Friday, May 10, 2013

My Old Teammate on Cardboard

I'm not sure how I stumbled onto this card, but this is as close as I get to brushing up to greatness.


The is a 1983 card of Jim Cesario, who was a member of the Tri-City Triplets.  After a successful baseball career at the University of New Orleans, Cesario was drafted by the Rangers in 34th round of the 1983 draft.  He played 50 games for the Triplets that year and the next season he played in 65 games for Burlington, Iowa in the Midwest League.  His career ended after that.

So why am I showing a 30 year old card of a guy you never heard of?

Good question...and I've got a good answer.


This is the back of the card and here...


...is a larger look at part of the card.  Check out his hometown.  Oaklawn, Illinois....though it should actually read Oak Lawn, Illinois.  And how do I know about that typo?  Because I was born and raised in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

But wait, there's more!


This skinny Little League batter in the picture is me, circa 1973.  That red uniform is the  Cardinals (yes, I understand the irony of Wrigley Wax playing on the Cardinals!).  I wasn't very good, but the team was.  We were the undefeated league champs.  And one of the main reasons was because the star of the team was...


....Jim Cesario.  Every league seems to have one kid that plays like a man among boys.  That was Jim Cesario. He was the hardest throwing pitcher in the league and the best hitter too.

Apparently he kept getting better, since he made it to pro ball.  Little League was the peak of my very mediocre baseball career, but I can say that one of my teammates ended up on cardboard.

Anyone else play with a pro?

5 comments:

  1. I never played with any pros, but for whatever reason I was always on the Yankees. So yes, I understand the irony.

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  2. Tony Gwynn Jr played in the division above me, and it wasn't uncommon to see his dad watching from a lawn chair behind the outfield fence. Signed a few balls out there as well. A few guys I played against in high school got drafted, but never made it past the lower minor league levels.

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  3. Isnt his son playing in the Rockies minor league system?Jimmy Cesario 2B.

    ReplyDelete