Random Topps Card of the Day: 2008 Topps #485 J. J. Putz

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, October 19, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2008 Topps #485.
• Player Name, position, team: J. J. Putz, pitcher, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: August 11, 2003.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2007 stats (Mariners): 68 G, 71.2 IP, 6-1, 11 R, 11 ER, 82 SO, 13 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 40 SV, 0.70 WHIP, 1.38 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mariners, #6th, June 1999. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "In 1990, Dennis Eckersley turned in the most dominant season ever by a closer. Last year, J. J. got close, allowing only 6.53 runners per nine innings - the second-lowest rate ever (behind Eck's 5.52) by a pitcher with 70 or more innings. Manager John McLaren calls him "the ultimate gamer" because, in save opportunities, Putz's ratio was even better: 6.21."
• Commentary: No matter how reviled the 2008 Topps design was with many of the bloggers (and there weren't that many at the time...believe me), you have to give Topps credit for making sure that the proper team colors were used for the circles which hold the team name's letters. The green and blue perfectly match the Mariners' color scheme. Remember to check the color foil on the bottom of your cards. The base set uses the regular silver foil, but the (unannounced) parallels of these cards use gold foil. Joseph Jason Putz had quite a year in 2007. With 40 saves, an ERA of 1.38, a WHIP of 0.698, and a 6-1 record, it was no wonder he was selected as an AL All-Star and an MVP candidate. In 2008, arm injuries limited him to 47 games, saving 15. At the end of the year, he was involved in a three-team, twelve-player trade that sent him to the Mets. After two years as a middle reliever (with both the Mets and White Sox), he earned the closer role with the Diamondbacks, and has flourished. In two years with the DBacks, he has saved 77 games 117 appearances, struckout 126, and has a WHIP of 0.970.
• Beckett value: $0.12-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 19 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1977 Topps #584. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama