Random Topps Card of the Day: 1991 Topps Traded #102T Steve Rodriguez

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, May 8, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1991 Topps Traded #102T.
• Player Name, position, team: Steve Rodriguez, second baseman, Team USA.
• Major League Debut: April 30, 1995.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1991 stats (Pepperdine): 59 G, 248 AB, 64 R, 104 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 32 SB, .589 SLG, 26 BB, 19 SO, .419 AVG.
• Any special information about player: At time this card was produced, he had finished his second season with the Pepperdine Waves. Bats: right, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Rodriguez' first regular Topps card (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards). Normally considered his rookie card, he wasn't drafted until the following year by the Boston Red Sox, who took him in the fifth round of the 1992 amateur draft. Clean design, with the red, white, and blue borders, along with the Team USA logo on the front of the card. This was Topps third year of adding Team USA players to their sets, their second in their Traded set. This traded set was the first of three that would eventually include Team USA players within it's checklist. As the card was printed in white card-stock (printed in Ireland), back easy to read. Highlights Rodriguez' college career and achievements to date, including: Baseball America's All-American First Team (1991) Baseball America's Freshman All-American Team (1990), 2-time Nevada American Legion Player of the Year. This was Rodriguez' second year with the USA National Team. Steve only had two Topps cards, both in the Traded sets, both as a member of Team USA. He played in the majors for one season for both the Red Sox and the Tigers in 1995. In 2000, he was hired as an assistant coach for his alma mater, and in 2003, became the Waves' head coach.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2 cards.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1954 Topps #129. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama