1979 TCMA Elmira Pioneer Red Sox Baseball #5, Arturo Samaniego

What can we say or write about Jamie Moyer at this point? Probably not much more, as Toronto released the 49 year-old vet this week, thanks to his high minor league ERA and continuing propensity to allow homers. One Seattle newspaper is polling fans: should Seattle sign him for a day and let him retire as a Mariner? (I'm game to let him pitch.)

To put Moyer's baseball tenure in context, consider Arturo Samaniego, who spent 3 summers in the low minors for Boston (career stats). Released in 1980 at age 20, Arturo moved on to other pursuits. I can imagine jobs, businesses, and raising a family. It's now 32 years later and Arturo is 52, just 3 years older than Jamie. (Counting this year's 3-game stint with Norfolk, 19 years passed between Moyer's two trips through Baltimore's minor league system; the first came with Rochester in 1993.)

This TCMA issue includes 28 cards, above-average for their late 70s sets.

1. Lloyd Bessard
2. Jay Fredlund
3. Ken Hagemann
4. Danny Huffstickler
5. Arturo Samaniego
6. Glenn Eddins Jr.
7. Joaquin (Jackie) Gutierrez
8. Tom McCarthy
9. Steve Fortune
10. Don Hayford
11. Eddie Lee
12. Russell Lee Pruitt
13. Scott Gering
14. Dave Holt
15. Steve Schaefer
16. Tony Cleary
17. Andy Serrano
18. Francisco Vasquez
19. Gus Malespin
20. Hal Natupsky
21. Dick Berardino, Manager
22. Ed Berroa
23. Bill Limoncelli
24. Bob Birrell
25. Wayne Tremblay
26. Tom Brunner
27. Tom DeSanto
28. Mark Saunders

Value: Like most of my 1979 TCMA cards, Arturo cost $2 at MinorLeagueSingles.com. Low-A teams like Elmira produce few stars and only two players on its 1979 roster made the bigs, Jackie Gutierrez and Tom McCarthy, so the team set's affordable at $20-30.

Fakes / reprints: Haven't seen any in the marketplace.