Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #53T Shawn Boskie

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, October 4, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #53T.
• Player Name, position, team: Shawn Boskie, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: May 20, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Cubs): 39 G, 65.2 IP, 5-3, 30 R, 25 ER, 39 SO, 21 BB, 2 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.43 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs, #1st, January 1986. Traded by the Cubs to the Phillies 04/12/1994. Bats: right. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his sixth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Not only did Shawn stabilize an injury-depleted Phillie pitching staff after his April acquisition, he defeated the Cubs - the team that traded him - twice in 6 days (June 2 and 7)."  Actually, the games he beat the Cubs were June 1 and June 6, 1994.  The links go to the correct games, but Topps had the wrong two days.
• Commentary: There is something about the 1994 Topps set that makes it unique among the other sets from the decade.  The home-plate shaped picture frame stands out in this design.  And Topps used it for the their 1994 Topps Football (using a football shape) and 1993-94 Topps Basketball (round) products too.  I guess this is a sentimental set for me because 1994 was the year I graduated high school and was the last year of my "youth."  The pictures were huge here and this would be the last year that Topps would not use foil lettering in the player's name in the base set (they saved that for their ToppsGold parallel set).  Shawn Boskie was one of the first players I remember that debuted after the Cubs magical 1989 season.  And he did rather well for the Cubs, going 19-29 with an ERA of 4.43.  He was traded to the Phillies in the middle of April, and along with the two wins against the Cubs, he went 4-6, struck out 59, and had a ERA of 5.23.  His stay in Philly didn't last long as he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 21, 1994.  I wonder why Boskie was not depicted with the Mariners (or at least why mention was not made about it, considering there was plenty of time to make the switch).  This may be his Topps last card, but Boskie continued on with the Angels, Orioles, and Expos before ending his major league career in 1998.  He pitched in the minor leagues exclusively in 1999-2001, toiling for the Dodgers, Angels, and Diamondbacks' AAA-teams.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps #695. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama