm … dumm-dum-dUmm-dummm…dummmm…

Who you callin’ dumb? Oh, that’s the graduation song, you say?

Hmmm.

Well, it is May, so I guess that makes sense.

We may as well lean into it, like Don Baylor with a soft curve.

So, here are some cool baseball cards (redundant, I know) that celebrate a few diamond “graduates” …

(I got some of this biographical information from Wikipedia, so blame the crowd if something doesn’t ring true.)

1958 Topps Jim Derrington (#129)

Derrington was pitching alongside his father in a semi-pro league at age 13. By the time he was a 16-year-old senior, he was dominating Los Angeles’ best high school hitters.

That led the White Sox to sign him to a huge $78,000 bonus that required they keep him on the roster for two calendar years.

On September 30 that year, Derrington drew the start while he was still 16 years old, and he remains the youngest starter in the majors since 1900.

He’d make it into 20 games in 1957 before the ChiSox shipped him to the minors in ‘58. That same year, Topps treated collectors to a rare look at a teenage rookie.

An elbow injury derailed Derrington, though, and he never made it back to the majors.

1961 Topps Jim Pagliaroni (#519)

Pagliaroni signed with the Red Sox right out of high school in 1955, then debuted with Boston that August.

After that two-inning cup of coffee, “Pag” would be right back in the majors — if you consider “right back” to be five years, that is.

Three years in the minors followed two years in the Army, but Pagliaroni finally made it back to Boston in 1960.

The next year, Topps served up this nifty rookie card.

Pagliaroni would go on to spend parts of 11 seasons in the bigs.

1974 Topps David Clyde (#133)

Clyde is the poster boy for how NOT to handle a young pitcher.

Drafted by the Rangers out of Westchester High School in Houston, Texas, with the first pick of the June 1973 draft, Clyde incredibly made his debut on the 27th of that same month.

He started out 3-0, then clashed with manager Billy Martin (shocker), then struggled to a 1-8 record the rest of the way.

Clyde stayed with the big club in 1974, which no doubt helped make his Topps rookie card a plum pull that spring.

The youngster scuffled again that season before finally getting booted to the farm in 1975. He fared pretty well at Double-A Pittsfield, but not before injuring his shoulder in a single start for Texas.

From there, Clyde never really got back on track, and he was out of baseball by 1981, still just 26 years old.

1985 Topps Darryl Strawberry #1 Draft Pick (#278)

Topps did everything they could to squeeze in more star power in their mid-1980s sets, and we’re the richer for it now (in a Junk Wax sorta way, at least).

By 1985, everyone knew Strawberry was headed straight for the Hall of Fame, so it was pretty cool to get a retro-draft-pick card of the tall, lean Mets slugger.

In case you don’t remember, the Mets made Strawberry the first pick in the 1980 draft, right out of high school.

He wouldn’t make his MLB debut for another three years, and this card would come along two years after THAT, but there haven’t been too many graduates who brought more excitement to the game than Straw.

1985 Topps Team USA Oddibe McDowell (#400)

Yep, another 1985 Topps card. This is my wheelhouse, you see.

And, yes, another instance of Topps cramming in as much star power — or potential star power — as possible.

These Team USA cards seemed kinda gimmicky when they were released, at least in my very sophisticated 13-year-old circles, but that didn’t keep me from hoarding the guys I was sure would be great.

Mike Dunne and Oddibe McDowell, mostly.

Especially McDowell, who had the best name on the team and was getting some play in The Sporting News and the few other media outlets I had access to.

For his “graduate” part, McDowell was drafted SIX (6!) times, finally signing with the Rangers when they took him out of Arizona State in the 12th round in 1984.

After hitting .275 with 6 homers and 24 RBI in 34 games for the Collegiate National Team, McDowell embarked on a solid seven-year major league career.

—

On a side note, did you know that Pomp & Circumstance is really called Land of Hope and Glory?

And that it has lyrics?

And that those lyrics start with “Dear Land of Hope…”?

Yeah, it’s a baseball song.

So, until next time, enjoy the games and keep the hope. It’s early yet, and the draft still lies ahead.

Maybe the Mudville Nine will yet have their franchise savior under-cap before the leaves start to turn.

Thanks for reading.

—Adam