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Most know Harold Reynolds today for his work on MLB Network. A knowledgeable and insightful analyst, Reynolds draws upon the experiences of his twelve-year big league career.

The second overall pick in the 1980 draft, Reynolds made his big league debut as a September call up in 1983. He became the Mariners’ everyday second basemen in ’86.

In 1987, Reynolds had a breakout year. An All Star for the first time, he hit .275. Reynolds also led the American League in stolen bases. He holds the distinction of being the only player not named Rickey Henderson to lead the AL in stolen bases during the 1980s.

In ’88, Reynolds was again an All Star. He also won the first of three straight Gold Glove Awards. His 10th year with the Mariners came in 1992. After the World Series he became a free agent and signed with the Orioles two months later.

In 145 games with Baltimore in ’93, Reynolds hit a respectable .252. His on-base percentage was .343 – 16 points higher than his career mark.

Reynolds final season in the big leagues game in 1994 with the Angels. In 1,374 career games Reynolds amassed 1,233 hits, and 250 stolen bases to go with .258 average.

In the collection is the final contract Reynolds signed to appear on Topps baseball cards. Dated 2/25/1993, the three-year contract extension was signed in the speedster’s penultimate season.

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Rickey Henderson led the American League in stolen bases every year but one in the 1980s. In the years he did lead the league, save the ’81 strike-shortened year, Henderson averaged more than 92 steals a season.

In 1987 injuries limited Henderson to just 95 games. That season a career-high 60 stolen bases from Harold Reynolds paced the league.

On the Dan Patrick radio show Reynolds told a story about a phone call he received from Rickey.

“The season ends, the phone rings. ‘Henderson here.’ He always talks in the third person. So I say, ‘What’s up, Rick?’ He goes, ‘Man you oughta be ashamed.’ I go, ‘What are you talking about?” He says, ‘Sixty stolen bases? You oughta be ashamed. Rickey has 60 at the break.’ Click. He hangs up.”

There is only one Rickey Henderson.

In the collection is a payroll check from just before the opening of the 1987 campaign dated March 31. He signed the reverse of the check. More on Rickey can be seen on his page on this website.

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In baseball a five-tool player hits, runs, throws, fields, and hits for power. Bo Jackson put all five tools on display during his 8-year big league career. His most memorable throw was on June 5, 1989 against the Seattle Mariners.

Bo’s game-saving heave came in the bottom of the 10th inning in a 3-3 tie at Seattle’s Kingdome. The toss cut down Mariner speedster Harold Reynolds at the plate, kept the game knotted, allowing the game to continue until the Royals pushed across two in the 13th to win the game.

The American League stolen base champ in 1987 tells the story.

“So I’m on first base, Scott Bradley is at the plate. I’m stealing on the play and he hits it into the left field corner. I’m running and I see where Bo’s at and I see where the ball is at and I’m like, ‘Game over.’ I’m flying full tilt and as I come around third, Darnell Coles was the next hitter. He’s standing there going, ‘You gotta slide! You gotta slide!’.

“And I’m in my head going, ‘Slide? What’s he talking about? Ok I’ll give it a courtesy slide, you know?’.

Bob Boone the catcher had actually taken his mask off and starting walking towards the dugout. So I’m seeing Darnell telling me to slide and I’m seeing Booney start to walk off, and I’m thinking, ‘Who’s wrong here?’.

I go, ‘Ok, maybe Boone’s trying to deke me so I better keep going hard.’ But he was walking to the dugout. And so next thing you know, the ball, Bo gets it, catches it barehand one hop off the fence, spins and throws it in the air. All the way. No stride, no recoil step. He didn’t have time. He just caught it and threw it like this all the way in the air and got me.

“I mean, this is the greatest play in the history of baseball.”