Radio Baseball Cards

Willie Upshaw had two main passions growing up, sports and music...and he still loves both.

Host of Radio Baseball Cards is Hall of Fame Pitcher and play by play broadcaster, Don Drysdale (1936-1993). Created by Fred Greene (Golf Smarter) Radio Baseball Cards was originally a nationally syndicated radio pre-game show in 1987. Radio Baseball Cards is listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame & Library.

Willie Clay Upshaw is played first base for the Toronto Blue Jays (1978, 1980–1987) and Cleveland Indians (1988).

Upshaw was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 1975 MLB draft.

He was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rule 5 draft on December 5, 1977, and in 1982, became the Blue Jays' regular first-baseman, leading the team in home runs with 21, RBI with 75, and extra base hits.

In 1983 he became the first Blue Jays player to reach the 100 RBI plateau in a season, driving in 104 runs while batting .306.

Following his Major League career, he played two seasons in Japan for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1989–1990).

He was later the field manager of the independent minor league Bridgeport Bluefish.

Despite having a great playing career, Willie Wilson is better know for getting caught up in a bad time for professional athletes.

Host of Radio Baseball Cards is Hall of Fame Pitcher and play by play broadcaster, Don Drysdale (1936-1993). Created by Fred Greene (Golf Smarter) Radio Baseball Cards was originally a nationally syndicated radio pre-game show in 1987. Radio Baseball Cards is listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame & Library.

Willie James Wilson played 19 MLB seasons for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago Cubs. He was an outfielder known for his speed and ability as an effective leadoff hitter. Wilson's career total of 668 stolen bases currently ranks him in 12th place all-time (after 2019 season) among major leaguers.

After the end of the 1983 season, Wilson found himself in a drug scandal along with teammates Willie Aikens, Vida Blue, and Jerry Martin. All four pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drug charges (attempting to purchase cocaine) on November 17. They became the first active major leaguers to serve jail time, serving 81 days at the Fort Worth, Texas, Federal Correctional Institution. He was suspended by commissioner Bowie Kuhn for the entire 1984 season, but the suspension was reduced on appeal and he was able to return on May 15. The Royals traded or released the other three, with only Wilson returning to the Royals, and he hit .301 and stole 47 bases after his return.

Lloyd Moseby truly appreciated that he made it to the big leagues, but the journey to get there wasn't so glamorous.

Host of Radio Baseball Cards is Hall of Fame Pitcher and play by play broadcaster, Don Drysdale (1936-1993). Created by Fred Greene (Golf Smarter) Radio Baseball Cards was originally a nationally syndicated radio pre-game show in 1987. Radio Baseball Cards is listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame & Library.

Lloyd Anthony Moseby (born November 5, 1959) played center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers between 1980-1991. He also played in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants from 1992-1993. He was an MLB All-Star in 1986 and ended his career with 169HR and 737RBI. Moseby's nickname, Shaker, was said to stem from his ability to get away from or "shake" players who attempted to defend him on the basketball court.

Not known as a power hitter, Claudell Washington was surprised to find out that he was one of only three players ever to hit three home runs in one game in both leagues.

Host of Radio Baseball Cards is Hall of Fame Pitcher and play by play broadcaster, Don Drysdale (1936-1993). Created by Fred Greene (Golf Smarter) Radio Baseball Cards was originally a nationally syndicated radio pre-game show in 1987. Radio Baseball Cards is listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame & Library.

Claudell Washington (August 31, 1954 – June 10, 2020) was an outfielder who played 17 MLB seasons. He played for the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and California Angels from 1974 until 1990. He batted and threw left-handed.

Washington was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and played for three of their minor league affiliates until 1974, when the A's promoted him to the major leagues. He won the World Series that year and was selected as an All-Star in 1975. After spending 3 years the A's traded him to the Texas Rangers. He was subsequently dealt to the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets. He signed with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent in 1980 and was named an All-Star again in 1984. He later played for the New York Yankees and California Angels. He returned to the Yankees in 1990 and played his last game on June 18, 1990

In this episode Don Baylor talks about the pressure he faced in Texas during the 1960s when he was the first black student in an all-white Jr. High.

Host of Radio Baseball Cards is Hall of Fame Pitcher and play by play broadcaster, Don Drysdale (1936-1993). Created by Fred Greene (Golf Smarter) Radio Baseball Cards was originally a nationally syndicated radio pre-game show in 1987. Radio Baseball Cards is listed in the Baseball Hall of Fame & Library.

Don Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017) was a baseball player and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate ("crowding the plate") and was a first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played for six different American League (AL) teams, primarily the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels, but he also played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox. In 1979, Baylor was an All-Star and won the AL Most Valuable Player Award. He won three Silver Slugger Awards, the Roberto Clemente Award, and was a member of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.

After his playing career, Baylor managed the expansion Colorado Rockies for six years and the Chicago Cubs for three seasons. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 1995 and was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame

Roy Campanella, nicknamed "Campy", was a All-Star catcher. The Philadelphia native played for the Negro Leagues and Mexican League for several seasons before entering the minor leagues in 1946. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 1948. His playing career ended when he was paralyzed in an automobile accident in January 1958.

Widely considered to be one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game, Campanella played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s and 1950s. After he retired as a player as a result of the accident, Campanella held positions in scouting and community relations with the Dodgers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

Carney Lansford played third base for the California Angels (1978–80), Boston Red Sox (1981–82) and Oakland Athletics (1983–92). He batted and threw right-handed. He was also a hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies.
Originally drafted by the California Angels in the 3rd round of the 1975 Major League Baseball draft, Lansford was the Angels' most successful rookie in 1978 and finished third in the overall AL Rookie of the Year vote. The Angels dealt Lansford to the Red Sox after the 1980 season. In 1981, he won the American League batting title in the strike-shortened season, becoming the league's first right-handed hitter to do so in 11 years. However, the emergence of Wade Boggs resulted in the Red Sox sending Lansford to Oakland in a trade involving Tony Armas during the 1982 off-season. Lansford became the A's regular third baseman and was there for their 1988 through 1992 dynasty, typically hitting second behind Rickey Henderson. Lansford narrowly missed winning his second batting title in 1989 with a .336 average (Minnesota's Kirby Puckett finished with a .339 average). Although his power numbers dropped off during those years, and he missed almost all the 1991 season with an injury, Lansford's speed and solid hitting made him a significant contributor to the A's dynasty. He played in three World Series with the A's, losing in 1988 and 1990 and winning in 1989.

In his 15-year career, Lansford was a .290 hitter with 151 home runs, 874 RBI, and 224 stolen bases in 1862 games. In five American League Championship Series and three World Series covering 33 games, he hit .305 (39-for-128) with two home runs and 18 RBI.

Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese is a baseball legend. He played in the Major Leagues as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958. A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Reese is also famous for his support of his teammate Jackie Robinson, the first modern African American player in the major leagues, especially in Robinson's difficult first years.

Jack Clark, also known as "Jack the Ripper" played in the Majors between 1975 through 1992, for the San Francisco Giants (1975–84), St. Louis Cardinals (1985–87), New York Yankees (1988), San Diego Padres (1989–90) and Boston Red Sox (1991–92).

During his prime, Clark was one of the most feared right-handed hitters in the National League, winning the Silver Slugger Award in 1985 and 1987. A four-time All-Star In an 18-season career, Clark was a .267 hitter with 340 home runs and 1180 RBI in 1994 games. He also collected 1118 runs, 332 doubles, 77 stolen bases, and 1826 hits in 6847 at-bats. He batted and threw right-handed.

Bob James was an MLB pitcher in the major leagues primarily as a relief pitcher from 1978-1987.
James was the first round draft pick in 1976 by the Montreal Expos, and joined the major league team in 1978 when he was just twenty years old. On December 7, 1984, James was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Vance Law. The following season, he saved 32 games for the White Sox, second in the American League behind only Dan Quisenberry. James pitched two more years for the White Sox before being released.