Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #822 Rick Reuschel

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, January 2, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #822.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick Reuschel, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: June 19, 1972.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Cubs): 38 G, 257 IP, 11-13, 111 R, 97 ER, 140 SO, 76 BB, 38 GS, 6 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.40 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cub s #3rd, June 1970. Traded by the Cubs to the Yankees 06/12/1981. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 19. This is his tenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "The ace of Cubs staff, Rick led the club in Complete Games and Srikeouts during the 1980 season."
• Commentary: This is Topps' third try at a "Traded" set, the first since 1976. With competition finally allowed to enter the baseball card market, Topps needed to find something to stand out among the crowd. At the time, each company made one set (how about that)? So for Topps, the idea of creating an "end-of-the-year" set sounded like a brilliant one. So Topps created a 132-card supplement to their 726 card set. And instead of numbering them as a new set (the way they do it now), the first card of the set is #727, making it look as if it was a continuation of the original set. After a decade with the Cubs, Rick Reuschel was traded off to the New York Yankees on June 12, 1981. The Yankees, looking for pitching help for a run at the playoffs during the strike-shortened 1981 season, sent Doug Bird, Mike Griffin (a PTBNL), and $400,000 to Chicago. Well, with the Yankees, Reuschel appeared in 12 games, 11 starts, went 4-4 with an ERA of 2.67, striking out 22 batters in 70.2 innings of work. The Yankees did make it to the postseason, and while the Bronx Bombers did go on to defeat the Brewers in a "Divisional Series," Reuschel took the loss in Game 4, in a close 2-1 contest. During the World Series, Reuschel appeared in two games, starting Game 4, an 8-7 loss, and appeared in relief during the decisive Game 6. A contract dispute with his new team plus a torn rotator cuff kept "Big Daddy" off the mound in 1982. He was released by the Yankees after the 1982 season. It didn't find long to find work...he rejoined the Cubs for the 1983 season.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 29.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1997 Topps #353. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama