Jose Rijo Autographed 1985 Fleer #143 New York Yankees Card
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Jose Rijo Autographed 1985 Fleer #143 New York Yankees Card
An early-career card of future World Series hero Jose Rijo, this Jose Rijo autographed 1985 Fleer #143 New York Yankees card features the hard-throwing right-hander during his brief tenure with the organization that originally signed him. Rijo reached the Major Leagues as a teenager before eventually developing into one of the National Leagues top pitchers with Cincinnati.
The Yankees signed Rijo as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic, and he made his Major League debut in 1984 at just 18 years old. He appeared in 24 games, including five starts, during his rookie season before being traded to the Oakland Athletics as part of a multi-player deal following the season.
Rijos career took off after he joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1988. He became a fixture in the starting rotation and played a starring role in Cincinnatis memorable 1990 championship season. During the 1990 World Series against the Oakland Athletics, Rijo won both of his starts and allowed just one earned run in 15.1 innings, including 8.1 dominant innings in the clinching Game 4. His performance earned him World Series Most Valuable Player honors as Cincinnati completed a four-game sweep.
Rijo remained one of the National Leagues better pitchers during the early 1990s. He earned an NL All-Star selection in 1994, led the league with 227 strikeouts in 1993 and twice led the NL in winning percentage. He also posted a 2.48 ERA in 1991 and a career-best 2.43 ERA in 1993.
Rijo finished his 14-season Major League career with 116 victories and 1,606 strikeouts. As an early Yankees issue predating his championship success in Cincinnati, the 1985 Fleer #143 is an appealing addition for New York Yankees collectors, Jose Rijo fans, 1990 World Series collections, 1980s Fleer collectors or collectors assembling comprehensive autographed player runs.
Autograph Guarantee: Signature obtained through a private signing conducted by Under the Radar Sports Promotions and guaranteed to pass any third-party authentication service.
