Cardboard dreams

The goal of every player in the minor leagues is to reach the majors ... or, at the very least, get his face on a big league baseball card.

To do that, he first needs a contract with one of the companies that produce baseball cards.

Pictured here is the contract that onetime Minnesota Twins outfielder Rick Sofield signs 43 years ago today with Topps, the trading card giant.

At the time, Sofield is a 24-year-old outfielder with Minnesota, where he plays for three seasons from 1979-81 before starting a meandering career in the minor leagues as a manager before eventually returning to the majors as a coach with the Pittsburgh Pirates.