1989 Fleer John Tudor

Who is this? Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher John Tudor
 
What is this? An autographed card from the 1989 Fleer set
 
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Tudor and asked him to sign it earlier this year.
 
How much did it cost? Less than a dollar, including postage, since I sent it out with the 1986 Topps card I posted last month.
 
Why is this so special? John Tudor spent 12 seasons in the majors, retiring with a 117-72 record. In August 1988, the Dodgers sent Pedro Guerrero to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Tudor as they prepared their roster for the playoffs.

That year, the Mets swept the regular season series from Los Angeles, so the Dodgers went looking for lefty pitching to counter Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez.

Tudor started game four in the NLCS, but didn't factor into the decision. Los Angeles took an early lead in the game, but the Mets battled back and took a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning. Dwight Gooden pitched into the ninth inning for New York, but he allowed a game-tying home run to Mike Scioscia. Kirk Gibson hit another home run in the 12th off Roger McDowell to win the game, even up the series and swing momentum back to Los Angeles.

Tudor missed most of the 1989 season with an injury. He returned in 1990 to pitch one final year with the Cardinals before retiring.

Tudor's signature is mostly illegible, but you can read the letters "T" and "u" clearly. "J" "o" and "d" are visible with effort.