Random Topps Card of the Day: 1984 Topps #89 Mike Smithson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 28, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #470.
• Player Name, position, team: Mike Smithson, pitcher, Texas Rangers.
• Major League Debut: August 27, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1983 stats (Rangers): 33 G, 223.1 IP, 10-14, 102 R, 97 ER, 135 SO, 71 BB, 33 GS, 10 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.91 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Red Sox, #5th, June 1976. Traded by the Red Sox to the Rangers 04/09/1982. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Mike recorded 7 strikeouts in pitching 6-5 Complete Game Victory vs. Athletics, June 24, 1983."
• Commentary: I think it was the 1984 set that made it's way into the TV show Silver Spoons (the episode called The Great Baseball Card Scheme) where Ricky and was it his grandfather somehow managed to manipulate the prices of Tommy Lasorda's baseball cards by saying that he made it to the Hall of Fame? While Lasoda did eventually make it to Cooperstown, Mike Smithson became a regular in the Texas Rangers' rotation in 1983. While he didn't necessarily did a bad job, he was consistent. However, this was his last card as a Ranger as he was traded to the Minnesota Twins before the end of the year. Joining the Twins, he was rather reliable as a starting pitcher, although his ERA left much to be desired. With the Rangers, he was 13-18 with an ERA of 4.10 and 159 K's.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 11 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps #614. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama