Random Topps Card of the Day: 1980 Topps #686 Giants Future Stars Johnston, Littlejohn, Nastu

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, January 24, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1980 Topps #686.
• Player Name, position, team: Future Stars: Greg Johnston, outfielder; Dennis Littlejohn, catcher; Phil Nastu, pitcher; San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: July 27, 1979 (Johnston); July 9, 1978 (Littlejohn); September 15, 1978 (Nastu).
• Any special information about players: Johnston: Bats: left. Throws: left; Littlejohn: Bats: right. Throws: right; Nastu: Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): Johnston: 3 (second Topps card); Littlejohn: 2 (first Topps card); Nastu: 1 (first and only Topps card).
• Any special information about this specific card: Marquess' first and only regular Topps card (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards).
• Commentary: These multi-player rookie/prospect cards are some of the harder ones to write about, only because many of them eventually didn't pan out the way their respective teams (and Topps for that matter) would have liked or hoped. In the case of this card, each of these three players were out of the majors by the end of the 1980 season (or in Johnston's case, the first month of 1981). Johnston must have made an impression on Topps because this was his second "Future Stars" card (he was also in the 1979 set). In 63 career games, he hit a paltry .168, with 1 home run and 8 runs driven home. Littlejohn, who did appear in the 1981 set, saw action in 78 games, hitting .203 with 1 home run and 15 rbi's. Nastu pitched for parts of three seasons, but this is the only Topps card he has. He appeared in 34 games, finished with a 3-5 record, an ERA of 4.50, and struck out 53 batters. But at least he claim to have one card AND play in the majors. Many of these future stars never get that opportunity. And at least their pictures are in color. Last year's "stars" were featured in black and white.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: Johnston: 3; Littlejohn: 2; Nastu: 1.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2002 Topps #93. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama