Most days this year when I do the Card of the Day, it will be simply one I pull out of a shoebox with no agenda, rhyme or reason.
But to kick off the series, I figured I needed one that had a little emotion behind it.
Butch Hobson was my first favorite player. I rooted for the Red Sox as a kid (and still do) and the first teams I have any memories of were loaded with stars. Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk and Dennis Eckersley are all in the Hall of Fame. Luis Tiant, Fred Lynn, Dwight Evans, Rick Burleson, Jerry Remy and George Scott were all All Stars.
So naturally I gravitated to the oft injured former Alabama quarterback Butch Hobson.
I think I just loved that his name was Butch.
Either way, when I got his card in a pack, it was a borderline religious experience for me. I wore out the borders of the card (this is a pic from the internet, not the actual card I owned.)
I also remember being thrown by the away uniform because it the N at the end looked like an H.
He was my favorite. When I got his autograph at Spring Training in 1980, I drew all around his signature, basically ruining it.
He eventually was dealt to the Angels and returned to the Red Sox in a not so successful stint as manager for the 1992, 1993 and 1994 seasons.
He is welcomed on the podcast any day.
Sully Baseball 