Random Topps Card of the Day: 1980 Topps #456 Frank Taveras

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, September 10, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number:1980 Topps #456.
• Player Name, position, team: Frank Taveras, shortstop, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: September 25, 1971 .
• Last Line of Statistics: 1979 stats (Mets): 153 G, 635 AB, 89 R, 167 H, 26 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 33 RBI, .263 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Pirates as a Free Agent 01/0/1968. Traded by the Pirates to the Mets 04/19/1979. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Taveras' seventh Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The backs of the cards in the 1980 Topps set are a nice shade of blue that which is not only easy on the eyes, but makes it easy to read the text and stats on the back. Taveras was the shortstop of the fun-loving Pirates during the 1970's. He played in both the 1974 and 1975 NLCS (so says the cartoon caption on the left side of the back of the card). Traded to the Mets early in the 1979 season, he managed to lead the majors in games played with 164. Yes, that's right. He played 11 games with the Pirates before being traded to the Mets where he participated in 153 games. I thought that was a mistake too. He was very fast on the basepaths, stealing 70 bases in 1977. He played for the Mets for two more seasons before ending his big league career with the Expos in 1982. The back of his card also features two highlights from his 1978 season with the Bucs. He set club record by grounding into 4 double plays in 702 plate appearances and had three 4-hit games in 1978.
• Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 9 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1986 Topps #535. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama