Kurt Bevacqua

I once got a piece of artwork back from Kurt Bevacqua that had gotten wet and he told me that there had been a flood at his place and when I told a couple of the other players on the artwork that and they laughed. I sent him a ball to sign and I got it back a year later with a note that said I think this is yours. How come he got a card the year after he last played and Garvey didn't.

Kurt was first drafted in 1966 by the Mets in the 32nd round but did not sign. The next year Atlanta drafted him in the 6th round and again he did not sign. In June of 1967 he was drafted by Cincinati in the 12th round, and the Reds traded him to the Indians and he made his major league debut in 1971. In 1972 he was traded to the Royals for Mike Hedlund. After a season with the Royals he was traded with Winston Coles and Ed Kirkpatrick to the Pirates for Nelson Briles and Fernando Gonzalez. In 1974 the Pirates traded him back to the Royals for Cal Meier and cash. In 1975 he was purchased by the Brewers and in 1975 he won the Joe Gargiola/Bazooka Bubble Gum Blowing Championship. In 1976 the Mariners purchased his contract from the Brewers and was released before he played any games for Seattle, although there is a card (badly airbrushed) of him with the Mariners. He 1978 he signed as a free agent with the Rangers and played two seasons for them. He was traded to the Padres with Mike Hargrove and Bill Fahey for Oscar Gamble, Dave Roberts and $300K. In 1980 he was traded to the Pirates with Mark Lee for Rick Lancelotti and Luis Salazar, the next year he was released by the Pirates and in 1982 he signed as a free agent with the Padres. He finished his career by playing from 1982 to 1985 with the Padres. I know he also has an 1986 Topps card, because I also have that one signed. I tried to get the 86 Topps team set signed at one point and got most of it signed, and then sold it at some point. I got this card and a bunch of others signed by him through the mail. Kurt is one of the Padres I would most like to hang out with and talk with.