Garber's in, Just Go to Bed: Scenes from My Childhood

This card is from a huge box David over at Indians Baseball Cards sent my way. Rather than do one big post, I am going to space them out.

Gene Garber had a solid 19-year career split between the Pirates, Royals, Phillies, and Braves. He was no Mariano Rivera but he was a good reliever gifted with a rubber arm.

He was also the Braves' closer for some of the darkest years of the franchise's history, the '80's, when not losing 100 games a year was considered a good year. And like any closer, Garber took more than his share of the blame, particularly from my dad. 

See, for me Gene Garber will always be associated with being made to go to bed. While most closers come in to a game and shut the door on the other team, my dad felt that Garber's coming in meant that Braves managers Chuck Tanner and Russ Nixon had decided to wave the white flag and think about tomorrow. In other words, Garber meant the game was over, only that the Braves were going to lose. And yes, they DID do a lot of losing back then, though I doubt Garber had as much to do with it as my dad would have had me believe. Post-1986 WS I'd still listen to games from the stairs from time-to-time but not enough to get caught. And I'll always be grateful to Garber for the games he did end up blowing and which I did catch from the stairs since my dad would be cursing at the TV like no one's business. Yep, my father, a respected deacon in a nutso church, endangered his immortal soul over a number of baseball games. Still makes me smile.

Thank you David for the cards and thank you Gene Garber for the memories.

Have a good one everybody and goodnight Pumpsie Green, wherever you are!