Random Topps Card of the Day: 1986 Topps Traded #102T Ted Simmons

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, July 9, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1986 Topps Traded #102T.
• Player Name, position, team: Ted Simmons, catcher-first baseman, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: September 21, 1968.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1985 stats (Brewers): 143 G, 528 AB., 60 R, 144 H, 28 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 76 RBI, 1 SB, .402 SLG, 57 BB, 32 SO, .273 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cardinals #1st, June 1967. Traded by the Brewers to the Braves 03/05/1986. Bats: both, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Simmons' eighteenth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). It never dawned on me that Topps could print cards on a sheet upside down the way the had to have done it here with the 1986 Topps cards. I always imagined all 132 cards on a each sheet somehow printed right-side up, and then the cards would be placed on the cutters ever so carefully so that when the cards were cut, there wouldn't be any white borders above where the black field that housed the team name (I'm curious as to what the name of the font used to create the team name is...). It was only later on in my studies of baseball cards (that, and when I actually saw an uncut sheet of 1986 Topps Baseball) did I realize that it was possible for there to be cards printed upside down. Ted Simmons had already become one of the great ballplayers of the 70's and early 80's when this card appeared in the 1986 Topps Traded set. He was already an 8-time All-Star, an MVP candidate 17 times, had hit 238 home runs, driven in 1323 runs, hit .287 lifetime, and drew more walks (807) than struck out (648) in 18 seasons as a Cardinal and a Brewer. He was even a key cog for Milwaukee's Harvey's Wallbangers in 1982. But as his career was starting to wind down, the Brewers traded Simmons for Rick Cerone and two minor leaguers. Not exactly a lopsided trade, but you have to wonder who got the better of it. In three years of limited duty (he never played more than 78 games with the Braves), he hit .248 with 10 homers and 66 rbi's. He finally called it a career after the 1988 season.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 22 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1986 Topps #588. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama