Random Topps Card of the Day: 2000 Topps #114 Neifi Perez

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, October 16, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2000 Topps #114.
• Player Name, position, team: Neifi Perez, shortstop, Colorado Rockies.
• Major League Debut: August 31, 1996.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1999 stats (Rockies): 157 G, 690 AB, 108 R, 193 H, 27 2B, 11 3B, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 13 SB, .403 SLG, 28 BB, 54 SO, .280 AVG.
• Any special information about players: Signed with the Rockies as a Free Agent 11/09/1992. Bats: both, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Perez' fifth regular Topps (total includes regular and traded cards only). Okay. I will be the first to admit that Topps isn't perfect, especially when it comes to predicting who will be a star in the game. Of course, they've had success, but sometimes you read the backs of the cards of some of these players, and think, "Really???" If you read the first sentence on the bio on the back of his card now (vertically oriented for the first time since 1993) you have to ask yourself, "Really?" Topps writes, "Although overshadowed by that Rodriguez-Jeter-Garciaparra trio of young shortstops, Neifi may soon approach their class." What??! But back then, before you begin to question the sanity of the writer who had to come up with a bio for Neifi, there were reasons behind the high accolades. In his time with Colorado, he was a defensive star, even won the Gold Glove in 2000 at short. Even the year before, he was starting to show that he could become a star. But how big? He had the speed (13 stolen bases in 1999), he could hit for power (12 home runs), and he could definitely throw ("a strong arm and he likes to use it," says former teammate Quinton McCracken), But he was never the same player once he left the high air of Colorado, having been traded to the Kansas City Royals for Jermaine Dye in 2001. While he was still one of the better defensive shortstop in baseball, his hitting took a dive. He continued on with the Giants, Cubs, and Tigers, even playing in the World Series for Detroit in 2006. But injuries wore him down, and by 2007, he retired from baseball. But for a while, he was compared to some of baseball's brightest young stars. And for a while, the comparison was well deserved.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 11 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: 1963 Topps #277. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama