Friday, December 20, 2013

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1997 Topps #353 Charlie O'Brien

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, December 20, 2013:


  • Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #92T.
  • Player Name, position, team: Charlie O'Brien, catcher, Atlanta Braves.
  • Major League Debut: June 2, 1985.
  • Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Mets): 67 G, 188 AB, 15 R, 48 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 0 SB, .378 SLG, 14 BB, 14 SO, .255 AVG.
  • Any special information about player: Drafted by Athletics #5th, June 1982. Signed with the Blue Jays as a Free Agent 12/15/1995. Bats: right. Throws: right.
  • Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his tenth and card.
  • Blurb on the back: "When Charlie was with Atlanta, Greg Maddux called him, "the best in the league" at handling pitchers. Not coincidentally, O'Brien has caught nine hurles who have won Cy Young Awards, including Pat Hentgen last year."
  • Commentary: So much has been discussed about Charlie O'Brien on this humble little blog as he his cards were previously featured as a Random Card of the Day before (including his 1994 Topps card...TWICE) that today's comment will focus on his time with the Blue Jays, specifically in 1997. Now the back of Charles Hugh O'Brien's card features the veteran catcher wearing his invention, the hockey-style catcher's mask, now seen protecting catchers all over baseball. It was with the Blue Jays that he came up with the design. Now I would have probably preferred this picture to the one on the front, because it would showcase the inventor and his creation, and I'm sure Topps would have done the same. But you really didn't see many shots of a player at the ballpark signing autos for fans on a card. O'Brien appeared in 69 games for the Blue Jays in 1997, hitting .218-4-27 in a limited role (primarily because the Jays signed Benito Santiago to be their main man behind the plate). He would go on to play for three more seasons with the White Sox, Angels, and Expos before retiring as an active player. So although this is his last appearance in a Topps set, the career numbers are incomplete.
  • Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
  • How many cards of each player do I own?: 10 cards.


Tomorrow's card will be: 1981 Topps #207. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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