Random Topps Card of the Day: 1990 Topps #406 Joe Magrane NL All-Star Pitcher

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, November 5, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1990 Topps #406.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Magrane, All-Star Left-Handed Pitcher, National League.
• Commentary: The orange sheet (*F according to the back of the card) was used for all of the All-Star cards, the 5-card Turn Back the Clock subset, the 4-card Nolan Ryan tribute, and the 3-card Record Breakers subset. On the heels of an 18-9 record, Joe Magrane was selected by Topps as the National League Left-Handed All-Star pitcher.  Magrane, who led the NL in ERA the year before, had a banner 1989 campaign, his 18 wins good for third in the NL, along with a career high 127 strikeouts, a pretty good 2.91 ERA in 234.2 innings of work.  He even finished 4th in the 1989 Cy Young Voting.  Unfortunately, he wound up leading the league in losses the following year with 17.  Doesn't mean he was a bad pitcher as his other numbers met his career (up to that point) average, it's was just a bad year overall for the 6th place Cardinals.  Okay, back to the point.  The blurb on the back mentions Magrane's back-to-back complete game shutouts.  It mentions both his "6-hit, 6-0 Shutout with 9 Strikeouts at Chicago, 06/10/1989," and his "5-hit, 10-0 Shutout vs. Expos, 06/14/1989."  The list of 1989 NL Leaders in Earned Run Average are listed on the right hand side of the card, ironically Magrane's name is not listed on it.  Who made the cut?  Scott Garrelts (leading with 2.28), Orel Hershiser (2.31), Mark Langston (2.39), Eddie Whitson (2.66), Bruce Hurst (2.69), Doug Drabek (2.80), John Smiley (2.81), Tim Belcher (2.82), Sid Fernandez (2.83), and Bryn Smith (2.84).
• Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1993 Topps Traded #80. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama