Observe. A perfectly normal 1968 Topps Minnie Rojas card. Who is Minnie Rojas, you ask? It's spelled out clearly on the front of the card..."Pitcher Angels". These were the Angels that were supposed to represent the whole state, the California Angels. The Angels of "Angels in the Outfield" (though I think that movie had the Pirates in it). The Angels of Dean Chance and expansion team hood. He is looking up to the sky for a posed windup as if inviting or hoping for some sign that this spring training will yield some hope to build off a winning record and 5th place finish in 1967. Minnie Rojas was a part of that success, leading the league in games finished and saves (before it was an official statistic), and finishing 24th in the MVP voting. Alas, it was not meant to be in 1968. The Angels fell back to 8th place and Minnie Rojas pitched his last major league season.
The owner of the card was prescient as he expressed this fallout with a big "Z" in the middle of the back of the card. Does it stand for the end of the line? Is it an incomprehensible scribble? Why did he use a pen for the career stats and a black marker for the circled x below the number. These were not the marks of cataloguing. These are expressions that words could not express. Maybe he was frustrated by the disappearance of one Minervino Alejandro Rojas from the baseball world after 1968. Maybe this card was marked as a double and was therefore, expendable in trades....or maybe he was trying to recreate the cartoon on the back. Speculation can only get so far. Who knows the mind of a child in 1968?
3 comments:
Thank you for posting such a clear copy of this baseball card. Minervino Rojas was my uncle and I enjoy finding old articles and pictures of him before the accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Although this happened before I was born, it is a something that has always lived with us, especially my father who was the only other Rojas family member in the U.S. at the time.
We lived across from the Rojas family in Anaheim. We always knew when the Angels were back in town because Mrs. Rojas would be singing all day. We played with Barbara and Lourdes and I was so sad to hear that they had been killed. THey were such sweet little girls.
I also have one of these Baseball cards. The Rojas family have been friends of my family since I was a little boy. His son is like a brother to me. I grew up knowing Mr. Minnie and let me tell you, he was truly a great man, and I will always remember and miss him. His legacy lives on in his son and his children.........
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