A gifted athlete, Gary Geiger never was able to stay healthy enough to enjoy a potential productive major league career. Signed by the Cardinals out of high school, Geiger took to the mound posting a 30-16 record in three seasons that saw the right-hander in Triple-A by the age of 19. However, with pitching aplenty in the St. Louis farm system, Geiger took to the outfield, where would find himself in the big leagues with the Indians in 1958 by age 21 after being obtained through the Rule V Draft. Geiger would be traded prior to the ’59 season to the Red Sox where he would man center field when healthy, combining a little speed (57 stolen bases) with some pop (71 home runs) during seven seasons. Yet injuries chipped away at his abilities and playing time as Geiger would bounce from the Red Sox to the Braves and finally with the Astros where we find him in a Braves uniform with a airbrushed hat. The lefty swinger doesn’t look happy in his ’69 cardboard, but who can blame Geiger as a once promising career was slowing coming to a close. Editor’s Note: Geiger would play in 2,970 big league games spread out over 12 years, hitting .246 with 77 long balls. He did take the mound in one game for the Indians during his rookie season, allowing two runs on two hits in two innings of work in a 7-4 loss to the Orioles on June 11, 1958. He would strike out Baltimore second baseman Billy Gardner and outfielder Jim Busby along the way. And he did not invent the "geiger counter" in case you were wondering. |

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