A 1980s Card Part 39 -1988 Donruss Lance Johnson

Another week, another cool set of Donruss cards.  Last week, I gave this space to a Diamond Kings card of George Hendrick, this week I am going to spend a little time looking at the Rated Rookie cards.  The Cardinals did not get one in the first few Donruss sets, but starting in 1986 with Todd Worrell, they had a good run of players into the early 1990s.  I decided to pick one that flies under the radar a bit for my post this week. 

If you watched baseball in the 1990s, I am sure you ran across Lance Johnson with the White Sox, Cubs, or Mets.  He also briefly played for the Yankees at the end of his career.  I am not sure many people would remember him playing for the Cardinals, although he does seem like the type of player who would fit on their 1980s teams.  Speedy base runner, good defender.  He made his Major League debut in 1987, and the Cardinals actually used him as a pinch runner during the playoffs in the NLCS and the World Series. 

Our friend over at Courtside Tweets actually has a short video clip of Lance Johnson getting a hit in a Cardinals uniform. 

  

Johnson got traded to the White Sox in the middle of Spring Training in 1988 in exchange for pitcher Jose DeLeon.  The Cardinals played an outfield of Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, and Tom Brunansky that season, so Lance Johnson was blocked.  Although, Brunansky was an early in season trade.  

Back of the card.  

Lance did not do much with during his brief stint with the Cardinals, but he was a really good player in their Minor League system.  The numbers at the bottom of the card are pretty impressive.