Blake Sabol was a professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1991 to 2000. While his MLB career was relatively short, Sabol established himself as a versatile utility player and had some memorable moments. As a result of his MLB career, Sabol has a collection of baseball cards that document his time in the major leagues.
Sabol was born in 1967 in San Diego, California. He attended Valhalla High School and the University of Arizona, where he played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats. Considered a talented prospect, Sabol was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft. He made his professional debut that season in rookie ball and rose through Chicago’s farm system over the next few years.
Sabol’s rookie card is from 1991 Donruss. That year, he received his first extended playing time in the majors with Chicago. He appeared in 76 games and had 124 plate appearances, playing every position except pitcher and catcher. His versatility was on full display, as he recorded time at second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots. Sabol’s rookie card captured him at the beginning of his MLB career and remains one of the more sought-after cards from his collection today.
After bouncing between Chicago and the minors in 1992, Sabol was traded to the Montreal Expos during the 1993 season. He continued to be used mostly in a utility role off the bench. One of Sabol’s more notable baseball cards from this period is his 1993 Score rookie debut card, which featured him as a member of the Expos. Score was one of the prominent card brands of the early 1990s and Sabol’s inclusion in their 1993 set as a rookie marked his first season in the National League.
Sabol enjoyed his best major league season statistically in 1994 with Montreal. He received career highs in games played (101), at-bats (196), hits (51), doubles (12), runs scored (28), and RBI (23). His solid all-around contributions helped the Expos reach the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Sabol even started two games in the 1994 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 2-for-6 with a run scored in the series. His performance that year made cards from 1994 particularly valuable for collectors of Sabol’s career.
After the 1994 season, Sabol was traded again – this time to the expansion Colorado Rockies. He spent two seasons in Colorado from 1995-1996, where he backed up at multiple positions but saw less playing time than in previous years. Sabol’s 1995 Fleer Ultra card captured him during his first season with the Rockies. In the photo, he is wearing the teal Rockies road jersey from their inaugural season. This card remains a key piece in the set for those following Sabol’s playing career across different teams.
In 1997, Sabol signed as a free agent with the New York Mets. He enjoyed a bit of a career resurgence playing for Bobby Valentine’s club. In 80 games, Sabol set new personal bests with 10 home runs and 32 RBI while hitting .265. His versatility was on full display once more, as he played every position except catcher and center field for the Mets that season. Sabol’s 1997 Fleer cards highlight his solid season back in the National League with New York.
Sabol split the 1998 season between the Mets and St. Louis Cardinals before finishing his MLB career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000. He continued jumping around the field in a utility role, showing he could still handle any position asked of him in a pinch. Sabol’s 2000 Upper Deck card was one of the last to feature him as an active major leaguer before his retirement at age 33. He had played parts of 10 seasons in the majors, compiling a .258 career average with 25 home runs and 172 RBI over 641 games and 1,575 plate appearances.
Since retiring from baseball, Sabol has remained involved in the game by working as a baseball scout. He has signed players who have gone on to reach the major leagues themselves. Sabol’s playing career may have been relatively short in the grand scheme of MLB history, but his baseball cards from the 1990s serve as an important physical documentation of his versatile contributions at the highest level of professional baseball. Collectors still seek out Sabol’s rookie cards and cards from his best statistical seasons to chronicle his journey through five different MLB franchises over a decade in the big leagues.
In summarization, Blake Sabol established himself as a valuable utility player during his 10-year MLB career from 1991-2000. While playing for five different teams, Sabol showed he could competently fill in at any position on the field when needed. His baseball cards from brands like Donruss, Score, Fleer, and Upper Deck capture Sabol’s career highlights and travels between franchises. Collectors still value Sabol’s cards today for chronicling and remembering the career of this versatile role player from the 1990s.
