Suspicious Logo Placement on This 1986 Donruss Bobby Grich Card

Donruss done Bobby Grich wrong in 1986! You can’t convince us that their layout and design department didn’t notice this unfortunate placement of the California Angels logo on the 6-time All-Star and 4-time Gold Glove winner’s card. What they had against one of the finest all around second basement of the 1970s and 80s we will never know. 

But it brings up another question. Are you in the Grich for the Hall of Fame camp? His 71.1 lifetime WAR sure is convincing. But when we look at his overall performance, we just can’t make the case. 

Grich was excellent defensively but we’d have liked to see a couple more Gold Gloves for us to weigh that more heavily. Offensively, he had a couple good years, including winning the AL home run title in a strike-shortened 1981 season while batting .304. But on the whole, his offensive production was average-ish. 

Maybe somewhat above average for his position, and we don’t feel it’s quite HOF caliber. Still, there are many who will say Grich needs a spot in Cooperstown. 

Although he played most of his career before we were old enough to follow he game, we heard Bobby Grich’s name frequently growing up because his cousin was a school acquaintance of our father’s growing up and his uncle was our landlord in the mid-1980s. So let’s hear what you think about one of the finest second basemen to take the field for the Orioles and Angels.