Random Topps Card of the Day: 2000 Topps #91

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, January 2, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2000 Topps #91.
• Player Name, position, team: Paul Sorrento, outfielder, Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• Major League Debut: September 08, 1989.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1999 stats (Devil Rays): 99 G, 294 AB, 40 R, 69 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB, .401 SLG, 49 B, 101 K, .35 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Angels, #4th, June 1986. Signed with the Devil Rays as a Free Agent 12/08/199. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his twelfth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "On May 9, 1999, Paul whacked the longest home run to date at The Ballpark at Arlington. It cleared a 400' fence in dead center, hitting a brick wall beyond an 80' patch of grass."
• Commentary: The 2000 Topps set featured gray borders darker than what was used in 1970, but also featured large pictures above a team-colored nameplate.  Paul Sorrento was one of the Devil Rays' free agent signings, and with the slugger on a team with Fred McGriff, Wade Boggs, Jose Canseco, and Vinny Castilla, the hope was that the offense would score enough runs to give the young pitching staff a cushion in their first few seasons (he was even the starting DH for the Devil Rays first game in 1998).  Alas, while individual players on offense did well, as a team, not so much.  The pitchers weren't all that good (it did not help that they also played in the Yankee dominated AL East), and the 1999 team finished with a record of 69-93.  Sorrento, who earlier in is career made Keith Olbermann fear for his well being, was an outstanding player who showed how good he could be when he was traded by the Twins to the Indians.  In four seasons with the Tribe, plus two with the Mariners, Sorrento hit 129 home runs and did not hit below .230 (high water mark was .289 with the M's).  He ended his MLB career in 1999, which means the stats on the back are his complete final statistics. 
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 13 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1985 Topps Traded #45T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama