1992 Topps #974 Pat Hentgen

 Today's missing Topps card is #974 Pat Hentgen.

Pat made his Major League debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1991. He pitched with them until the end of the 1999 season. Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in the '99 offseason, he spent the 2000 season with them before signing with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent. He played with them from 2001 to 2003, and signed with the Blue Jays before the 2004 season. He played the '04 season with them, before calling it a career. After his playing career, he spent the 2011 and 2013 seasons as the Blue Jays bench coach. 

Pat is probably most famous for winning the 1996 AL Cy Young award, one that many felt deserved to go to Andy Pettite. Good for Pat, though. You know how cocky Yankee fans can get, and how they feel that they are entitled to awards and such. He also won 2 World Series titles with the Blue Jays, and many don't know it, but pitched a splendid 19-9 record in 1993, his 3rd season, a main reason the Jays got to the playoffs. He was a 3-time All-Star. 

I got the chance to talk to Pat in 2010. Former Big Leaguer Rob Ducey had an idea to put on a pro free agent showcase, something where pro ballplayers (with or without Big League experience) could come together in Florida for a day, and participate in drills run by former big leaguers, who were 'coaches'. Scouts were invited, and the hopes were that it would help some of these players gain exposure and sign contracts. With all of the collusion that owners have been doing, I think one of these would be a good idea myself. Unfortunatley, for Rob, it only lasted 1 year. The 1 year it did, Pat was one of the coaches, and I e-mailed Mr. Ducey to see if I could come along and try to get autographs. He quickly responded that it was ok. I came along, got autographs from coaches like Heathcliff Slocumb, Cecil Fielder, Mr. Ducey, Pat Hentgen, and players like Tim Raines, Jr., Pete LaForest, and Sheldon Fulse (a former classmate of mine in elementary school). While getting Pat's autograph, I asked him where he had his Cy Young award, and he replied 'probably somewhere in my basement'. 

Pat didn't get his first card until the 1993 Topps set. He appeared in the 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2000 Topps Traded, and 2001 Topps (Orioles) sets after his first Topps card, with the 2001 Topps card being his final one. He is just missing cards from the 1991 Topps Traded, 2001 Topps (Cardinals), 2002 Topps, 2003 Topps, 2004 Topps, 2004 Topps Traded, and 2005 Topps cards to finish his playing days Topps run. For his coaching career, he just need cards from the 2011 Topps Update, 2012 Topps, 2013 Topps Update, and 2014 Topps sets to finish his career Topps run as a coach.  Besides the 1992 Topps card, I have covered Pat's 1991 Topps Traded card. 

He is just missing cards from the 2001 Topps (Cardinals), 2002 Topps, 2003 Topps, 2004 Topps, 2004 Topps Traded, 2005 Topps, 2011 Topps Update, 2012 Topps, 2013 Topps Update, and 2014 Topps sets to complete his career Topps run (unless he gets another coaching job).