Random Topps Card of the Day: 2009 Topps #350 Dustin Pedroia

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, March 17, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2009 Topps #350.
• Player Name, position, team: Dustin Pedroia, second baseman, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: August 22, 2006.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2008 stats (Red Sox): 157 G, 653 AB, 118 R, 213 H, 54 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 20 SB, 50 BB, 52 SO, .493 SLG, .869 OPS, .326 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Red Sox #2nd, June 2004. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Pedroia's third regular Topps card (total does not include combo cards, awards cards, league leader cards). In just three full seasons (and a cup of coffee in 2006), Pedroia has already won the AL Rookie of the Year (2007) and the AL Most Valuable Player (2008) awards, is a two time all-star, and a World Series Champion. If it has not already been said, the 2009 Topps design is one of the best they've done in the last 58 years. Definitely in the top 10. Personally, I call it the scrapbook set because the design utilizes corners that my wife would use in scrapbooking. The pictures zoom in so close to the action, I know it sounds cliche, but it's like you're actually there. If there is only one detraction to the design is that it is sometimes hard to read the team name and position on the card in the black field below the picture. That and trying to read the card number in the back. Other than that, the design is gorgeous. The blurb on the back, above the stats, mentions that Dustin is "the only player in Red Sox history with a 5-hit, 5 run (both 05/12/2008) and a 5-RBI (09/02/2008) game in the same season." The 05/12/2008 date is incorrect (making this card an ERROR CARD!!!) as the game against the Rangers that Pedroia had his five run/five hit game, was on 08/12/2008. Above the arch that houses Dustin's name is a quirky little stat line, mentioning Pedroia's highest career average by ballpark (minimum 12 AB's): Minute Maid (Houston) .643, Citizens Bank (Philadelphia) .538, Kauffman (Kansas City) .474, Metrodome (Minnesota) .458, Angels Stadium (Los Angeles/Anaheim) .389, Fenway (Boston) .339.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.50-$1.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 21 cards.

One final note. Now, as you know, Pedroia's card is not the only #350 in the 2009 Topps set. And I would be nuts if I didn't note this little tidbit. As this card was found in 2009 Topps Series 2, Topps included "modern day" legend variation cards in their product, seventeen of them to be in fact. Many of the "legends" had something in common with the player he shares a card number with (whether it's a team affiliation or a position). And Topps paired the legends and the current players appropriately, especially in this case. Because Dustin shares his card #350 with another MVP second baseman, from another historic franchise: Ryne Sandberg.


(allow me a minute to geek out...thanks).

Tomorrow's card will be: 1981 Topps Traded #753. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama