Five Cards Whenever: #12-#16 — Jeffrey Springs, Giovanny Gallegos, Brandon Drury, Michael Grove, Nolan Gorman

See here for a headnote and explanation.

A few years ago, I was called for jury duty. I don’t know how it works where you are, but in my little corner of New Jersey, there’s a lot of sitting around waiting. I decided to put my time to good use by studying a few of the baseball annuals (this was before the start of the season). I took a paper and pen and wrote down the starting lineups and depth charts for every team until I had them (almost) memorized but it did me no good. I just can’t keep up with all the players these days. I can tell you that Bob Saverine was a utilityman for the Washington Senators in the mid-1960s, but couldn’t tell you any of these five guys are, even though Drury apparently spent the 2021 season with my Mets.

I think it’s a combination of things.

When I was a kid, there were only 20 teams; now there are 30 so there are a lot more players to keep track of. Plus many of them are around for a very brief time, so there are even more to keep track of. Plus, when we were kids, there wasn’t a whole lot of other things to occupy our time. Now, as adults, there’s life.

#12: Jeffrey Springs

I know it must be hard to find something to say about every player but this? “The poster boy for the Rays [sic] ability to renovate undistinguished pitchers into effective ones…” Ouch.

#13: Giovanny Gallegos

I wonder how many pictures the photographers take before deciding on the “best” to use. No matter how graceful an athlete, there have to be some shots that aren’t very…athletic looking. It’s like stopping video with the subject closing their eyes or in mid-speaking. That’s the first thing when I thought of Gallegos’ card. But if I had his lifetime record — 14 wins, 310 Ks in 260 innings and a WHIP of less than 1.00, I really wouldn’t care what anyone though of it.

#14: Brandon Drury

The first thing that came to mind — and it shows my age — was the TV western, The Virginian, starring James Drury (any relation)? It was a big hit in the earl-late 1960s. Funny but the actor who portrayed the title character was actually born in Manhattan. Brandon was another former Mets I don’t remember. He also played for five other teams since debuting in 2015.

#15 Michael Grove

Is it just me, or his Grove’s card remarkably similar to Gallegos? Grove made his debut last year and appeared in just seven games, leading me to wonder what the minimum requirements are for a player to “earn” a spot in the Topps lineup.

#16 Nolan Gorman

Unless I’m mistaken, the “RC” in the upper left corner indicates a player’s rookie card. But if that’s the case, why isn’t it there for Grove? Gorman might remind some of Gorman Thomas, as he hit 14 home runs in 283 at bats. Not too shabby for a freshman.