Random Topps Card of the Day: 1976 Topps #576 Maximino León

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, October 15, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1976 Topps #576.
• Player Name, position, team: Maximino Leon, pitcher, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: July 18, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1975 stats (Braves): 50 G, 85 IP, 2-1, 52 R, 39 ER, 53 SO, 33 BB, 4.13 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Braves as a Free Agent 07/31/1972. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: León's second regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). I mentioned before about the use of colors in Topps' many designs, and over the years, there have been hits and misses. And I understand that using the same colors over and over would make the designs incredibly boring for a team collector. So would that be the reason why the Braves cards have the 'kind of' correct shade of blue with the totally incorrect shade of orange??? Anyway, Maximino León was a mainstay in the Braves bullpen in the mid-1970's. While not necessarily the closer, he did finish the previous year with 7 saves. He may have had more if the defense behind him wouldn't have failed him (13 unearned runs). But he did finish 20 of the team's games that year. Believe it or not, he was a pretty decent hitter. In his career, he went 13 for 52 (good for .250) and drove in 5 runs. How many relief pitchers in today's game can make that claim? In six seasons, León 14-18 with 13 saves, 170 K's, and a whip of 1.337. The back of León's card is unique as it shows his career stats (up to that point) during his time in the Mexican Central League. How's this for a Mexican geography lesson. It shows here that Max played in Fresnillo, Jalisco, and Puerto Mexico before his first taste of USA ball with Savannah. What the numbers also say is that he was a great pitcher in the Mexico. After his stay with the Braves, he returned to Mexico and competed for another decade, finally retiring in 1989. He finished his career with a 142-92 record in the Mexcian League. In 1997, Maximino León was inducted into the Salon de la Fama, the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2000 Topps #114. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama