A 1980s Card Part 43 - 1980 Topps Mike Phillips

These Monday posts are supposed to span the entire decade of Cardinals cards, but I have not done very much with the 1980 Topps set yet.  The Cardinals cards are almost all portraits, there are almost no action shots in the entire team set.  It's not that I have a problem with portrait style cards.  They are fine.  It's just that they are not even interesting portrait photos.  They are bland and vanilla.

The Mike Phillips card is the standout picture amongst the Cardinals in this set.

I am not sure what happened on this play, but pretty cool picture of Mike Phillips with Gary Maddox in the background.  Phillips did not play many games for the Cardinals in 1979, so I checked out the box scores of their home games against the Phillies.  There was only one game the utility infielder played against the Phillies, but nothing there that would explain Mike Phillips jumping over Gary Maddox.  Likely from a different season.

Phillips was a utility player during the 1970s and 1980s, and spent a few years playing for the Cardinals.  This 1980 Topps card is easily his best card.  His other Topps cards are all portraits.

His batting gloves are interesting on his 1981 Topps.  At least I think he is wearing batting gloves.

His 1978 Topps card....

probably begs for comment on that airbrush job on his hat.  I will pass for today.  

His 1979 Topps card.  

More interesting than the 1978.  The bricks in the background make me think this photo was likely in Wrigley.  Always a good backdrop for a baseball card.  

Now that I have given you the complete run down on all the different Topps Mike Phillips cards, let's go back to the one from the top of the post.  

With the white borders on the card and white background on the blogpost, it's hard to see how far off the centering on this card is from side to side.  It's top and bottom when you turn it sideways to look at the card.  Probably got this for next to nothing at a card show.  

Phillips main value as a player was the fact that he could play anywhere on the infield.  The card lists Phillips as a second baseman and third baseman, but he actually played more games at shortstop.  Clearly not much of a hitter, but he did manage to hit for the cycle during his time as a Met.

A good song from the 1980s on my IPod.  The Police.

Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot.

-Hansel from Zoolander