Random Topps Card of the Day: 1992 Topps Traded #17T Jim Bullinger

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, November 10, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1992 Topps Traded #17T.
• Player Name, position, team: Jim Bullinger, pitcher, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: May 27, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1991 stats (Charlotte, AA-Southern): 20 G, 142.2 IP, 9-9, 62 R, 56 ER, 128 SO, 61 BB, 20 GS, 8 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.53 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs, #9th, June 1986. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 5. This is his first Topps card.sss
• Blurb on the back: "Jim was signed as a 9th round Draft selection of the Chicago Cubs, June 3, 1986 by Scout Earl Wynn.  He made his major league debut May 27, 1992."
• Commentary:  A picture like should explain why I love the 1992 Topps set.  It is a full picture, with the border/design elements as a frame.  The colors are bright, thanks to the new white paper stock that was being used by the Topps Company.  For the longest time, Bullinger was the last Chicago Cub to hit a home run in his first at bat as a major leaguer (on the first pitch too).  Which is just as well as he was drafted by the Cubs as a shortstop.  But the infielder-turned-pitcher was 22-23 in the minors by the time the 1991 season ended, so he was worth looking at during spring training the following season.  Bullinger spent five seasons with the Cubs, going 27-28 with a 4.77 ERA and 301 K's.  His best season was in 1995 as he reached double digits in wins for the first and only time in his career.  He spent the last two seasons of his big league career with a season each with the Expos and Mariners.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1959 Topps #163. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama