Random Topps Card of the Day: 1995 Topps #12 Gary DiSarcina

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, August 31, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1995 Topps #12.
• Player Name, position, team: Gary DiSarcina, shortstop, California Angels.
• Major League Debut: September 23, 1989.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1994 stats (Angels): 112 G, 389 AB, 53 R, 101 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 3 SB, .329 SLG, 18 BB, 28 SO, .260 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Angels #6th, June 1988 Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: DiSarcina's fourth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including his 1990 Topps '89 MLB Debut card). The more I look at it, the more it does appear that the edges of the pictures were torn. Gary DiSarcina was the last person to debut in 1989, appearing in 2 games towards the end of that campaign. At this point in his career, DiSarcina is now the Angels' regular shortstop. The back of his card reads that he and the Braves' Tom Glavine were teammates for Billerica (MA) High School. Their baseball team won the state championship in 1993. The blurb on the back also mentions that DiSarcina's 33, is in honor of former Celtics legend Larry Bird. Gary spent his entire MLB career with the Angels. After his playing days were over, he joined the ranks of minor league manager, taking the helm of the Lowell Spinners for three seasons. He currently is a roving minor league infield coordinator for the Boston Red Sox. In 2005, the University of Massachusetts inducted him into their Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 11 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1979 Topps #218. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1979 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH321 Jeff Niemann

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, August 30, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH321.
• Player Name, position, team: Jeff Niemann, pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays.
• Major League Debut: April 13, 2008.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2007 stats (Durham-AAA): 25 G, 12-6, 131 IP, 144 H, 69 R, 58 ER, 46 BB, 123 SO, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.45 WHIP, 3.98 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Devil Rays #1st, June 2004. Bats: right, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Niemann's second regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Maybe it was a good thing that the franchise decided to ditch the "Devil" and rename themselves the Tampa Bay Rays. Topps would not have been able to fit the word "Devil Rays" in big circles and probably would have had to shorten the name to D-Rays like they had to do for the Diamondbacks (D-Backs). Following the mandated rookie card rules, because Niemann debuted in 2008, his 2008 cards had to have the "rookie card logo" included. However, his first appearance on Topps cardboard was from the 2005 Topps set (he was #682). But whatever. Niemann has been one of the mainstays in the Rays' rotation. But in 2008, he was just a fill in player, just waiting for his opportunity to stay with the big club. The bio on the back mentions that he "tried out for the basketball team but was beaten out for a spot by a young Emeka Okafor." At 6 feet, 9 inches tall, Niemann is one of the tallest players in the majors today. His intimidating size can put the fear into batters, similar to a future hall of famer pitcher who recently retired. While I think the picture is nice, maybe it would have been better to use a full picture (head to toe) of the guy, with the camera "looking up," so as to accentuate his height. Now I know that the signatures used for the cards come from their contracts with Topps. But seriously...is it just me, or did Jeff sign his name in Japanese???
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 5 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1995 Topps #12. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1956 Topps #265 Sandy Consuegra

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, August 29, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1956 Topps #265.
• Player Name, position, team: Sandy Consuegra, pitcher, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: June 10, 1950.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1955 stats (White Sox): 44 G, 126 Innings, 6-5, .545 PCT, 120 Hits, 42 Runs, 37 E.R., 35 S.O., 18 Walks, 2.64 E.R. Avg (yes, that's how the stat headers read).
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Senators as a Free Agent before the 1949 season. Contract purchased by the White Sox from the Senators 05/12/1953. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Consuegra's first regular Topps card (total includes regular cards only). If you wanted to see older cards of Sandy Consuegra, you'd have to look for his Bowman issues, as this is his only Topps card. The 1956 Topps design differs from the one the previous year due to the fact that instead of a colored background with a cropped drawing of the player, you now have an action shot from a live game (albeit still in drawing form). The art on the front of the cards are beautifully done, even though many headshots of players are from the previous two years (see Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, et. al). Above the statistics is a large box for cartoons. Sandy has three cartoons depicting his career in the majors. The first reads that "in 1954, Sandy's .842 W-L percentage (16-3, .842) was tops in the AL and set a White Sox Record." The second shows that Consuegra had a 6-0 mark with the Senators in 1952. The third says, "Stingy about giving up runs, Sandy's posted less than a 3.00 ERA for the past 3 years." It's a shame that Topps doesn't have room anymore to use cartoons like these in a regular fashion, often relegating them to a trivia question, or a quick note about the player. Consuegra had himself quite a career going into the 1956 season. He was used mostly in relief, but did his fair share of starting. He went 48-28 going into the year. But his contract was sold to Baltimore in 1956, and he finished his season as an Oriole. Consuegra would pitch for just one more season (with the Orioles, and the New York Giants, who picked him up on waivers) before calling it a career.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $6.00-$12.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH321. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1984 Topps Traded #25T Bryan Clark

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, August 28, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1984 Topps Traded #25T.
• Player Name, position, team: Bryan Clark, pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: April 11, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1983 stats (Mariners): 41 G, 162.1 IP, 7-10, 82 R, 71 ER, 76 SO, 72 BB, 17 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.94 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Pirates #10th June, 1974. Traded by the Mariners to the Blue Jays 12/09/1983. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Clark's fourth regular Topps (total includes regular and traded cards only). One of the good things about the 1984 Topps Traded set is the fact that because the cards were printed on a different card stock than its regular set counterparts, it is much easier to read the text on the back of the cards. And for a guy with a ton of minor league statistics (like Bryan Clark, he has his stats from 1974 onwards here), the text could have been difficult to read otherwise. Had he had one more year in the majors, or at least debuted with another team, the minor league stats would have gone away. But alas, he has three years worth of MLB statistics, so the minor league numbers stay. At least we know that Clark was your minor league veteran. Making stops every where from Brandenton, to Charleston, to Niagara Falls, back to Charleston, to Salem, again to Charleston, to Bellingham, then Stockton, onwards to Alexandria, Spokane, and Lynn, MA before hitting the big time in Seattle (granted, he had to play in Salt Lake City for a few games in 1982). He didn't make his MLB debut as a pitcher though...it was as a pinch runner. But with the M's, he went 14-17, struck out 198 batters with a decent 3.94 ERA before being shipped off to the Blue Jays in December, 1983. With the Blue Jays, he saw action in 20 games, had a record of 1-2, and 21 strikeouts. What really did him in, however was his control (22 walks, 6 home runs allowed). Released by the Jays after the 1984 season, he found work with both Cleveland (for one year) and the White Sox (for two years), bouncing around the minor league systems for both teams. He continued his nationwide tour of the minor leagues. Stopping points along the way in Syracuse, Maine, Buffalo, Hawaii (yes, the White Sox' AAA team was based in Hawaii...maybe the reason why players did NOT want to get called up to the majors in 1987), Hawaii, Tacoma, and finally Calgary. He finally returned to the Mariners for a few games in 1990, but then retired soon afterwards. The back of his card features three highlights from his 1983 season: pitching 2 scoreless innings in an Opening Day win over the Yankees 04/05/1983; 4 scoreless frames for a win against the Orioles 05/21/1983; being credited for a win at Fenway on 07/12/1983.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 6 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: 1956 Topps #265. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. If anybody can find me the away jersey of the Lynn Sailors (Lynn, MA; Eastern League-AA), let me know. I think I may have some interest in it. jba

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1976 Topps #476 Bob Moose

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, August 27, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1976 Topps #476.
• Player Name, position, team: Bob Moose, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: September 19, 1967.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1975 stats (Pirates): 23 G, 60 IP, 2-2, 30 R, 28 ER, 34 SO 25 BB, 3.71 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #17th June, 1965. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Moose's ninth and final regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). If there was a color scheme that I would associate with the Pirates, especially in the mid to late 70's, green would not be included in it. So why did Topps a yellow and green color design for this card??? Moose was part of the dominant Pirate teams of the early 70's, including the World Series winning team in 1971. The Pennsylvania native's best year was in 1969 when in 44 games pitched, he had a record of 14-3, an ERA of 2.97, and struck out a career high 165 batters. The back of his card recalls the no-hitter he pitched agains the Mets on 09/20/1969, and that he held the Astros hitless for 7.2 innings at legendary Forbes Field 06/14/1968. Sadly, after the 1976 season, Moose died in a car crash on his way to Bill Mazeroski's golf course in Ohio. It was his 29th birthday. So although he did play in the 1976 season, this is his final card as an active player.
• Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1984 Topps Traded #25T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies #T36 Jeff Bailey

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, August 26, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1995 Topps #116.
• Player Name, position, team: Jeff Bailey, catcher, Florida Marlins.
• Major League Debut: July 6, 2007.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1999 stats (Kane County-Midwest A): 76 G, 277 AB, 49 R, 77 H, 19 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 1 SB, .462 SLG, 34 BB, 77 SO, ..278 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Marlins #2nd June, 1997. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Bailey's first regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Although Bailey finally made his MLB debut in 2007, and thus making his 2007 cards eligible to have that rookie card logo on them, his first true rookie cards could be found in 2000 Topps products. Classic headshot pose for the card, with the bat firmly planted on Bailey's right shoulder. The back of his card shows that he's minor league stats from both years in the Marlins' Gulf Coast League team (why did he spend two years there, and where did he go in between seasons if the GCL is a short-season league???) and then on to the Kane County Cougars, Chicago's closest non-independent minor league team. (Trivia for those who didn't know, the team is based in Geneva, IL. Not a long drive, especially if you happen to live in the Chicago suburbs). The back of the card mentions Bailey's minor league accomplishments, including being named GCL hitter of the week in July, 1998. The scouting report reads that Jeff is "a sure handed receiver with emerging power..." In 2002, he was traded to the Montreal Expos, and played in their minor league system for two seasons, before his long tenure in the Red Sox' minor league system at the end of the 2003 season. As a sign of perseverance, he never gave up his dreams, and after ten long years in the minors, ten years of bus rides and nights in places like Portland, Harrisburg, and Edmonton, and after a number of years as a regular in Pawtucket, he finaly got the call in 2007. Mind you that since his debut, he went back and forth between Sox (Pawtucket and Boston), but at least he got there, finally. In 2010, he signed on as a free agent with the Diamondbacks, and spent the 2010 season with the Reno Aces, the D-Back's AAA team.
• Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #476. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1997 Topps #191 Terry Adams

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, August 25, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1997 Topps #191.
• Player Name, position, team: Terry Adams, pitcher, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: August 10, 1995.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1996 stats (Cubs): 69 G, 101 IP, 3-6, 36 R, 33 ER, 78 SO, 49 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 4 SV, 2.94 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs #4th June, 1991. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Adams' first regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). What was Topps to do. Certainly, they were going to continue making horizontally formatted cards, and looking at it this way, the way the name is set up so that it faces the picture makes sense aesthetically. But when putting it in a sheet with other cards, most of the vertically oriented variety, the name is upside down. Adams was a starter in the minor leagues, and upon was converted to a relief pitcher upon reaching the majors. And what a job he did. Deemed the closer of the future, Adams had a very successful run as one of the Cubs key setup men in 1996. And who can argue with a 2.94 ERA to go with 78 strikeouts? According to the blurb in the back (which for some reason is written in rather small text, which makes it even harder to read in the green background of the card back), "...Terry had a promising rookie year in a set-up role...despite some apprehension when first converted...'I thought it was like a punishment,' he recalls." At the end of the 1999 season, he was traded to the Dodgers, and thus began his journeyman career. From LA, he signed on with the Phillies for a couple of seasons, then the Blue Jays, traded to the Red Sox (in time to win a World Series ring), re-signed with the Phillies, and ended his career within the Pirates organization.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies #T36. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Announcements on Twitter Regarding the Sports Card Blogroll

I realize that whenever I post something new onto this humble, little blog that it automatically shows up on Twitter (and eventually on Facebook). But it occurs to me that it's all I wind up posting on the 140 character per post site.

So from now on, whenever I add a new blog (or a returning blog) onto the big Sports Card Blogroll, I will also post the sites added onto my twitter account (which you are more than welcome to follow at http://twitter.com/bdj610).

I received two e-mails this evening from a couple of folks asking to be added to the blogroll. After reviewing the sites, the Blogroll adds Lifetime Topps project and welcomes the return of Attic Insulation.

Now on to twitter and post the announcement.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1998 Topps #18 Mike Bordick

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, August 24, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1993 Topps #695.
• Player Name, position, team: Mike Bordick, shortstop, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: April 11, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1997 stats (Orioles): 153 G, 509 AB, 55 R, 120 H, 19 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 0 SB, .318 SLG, 33 BB, 66 SO, .236 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Athletics as a Free Agent 07/10/1986. Signed with the Orioles as a Free Agent 12/12/1996. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Bordick's sixth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including his 1991 Topps '90 MLB Debut card). Did you happen to notice that the team logo of the players can be found in the box where their name and team affiliation? It's a nice change, considering that the last two years (and almost every year afterwards) the team logo is placed prominently somewhere on the card, incorporated onto the design. After patrolling the left side of the infield for the Oakland Athletics, Mike Bordick signed on with the Orioles, paving the way for future HOF Cal Ripken to move to the hot corner at Camden Yards. The O's in 1997 had seven players who hit 15 or more homers. Bordick, however, wasn't one of them. So why did Topps even mention this on the bio on the back??? He was a very reliable defensive player, and for the fifth straight year was among the AL's top shortstops in fielding percentage. Which if you think about is an incredible feat, considering the number of ground balls a shortstop has to field. How good was he defensively? He broke the record for consecutive errorless games for a shortstop (110) and chances (543). Bordick stayed with the Orioles until 2000 (his first year as an All-Star), before continuing his journey with the Mets, a return to the O's, and finally with the Blue Jays in before calling it a career. He spent the past few years as one of the Blue Jays roving minor league instructors, and in 2010, took the assignment of minor league offensive coordinator with the Orioles.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1997 Topps #191. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1997 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1992 Topps #5 Dave Winfield 1991 Record Breaker

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, August 23, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1992 Topps #5.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Winfield, outfielder, California Angels.
• Special: 1991 Record Breaker.
• Any special information about this specific card: Unlike in past years, Topps doesn't add the record the future Hall of Famer broke. And that's fine. Too much text would have detracted from the picture on the card. All the fun details about what he did is on the back (and is why people should get back in the habit of reading the backs of their cards). The teaser line reads, "He Shows the Youngsters How to Do It" and the main headline (in big bold pink letters...pink???), "Winfield Becomes Oldest to Cycle in Baseball History." On 06/24/1991, Winfield's Angels took on the Kansas City Royals. Batting fourth that day, and playing in right, Winfield went 5-5 with scored three runs, and drove in three more in a 9-4 win. Dave singled in the first inning, doubled to lead off the third, homered with a man on in the fifth, hit another single in the sixth, and finally cruised into third leading off the eighth inning. At the age of 39, he "surpassed the Pirates Honus Wagner (08/22/1912) and Chris Speier (07/09/1988), who were both 38 years of age when achieving the feat."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1998 Topps #18. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

It's Back to School Time...or Cleaning the Blogroll Before the First Day of School

While I haven't been productive so far this month on this humble, little blog (apparently the blog thingy ate a weeks worth of Random Cards of the Day...will do them over some time this week), the big Sports Card Blogroll has seen a lot of blogs being added to the active roster, about 14 blogs in all. Before tonight's cleanup, there were 316 blogs, all about our Hobby, featured somewhere on one of its many rolls.

But alas, there are blogs that will be leaving the rolls as well, as they have each hit six months of inactivity. I will be listing them both here and in the "Blogs Being Removed" section on the sidebar for posterity. This month, the blogroll says goodbye to:

• Legendary Wax
• Cobb and Halladay
• All Those Years Ago
• TheHockeyCardGuy
• Cardboard APB
• Sports, Cards and more
• 1988 Score
• Dodgers88's Blog
• Beardy's Baseball Blog
• The Electric Friar
• CardPricer
• Leading Off with Tom Bartsch

That's twelve blogs being removed his month, leaving 304 active blogs on the roster. With 302 blogs going into the month, we now have a gain of +2 heading into Labor Day.

If you'd like to add your blog to the blogroll, please send me an e-mail at bdj610@hotmail.com and let me know about it. If your blog is one of those being removed, and you plan on starting it up again, send an e-mail to tell me to add it back. Most importantly, keep on writing, keep on reporting, and continue to enjoy the journey.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1963 Topps #127 Bill Tuttle

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, August 22, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1963 Topps #127.
• Player Name, position, team: Bill Tuttle, outfielder, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1952.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1962 stats (Twins): 110 G, 124 AB, 21 R, 26 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .210 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent before the 1951 season. Traded by the Athletics to the Twins 06/01/1961. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Tuttle's eighth regular Topps card (total includes regular cards only). The 1963 Topps set's unique design not only included the second picture in the round frame, but a full color border that goes across the bottom of the card. Imagine if you will an uncut sheet of cards with these colored bands going across them, and above and below each of these bands would be the cards themselves. It'd look like a surreal garden of baseball players' pictures. And Tuttle would be sitting alongside a bunch of other players with the same green-colored border. Now I don't know if Tuttle's card would be printed above or below the band, or for that matter, right-side up or upside-down. But that's neither here nor there today. The 1963 Topps design remains a classic, and in two years, will become the design for the 2012 Topps Heritage product. On to Mr. Tuttle. He was the Tigers regular centerfielder in for most of the 1950's, and by all accounts a really decent hitter. Not a power hitter by any means, but good for at least 130 hits and 55 rbi's a year. He was sent to the Athletics in a thirteen-player trade that saw him and six other Tigers off to Kansas City. While never part of the infamous Kansas City-New York Yankees trading circle, he did well enough during the 1959 season to be considered a candidate for the AL MVP award (okay, so he finished 23rd...but he at least got some votes). In the middle of the 1961 season, the Athletics sent him to Minnesota for cash and a player to be named later. One of the players involved in the trade, Paul Giel, was sent with Tuttle to Minneapolis, only to be sent back to KC as the player to be named later (he was an Athletic for ten days). Now when I first saw the numbers for Tuttle for 1962 on the back of this card, I thought that there had to be some kind of error. How could a guy, who up to this point was an everyday player, play in 110 games, and only have 124 at bats??? He couldn't have been relegated to pinch hitting duties could he? Well, actually, that was partially correct. Because the Twins had an outfield that consisted of Harmon Killebrew, Lenny Green, and Bob Allison, Tuttle was relegated to the bench as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement late in ball games. In fact, the logs indicate that in many games, he would come in during the 8th or 9th inning without an at bat. He did start a handful of games, but by the end of the season, he only made 148 plate appearances in 110 games. By the middle of the 1963 season, he was released by the Twins, ending his big league career. The back of his card, in easy to read yellow/orange and black colors, includes a cartoon that indicates that "Bill led the AL in putouts in 1955 and 1960." The cartoon is of a smiling player with outstretched arms (complete with gloves on both hands), catching a ball 400 feet from home plate. Now, if you notice on his card, there is this big bulge coming out of his left cheek. It turns out that Tuttle was a chewing tobacco aficionado. In many of his cards, because this was around the time Topps mainly used headshots, he is depicted chomping on the stuff (or whatever it is you do with it). Diagnosed with oral cancer in 1993, he became a spokesperson against the use of chewing tobacco, and did so until he passed away in 1998.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.50-$4.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1992 Topps #5. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1976 Topps #556 Minnesota Twins Team Card

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, August 21, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1976 Topps #556.
• Player Name, position, team: Gene Mauch, manager, Minnesota Twins.
• Special: Minnesota Twins Team Card
• Any special information about this specific card: The 1976 Topps Team cards did not serve as a team leaders card. Its main purpose was to provide a team checklist for each of the 24 teams (yes, there were 24 teams back then...the Blue Jays and Mariners would make their Topps debut the following year). What makes this even more unique is that the 1975 Twins in 1975 were not managed by Gene Mauch but by Frank Quilici. So while accurate in the fact that Mauch did manage the team in time for the 1976 season, he was not the manager of the team the year before. Anyway, the '75 Twins finished fourth in the AL West with a 76-83 record. The team checklist features 26 Twins cards (25 players, and one manager/team card). The breakdown by position includes 11 pitchers, 2 catchers, six outfielders (one an OF-1B), five infielders, and one designated hitter. Hey, that's a whole team. You don't see that nowadays (look, we've had that conversation before...enough already). It is also around this time that you could also get an uncut sheet of all 24 team checklists in one shot by mailing $0.50 and a Topps baseball wrapper to a PO Box in Westbury, NY. Collectors had until the end of the year to redeem this prize. I have several of these kinds of sheets (thanks to eBay), but not one from 1976. So if you have one laying around, please let me know if you'd be interested in it.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.60-$1.50.

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: 1963 Topps #127. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

I Didn't See This at My Local Wal-Mart...But I Want One (or Two...or Three)

Courtesy of the Cardboard Connection...


As an exclusive to Wal-Mart, Topps is offering a Value Box with products from some of their best selling products (in this case, it's 2010 Topps and Allen & Ginter). Think of it as akin to Taco Bell's $5.00 meal boxes: one box with lots of stuff in it. The difference is that your stomach won't feel too bad later (trust me on this one...but dang are they good. For five bucks???...digressing).

Each box, which retails at $14.99, will include the following:

• 1 of 3 exclusive chrome refractor cards: Stephen Strasburg, Babe Ruth, or Cal Ripken Jr.
• 6 packs of 2010 Topps Series 2 Baseball
• 1 Topps Million Card Giveaway Code Card
• 1 Hobby Pack of 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball

How could you go wrong? And what did Topps do for Target? Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #835 Rusty Staub

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, August 20, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #835.
• Player Name, position, team: Rusty Staub, first baseman, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: April 9, 1963.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Rangers): 109 G, 340 AB, 42 R, 102 H, 23 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 1 SB, .459 SLG, 39 BB, 18 SO, .300 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Colt 45's as a Free Agent 09/11/1961. Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 12/16/1980. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Staub's nineteenth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Staub was featured in our 2011 Topps Archives Project last year (which I will probably bring back after this season is over going into next year's 60th anniversary). Funny, even though he played in the 1971 and 1972 seasons, he doesn't have Topps cards for the following year (that would be 1972 and 1973 Topps sets). Why is that? A commenter in my Archives post said it was a licensing disagreement. I won't dispute it, but can somebody verify this? Staub played for the Mets previously (from 1972-1975), and after the 1980 season, resigned with the team as a Free Agent. Much of what I would have written about Staub I covered before, but in the event that you don't want to click on the link, I'll go through some of the highlights. He is the last Colt .45 player to play in the majors. He was a member of the first Expos team in 1969, and endeared himself to the French-Canadian fan base by learning how to speak French. He became known as "Le Grande Orange" thanks to his red hair. During his second tour of duty with the Mets, not only did he serve as the team's first baseman, but he also became one of the team's coaches. Since his retirement, he was a restaurant owner, a Mets broadcaster, and more importantly, established the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund in 1986, which raises and distributes money to the families of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty.
• Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 16 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #556. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1995 Topps #116 Rob Butler

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, August 19, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1995 Topps #116.
• Player Name, position, team: Rob Butler, outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: June 12, 1993.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1994 stats (Blue Jays): 41 G, 74 AB, 13 R, 13 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, .203 SLG, 7 BB, 8 SO, .213 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Blue Jays as a Free Agent 09/24/1990. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Butler's third and final regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Although you don't get to see a clear shot of Butler's face on the front of the card, you do get a "scoreboard" version on the back, thanks to Mitsubishi's Diamond Vision. A native of East London, Ontario, he became the sixth Canadian to play for the Blue Jays. The blurb on the back quotes Butler as saying, "I had tears in my eyes," upon reaching the majors for the first time. Although this is his final Topps card, Rob Butler returned to the majors in 1997 with the Phillies and returned to the Blue Jays for a few games in 1999. He played a total of 109 career MLB games, hit 0 home runs, drove in 21 RBI's, a .243 batting average, and a .630 OPS. But those are his numbers in the US. In Canada, he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club (not to be confused with the NHL Maple Leafs, although when looking for Rob Butler's cards, it comes up with a hockey player, not a baseball player), a semi-pro team. He led the Maple Leafs in a number of offensive categories, and finally retired from the game in 2005. Who says you can't go home again???
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 3 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1981 Topps Traded #835. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Tonight, My Daughter Cried...

I just told her the bad news. Her favorite baseball player in the whole world, Derrek Lee, was traded from the Cubs today.

He was playing on the final year of his contract, and the 2010 Cubs just weren't the team that many in Chicago had hoped for. He was trade bait before the deadline, and was almost headed out west to the American League. But as a 10-5 man, he vetoed a trade that would have sent him to the Angels, opting to stay here. But since the end of July, the Cubs have been on a tailspin, and once he cleared waivers (in fact, I think almost everybody on the Cubs was placed on waivers), the Braves asked if Lee was available. The Braves, who are playing for the NL East crown and for long time manager Bobby Cox' legacy, needed a bat. So they offered the Cubs three minor league pitchers. The Cubs agreed, but had to get Lee's blessing to do so. And sadly, he agreed.

He was the captain of the Cubs. It was pretty much as he goes, so go the Cubbies. For the last seven years, he was a constant at first base for the Northsiders. He was the focal point of the team once a certain slugger hi-tailed out of the Windy City. And in 2005 was the team's MVP, winning the NL batting title. That was the first year my daughter paid attention to the game, and Lee became her baseball hero. She even wrote about him for a report in third grade...asking me to scan all the cards that I had of him. Which I did, so now people at my kids' school know my Hobby.

But now he's a Brave. And how the baseball gods deemed it so that the first team he gets to play against as a member of the Atlanta Braves...is the Cubs at Wrigley. He was already hurting anyway, and was going to take some time off to rest. He doesn't have to go anywhere realistically. The only thing he has to do is move his locker from the home side to the opponents locker room after the Padres leave. He should be ready to go for Friday's opener.

My daughter asked if he was coming back to the Cubs. It's possible. He is going to be a free agent at the end of the season. He could win his second World Series ring with the Braves, and then return. That would be fitting, and probably make her happy. But then again, he just might sign on with the Braves going forward, or go to any of the other 28 teams in the majors. She's going to keep her Lee cards, probably won't be getting any more unless he's wearing a Cubs jersey.

But she will always be a Derrek Lee fan. And she wishes him the best.

And so do I. Go get 'em DLee. Thanks for six (and almost seven) great seasons with the Cubs.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH177 Derek Jeter Season Highlights

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, August 18, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH177.
• Player Name, position, team: Derek Jeter, shortstop, New York Yankees
• Last Line of Statistics: 1571 G, 6350 AB, 1195 R, 2000 H, 174 Hr, 798 RBI, .315 AVG.
• Special: Season Highlights: Jeter Hits 2 Grand 05/26/2006.
• Any special information about this specific card: The breakdown of the 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights set is as follows: 132 veterans who were traded, signed as free agents, or are only in the set because they weren't in the regular 2006 Topps set; 48 rookie cards (with the now infamous rookie card logo); 11 season highlights; 20 postseason highlights; 15 league leader cards; 64 All-Stars; 8 Home Run Derby participants; 30 Team Leader cards; and 10 Classic Duo cards. One of the 11 season highlights Topps chose to feature was the game where Derek Jeter earned his 2000th hit on 05/26/2006 against the Kansas City Royals. The back of the card sets the scene: New York, NY. "Jeter's milestone -a tapper in front of the plate that he beat out - was more significant than most" (really???). "Of the eight to get them all for the Yankees, he was the youngest to join (at 31 years, 334 days), beating Lou Gehrig by 11 days." In the fourth inning, facing Scott Elarton fo the Royals, Jeter hit a single, reached second on an error, stole third, and scored on an A-Rod single. The team lost to the Royals that day 7-6.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.75-$2.00.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 1995 Topps #116. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1993 Topps #695 Kent Bottenfield

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, August 17, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1993 Topps #695.
• Player Name, position, team: Kent Bottenfield, pitcher, Montréal Expos.
• Major League Debut: July 6, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1992 stats (Expos): 10 G, 32.1 IP, 1-2, 9 R, 8 ER, 14 SO, 11 BB, 4 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1 SV, 2.23 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Expos #4th, June 1986. Bats: both, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Bottenfield's first regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The way the pictures hang on to the ribbons that appear diagonally on either side of the bottoms of the regular cards reminds me of a photo album that has those decorative corners that you're supposed to put the picture onto, somehow holding said picture in place on the page. The pictures are huge, which I like, and in the case of Bottenfield's card, you can see how much power he puts to his pitches. Bottenfield was a journeyman pitcher who traveled around the majors in his ten season career. From the Expos to the Rockies, then the Giants, Cubs (being out for the 1995 season), Cardinals (where he became an All-Star in 1999), Angels, Phillies, and finally the Astros. However, if you're looking for a Bottenfield Topps card from his days as a Cubbie, or a Giant, or even as an Phillie? Good luck. Why? Because he was added to four Topps sets. Period. Of the 119 cards that Beckett lists of Bottenfield, only four come from the eponymous Topps set. You can easily find him included in Team cards sets given away, and the other companies were able to get him. But not Topps. Between 1994 and 2000, he appears on no Topps sets. The back of his card indicates that Kent "was signed as a 4th round Draft choice by Whitey DeHart."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH177. 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

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #289 Tom Underwood

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, August 16, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #289.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Underwood, pitcher, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: August 19, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Orioles): 37 G, 71.2 IP, 1-0, 33 R, 28 ER, 39 SO, 31 BB, 1 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1 SV, 3.52 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Phillies #2nd, June 1972. Signed with the Orioles as a Free Agent 02/06/1984. Bats: right, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Underwood's twelfth and final Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). It seems that long careers and long biographies on the back of the 1985 Topps cards really don't mix. Why? Because, in the case of Mr. Underwood's card here, the text for the statistics box was so small that it was very hard to read the numbers. It doesn't help that the color scheme here was green, with a grey stat box, and is that red, or pink, for the text. Maybe it's the lighting in the house, I'm not sure. As 1984 was the final year of Tom Underwood's MLB career, the statistics on the back are complete. Now if they were only easy to read. Primarily a starter, he played for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Yankees, A's (not Athletics apparently), and finally the Orioles. As a relief pitcher, his 1984 numbers aren't too shabby. He finished his career with a record of 86-87, 948 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.89. He was also named to the 1975 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The bio on the back mentions that both his father and brother played professional ball. Father John Underwood played in the Phillies' organization. Brother Pat pitched for the Tigers from 1979 to 1983. In fact, Pat made his MLB debut facing brother Tom, who was pitching for the Blue Jays, on 05/31/1979. Pat won the game 1-0.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1993 Topps #695. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1965 Topps #170 Hank Aaron

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, August 15, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1965 Topps #170.
• Player Name, position, team: Hank Aaron, outfielder, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: April 13, 1954.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1964 stats (Braves): 145 G, 570 AB, 103 R, 187 H, 30 2B, 2 3B, 24 HR, 95 RBI, .328 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Braves as a Free Agent 07/14/1952. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Aaron's twelfth regular Topps card (total includes regular cards only, not including any record breakers, all-star, or other combo cards). The 1965 Topps set utilized for its design element, a pennant that features the team logo and team name on the lower left corner of a rounded-rectangular frame that housed the player's picture. So relevant was this design that once again, a rival card company used it for one of their "vintage" brands. The bright blue card backs, while susceptible to wear, made the stats and text easy to read. Hank Aaron, for many, many years, was first in many different statistical categories. He led the league in almost every single one at one point or another at season's end. No bigger statistic than career home runs. Since I was born in 1976, I have absolutely no idea, short of reading about it, about what it must have been like during Aaron's era. It almost has a romantic quality to it. We still think about the players during Aaron's day as some of the greatest all time, and the fact that he had great success against the best of the best the NL had to offer is astounding. The struggles he had to endure would have broken a weaker man. But Hank Aaron is not a weak man. What a relief he must have felt when he finally hit #715. But that's in the future. This is 1965. By the time this card came out, Hammerin' Hank was a perennial MVP candidate (ten seasons straight, winning the big one in 1957), a perennial All-Star (ten seasons straight), a three-time Gold Glove winner, and, at 366 HR's going into the 1965 season, halfway to the record. This card must have meant something special to Topps because not only did they reprint it (along with all of Hank's other cards in 2000), but for the big 2001 Topps Through the Years reprint set, the first one that got me hooked on reprints and inserts, Aaron's card represented the 1965 season. Even though he hit 24 home runs, the fact that he still maintained a .328 average, and an OPS of .907, meant that he was still a hitting machine. There wasn't a doubt that this man would become a HOF in his first year of eligibility. When it was announced that he and Frank Robinson were going into the Hall, there were 415 ballots cast. Aaron's name was on 406 of them. What nine guys thought that he wasn't worthy of HOF induction??! I know we scream about it now when bonafide Hall of Famers get in and not unanimously. But back then, there should have been an uproar. Regardless, Aaron is one of the greatest hitters in the game. And probably one of its biggest heroes.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $75.00-$150.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 58 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1985 Topps #225. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1986 Topps #223 Atlee Hammaker

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, August 14, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1986 Topps #223.
• Player Name, position, team: Atlee Hammaker, pitcher, San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: August 13, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1985 stats (Giants): 29 G, 170.2 IP, 5-12, 81 R, 71 ER, 100 SO, 47 BB, 29 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 3.74 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Royals #1st June, 1979. Traded by the Royals to the Giants 03/30/1982. Bats: both, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Hammaker's fifth regular Topps (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including his 1991 MLB '90 Debut card). The 1986 set was the first complete set that I bought when I started getting interested in cards older than 1987. Let me explain. So by 1997, or was it...yes, it was 1997, I had every Topps regular and set from 1988 to 1996. But for me, something was missing. In ten years time, I amassed a decent collection, most of it before I actually had a job. But now that I was working, and had a bit of free time, I thought why not start collecting cards from earlier years. Of course, I thought there was no better way to do so than to buy complete Topps sets. But where to start. Of course, I knew what 1987 Topps cards looked like, but never found a complete set of it anywhere. So I went through the phone book (before the internet, they had this book with Yellow Pages...), and found a place in the area that did a mail order business for selling cards. They used to have a shop in a mall, but that mall was demolished a couple of years earlier, and the owners decided to continue the business through mail order/phone order (before the internet...you get the idea). I visited the shop (more like an office), and saw the 1987 Topps set "hand-collated." For 10 bucks, I could have that and she'd throw in the 1987 Topps Traded set too. What a deal!!! But wait, there's more...she said for an extra 15 dollars, she would sell to me a 1986 Topps "hand-collated" set AND the 1986 Topps Traded set too. Basically, for less than $30.00, I'd be in the possession of both 1986 AND 1987 Topps sets and their accompanying Traded sets (in the factory box!!!). How could I say no? So that started my quest for collecting sets from earlier than 1987. Okay, on to the player. Before asking the question "How cool is the name Cole Hamels?" there had to be kids (and some adults) asking "How cool is the name Atlee Hammaker?" Does anybody know anyone else named Atlee? What an incredibly original name. And what an incredible pitcher he was to boot, although his 1985 year is probably one he'd rather forget (with the 5-12 record and all). The back of Hammaker's card lists the dates of his first MLB win (09/15/1981) and his first MLB shutout (06/29/1982). The "Talkin' Baseball" box (with the baseball faced 'thing' wearing a cap and shrugging its shoulders...no, this is NOT Mr. Met or the Reds guy...) has a note stating that the "first player in SF Giants history to be acquired via the trade route was Jim Finigan from Detroit Tigers 01/28/1958). The two players the Giants received for Finigan and $25,000 were Gail Harris and Ozzie Virgil.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 16 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: 1965 Topps #170. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Hey, This Blog Won An Award!!!

I don't know what to make of this, or how much significance this has, but I received an e-mail saying that this blog won an award.

One Madison Evans of onlineschools dot org sent this e-mail to me this afternoon (in part):

"Dear James Anama,

Congratulations! Madison here, representing the #1 resource for learning. Your blog, Topps Baseball Card Blog (already they screw up the name, leading me to think how credible this is), was determined to be one of the best blogs to learn about your topic, and has received our 2010 Top Baseball Card Collecting Blogs award!

Winners were chosen through a scoring system led by internet nominations, which came from your reading base...

If you choose to accept or decline the award, please let me know.

Again, Congratulations, and I hope to see your badge soon!

Cheers,
Madison Evans"

So I went onto the site it had in the e-mail, which I'm not going to link here, and it had listed my blog, and a lot of other popular sports card blogs as well, about fifty or so of them. Now, the reason why I'm questioning the validity of this "award" is that it includes sites that are no longer active, and there was even one site on there that even I have never heard of, was never part of the big Sports Card Blogroll, and only had six posts...total on it, the last one written in February of this year.

But regardless of what I think, the badges are there, and the letter did say that I am an award winner. So I think I'll pick one to add onto the blog, just for laughs.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. If anybody wants to comment on this, especially if you're one of the other "award winners," let me know what you think about all of this. You all would have gotten an e-mail similar to what I received today. jba

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1998 Topps #260 Topps Prospects Hermansen, Morris, Butler

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, August 13, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1998 Topps #260.
• Player Name, position, team: Prospects: Chad Hermansen, outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates; Warren Morris, outfielder, Texas Rangers; Brent Butler, shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals.
• Major League Debut: September 7, 1999 (Hermansen); April 5, 1999 (Morris); July 4, 2001 (Butler).
• Any special information about player: Hermansen: Bats: right, Throws: right; Morris: Bats: left, Throws: right; Butler: Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: The first card for Hermansen, Morris, and Butler. The randomizer did a good job this week, picking two team leaders AND a multi-player card. Unless you looked at the back, and noticed that the statistics of each player is from 1987, you'd have no idea that this card was from 1998 (I first thought I grabbed the wrong card and this was from 1999). Other than being prospects, these three players realistically have nothing in common with each other, except for this card. Hermansen played sparingly for six seasons with the Pirates, Cubs, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. Last played professionally in the AAA-Pacific Coast League (for the Mets and Marlins) in 2007. Of the three, Morris probably had the best MLB career. He was traded to the Pirates (hey, he and Hermansen were teammates!!!) in 1998. As the starting second baseman for the Pirates in 1999, he finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. In 2000, he posted lesser power numbers, but showed more patience at the plate. Injuries set him back in 2001, and by 2002, he began a trek between the major and minor leagues that finally ended in 2005. Butler was traded from the Cardinals to the Rockies in 1999 (one of the players sent to the Cards was Darryl Kile) and played for the Rockies for three seasons. He last played professionally for the Devil Rays' AAA team in Durham in 2007.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
  How many cards of each player do I own?: Hermansen: 2 cards; Morris: 3 cards; Butler: 4 cards. Note that this means I own this card plus 1 card of Hermansen, 2 other Morris cards, and 3 other cards of Butler.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1986 Topps #223. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

To All Who Read This Humble, Little Blog

To All Who Read This Humble, Little Blog:

I am on my way to Portland, OR. Will post when I can. Random Cards of the Day posts will come out @ 1:00 pm through Sunday.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1984 Topps #756 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, August 12, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1984 Topps #756.
• Player Name, position, team: Ron Oester, second baseman, Cincinnati Reds; Mario Soto, pitcher, Cincinnati Reds..
• Special: Cincinnati Reds 1983 Team Leaders.
• Any special information about this specific card: Wouldn't you know it, after going almost more than eight months before the randomizer picks a team leader card (this past Monday, it picked a second one for the same week. This time, from the 1984 Topps set. Before I started buying complete sets from 1986 backwards, I always thought that the manager cards would have the checklists of all the players on his team on the back of his card, and that the team leader cards, obviously, have the team's leader in certain offensive and pitching categories. I mean, until 1990, when Topps Magazine announced that the 1990 manager cards would have the team leader cards and the checklists would be grouped by team instead of by card number, it made sense. But when going over the 1984 cards, I noticed that the manager cards actually had that skipper's major (or minor league) statistics, and then his major (and minor) league managerial career record. Okay, that makes sense. Why Topps stopped that practice (save for the traded sets) is beyond me. Anyway, the 1983 Reds finished sixth in the NL West with a record of 74-88. The players depicted on the card front were the team's batting and pitching leaders (determined by batting average and ERA respectively). Oester, the Reds' second baseman, led the team with a .268 batting average (to go with 11 home runs and 58 runs batted in). Soto, the teams ace, finished the year with a 17-13 record and a team low 2.70 ERA. The back of the card contains the 1984 Topps Reds team checklist (instead of other statistical leaders). The checklist is sorted by player's last name, with card number, position, and even the player's uniform number. There are 26 Reds cards (25 players, 1 manager) listed, including 11 pitchers, 2 catchers, 6 infielders, six outfielders (one player is listed as a C-OF). The point is that the 25 men on the roster actually comprise a major league roster. Even the third catcher is on here, and there are actually six pitchers who comprised the team's bullpen. You don't see this anymore, and it's a shame. If I was a kid in 1984, I'd have imagined playing a game between two teams, knowing that everybody on the roster had a card. Nowadays, you'd have to be a Yankee or a Red Sox player to get a card if you're the mop up guy or the sixth guy on the bench. Rant over.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1998 Topps #260. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

And the 2010 Topps Red Hot Rookie #7 Card Goes To…‏

Those holding those Red Hot Rookie Redemption cards better get them logged in to Topps quickly as it has just been announced that card #7 belongs to none other than Domonic Brown of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Brown made his major league debut on July 28 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Batting sixth as the RF for the Phillies, he went 2-3 with a double, 2 runs scored, and 2 rbi's. As of Tuesday, August 11, he is hitting .257 (9-35), with one home run, 10 RBI's, an OPS of .637, and a stolen base.

Although it's not an autographed card, Marlins fans will want to add this card to their collections. Ladies and Gentlemen, START REDEEMING!!!

The updated checklist now includes:

• #1 Carlos Santana
• #2 Jose Tabata
• #3 Brennan Boesch
• #4 Mike Stanton
• #5 Starlin Castro
• #6 Logan Morrison
• #7 Domonic Brown

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1995 Topps Traded and Rookies #65T Marquis Grissom

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, August 11, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1995 Topps Traded and Rookies #65T.
• Player Name, position, team: Marquis Grissom, outfielder, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: August 22, 1989.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1994 stats (Expos): 110 G, 475 AB, 96 R, 137 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 45 RBI, 36 SB, .427 SLG, 41 BB, 66 SO, .288 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Expos #3rd June, 1988. Traded by the Expos to the Braves 04/06/1995. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Grissom's seventh Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, does not include his 1990 MLB Debut '89 card). I've always wondered what the name of the font was that was used to create the name lettering for the 1995 Topps designs. Not only for baseball, but for football and basketball as well. Because it was pretty much the same design for each of the three sports, with the only difference being the name font. Otherwise, everything else, from the tear pattern of the picture and the font for the team name and position were exactly the same (somewhat). With the strike finally over, and spring training in full swing, the Braves realized that they needed a leadoff hitter. So a deal was made, sending the Expos' second-leading base stealer to the Braves for three players. Thus beginning the dismantling of the Montréal Expos. You'd think he'd be smiling, with the new environment and all. But based on this photo, he doesn't look too happy about coming to Atlanta. Cheer up Marquis, you're going to help this team win the World Series.
• Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 29 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 1985 Topps #756. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

And the 2010 Topps Red Hot Rookie #6 Card Goes To…‏

Those holding those Red Hot Rookie Redemption cards better get them logged in to Topps quickly as it has just been announced that card #6 belongs to none other than Logan Morrison of the Florida Marlins.

Morrison made his major league debut on July 27 against the San Francisco Giants. Batting second as the LF for the Marlins, he went 1-4 with a strikeout. As of Tuesday, August 10, he is hitting .234 (11-47), with 5 RBI's, an OPS of .584

Although it's not an autographed card, Marlins fans will want to add this card to their collections. Ladies and Gentlemen, START REDEEMING!!!

The updated checklist now includes:

• #1 Carlos Santana
• #2 Jose Tabata
• #3 Brennan Boesch
• #4 Mike Stanton
• #5 Starlin Castro
• #6 Logan Morrison

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2003 Topps #192 Adam Kennedy

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, August 10, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2003 Topps #192.
• Player Name, position, team: Adam Kennedy, second baseman, Anaheim Angels.
• Major League Debut: August 21, 1999.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2002 stats (Angels): 144 G, 474 AB, 65 R, 148 H, 32 2B, 6 3B, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 17 SB, .449 SLG, 19 BB, 80 SO, .288 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cardinals #1st, June 1997. Traded by the Cardinals to the Angels 03/23/2000. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Kennedy's sixth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The blue borders of the 2002 set really accentuates some of the pictures on the cards, especially if the player is wearing red, blue, black, or white. Orange, green...eh, not so much. But in the case of this card, the picture really pops because of the colors, and framed by the solid blue borders, it just works. I can't imagine what would have happened if they went with a different color for the border (like yellow...or red...oh wait, never mind). Adam Kennedy broke out in a big way in 2002 as one of the catalysts for the Angels' team of destiny. After years of frustration, the Halos finally reached the promised land in 2002 (pun intended). And Kennedy led the way, going 16-47 in the 2002 playoffs, with 4 home runs, 10 rbi's, and two stolen bases. While the card back doesn't mention any of his postseason exploits (that came later on card #353), it does say that the date April 18 is a specialy date historically for Kennedy. On 04/18/2000, he became the first rookie in 25 years to drive in 8 runs in a single game (two singles, a triple, and a home run will do that for you) against the Blue Jays. And one year later, he went 3-3, with a walk, a triple, a stolen base, two runs scored, and the game winning RBI in a 3-2 win over the Athletics. He returned to the Cardinals as a Free Agent in 2007, and after a couple of years with the Cards, went on to play for the Athletics, and is presently holding down second base for the Washington Nationals.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 25 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1995 Topps Traded and Rookies #65T. 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

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1989 Topps #759 Milwaukee Brewers Team Leaders

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, August 9, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1989 Topps #759.
• Player Name, position, team: Rob Deer, outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers.
• Special: Milwaukee Brewers 1988 Team Leaders.
• Any special information about this specific card: After 223 cards (and 223 days for that matter), I can't believe it's taken this long for the randomizer to select a team leaders card. Yet here we are, at day 224, and the first team card comes from my favorite set of all time, the 1989 Topps set. I love the horizontal format, especially if the picture matches well with the orientation. And it makes me wish that maybe, just maybe, Topps could have done a few horizontal cards with this design. I mean, all they would have had to do is add the curved red border that framed the player cards, and this would have made a fantastic card for Rob Deer. Alas, we'd have to wait a couple of years before horizontal cards made their triumphant return to Topps' eponymous sets. The team leaders card lists the players that led their team in both pitching and batting statistics. The 1988 Brewers finished third in the AL East with a record of 87-75. Deer is the featured player on the team card because he led the Brew Crew in home runs with 23. He also led the team (and the American League) in strikeouts with 153 K's, but that's not listed here (and not the point...they're featuring all the good stats). All the rest of the batting categories were led by the Brewers future HOF duo of Paul Molitor (Runs: 115, Hits: 190, Stolen Bases: 41, Batting Average: .312) and Robin Yount (Hits: 190, tying Molitor, Doubles: 38, Triples: 11, Runs Batted In: 91). The pitchers who made the team leader board were: Chuck Crim (Games: 70), Teddy Higuera (Innings: 227.1, Wins: 16, Strikeouts: 192, ERA: 2.45), Chris Bosio (Complete Games: 9), Saves (Dan Plesac, 30), and six unlisted pitchers with shutouts (1: Higuera, Bosio, Bill Wegman, Don August, Tom Filer, and Juan Nieves).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps #192. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The "Deans" of 2010...Revisiting the Players Who've Been with Their Teams the Longest.

It was last year at this time, just before the 2009 trading deadline, that I visited the idea of the "Deans". To review, each of the subjects Topps used for their 1986 Topps' Team Leaders cards were the players on each team that was with their team the longest (for example, the 1986 Angels team leader card had the caption "Depicted on Front: Bobby Grich, Dean of the Angels, Continuous Service Since: 11/24/1976." Now granted, I can't determine service time for the present set of deans, but what did use last year as the deciding factor as to who each team's 2009 dean was by which player debuted the earliest during the season.

Last year, I listed the deans by latest debut with team (which was at the time Jeremy Hermida of the Marlins) to earliest (Chipper Jones of the Braves). This time, we'll just go ahead and rank them by city alphabetically as we're going to compare this year's dean to the dean from the first list (or any updated posts since the first one). So is the dean of your team last year still the dean of your team today? Let's find out. (Players team status as of Friday, 08/06/2010; 2009 deans as of 07/31/2009).

• Arizona Diamondbacks-
  2010: Brandon Webb (MLB Debut 04/22/2003); 2009: Webb. Although he's been out for most of the 2010 season, but he's still on the team, and there have been reports that he might actually pitch in the bullpen for the remainder of the 2010 season.
• Atlanta Braves-
  2010: Chipper Jones (MLB debut 09/11/1993); 2009: Jones. In what may also be Bobby Cox' last year at the helm of the Braves, so it may also be Chipper's swan song as well. He is still the "Dean" of the deans, making his debut almost seventeen years ago. To tell you how long Chipper has been with the Braves, teammate Jason Heyward was only four years old when Chipper made his debut (Heyward was born on 08/09/1989).
• Baltimore Orioles-
  2010: Brian Roberts (MLB debut 06/14/2001); 2009: Melvin Mora. Mora, who had been with the O's since 07/29/2000, is now with the Colorado Rockies. Leaving Roberts as the leader of a young O's team.
• Boston Red Sox-
  2010: Tim Wakefield (Red Sox debut 05/27/1995); 2009: Wakefield. It's not that hard to believe that the knuckleballer who started his career with the Pirates is still in Boston after more than 15 seasons. He ranks third amongst the active deans in terms of longevity with his team.
• Chicago Cubs-
  2010: Carlos Zambrano (MLB debut 08/20/2001); 2009: Zambrano. In what has been a pretty bad year for "Big Z," with the demotion, the suspensions, and rumors of his time with the Cubs being short, he still is with the team that he started with back in 2001. If he had left town, Aramis Ramirez would be the only player left from the Cubs' magical 2003 season.
• Chicago White Sox-
  2010: Paul Konerko (White Sox debut 04/05/1999). 2009: Konerko. The Sox' captain has a number of good years on him, and this year has been a renaissance of sorts for the first baseman in terms of his clutch hitting and power.
• Cincinnati Reds-
  2010: Aaron Harang (MLB debut 08/09/2003); 2009: Harang. The Reds' pitcher could finally see some action in the postseason if the Reds win the division.
• Cleveland Indians-
  2010: Travis Hafner (MLB debut 03/31/2003). 2009: Jake Westbrook. Okay, I made a mistake here. Last year, I wrote that the dean of the Indians was Victor Martinez. However, in a situation similar to Webb's this year, I failed to account that Jake Westbrook was actually the "dean" of the Tribe over V-Mart (Westbrook made his Indians debut on 04/11/2001, and was injured all of 2009 which is why I didn't see his name with the 2009 team). And Westbrook was still the dean of the Indians...until he was traded to the Cardinals. Now Hafner, who I declared the Indians' dean in a "Monthly Comment Mailbag" (which I have to do as I'm two months behind), is now truly the team's tenure leader.
• Colorado Rockies-
  2010: Todd Helton (MLB debut 08/02/1997). 2009: Helton. The long-time Rockie leads the team in a number of their hitting statistics, and is one of the Rox' best home-grown talents, if not the best.
• Detroit Tigers-
  2010: Brandon Inge (MLB debut 04/03/2001); 2009: Inge. Been around Motown for so long, he remembers what it was like when the Tigers lost more than 100 games a season.
• Florida Marlins-
  2010: Josh Johnson (MLB debut 09/10/2005); 2009: Jeremy Hermida. Hermida was traded to the Red Sox in another one of the Marlins' annual fire sales. Johnson, the ace of the Marlins, and a two-time All-Star, signed a long term contract with the team, ensuring that he will remain in Miami for a long time to come.
• Houston Astros-
  2010: Wandy Rodriguez (MLB debut 05/23/2005); 2009: Lance Berkman. With both Berkman and Roy Oswalt now on playoff contenders (Yankees and Phillies respectively), the dean of the now mega-young Astros is Wandy, who remains one of the few remaining players from the 2005 NL pennant winning team.
• Kansas City Royals-
  2010: David DeJesus (MLB debut 09/02/2003); 2009: DeJesus. Since Mike Sweeney left the Royals, KC has been on a perpetual youth movement. DeJesus, however remains one of the holdovers from the team's last winning season in 2003.
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-
  2010: Scot Shields (MLB debut 05/26/2001); 2009: Shields. One of the few remaining players from the Angels 2002 World Series squad. Shields may not be the Halos' closer, but their bullpen wouldn't be as good as it is without Shields in it.
• Los Angeles Dodgers-
  2010: Jonathan Broxton (MLB debut 07/29/2005); 2009: Broxton. He and fellow 2010 All-Star Hong-Chin Kuo are 1-2 in tenure for the Dodgers.
• Milwaukee Brewers-
  2010: Rickie Weeks (MLB debut 09/15/2003); 2009: Bill Hall. With Hall traded to the Mariners and now with the Red Sox, Weeks is now the longest serving Brewer on the 2010 squad. He's only 27 years old boys and girls.
• Minnesota Twins-
  2010: Michael Cuddyer (MLB debut 09/23/2001); 2009: Cuddyer. Cuddyer's been around the Twins for so long, that he was there when there was talk of contracting the Twins in 2001. Many playoff appearances, and stars like Mauer and Morneau, have kept Cuddyer, and the Twins, happy in Minneapolis.
• New York Mets-
  2010: Pedro Feliciano (MLB debut 09/04/2002); 2009: Feliciano. The Mets middle reliever has provided stability and reliability in the Mets' bullpen. He is a workhorse who has pitched in more than 86 games in each of the last two seasons, and is on pace to pitch in more than half of the Mets games again in 2010.
• New York Yankees-
  2010: Mariano Rivera (MLB debut 05/23/1995); 2009: Rivera. The Yankees long-time reliever beats out Yankee captain Derek Jeter by four days. He is also in second place for tenure among active "deans."
• Oakland Athletics-
  2010: Eric Chavez (MLB debut 09/08/1998); 2009: Chavez. Despite all the injuries the A's third baseman has had to endure these last few years, he has been around long enough to see Jason Giambi leave for the Yankees, and his return to Oakland seven years later.
• Philadelphia Phillies-
  2010: Jimmy Rollins (MLB debut 09/17/2000); 2009: Rollins. The Phillies shortstop is the veteran of the team, anchoring the shortstop position for Philadelphia since 2000.
• Pittsburgh Pirates-
  2010: Ryan Doumit (MLB debut 06/05/2005); 2009: Jack Wilson. Surprisingly, the Pirates didn't make too much noise at the trading deadline. Last year, Wilson, Ian Snell, Freddy Sanchez and John Grabow, the teams' 1-2-3-4 in tenure, were all traded to contending teams.
• St. Louis Cardinals-
  2010: Albert Pujols (MLB debut 04/02/2001); 2009: Rick Ankiel. I caught heck last year listing Ankiel as the dean of the Cardinals. I mean, he had debuted earlier than Albert, and even though he may have been off the team for a number of years, no other team took him, and he made his comeback with the Cards. That's why he was on the first post. With Ankiel, once a pitcher, now an outfielder, playing across the state in Kansas City, the undisputed king of longevity in St. Louis is Pujols.
• San Diego Padres-
  2010: Tim Stauffer (MLB debut 05/11/2005); 2009: Jake Peavy. Peavy was traded to the White Sox towards the end of last season. This makes Stauffer, one of the Padres bullpen wizards, as the team dean. Chris Young, the extremely tall pitcher for the Pads' is next in line.
• San Francisco Giants-
  2010: Matt Cain (MLB debut 08/29/2005); 2009: Randy Winn. Winn left the Giants for the Yankees in 2010, only to be released and latch on with the Cardinals. Cain, one of the aces of the Giants rotation, is now the dean with the least amount of "tenure" among the 30 men featured today.
• Seattle Mariners-
  2010: Ichiro Suzuki (MLB debut 04/02/2001); 2009: Suzuki. Ichiro, along with Albert Pujols, have dominated the headlines since they made their debuts on the same day in 2001. He proved to be the real deal when he arrived in 2001, and is now the only player left left from that 100 + win season.
• Tampa Bay Rays-
  2010: Carl Crawford (MLB debut 07/20/2002); 2009: Crawford. If there is one man that isn't taking the team's recent run of success these past few years for granted, it's Crawford. He was around for many of the team's disastrous seasons at Tropicana Field, and is one of the main reasons why they are doing well today.
• Texas Rangers-
  2010: Michael Young (MLB debut 09/29/2000); 2009: Young. MLB's most underrated (or is that unknown) superstar has been around the Rangers long enough to see Ivan Rodriguez leave the team, and come back to them (for that brief period of time last year). Like another long time player who plied his trade in Texas (Houston, that is), it doesn't matter where you put him, at second, at short, or at third, he will produce as long as he's in the lineup.
• Toronto Blue Jays-
  2010: Vernon Wells (MLB debut 08/30/1999); 2009: Roy Halladay. Halladay was subject to trade rumors last year, and when the dust settled and he was still with Toronto, he was still the dean. When he was traded to Philadelphia, that left Wells as dean.
• Washington Nationals-
  2010: Jason Bergmann (MLB debut 08/28/2005); 2009: Nick Johnson. Johnson was the last National to play for the Montréal Expos before the move to DC. When Johnson was traded to the Yankees, Bergmann became the team's dean. Ryan Zimmerman, the team's talented third baseman, is next in line.

So of the thirty teams, we have 11 new "deans." Three started out with different teams (Harang, Konerko, Wakefield). That means that the other 27 have stayed with their present teams since they made their big league debut.

Sure, in five years, all these guys could either retire or move on to other teams, but as of this moment, they've all been around their teams longer than anyone. And no one, except their GM's maybe, can take that away from them.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama