Rheal Cormier was a left-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 16 seasons from 1991-2006. While he was never an All-Star and had relatively modest career statistics, Cormier forged a long career as a reliable reliever who was versatile enough to be useful for many teams. As a journeyman player who suited up for seven different franchises, Cormier had numerous baseball cards produced over his career spanning various card sets by the major manufacturers Topps, Fleer, and Upper Deck.
One of Cormier’s earliest notable baseball cards comes from his rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1991 Topps set. The card features a clean photo of Cormier in a Cardinals uniform from waist up with his name and position underneath. It provides basic statistics from his cup of coffee in the majors in 1990 such as no wins or losses and an ERA of 0.00 in 3 innings pitched. The back of the card contains a brief biography noting he was drafted by the Cardinals in 1986 and made his debut in 1990. It highlights his success as a starter in the minors with a 2.70 ERA over four seasons in the Cardinals’ farm system.
After being traded to the Boston Red Sox midway through the 1992 season, Cormier appeared in cards for both the Cardinals and Red Sox in the 1992 Topps set. His Cardinals card that year showed him from the side in windup motion with updated ’91 stats. The Red Sox card pictured Cormier head-on in a Boston uniform and provided brief stats from both teams that year. He gained more exposure to collectors with cards in both organizations represented due to the mid-season trade. Cormier continued to appear in Red Sox uniforms for cards in subsequent ’93 and ’94 Topps sets as he settled into Boston’s bullpen.
When Cormier switched teams once again via free agency, signing with the Cincinnati Reds for 1995, he was featured prominently for collectors in Reds gear. His ’95 Upper Deck card showed him on the mound from an overhead view wearing Cincinnati’s solid red jersey and pants. Statistics from the previous two seasons with Boston were included on the back along with notes on pitching for Team USA in the ’94 World Cup. Cormier also had parallel cards inserted randomly in ’95 Fleer packs that year, some denoting him as a Reds player others listing him as still with the Red Sox.
After short stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1996-1997, Cormier signed with the Montreal Expos for 1998 where he enjoyed his most successful seasons. Highlights included appearing in the 1999 All-Star Game and helping Montreal to the playoffs in both ’97 and ’98. Correspondingly, his baseball cards from ’98 Topps through 2000 Fleer and Topps featured him proudly in Expos uniforms. Many showcased his dominant relief pitching through stats and action shots. He gained recognition amongst collectors as a valuable contributor for the exciting Expos clubs of that era.
When the Expos franchise relocated to Washington D.C. after the 2004 season, Cormier’s cards in 2005 depicted him adjusting to his new baseball home with the Nationals. He did not spend long in the nation’s capital before being traded that summer to the rival New York Yankees. Cormier thus ended his playing career with 2006 Topps and Fleer cards wearing pinstripes in the Bronx. Both Yankee cards acknowledged his career resurgence that year helping the team win the AL East at age 38, providing collectors a nice bookend to his lengthy playing tenure across baseball card inserts.
In total, Rheal Cormier was featured in over 20 different baseball cards spanning at least a dozen different sets from various manufacturers between 1991-2006. While he flew under the radar more than bigger stars, Cormier’s 16-year major league career jumping between seven franchise provided ample opportunities for collectors to acquire cards showing his journeyman path. From his early days as a prospect to late successes pitching in high-pressure playoff races, Cormier’s baseball cards serve as a reminder of the steady contributions from reliable relief specialists over generations of the national pastime.