Random Topps Card of the Day: 1993 Topps #424 John Valentin

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, November 01, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1993 Topps #424.
• Player Name, position, team: John Valentin, shortstop, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: July 27, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1992 stats (Red Sox): 58 G, 185 AB, 21 R, 51 H, 12 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI. 1 SB, .427 SLG, 20 BB, 17 SO, .276 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Red Sox, #5th, June 1988. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Was signed for Red Sox by Matt Sczesny.  His HR accounted for game's only score in club's 1-0 win at Toronto, 9/30/1992".
• Commentary: The first Topps set since 1973 that was distributed in a series, this card showed up in series 2.  It made me a bit upset that Topps Magazine could not include a preview checklist in their 1993 Winter magazine like they did in 1990 through 1992.  I understand why they did it (they needed to make sure they got pictures of the players drafted and/or signed by the expansion Rockies and Marlins (can you believe it's been 20 seasons since these teams began playing ball???).  John Valentin was one of the players Boston looked to for offensive production once Wade Boggs left for the dreaded New York Yankees.  He, Scott Cooper (Boggs' replacement), and Mo Vaughn were the young corp that kept the BoSox competitive in the mid to late 90's.  In 1993, Valentin appeared in 144 games and hit a decent .278 with 11 homers and 66 rbi's.  In 1994, he hit what would be a career high .316, but that was only because he appeared in only 84 games, with 95 hits in 301 at-bats.  In 1995, he would have his best offensive season on the strength of 27 homers and 102 rbi's as he won his sole Silver Slugger award, and the Sox won the AL East Division.  It would be the team's last division title until 2007.  Valentin would  eventually sign with a New York team as well.  He signed with the Mets in January of 2002, and finished playing career with the Metropolitans at the end of the season.  He has been in the minor leagues as either a manager or hitting coach, presently with the Albuquerque Isotopes.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1987 Topps #60. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama