Random Topps Card of the Day: 1988 Topps #482 Mark Davis

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, May 4, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1988 Topps #482.
• Player Name, position, team: Mark Davis, pitcher, San Diego Padres.
• Major League Debut: September 12, 1980.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1987 stats (Padres): 43 G, 62.1 IP, 5-3, 26 R, 22 ER, 47 SO, 31 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 2 SV, 3.18 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies #1st (special), January, 1979. Traded by the Giants to the Padres 07/04/1987. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Davis' sixth regular Topps card (total includes base and traded cards only). Have I mentioned that I love the 1988 Topps design? It ranks up there with the 1989 design as one of my all time favorites. Of course, it helps that this set was the one that got me hooked on cards in the first place, so it holds a special place in my heart. Davis' best years were with the Padres, and I truly believe that if he stayed with them instead of signing with the Royals, that he would have been a great relief pitcher. In the two seasons after this card came out, he made the All-Star team in 1988 & 1989, led the NL in saves , and in 1989, won the NL Cy Young, NL Rolaids Relief, and NL Sporting News Pitcher of the Year awards. You couldn't blame the guy for cashing in on that success and signing on with the Royals, a team who was, at that time, in contention every year in the wild AL West. But for some reason, he never was the same, and his numbers suffered. He just couldn't get back to his 1989 form, and became a journeyman soon after that. Below the stats, there is a brief blurb on his success as the Eastern League's leader in Wins (19) and ERA (2.47) in 1980. ON many of the player's cards, if space was provided, there was a feature called "This Way to the Clubhouse" which talks about how a player arrived at his present stop. In Davis' case, he was traded by the Giants, along with Keith Comstock, Mark Grant, and Chris Brown to the Padres in exchange for Kevin Mitchell, Dave Dravecky, and Craig Lefferts on 07/04/1987.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 19 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1982 Topps #636. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1982 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama