Rollie Fingers and the Case of the Missing Mustache

First off, I just wanted to say thanks for the warm welcome from the blogosphere. Thanks to one of Play at the Plate's very cool contests, I've had a lot of visits and new followers. Thanks, everyone, for stopping, for the warm welcomes and encouragement.

Now onto a tale of spring break past.

Everyone knows that the greatest mustache in recent baseball history belongs to Rollie Fingers. And you probably know some of the history behind the genesis of those handlebars. According to Wiki, Reggie Jackson showed up to spring training with a beard, and Rollie's facial hair began growing beyond his control out of envy, or maybe it was protest. Rollie ended up winning a cool $300 for his cartoon-villian mustache, in the famous mustache duels of 1972. Many great mustache's perished in the arena, but one curls still today.

I embellish a bit, but that's the general story. And it's a good spring training story, as well as being an excuse to show off one of my favorite cards in my collection.

Sorry it got a bit cut off in the scan. It's a great looking card from 2007 Ultimate Upper Deck. I believe this is the lowest numbered card I own and my only patch. The patch has a weird feel to it, like some sort of polyester blend, perhaps. And you can barely see it, but there's some staining on the green. Assuming this isn't from the Ebay seller using it to dab McGriddle grease from his far inferior mustache, I'm saying that's a genuine Rollie Fingers' stain, which makes the patch even better.

I got this for an absolute steal on Ebay. Probably such a low price because the seller didn't include a picture. Yup, I bought it blind with only a brief text description. Sometimes it's worth taking the risk, though.

I do have one complaint, however. No moustache! It's a nice older picture of a young, spry Rollie, but it just seems lacking.

Here you go, Rollie. Salvador will allow you to borrow his mustache.

By the way, mustache or moustache? Are we OK with dropping the "o"?