1980 Police San Francisco Giants #5, Jim Lefebvre

I can coach anyone, thinks Jim's disembodied voice. Look at me, I'm hitting balls from a tee. WHACK. You think anyone can hit balls from a tee? I managed Seattle for three years and let me tell you, those turkeys would need God's own fencepost in their hands just to pop it up. WHACK. Kept begging McCovey to stop by and give 'em a few pointers. He said he wouldn't work with little leaguers. WHACK.

Card front

Lefebvre's a switch-hitter, so I assume right is his "power" side for the tee-ball shot seen here. The photo shows good timing for a real swing, or exceedingly corny composition for a pose. Why do this? Was no one else around to toss a ball to him? Were they worried people might confuse him with an active player? If he's really standing on the third base line, hitting off a tee into the dugout, this seems unlikely. (No offense, Jim! Still a believer! Heh heh.)

Based on my experience as a small town eight year-old, you'd get the "police" sets by talking with officers or walking up to cruisers and asking them for cards. Sounds like a nice deal for the community, right? Kids learn that the police are there to do nice things and the grown-ups get some positive attention. In my neighborhood, that's how we built sets of Mariners and Seahawks, rosters safely stocked with people you've never heard of.

Naturally, I wouldn't let on to my other method of "collection expansion," swiping wax packs from the local drug store. That kind of talk would just spoil the mood. Kind of like how bringing up former boss Tommy Lasorda might suck the joy out of Lefebvre.

"Sept 17, 1980: While taping separate interviews at KNBC-TV studios in Burbank, CA, Giants coach Jim Lefebvre and Lasorda trade punches after a brief argument, bloodying Lasorda's lip. Lefebvre had been a Dodger coach in 1979 until Lasorda gave him the sack."

Thanks, Wikipedia!