Random Ray - 1997 Collectors Choice

The first half of the 1990s were not good years to be a Cardinals fan.  I feel like I say that every week on my Random Ray posts.  The team typically featured a combination of older, inexpensive players who were past their prime and younger prospects who did not pan out for various reasons.  It really all boiled down to the fact that the team's owner, August Busch III, was really cheap and did not care about the team.

  That all changed after the 1995 season.  The team was sold to the current ownership group and they actually tried to improve the roster by adding good players.  Before the 1996 season, the Cardinals signed or traded for Ron Gant, Andy Benes, Royce Clayton, Gary Gaetti, Luis Alicea, Todd Stottlemyre, and Dennis Eckersley.  I am probably forgetting some people.  

Do you know how nice it was to find baseball cards of Ray Lankford pictured alongside baseball players who were actually talented? 

This card was in Series 1 of the 1997 Collectors Choice set.  Many of the Cardinals photos for Series 1 were taken during the team's first few games of the 1996 season against the Mets in New York.  Note the blue dugout and orange handrails in the background.  The picture looks like its following a Ron Gant home run.  A quick flip through the box scores from the 1996 Cardinals shows Gant homered in the second game of the season against future Cardinals closer, Jason Isringhausen.  

Always nice when you can track a picture down to a specific game and event.  

Back of the card.  

I am not a big fan of overly busy card backs that are crammed with a lot of information.  However, Upper Deck seems to make this one seem decent.  There are a decent amount of stats, a nice write-up about Ray Lankford, and I dig the "Did You Know" trivia/factoid at the bottom.  The highlight on the card back is the picture at the top.  Interesting that Ray Lankford is wearing Dmitri Young's batting helmet.  

Dmitri wore 24 for the Cardinals in 1996 and 1997 and was a switch hitter.  Given Ray is wearing a batting practice jersey and gray pants, I am guessing this is from a Spring Training game and the team packed lightly.  I don't think the veteran players even appear that often in the road games in Spring Training.  

Overall, a nice card.  Love these Collector's Choice cards.