Classic card of the week

Kevin McReynolds, 1989 Baseball Cards magazine

Here is yet another example of my extraordinary scissor skills. Once again, you would think that if I took the time to cut this Kevin McReynolds card out of whatever cereal box it was featured on, I would have at least taken my time. Apparently, my excitement at the thought of adding an exclusive Kevin McReynolds card to my collection was too much for me to handle, and it’s a miracle that my unsteady and impatient hand did not cut off any of the McFro.

To the back of the card!



McReynolds, a power-hitting outfielder with a right arm that commands respect, had an MVP-caliber year in 1988, and looks for more and better in 1989.

Pure poetry. At the time, many players were looking for more, but not necessarily better, but McReynolds was searching for both. He was looking for more and better stuff, more of the stuff he could be better at, while also becoming better at the stuff he liked to do more of, but in a better kind of way. But with more. And also better at it. Kevin McReynolds' favorite movie was “Mo Better Blues,” but he thought that a sequel would be more and better.

A minor-league legend and a former minor-league player of the year…

I was not aware that Kevin McReynolds was a minor-league legend. I had always assumed that the best minor league players were simply called up to the major leagues before they could achieve such status. Nevertheless, no minor leaguer since has been allowed to wear McReynolds’ minor-league jersey number of…I don’t know. And statues of Kevin McReynolds adorn every minor league stadium in the country, and many families choose to take pictures in front of the Kevin McReynolds statues and then post them on Kodak's online gallery so the rest of their family and friends can see that they stood in front of the statue of the legendary Kevin McReynolds. Inscripted on the bottom of each statue are the inspiring words, “Always search for more, better.”

We also find out that “Kevin received a six-figure bonus in 1982 to sign with the Padres,” which is accompanied by an illustration that features exactly how such transactions took place back in that day. Which was: A dump-truck full of sacks of cash (I’m assuming with $ signs) pulled in front of home plate, and then the owner of the team -- a short, stocky man wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar -- would hand the sacks of the cash to that player while an armed guard looked on intently. (Unfortunately in McReynolds' case, two adoring fans who tried to get his autograph during these proceedings were shot on site.) Then the player spends some of the cash on cocaine, and consults with Lenny Dykstra on what to do with the rest.

I’ll tell ya’ man – the 80’s were crazy!

Did you know?
In 1989, as compared with 1988, Kevin McReynolds accomplished less and worse.