TTM Stats
- Sent: 12/10/2020 | Received: 12/17/2020 | 7 Days
- ’83 Topps, ’84 Topps, ’87 Topps, ’89 Donruss (plus fee)
- Address: Home (address from Sports Card Forum)
The Story of the Autograph
Jesse Orosco is a former left-handed relief pitcher and closer in the major leagues. His spanned 24 seasons across four decades from 1979 to 2003. During that time he played for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers (twice), Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.
Orosco was born and raised in Southern California. He went to Santa Barbara City College after going to Santa Barbara High School and was drafted twice before signing. He was first chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1977 MLB Draft and then by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 1978 MLB Draft. Just a month after being drafted he was traded to the Mets to complete a deal that sent Jerry Koosman to Minnesota. He debuted the next year on April 5, 1979. He was in 18 games that first season and spent 1980 in the minors before being back in the majors in 1981.
In his early career with the Mets he was a real bright spot on a bad team. In 1984 as a closer he went 13-7 with 17 saves and a 1.47 ERA and then in 1985 he went 100-6 with a career high 31 saves and a 2.59 ERA. Both of those years he earned All-Star nods, the only two of his career. Jesse was still a big part of the bullpen in Queens in 1986 when he went 8-6 with a 2.33 ERA while notching 21 saves and helping the Mets with the 1986 World Series. He was on the mound to close out both the NLCS and the World Series.
The Mets traded him to the Dodgers in 1988 as part of a three team deal that involved the Athletics as well. Coincidentally, both teams would be World Series participants that year and Jesse would help to win his second World Series with L.A.. But after moving out of New York he wouldn’t really be a closer any longer. He bounced around to a lot of teams and somehow stretched his career to 2004.
Orosco owns the major league record for games pitched with 1,252 and dealt with more than 1,000 inherited runners.
The Score on Jesse Orosco – 6.5
Jesse has a pretty fun signature. I like the way he curls the end of it to start to circle his number, but doesn’t actually circle it. I actually think it’s better that he doesn’t circle it. I also love that I have his signature on the 1983 and 1984 Topps cards with those being some of the best in his career. I’ll have to see if I have a 1986 card though since that’s the championship year for the Mets.
Thanks Mr. Orosco! I’m giving this return a 6.5.
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Information gathered using Wikipedia and Baseball Reference.