Monday, February 10, 2014

#160 Bruce Rondon

#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.

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