Random Topps Card of the Day: 1984 Topps Traded #32T Carlos Diaz

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, May 25, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1984 Topps Traded #32T.
• Player Name, position, team: Carlos Diaz, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: June 30, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1983 stats (Mets): 54 G, 83.1 IP, 3-1, 22 R, 19 ER, 64 SO, 35 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 2 SV, 2.05 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mariners #1st, June 1979 (secondary). Traded by the Mets to the Dodgers 12/08/1983. Bats: right, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Diaz' second regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The 1984 Topps set went against the norm in terms of its design. The team name is in big marquee letters going down the left side of the card (instead of on the top, or bottom). And there is a second picture on the front of the card with a headshot of the player (going against the 20 year cycle the second headshot is used...see 1963 Topps, 1983 Topps, 2003 Topps). Diaz was primarily used as a relief pitcher in the mid-1980's, and was sent from one coast (the Mets) to the other (the Dodgers) after the 1983 season in a four-player trade that also sent Sid Fernandez from the Dodgers to the Mets. Below the statistics is a "Dateline" feature that includes highlights from a couple of games. Now, ideally, this would include games from the 1984 season (to verify that this card was created in 1984). But instead, we're looking at two games from 1983: April 20, 1983, pitched 4 innings for win vs. Pirates; August 6, 1983, retired final 5 batters for save vs. Cubs.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #430. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1995 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama