Random Topps Card of the Day: 2002 Topps #285 Bobby Cox

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, September 3, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2002 Topps #285.
• Player Name, position, team: Bobby Cox, manager, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: April 14, 1968. Managerial Debut: April 07, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2001 stats (Braves): 88-74 managerial record.
• Any special information about manager: Served as both GM and Manager 06/22/1990.
• Any special information about this specific card: Cox' fifteenth regular Topps card, fourteenth as a manager (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards). Believe it or not, although Bobby Cox' official rookie card is from 1969 (named to Topps' All-Star Rookie Team to boot), he has a card in the 1967 Topps Venezuelan set. Did you know that this is his second stint with the Braves??? I sure didn't until I bought my 1978 Topps set. How were they able to get him into the set as the manager, if he didn't start managing until 1978?? By the time this card came out, Cox was more than 11 seasons into his second run as the Braves field general. Looking it up, it seems that after being let go by the Blue Jays (he was their skipper for a few years too), Ted Turned convinced Cox to come back to Atlanta. Cox served as GM for a time, and even hired the man who he eventually replaced at the helm of a lowly Braves team in 1990. Who knew that after that sixth place finish that Cox would turn the Braves' fortunes around, becoming one of the most successful franchises in the 1990's and early 21st century? The Braves won the division (including the strike season) 15 straight times. FIFTEEN!!! They even won it all in 1995. And now, in his 25th year as the Braves' field general, has decided to call it a career. There is a whole generation of young adults who have never known another Braves manager than Bobby Cox. And whenever the time comes for the Veterans Committee to elect managers, as soon as the name Bobby Cox is eligible for the ballot, rest assured that he will be enshrined into Cooperstown as one of baseball's greatest managers.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 32 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1992 Topps #757. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama