I Love The 1990s Cardinals Part 71- Luis Alicea

Dubbed "Little Louie" by Cardinals announcer Mike Shannon, Luis Alicea started his career as a pretty highly touted prospect.  I am not sure I realized this until after I moved to North Carolina, and was bequeathed an oddball card of his from college, but Luis Alicea was a really good player in college. 

What is this card? 

It may, or may not be official, but Luis Alicea is in the Hall of Fame at Florida State.  He was an All-American, helped get the Noles to the College World Series, and was a number one draft pick of the Cardinals.

I did know he was a number one draft pick, just did not remember the Florida State part.  The card looks really shady.  I am voting not official.  Although......

found this one on Ebay.  Burt Reynolds looks 12. 

Moving on to the Cardinals cards. 

Luis had two different stints on the Cardinals during the 1990s.  He was up on the Cardinals during the 1988 season for a stint, and was up for good by the middle of 1991.  Luis might have been a light hitting second baseman on a second half of the league team, but he ended up with a decent number of quality cards over the years.  The Cardinals traded him to the Red Sox in 1995, but he was back on the Cardinals in 1996. 

A few early ones....

This 1992 Score is not the best action shot, but you get a good feel for Busch II in the early 1990s.  Blue walls, giant logos on the walls, and astroturf.  The card is a microcosm of the Cardinals 1960s era cookie cutter concrete bowl.  

I have no idea what is happening on his 1993 Topps card.  Is he flipping the ball back to Ozzie?  I like that the picture was taken in Candlestick, which had those clear walls for a long time in front of the football seats.  I also like the flip down sunglasses. 

I like the 1993 Fleer card because of the uniform.  The Cardinals ditched the polyester pullovers for the button up jerseys in the early 1990s.  Such a better look. 

Last card from 1993.....

Incredible photo, or incredible photoshopping?  If the ball is photoshopped onto the end of the bat, then Upper Deck's 1993 photoshopping technology is better than Topps in 2019.  Also, always a plus if a baseball card's picture is taken in Wrigley Field.  

Bet this was an opposite field single over Rey Sanchez's glove. 

Final two Cardinals cards.  Both good fielding action shots of Luis. 

Pretty cool action shot of Luis jumping over a runner.  It's not Ozzie Smith.....

but it also looks like that might be Tom Candiotti running the bases.  

Last Cardinals card.  

Another quality action shot.  More astroturf, more blue walls, and not many giant logos in this one.  Alex Cole is sliding in for the Rockies, another former Cardinals farmhand.  He was from the 1980s, otherwise he might get a post. 

So, where are the stats, or cool stories about Luis?  The guy played second base for a long time, he did not really hit that well, and was a decent fielder.  He played all the way until 2002....

when he played for the Royals.

My lone Luis Alicea story.  Luis hit five home runs in 1996.  Three of them in a week.  I saw the third one, which was hit off of Todd Jones in the ninth inning to tie the game.  Pagnozzi hit a walk off in the tenth.  It's in small print, or just click here.