It's been a while since we've done this -- not because I don't want to (they're pretty entertaining), but because there has been a serious shortage of Twins' action photographs in recent baseball card sets...thanks Obama Topps. We've done several of these in the past, but never as their own dedicated post.
We're going to go back a bit here, and throw a shout out to a recently retired former Twin. This is 2003 Upper Deck card #114 from their flagship product:
Not sure that there is enough to go on here, but you guys are rabid ferrets, and if this play can be singled out, you're just the ones to do it.
The clues:
- day game, and long sleeves (early season?)
- away game
- play at the plate (Safe? Out? Hard to say.)
- ©2002, so this play is in all likelihood from maybe the first 2/3 or so of the 2002 season, captured in time to use on the 2003 set.
Alright Citizens, have at it! Further clues in the comments are fine, but spoiler your answers.
That looks like a Brewer uniform.
Here are Ortiz's 2002 games.
I can't see any piping on the catcher's sleeve, which would seal this as Milwaukee for 2001-02. Could it be the Mariners instead?
here is a picture of the Brewers' main catcher in 2002, Paul Bako. Note the piping on the sleeve. There is gold between the blue. I don't see that on the catcher's leg in the CSI pic.
I like the Mariners better than the Brewers; the dark sleeve logo is visible obliquely.
I checked all of the game logs against the Mariners in Seattle and Ortiz never scores on anything but a home run nor is he out at the plate. I could have missed something but the six games I checked didn't have a potential match.
Mariners' piping all looks solid from what I see, so the gap in the piping on the leg doesn't seem quite right on that?
A game in 2002 in Miller Park? This is way too tough.
Winner!
Is the fact that the catcher's sleeves are cut off any help?
Im going with
Here's something from ESPN in 2002 mentioning the vests that were new to that year. I think that is the game.
I like it -- the backdrop looks like it could work, although I haven't found an image yet of blue catcher's gear with the pixie vest uni.
bonus Ji-Jim!
April 8, 2002 at Cleveland Ortiz thrown out at the plate in the top of the first.
Here's what I think might be another angle on the play:
ok, I was going to declare victory, then noticed that dw had spoilered the correct answer. Kudos, dw!
Okay, bonus play: 2016 Topps Update #US31 Eduardo Nunez
I never said it was a difficult one 😉
I was just surprised they actually had an action pic on a Twins card.
Easy for you to say. 🙂
Yeah, I think those hideous dark-gray D-Backs unis with the gradient yoke were new for 2016.
those gradient things were deplorable!
too soon?
I'm sure they'll wear them proudly.