Tony Scruggs Had 3 Shots at Rookie Card History
He nailed his cardboard timing even if the curveball was a bit tougher
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1991 Bowman Tony Scruggs (#289) - Card of the Day
Sometimes it takes a while to sort out your options.
Just ask Tony Scruggs.
Originally drafted out of Mount San Antonio College in the third round in January of 1985, Scruggs told the White Sox, “no thank you,” and transferred to UCLA instead.
More than a year later and after batting .345 for the Bruins, Scruggs went in the seventh round of the June 1986 draft, to the Angels.
That one didn’t stick either.
As far as I can tell, Scruggs didn’t play college ball in 1987, but he was drafted out of UCLA again in June — and again in the seventh round.
In keeping with the (old) American League West theme, it was the Texas Rangers who came calling the third time, and it proved to be a charm. Scruggs signed and began his professional career that summer with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Rangers.
He kept plugging away through 1990, always playing at two levels in a season, but never rising above Double A.
But then, in 1991, Scruggs broke Spring Training with the Rangers and headed to Texas. He even made it onto the field on Opening Day, a 5-4 loss to the Brewers in Arlington.
In that one, Scruggs pinch hit for Jack Daugherty to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. The rookie flied out to center field, but he stayed in the game as the left fielder in the ninth, where he recorded a putout against Jim Gantner.
Four more appearances would follow in short order, including a start in center in the second game of a doubleheader against the Orioles on April 13.
But with no hits, no walks, and a strikeout in six plate appearances, the 25-year-old debutante wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire. Manager Bobby Valentine had seen enough, and Scruggs was done as a Ranger on April 20.
In the meantime, though, Topps had finally decided on a direction for their resurrected Bowman line — basically a philosophy of “every possible rookie, all the time.”
And so it was that, even as Scruggs was trying to stick with the Rangers, collectors across the land were pulling his 1991 Bowman rookie card everywhere fine cello-wax packs were sold.
Alas, Scruggs finished out 1991 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, split 1992 between Double A and Triple A, then wrapped up his career in 1993 with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the Seattle Mariners organization.
Today, there are no doubt enough Tony Scruggs rookie cards to satisfy every collector who wants one several times over. And also today, Scruggs turns 58 years old.
Hi-Fi Birthday!
Know who else was born on March 19?
I’ll give you a hint — he shares a last name with a once sure-bet Hall of Famer.
Oh, he also appeared in 11.2 times the number of major league games that Scruggs did.
For the Mets, Angles, and Giants.
How about this — he’s exactly one month younger than my dad.
Still don’t know?
OK, this one will give it away completely…
You can read all about (well, some about) this mystery baseball renaissance man in my rundown of one of his baseball cards, right here. It’s groovy.
—
Hope you have/had a great Tuesday — it should be all that tough since Spring starts tonight. Plus, there’s only one more Tuesday after this until the real Opening Day.
Until then (and after, preferably), you’ll just have to keep reading about and playing with old cardboard.
It’s the stuff of dreams, after all.
Thanks for reading.
—Adam