Up For Grabs Cardinalpalooza: Ray Lankford

Previously on the Cardinalpalooza: Mark McGwire | J.D. Drew | Colby Rasmus | Yadier Molina | Allen Craig | Stan Musial | Rick Ankiel | David Freese | Keith Hernandez | Steve Carlton | Lance Berkman

Ray Lankford's Cardinal career spanned two decades, where he was one of the most consistent players in the Cardinals lineup. Advanced statistics say great things about Lankford's career. He was an athletic outfielder, not a corner infielder that could only slug his way out of things. You won't see his name on the Cardinals outfield wall, however, and he only has one All-Star nod to his credit.

Lankford came up at the tail end of the Whitey Herzog era, which was the Cardinals own version of the dead ball era. He soldiered on through the Joe Torre era. The less said about that era, the better. Lankford was on two Cardinals playoff teams after Tony La Russa took over, but the Cardinals best days were yet to come while Lankford's best days were behind him.

I always really liked Lankford, but it was clear that he would never have the star power of someone like Ken Griffey Jr. Similarly, I had high hopes for a Lankford/Bernard Gilkey/Felix Jose unstoppable killing machine, but things like that only happen in teenage card collector's fantasies.

Lankford himself wasn't a disappointment, though. He was a great hitter and, for the better part of his career, a player worth watching in the field as well. Were it not for a certain Edmonds guy that came along near the end of Lankford's Cardinal career, I might still be pining for the days the Cards had a center fielder like him around.

The list:

1990 Bowman #192 [2 available]
1991 Bowman #388
1991 Classic III #T48
1991 Donruss #43 [15 available]
1991 Donruss The Rookies #8 [2 available]
1991 Fleer #637 [5 available]
1991 Fleer Ultra #290 [5 available]
1991 Leaf #523 [4 available]
1991 O-Pee-Chee #682
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier #72 [4 available]
1991 Score #731 [5 available]
1991 Studio #234 [3 available]
1991 Topps #682 [8 available]
1991 Topps Stadium Club #537
1991 Topps Stadium Club Members Only
1991 Upper Deck #346 [6 available]
1992 Donruss #350 [9 available]
1992 Donruss Triple Play #194 [2 available]
1992 Fleer #583 [2 available]
1992 Fleer Rookie Sensations #17
1992 Fleer Ultra #265
1992 Leaf #195
1992 Panini #177
1992 Pinnacle #126 [3 available]
1992 Score #223 [4 available]
1992 Score '90s Impact Player #8
1992 Topps #292 [9 available]
1992 Topps Gold Winner #292
1992 Topps Stadium Club #8 [2 available]
1992 Upper Deck #262 [4 available]
1993 Donruss #366 [3 available]
1993 Fleer #127
1993 Hostess #5 [2 available]
1993 Leaf #297 [3 available]
1993 Pacific #296 [2 available]
1993 Pinnacle #116
1993 Studio #175 [2 available]
1993 Topps #386 [10 available]
1993 Topps Gold #386 [2 available]
1993 Topps Black Gold #10 [2 available]
1993 Topps Stadium Club #49
1993 Triple Play #254 [9 available]
1993 Upper Deck #244 [5 available]
1993 Upper Deck (Peter Gammons Inside the Numbers) #461 [8 available]
1993 Upper Deck Homerun Heroes #HR20
1993 Upper Deck Fun Pack #76 [9 available]
1994 Donruss #367 [2 available]
1994 Fleer #636 [2 available]
1994 Fleer Ultra #566 [3 available]
1994 Leaf #384
1994 O-Pee-Chee #251
1994 Pinnacle #36 [2 available]
1994 Topps #530 [3 available]
1994 Topps Stadium Club #353 [4 available]
1994 Upper Deck #446 [4 available]
1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #365 [2 available]
1995 Bazooka #74
1995 Fleer Ultra #431
1995 Score #264 [2 available]
1995 Topps #82 [7 available]
1995 Topps Cyberstats #058 [2 available]
1995 Topps Stadium Club #424 [2 available]
1995 Topps Stadium Club (Extreme Corps Red) #507 [2 available]
1995 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #190
1995 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Special Edition #77
1996 Donruss#379
1996 Leaf #37
1996 Pinnacle Zenith #38
1996 Topps #327 [5 available]
1996 Upper Deck #441
1996 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #690 [3 available]
1997 Donruss #67 [2 available]
1997 New Pinnacle #67
1997 Score #236
1997 Topps Finest #256
1997 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #202 [3 available]
1998 Donruss #13 [2 available]
1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated World Series Fever #87 [2 available]
1998 Pinnacle Performers #78
1998 Score Rookie Traded #RT168 [4 available]
1998 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Starquest (Special Delivery) #SQ42
1999 Bowman #57 [2 available]
1999 Fleer Ultra #27
1999 Pacific Omega #195
1999 Skybox Premium #150
1999 Skybox Thunder #89
1999 Topps #35 [4 available]
1999 Topps Finest #154 [2 available]
1999 Upper Deck UD Choice #131 [2 available]
1999 Upper Deck MVP #175 [2 available]
2000 Fleer Impact #14
2000 Fleer Mystique #101
2000 Topps #245 [2 available]
2000 Topps Stadium Club #25
2000 Upper Deck MVP #54
2000 Upper Deck Victory #76
2001 Fleer Focus #23
2001 Fleer Platinum #47 [2 available]
2001 Fleer Tradition #146
2001 Fleer Ultra #75
2001 Topps Stadium Club #52