Saturday, January 12, 2013

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1992 Topps Traded #35T Ron Fraser

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, January 12, 2013:


  • Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1992 Topps Traded #35T.
  • Name, position, team: Ron Fraser, head coach, USA Olympic Baseball Team.
  • Olympic Debut: July 26, 1992.
  • Last Line of Statistics: 1992 stats (Team USA): 5-2 4th place finish
  • Any special information about manager: Named Head Coach of USA Baseball Team 10/23/1990.
  • Any special information about this specific card: Fraser's first and only Topps card.
  • Commentary: The Topps Card Randomizer proudly presents the Head Coach of the USA Baseball Team who led team in the first Olympics to recognize baseball as an official sport (in 1984 and 1988, the games were considered exhibition).  When he wasn't coaching Team USA, Fraser was the long time head coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes baseball program.  With the Hurricanes (1963-1992), Fraser's teams went 1,271-438-9, and won the 1982 and 1985 National Championships.  He championed the Hurricanes' baseball program and helped save it from elimination. He served in World War II, stationed in Germany and the Netherlands.  During his stay in Europe, he managed both the German and Netherlands national baseball teams.  In 1963, he returned stateside and began his career with the University of Miami.  His 1992 US Olympic Team players included the likes of Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Charles Johnson, and Jason Giambi.  Although the Olympic Team finished in fourth, he set the stage for the US Baseball program to flourish to where it is today.  The back of Coach Fraser's card features a lengthy biography of the man's celebrated career, from his playing days to the degrees he earned at FSU (Bachelor of Science, Physical Education) to 19 consecutive appearances in the postseason (1973-1992) which is still active after the 2012 season. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
  • Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
  • How many cards of this person do I own?: 1 card.
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: 1967 Topps #604. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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