Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #375 Dave Concepcion

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, June 24, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #375.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Concepcion, shortstop, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: April 6, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Reds): 156 G, 622 AB, 72 R, 162 H, 31 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 12 SB, .360 SLG, 37 BB, 107 SO, .260 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed by the Reds as a Free Agent 09/12/1967. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Concepcion's eleventh regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including the 1967 Topps Venezuelan card, which came four years before his rookie card in 1971). Is it just me, or is it because Topps couldn't use team logos that they decided on hats as an integral part of the 1981 Topps design? They couldn't even put the hat logos on the card, just the position and team name. When the 1993 Topps Archives Basketball cards came out, the 1981 design (they used the baseball designs for the "Missing Years") had the actual team logos where the hat would have been. By the time this card came out in 1981, Dave was already a 7-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove Winner, and as a member of the Big Red Machine in the 1970's, appeared in 4 World Series, with the Reds winning in 1975-76. His career at this point would be easily comparable to a certain NY shortstop, but I'm not going there. Based on the picture on the card, it looks like the Reds were at Shea Stadium that particular afternoon. It must be early in the ball game when this picture was shot...the players in the dugout aren't really paying attention to what's going on in the field. Look how compact Concepcion is in his batting stance. He may not have hit for power (at this time, it wasn't really a necessity for shortstops), but at least we know he could hit. Many Reds fans are still wondering why Concepcion hasn't been enshrined in Cooperstown yet? He was on the ballot for fifteen years, and didn't make it. Perhaps the newly re-formed Veteran's Committee will correct this slight. When it is done, though, is any body's guess.
• Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 25 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2002 Topps #623. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama