Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2002 Topps #489 David Ortiz

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, February 17, 2010:


  • Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2002 Topps #489.
  • Player Name, position, team: David Ortiz, designated hitter, Minnesota Twins.
  • Major League Debut: September 2, 1997.
  • Last Line of Statistics: 2001 stats (Twins): 89 G, 303 AB, 48 R, 71 H, 17 2B. 1 3B, 18 HR, 48 RBI, 1 SB, .475 SLG, 40 BB, 68 SO, .234 AVG.
  • Any special information about player: Signed by Mariners as a Free Agent 11/28/1992. Traded by the Mariners to the Twins 08/29/1996. Bats: left, Throws: left.
  • Any special information about this specific card: German's fourth regular Topps card (total does not include parallels or cards from other sets). Before becoming the man we now know as "Big Papi" David Arias was just struggling to stay in the big leagues. Signed by the Mariners, he was the player to be named later in a trade that sent Dave Hollins to the M's. With the Twins (who were at the time on the precipice of contraction), Ortiz showed flashes of power that he would eventually be known for with the Red Sox. He went on a 10-RBI "indulgence...(Topps' word, not mine) from April 8 to 11, homered in four straight games in August, and launched four more bombs in a three game stretch in September. Alas, he was released by the Twins after the 2002 season, and signed with the Red Sox not long afterwards. The rest, as they say, is history. I know the Twins are doing rather well themselves, but I'm sure they're kicking themselves for letting this guy go.
  • Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
  • How many cards of this player do I own?: 84 cards.
Tomorrow's card will be: 1991 Topps Traded #118T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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