Saturday, July 5, 2008

1996 Leaf Signature Extended Series Chuck McElroy


Who is this? Angels pitcher Chuck McElroy.

What is this? An autograph card from 1996 Leaf Signature Extended Series.

Where'd I get it? A big pile 'o autos I won.

How much did it cost? More than the nickel or so it's worth.

Why is this so special? Chuck was a serviceable lefty relief pitcher who played 13 years in the league for 8 different teams. He had 38 wins and 17 saves in 654 appearances. His lifetime ERA is almost a half run lower than the league average, and he got just under a strikeout per inning in his career. He was once traded for Lee Smith. He retired in 2001 and that was probably the last time any of you out there thought of him, if you've ever thought of him at all. None of that matters because I LIKE CHUCK MCELROY. I like his name. Say it out loud. Chuck McElroy. I like his big ol' Urkel glasses. I don't even mind that he was a Cub. Chuck was a lefty setup guy in the '90s and he went out and did his job, usually well. You need reliable bullpen guys, just ask any fan of a team without them. He never pitched for the Braves (which may be why I have good memories of Chuck) but this card is still one of my more prized sigs.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree, he is a great guy. My son takes pitching lessons from Chuck and he has learned a lot from him. Chuck is really good with kids, and you can tell he loves what he is doing.