Chico Cardenas--1966
Throughout the years, baseball fans
have spent countless hours
attempting to decipher the great Leo
Cardenas/Chico Cardenas mystery.
Is he Leo or is he Chico? Or are they
identical cousins, in what many
consider a Patty Duke Show
flashback?
While Cathy adores a minuet, a bally
roost and crepe suzettes; our Patty loves
her rock and roll, a hot dog makes her
lose control, what a wild duet.
The 1966 card continues to confuse
us all, as Chico dons the front, while
Leo is on the back. Listed as
Leonardo Lazaro (Alfonso) Cardenas
by Baseball Reference.com we can
only assume that Topps was legally
obligated to put Leo somewhere on
the card, because everywhere else
on the card they refer to Cardenas
as Chico, even bringing to light the
slick fielding shortstop's other
nickname, “Mr. Automatic.” Luckily
they chose not to put that nickname
on the front.
In another surprise move, the Topps
folks highlighted Chico’s .333 World
Series average, which is impressive
until research exposes that fact that
he was 1-for-3, connecting on a
double in Game 3 of the ’61 Series
against the Yankees, one of three
pinch-hitting appearances. It would
be years later, when handling
shortstop duties for the Minnesota
Twins in the 1969 and 1970 playoffs,
did the real Cardenas bat show its’
colors. During two playoff series', Leo
went 4-for-24, and a .166 average.
Seems to us the card maker would
have noted that Chico, or Leo or Mr.
Automatic, won the Gold Glove in
1965 over his post-season bat
handling on his 1966 cardboard.
By 1971, Chico was back to being
Leo on the card. Having struggled at
the plate for years, he put the bat
down and was looking for a
groundball. And note the legal
signature on the front, obviously
taken off his contract with Topps. It's
all so confusing.
Either way… Leo… Chico…
Leonardo... Mr. Automatic...
We love ya!
(5/23/11)
have spent countless hours
attempting to decipher the great Leo
Cardenas/Chico Cardenas mystery.
Is he Leo or is he Chico? Or are they
identical cousins, in what many
consider a Patty Duke Show
flashback?
While Cathy adores a minuet, a bally
roost and crepe suzettes; our Patty loves
her rock and roll, a hot dog makes her
lose control, what a wild duet.
The 1966 card continues to confuse
us all, as Chico dons the front, while
Leo is on the back. Listed as
Leonardo Lazaro (Alfonso) Cardenas
by Baseball Reference.com we can
only assume that Topps was legally
obligated to put Leo somewhere on
the card, because everywhere else
on the card they refer to Cardenas
as Chico, even bringing to light the
slick fielding shortstop's other
nickname, “Mr. Automatic.” Luckily
they chose not to put that nickname
on the front.
In another surprise move, the Topps
folks highlighted Chico’s .333 World
Series average, which is impressive
until research exposes that fact that
he was 1-for-3, connecting on a
double in Game 3 of the ’61 Series
against the Yankees, one of three
pinch-hitting appearances. It would
be years later, when handling
shortstop duties for the Minnesota
Twins in the 1969 and 1970 playoffs,
did the real Cardenas bat show its’
colors. During two playoff series', Leo
went 4-for-24, and a .166 average.
Seems to us the card maker would
have noted that Chico, or Leo or Mr.
Automatic, won the Gold Glove in
1965 over his post-season bat
handling on his 1966 cardboard.
By 1971, Chico was back to being
Leo on the card. Having struggled at
the plate for years, he put the bat
down and was looking for a
groundball. And note the legal
signature on the front, obviously
taken off his contract with Topps. It's
all so confusing.
Either way… Leo… Chico…
Leonardo... Mr. Automatic...
We love ya!
(5/23/11)
