Worst Slide Ever?

Is this the worst slide ever?

No, this is:


But back to Frank Duffy's 1973 Topps card:

The Fleer Sticker Project believes this to be Don Baylor barreling into second base. It's definitely an Oriole who was out by at least a Duffy hop and a skip. Frank appears to be halfway into some kind of atomic knee drop. The extra wrestling move looks to be unnecessary as Baylor appears to be down for the count. If I didn't know that Baylor went on to enjoy a long career of being hit by pitches, I would be worried that he did not make it through this slide alive.

There are lots of other things to like about this display of sliding horror:

1. Is that an umpire in the foreground? If Fleer Sticker is right about the game, then that is home plate umpire Bill Kunkel. Kunkel was a former pitcher for the KC Athletics and the NY Yankees. His son, Jeff Kunkel, played in the 80's.

2. Duffy, clearly ahead of his time, wore a batting glove on his glove hand. Ken Harrelson is believed to be the first to wear a glove while batting in a game just 8 years before.

3. Pastel colors: pink, blue, and green. Pretty tame compared to the psychedelic '72 set, but far from the Hyper-Foil of today.

4. James Bond-esque Baseball circle! Roger Moore took his first turn as Bond in Live and Let Die the same year this set was produced.

 

5. Speaking of worst slides ever, its been over 2 years since my last real post. It's no coincidence that my daughter (child #2) is turning 2 soon. I work and I take care of the kids. There is little time for cardboard tom-foolery! My son has a box of cards that he sorts, dumps out, etc. He asks me questions like, "Why do you have SO MANY cards?" Touche, my boy, touche.

This was fun. Maybe I'll do again soon.