Ladies and Gentleman, the fabulous Bernard Gilkey.......
Gilkey was apart of the post Whiteyball teams that produced young players like Ray Lankford, Brian Jordan, Geronimo Pena, and featured veteran players like Bob Tewksbury and Lee Smith. The team was managed by Joe Torre. Gilkey was the team's left fielder with Lankford in center and Jordan in right. What did Gilkey did well? He ran a little, had a little pop, and was a pretty solid outfielder too. His best season for the Cardinals was 1993 when he went .305/.370/.481 with 16 home runs, 70 RBIS, 40 doubles, and 15 steals.
Pretty good numbers. The Cardinals signed Ron Gant after the 1995 season and traded Gilkey away to the Mets. Bernard had a career year playing for the Mets with a .317/.393/.562 line with 30 home runs, 44 doubles, 117 RBIs, 17 steals, and an appearance in Men In Black.
Bernard's career steadily declined after 1996 and he was mainly a part time player by the time 1998 rolled around. He made stops with the Diamondbacks, Red Sox, and Braves before calling it quits. Still one of my favorite 90s Cardinals. So, let's get back to the card. Here's why I love this card:
1. It's an early issue Upper Deck set. Yes they all looked the same, but they were really well done. Iconic if I dare say so myself. Ignore the price guide on the Upper Deck sets after 1989, they are worth owning.
2. There is a running catch taking place in the picture that involves a bullpen in the field of play
3. Polyester baseball uniforms
4. That Expos logo behind Bernard
In summation, everything that was cool about Busch Stadium and the Cardinals is featured in this one piece of cardboard from Upper Deck. I love this card and still consider it among my favorite 1990s Cardinals cards.
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