Thursday, March 12, 2009

Young Superstars II #6 - Tony Fernandez


This card has a lot going for it. Great combination of colors on the front, bat about to make contact with the ball, and, best of all, the old school Blue Jays uniform.

The photo on the reverse is almost identical to his base release head shot.

I hadn't realized until I looked at his Baseball Reference page how good Tony Fernandez really was. He was really a complete package, a great defensive shortstop and a threat at the plate. He didn't possess great power, but a .288 lifetime batting average was more than respectable for a shortstop in that era.

On December 5, 1990, Fernandez was involved in the deal that sent Joe Carter and Robbie Alomar to Toronto. Three years later, Joe Carter would become forever remembered as a much better hitter than he really was for hitting the walk off home run that won the World Series. Sorry, just thought I'd mention that.

Fernandez played his final games in Toronto in 2001, making it his fourth stint with the Blue Jays and his name is on their Level of Excellence.

In his career, Fernandez was five times an All Star, the winner of four Gold Gloves and in 1993 he put a World Series ring on his finger.

Tony Fernandez's career statistics

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