Card of the Week: Beach Ball Love

There is no reason to wince and sigh whenever a cheap plastic beach ball finds itself bouncing along a sea of fans. I know it's distracting, and you want nothing more than to grab it and squash it with all your might. Yet... they are mesmerizing like that dot in a cheap commercial that bounces atop the words of a cheesy ad song to help you along with the lyrics. You can't help but bounce your head in unison as if humming along to a favorite tune.

Which leads me to this.

See... not all ballplayers hate the beach ball. Jack McDowell, in his 1992 Upper Deck card above, shows his love for the plastic toy as he hugs it like a child with a new stuffed Teddy Bear. Of course, I could be wrong. Jack has a menacing look in his eye. It's almost a crazy stare- one I would expect from a Charlie Manson type. Something tells me this photo may have been taken just before he laid that ball to rest.