Through the Gates of the Unknown...Baseball Cards

We hardly even knew you, Mike!

Sep 20, 2024

Every once in a while, even after all the veritable centuries I’ve spent collecting baseball cards, something “new” from the old days pops up that surprises me.

Usually, it’s a set I never heard of, or maybe a card in a set before my time, or a player who made one big league appearance for the 1961 Senators or 1978 Indians. Whatever the case, it’s always fun and exciting to see what I can find out about the new thing.

But then, every once in a Reds playoff appearance or so, something “new” shows up that has no business surprising me.

You know, like a 1983 Topps card I don’t remember.

Specifically, like the 1983 Topps Mike Gates card you see above.

I mean, surely I’ve seen this card before. Had to have.

After all, I’ve held thousands of 1983 Topps cards in my hands over the last four-plus decades, and I know I’ve sifted through a complete set of the cards at least a few times. Front to back, stopping to ogle every gorgeous hunk of cardboard.

And yet, when I went looking for today’s baseball birthdays, I found Gates, a guy who played during “my” era but whose name didn’t sound familiar.

And then, when I went to look up Gates baseball cards, I found he was in one of my favorite sets ever — but I still couldn’t picture him.

And wouldn’t you know it? When I finally dug up that 1983 Topps card (above) I still didn’t recognize it. It’s like walking your favorite pair of dogs every morning for a couple of years and then waking up one day to find out there’s been a third one there all along.

Amazing.

As for Gates himself, I’m not all that surprised I don’t remember much (anything!) about him. There’s not a ton of information about him online, either. But we can piece together some basics.

Like…

The Expos picked Gates in the seventh round of the 1979 June draft out of Pepperdine University. From there, he stepped right into Single-A ball, moved up to Double-A in 1980 and then to Triple-A in 1981.

Along the way, the lefty-swinging second baseman showed an ability to hit in the mid-to-high .200s, with very little power but also with some speed on the bases.

Somehow or another — not sure of the circumstances — Gates found himself in Montreal on May 6, 1981, for the Expos’ game against the Padres. He ended up pinch hitting for starter Charlie Lea to lead off the bottom of the seventh, striking out against Juan Eichelberger.

But Gates stayed in the game, replacing Rodney Scott at the keystone when the ‘Spos took the field in the top of the eighth. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Gates tripled to drive in Chris Speier and scored himself when Tim Raines, next up, hit his own triple.

Amazingly, the next batter, Tim Wallach, completed the hat trick when he tripled home Raines. A triplet of triples! Andrew Dawson capped off the barrage with a double before Danny Boone took over to preserve the Padres 13-5(!) victory.

Gates didn’t appear in the majors again until June 18, 1982. He spent the rest of that month and all of July with Montreal, starting 30 games at second base. At age 25, this was his chance to claim the full-time role over guys like Doug Flynn and Bryan Little.

By the end of July, though, Gates was hitting .231 with no home runs and eight RBI, and he had struck out 19 times while drawing just 9 walks in 132 plate appearances. Manager Jim Fanning had seen enough.

Gates spent the rest of the summer and all of 1983 with the Triple-A Wichita Aeros. Thanks to Topps, though, collectors spent that second summer chasing the Gates rookie card — apparently.

After splitting 1984 between Triple-A affiliates for the Expos and Orioles, Gates was done in pro ball — as far as I can tell. But then, I’m the one who ignored the guy for 41 years, so take my “research” with a grain of salt.

What I’m pretty sure of, though, is that Mike Gates turns 68 years old today.

One Last Chance at Glory

Gates’ final MLB appearance came in a game against the Cardinals in Olympic Stadium on July 30, 1982. He replaced that day’s starting second baseman, Brad Mills, in the top of the ninth inning with the score knotted at four runs apiece.

In the bottom of the tenth, with the score still tied, Gates came to the plate with Gary Carter on second, Chris Speier on first, and two outs.

Cards reliever Bruce Sutter coaxed a grounder to second out of Gates for an easy forceout and end to the inning. An inning later, Andre Dawson put an end to the affair by doubling off Doug Bair to drive in Tim Raines with the winning run.

Bair took the loss and Sutter didn’t figure in the decision, but he did pitch 2.1 innings of scoreless ball in a game that also featured a relief appearance by fellow Hall of Famer Jim Kaat.

And, of course, Sutter figured in plenty of cool baseball cards over the years, including his 1981 Topps issue, which I dug into a few years ago right here.

—

Speaking of Mills (as I did above), he’s another guy whose 1983 Topps card surprised me a few years ago. Maybe I blinders on regarding Expos players who weren’t Dawson, Raines, Carter, or Steve Rogers.

Who knows?

How about you? You ever have that moment of discovery, finding a “new” card in a set you thought you knew like the back of your hand? I’d love to hear about the cards that snuck up on you!

In the meantime, I have to go pore through that mountain of 1987 Topps cards in the back of that one closet. I swear the thing is growing on its own. Must be something new hiding in there, right?

Thanks for reading.

—Adam

Like these stories and want to support them? Now you can contribute any amount you like via PayPal: