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Lineup cards



  "You mean they just GIVE these away?!"

I'd been to hundreds of games before I happened to see some random fan behind the dugout ask for the lineup cards after the final out. He got them. Just like that. From that point on, I always asked and finally got my first pair on June 26, 1999 in Detroit.
     
  Ground rules

This is the reverse side of the cards above, and as you can see, Tiger Stadium's ground rules were printed for the managers.
     
  Incomplete pair

Usually I get both teams' lineup cards at once, but in this case it didn't bother me because...
     
  Fancy-schmancy

...Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter also gave me this. (I've scanned all these lineup cards full-size, and this one is BIG.) It's the fancier type that's taped to the dugout wall during the game. Managers usually keep the smaller ones on a clipboard or just stick them in their back pockets.
     
  Rough night for Wiki

Exactly one year later, the Angels showed me some love at Qualcomm Stadium. The circled numbers indicate who made the final outs. Mo Vaughn, for example, was retired to end the top the third while catcher Wiki Gonzalez was scrambling all night to put his equipment back on.
     
  Q-comm again

What can we learn from this lineup card? In addition to the fact that Travis (Katzenmeier) was the home plate ump, two members of the 300-save club appeared in the game. Their names, along with other relievers who pitched, are highlighted in green at the bottom.
     
  History!

What're the odds of seeing Randy Winn hit for the cycle and getting the lineup cards on the same day?
     
  Who's been pitching?

(Another reverse view with more to follow...) The Giants charted the usage of both teams' relievers and taped the info to the back of their lineup card. By doing so, they knew which of their pitchers to rest/use and had an easier time predicting which Reds they were likely to face. Jason Standridge? No way.
     
  The curse of NYC

Why is it so hard to get lineup cards in New York City?
     
  No Standridge

See?! I TOLD you he wasn't gonna pitch!
     
  Back-to-back-to-back

Third consecutive game with lineup cards. I can't explain it. These came from Cubs manager Dusty Baker at Minute Maid Park. Note his signature on the bottom.
     
  Another chart

Dusty keeps track differently. Check out the performance of Houston's starting rotation. Even Ezequiel Astacio went six innings.
     
  Barry Bonds

Cool.
     
  No ground rules

Odd.
     
  Dusty does it again

I don't care what people think. Dusty Baker is the man. Not only had he tossed me a ball before game, but during it he took the time to indicate which inning-ending outs came via strikeouts and with the bases loaded.
     
  Citizens Bank Park

Chain link fence in right center? Sounds dangerous. Management really oughta put some padding on it...
     
  Historic night

Not only was this the first time I ever got a lineup card in New York City...and not only was it Matt DeSalvo's major league debut...but this was the day I snagged my 3,000th ball.
     
  I [heart] Manny Acta.

Nationals manager Manny Acta has tossed me more baseballs than anyone, ever—sixteen balls, to be precise. He also gave me the only lineup cards I got in over 350 games at Shea Stadium.
     
  Another BIG one

It had been eight years since I'd gotten one of these full-sized, taped-to-the-dugout-wall lineup cards. When one of the Blue Jays coaches handed this one to me, it still had two strips of white athletic tape stuck to the top and bottom.
     
  Bullpen slackers

This card came from the Blue Jays' bullpen at Champion Stadium. The guys out there clearly didn't care who made the third out, and they only bothered highlighting the lefties and switch-hitters on the other team.