Co-Signers Oddball

I had the chance to pick up a cool card with the signature of two former Cardinals on it this week in the form of a 1999 Topps Stadium Club Co-Signers Scott Spiezio/Tony Womack autograph.  I really love some of these Co-Signers cards and have a bunch in my collection, but scratch my head at times over the combination of players Topps put together on some of the cards.  This card is one of them. 

1999 Topps Stadium Club Co-Signers Scott Spiezio/Tony Womack Autograph

At the time the card was issued Spiezio was a utility infielder for A's at the time with a little bit of pop.  Nothing to write home about and I am a little surprised at the time that Topps would even put him on an autographed card.  Womack was the real star of this card which might be hard for some to believe.  At the time of the cards issue, Womack had just been traded to the Diamondbacks and was on his way to his third stolen base crown in a row.  More importantly, Womack would play a few seasons in Arizona and pick up two huge hits which helped the Diamondbacks win the World Series in 2001. 

The first came in the tight NLDS series against the Cardinals.  The Diamondbacks and Cardinals went to a decisive five game in the first round and were tied at 1 in the ninth when Tony Womack came up against Steve Kline.



Womack had an even bigger hit in game 7 of the World Series that year.  Most people remember the Luis Gonzalez blooper which won the game for the Diamondbacks, but the Yankees actually entered the ninth inning of that game ahead by a run.  Before Gonzo could win, Womack tied the game up of off Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera.



Womack would go on to win the National League crown with the Cardinals in 2004 before bouncing around to the Yankees, Reds, and Cubs his last couple of years in the league.  Womack had a really good year for the Cardinals in 2004 posting a .307 batting average and a career high .349 on-base percentage, but it's hard to top the contributions he made for the Diamondbacks in 2001.

Spiezio helped the Angels win the World Series in 2002 with this huge home run:

and later helped the Cardinals win the 2006 World Series.  The times before and after each World Series appearance for Spiezio were very forgettable and riddled with poor play and bad behavior away from the field.  His career ended after he drank himself off the Cardinals in 2007.