 |
| #160 Bruce Rondon |
First impression of
what’s going on: You see this pose often in a game but I can’t think of a
time where I've seen it on a card. I associate it with taking a big breath
after a notable play. Usually the pitcher is in a jam or maybe just got out of
one. Or he could just be taking a stretch between pitches. There’s no obvious
concern on Rondon's face, so despite the just-bad-enough crop, I kind of like
it.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 22: Bruce Rondon #43 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the eight inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park on August 21, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. The Twins defeated the Tigers 7-6. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
The Reality of the
Photo: The caption doesn't give any specific information on the play. If he
had just given up a run or hit, I think that might have been mentioned. On the
other hand, Rondon is a relief pitcher, in the 8th inning of a game the
Tigers end up losing 7-6. Let’s see if the BOXSCORE has anything to say.
Uh oh. The winning run for the Twins came across in the 8th
inning.
And Rondon was charged with the loss. Not that starter
Justin Verlander pitched a particular gem that day, but you still don’t want to
come away with a loss. Let’s see how bad it was.
Three batters faced, a flyball, a walk, and a fielder's
choice that advanced the walked batter to second.But then Rondon is pulled for
Drew Smyly who gives up a double to Chris Herrmann. That's a bad break for
Rondon, but walks tend to come back and haunt you.
There’s nothing real notable on the card that would get it
into any of my niche collections. Rondon does have some tattoos and I know
there are some guys into that.
On to the back:
Rookie Fact: Bruce’s four-seam fastball averaged 97.9 MPH in
2013.
I don’t know of any sites where I can verify this
information so I’ll have to trust its accuracy. This is a pretty impressive
fact though. Middle relievers have the benefit of coming in as a short term fix
and can just blow away the batters without worrying about having to conserve
energy.
Information I’ll be tracking:
Card Number: #160
Player Name:
Bruce Rondon
Team: Detroit
Tigers
Position: Pitcher
Game Date: August
21, 2013
Opponent: Minnesota
Twins
Stadium: Comerica
Park
Division: American
League Central
Home/Away: Home
Outcome of the game:
7-6, Twins over Tigers, Loss for the player depicted
Alternate/Throwback
Jersey: No
Bats/Throws:
Right/Right
Birthdate: 12/9/1990
Birthplace: Venezuela
Cameos by: N/A
Photographer: Leo
Halip
Niche collections this
card could fit into: Tattoos
My Grade: I like the picture, but it comes in a
losing effort. His overall stats, the blurb and rookie fact are kind of average
so I’ll give this one a C+.
There weren't many photo options for Rondon since he only
pitched in 28.2 innings. And again, the photo choice wasn't even the problem.
There were a couple of throwback/alternate uniforms photos but the poses were kind
of boring too. Meh.
No comments:
Post a Comment