A Venerable Old Card Part 15

The vast majority of cards that I have featured in this weekly segment of my blog have been from the 1980s up to the mid 1990s.  This week I am going to go with a card that is a little bit newer.  By newer, I am mean 19 years old.  I really wanted to go with a Durham Bulls card this week, so picking a card inside of 20 years was a necessary evil.  It's been a while since I have done a Bulls card in this segment, so this week's card is.....

Both of the players on this 1997 Topps card were actually on the Durham Bulls at some point during their Minor League career.  Bowers was on the squad for four years between 2000 and 2003.  Bowers started a few games for the Bulls, but spent the majority of his time pitching out of the bullpen.  Sandberg is the real interesting player on this card.  

Sandberg was on the Bulls during the same time frame as Bowers, but he also spent time with the Devil Rays during that time.  Sandberg was a pretty popular prospect.  Not sure how much of that hype was based on talent and how much was based on his last name.  He ended up also spending the 2004 season with the Bulls after he was sent down.  Jared Sandberg drifted through the Minors for a few years before ended up back in the Rays system as a manager.  

Currently he is working his eighth season in the Rays organization after having worked for the team at every level.  Last season was his first with the Bulls and he finished the season 74-70.  This year has not gone as well for the Bulls, currently 10 games under .500, but I am hopeful that the team can bounce back at some point this year.  

A quick look at the back of the card.....

While early Sandberg cards were optimistic about his playing career, it clearly did not work out for him.  Two years into his managing career in Durham I am hopeful that his managing career will turn out to be successful.