Random Topps Card of the Day: 1993 Topps #90 Scott Erickson

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, October 18, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1993 Topps #90.
• Player Name, position, team: Scott Erickson, pitcher, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: June 25, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1992 stats (Twins): 32 G, 212 IP, 13-12, 86 R, 80 ER, 101 SO, 83 BB, 32 GS, 5 CG, 3 SHO, 0 SV, 3.40 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Twins #4th, June 1989. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Erickson's fifth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, does not include his 1991 Topps '90 MLB Debut card). I love the 1993 design for how the pictures really shine out against a very minimal design. This is where a simple design really makes a set stand out. The white card stock makes the text easier to read, even though the card backs are vertically-oriented. The team's colors accentuate the design elements of both the front and back of the cards. Scott Erickson was pegged to be the future ace of the Twins when he debuted in 1990. And by all accounts, he delivered. In 1991, he finished the campaign with a league leading 20 wins, 108 K's, and a decent 3.18 ERA. He also finished second in the Cy Young Award voting, and 17th in the MVP voting. And did I mention that he helped the Twins win their second World Series in five years? The following year, he finished with a 13-12 record and a 3.40 ERA, still decent numbers, but then things bottomed out the following year. In 1993, he led the league in losses (19), and hits allowed (266), and the next two seasons weren't any better. And by 1995, the Twins traded him off to the Orioles. Now this is one of those situations where a change of scenery really helps a player. Scott emerged from his funk to become the most reliable starter on the O's pitching staff. But back to the card. The back of his card mentions all three of his shutout victories in 1992: his first one-hitter against the Red Sox on 07/24/1992; a 4-hit shutout against the Brewers on 08/02/1992, and his final blanking of the Blue Jays on 08/23/1992.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1990 Topps #36. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama