2013 Here We Come!!!

It's New Year's Eve. My sister's birthday (happy birthday Migz!!!) And the year that was 2012 is now drawing ever so closer to an end. By the time this post appears, it will be just two hours before midnight in the Central Time Zone.

For the fifth year in a row, I post on this night to review the past year's triumphs and failures (and boy were there a lot of both) and what the direction of this blog is going to be.

I will be honest and say that a lot of what I wanted to do this past year on this humble, little blog, were just not done.  Although I was able to revive the Random Card of the Day segments since the first of October, and the Random Retail Team Sets of the week have been a hit, there were still a lot of things I would have liked to have been able to write about, especially in the first half of the year.  Certainly being out of work has contributed to my writing more, if not at least posting here once a day, but I look back on my posts from 2008-2010 and wonder, "Where did THAT guy go???"  Have I lost my zest for blogging?

Certainly most of the bloggers that were around before I got here have started to stray from their sites.  I haven't seen the likes of the blogger who writes White Sox Cards as of late (I hope you're okay Steve).  The Junkie has been on the fence about calling it quits.  Stale Gum has taken to twitter to rant and rave about how he would like Topps to end the "gimmicks," even though they work and are now part of the chase (will get to that word in a minute) in our Hobby.  And even the guys who were the rebels of the Hobby Blogging world (by them, I mean those who were outright against "The Number One Source in the Hobby") have either mellowed with age (thank goodness) or are working with firms trying to knock Beckett off the Hobby pedestal they've resided in for decades.  I had a hope that the Sports Card Blogroll would reach 400 blogs in 2012.  Now I worry that there it will barely hold above 300 by the time I write my final post for 2013.  Heck, even I have skipped months updating the site.  That's not good.  But thank goodness for guys like Wrigley Wax, like Night Owl, like Fuji, like Nachos, and the passionate Orioles collectors (yes there are more than one) who have continued to write about all that is good about the Hobby.

I was supposed to do more of the 2011 Topps Archives project series in 2012, but my lack of posting for the majority of the year pretty much killed all hopes of doing anything productive with it.  Maybe now that the Archives title has been brought back, we can change it to Topps Archives...What It Should Be!  With more retired players, managers, and so forth and so on.  Whether it be future hall of famers, or those one-season wonders.  I hope to have something figured out soon.

Looking back at last year's New Year's Eve post, I can happily say that I did find all 16 of the 2011 Update Series ToppsTown cards I needed, and was able to get my hands on the 25-card HTA set as well.  Throughout the year, I've been able to knock a lot of the sets that I couldn't afford in past years.  Some of you (there are still people reading this blog, right???) may have noticed that the number of cards in my collection has increased by about a thousand or so since September.  That's because in the last three months, I've been able to buy the following items off the Bay at reasonable prices:

• 2007 Topps Turkey Red Master Set
• 2012 Topps Update Series Master Set
• 2011-12 Topps Gypsy Queen Master Sets
• 2012 Topps Archives Master Set
• 2009-10 Topps 206 Master Sets
• 2010-12 Topps Allen & Ginter Master Sets
• 2010 Topps National Chicle Master Set

And thanks to finding Check out My Cards and Sportlots, I have been able to chop down my wantlists for a lot of singles I need for sets I'm still trying to complete, especially the 2010 Topps Red Backs and Blue Backs and the Original Back reprint cards from 2010 and 2011 Topps.  I am down to about five cards each on the red and blue backs and about 36 reprint cards to go before calling those sets complete.  

One thing that I had started was the All-Time All-Star Team Tournament.  It took a lot longer to get the full rosters (including adding some players) onto my new blog, and then trying to find cards for every player (even if I did have to make a few of my own).  I had the schedules, the matchups, and rules posted, and even a few first round results.  But then, I stopped.  The simulations took a lot longer than I liked because I was not fully prepared with how I wanted to post the results.  It is my hope in the coming year that I get back on track with the tournament. 

Which reminds me...

I totally ignored The Topps 300 (and then some...) blog in 2012.  Actually, I ignored it in 2011 also.  I'm surprised when I get the weekly sitemeter reports to find that at least two people a day still find their way somehow to that blog.  I really should take a look at that as well.

There is so much more to look forward to in 2013. Yes, we will all find out of the monopoly will continue (which I am hoping it will) or if there will another company will be fully licensed (doubt it).  Most important of all of this is the cards. THE CARDS!!! The cards of 2013 Topps, while initially received mixed reviews in the design department, are now starting to look great and I can't wait to add them to my collection. Stay tuned for information on SP's, interesting variations, the ever "dreaded" gimmicks, and all things Topps as they celebrate their 62st year in the MLB card business. With that said, in what has been tradition on this blog:

Goodbye 2012!!!

Hello 2013!!!

Goodbye 2012 Topps Design!!!

Hello 2013 Topps Design!!!

May all your collections grow to new heights. Let's hope Topps makes it a bit easier on us insane set collectors. Thank you for letting me into your computers this past year. I hope to be able to share more of my collection with you in 2013!!!  The Chase is On!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Chasing History...A Preview

It's all about "The Chase" in 2013, and Topps has been counting down the days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training on twitter by showing previews of their upcoming cards.  Topps fans everywhere are going nuts over these previews, justifiably so.

Why?

Because the cards look great, and will look even better when they get into the hands of the collectors.

Below was their latest picture preview, a sheet of cards from the upcoming insert set Chasing History:

Of course they look amazing. We're hurtling towards 2013 in about 6.5 hours CST.  Get ready for a fantastic 2013.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1998 Topps #32 John Jaha

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 31, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1998 Topps #32.
• Player Name, position, team: John Jaha, first baseman, Milwaukee Brewers.
• Major League Debut: July 09, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1997 stats (Brewers):  46 G, 162 AB, 25 R, 40 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 26 BB, 1 SB, .494 SLG, 25 BB, 40 SO, .247 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Brewers, #14th, June 1984. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "One can only speculate how much John's full-season presence might have meant to the Brewers valiant run at a wild card berth in 1997.  On pace to hit close to 40 home runs after two months, the burly first baseman was felled by a shoulder injury and never returned to action.  He was named Milwaukee's Most Valuable Player a year earlier when he led the club in homers, total bases, RBI, runs and walks."
• Commentary: The final Random Topps Card of the Day in 2012 features one of the Brewers better players before they switched over to the National League.  Although John Jaha was never an All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers (he did become one as an Athletic in 1999), when healthy, he was an offensive threat.  As the blurb stated, he was on pace for 40 home runs in 1997 before he was injured and out for the year.  In 1998, he missed significant time (end of April, all of May, and the second half of September) due to injury.  When he was on the field, it showed that he was still recovering from the shoulder injury the year before. He hit a paltry .208 in 73 games, with 7 home runs, and 38 rbi's in his only year as a National Leaguer.  After the 1998 season, he signed on with the Athletics. With Oakland, the slugger hit 35 home runs, drove home 111 rbi's, and hit .276 with OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .414/.556/.970.  He was not only an All-Star, and an MVP candidate, but he was named the 1999 AL Comeback Player of the Year.  The fun didn't last though as for he was out for significant time the following two seasons due to injuries.  He retired from baseball on June 30, 2001.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1984 Topps #637. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1958 Topps #462 Gary Geiger

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 30, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1958 Topps #462.
• Player Name, position, team: Gary Geiger, outfielder, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: April 15, 1958.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1957 stats (Rochester - AAA-International): 100 Games, 238 AB, 34 Runs, 53 Hits, 3 2B, 3 #B, 9 HR, 24 RBI, .223 B.Avg, 168 PO, 8 A, 3 E, .983 F.Avg.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Cardinals as a Free Agent before the 1954 season. Drafted by the Indians in the Rule 5 Draft, 12/02/1957. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Gary is one of three center-fielders the indians are carrying this year, and his terrific throwing arm has won him a shot at third base.  The one thing that seems to be certain of him is that he belongs somewhere in the lineup."
• Commentary:  Yes, many of the photos used in the 1958 Topps set were headshots.  But for those players with action shots I have to ask, "What was the point was of cutting out the entire background, and cropping the player in a solid colored background?"  This isn't 1955 Topps, where the concept worked (at least there was a headshot AND an action shot utilized in that design).  This card was shortprinted in the final series of the 1958 product.  Why?  According to the Number One Source in the Hobby, "All-Star Cards of Stan Musial and Mickey Mantle were triple-printed, the cards they replaced (443, 446, 450, 462) on the printing sheet were hence printed in shorter supply than other cards..." If this happened today, a certain blogger who has been taking his talents to twitter lately would be screaming bloody murder.  There are two cartoons with captions relating to Geiger.  The first indicates that Gary switched to the outfield from pitching.  He was signed as a pitcher, but as the Cardinals had a ton of pitching prospects, Gary was asked to move to the outfield.  He happily obliged.  The second says that he's a smooth-stroking singles hitter.  Gary Geiger played in the majors for 12 years.  It is said that if he could have been one of the best players in the league if he wasn't so injury prone. In 1958, Geiger played in 91 games, hitting a home run and driving in 6 rbi's.  As he had experience as a pitcher, he also pitched in one game that year, going two innings, striking out two batters, and allowing only one run in a 7-4 loss to the Orioles.  This would also be his only year with the Indians as he was traded by the Indians with Vic Wertz to the Red Sox for Jim Piersall. More of Geiger's story can be found at the SABR Biography Website.  Gary Geiger passed away on April 24, 1996 from cirrhosis of the liver.  He was 59 years old.  Geiger's cards have been used in the Topps Heritage buyback program since 2008, the year Heritage honored the 1959 Topps set.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $10.00-$20.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM..

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1998 Topps #32. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2003 Topps #713 Barry Bonds NL All-Star OF

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, December 29, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2003 Topps #713.
• Player Name, position, team: Barry Bonds, All-Star Outfielder, National League.
• Blurb on the Back: "The easiest selection of all to The Sporting News 2002 NL All-Star Team, Bonds was picked as an outfielder. En route to his record fifth league MVP Award, Barry blasted an MLB-high .370 with 46 homers and 110 RBI. He also slugged .799 (fourth-best ever) while setting Major League records for walks (198), intentional walks (68) and OBP (.522). Bonds kept hitting through Game 7 of the World Series.
• Commentary: As I am no where near an expert, nor am I going to judge the man on what or how he got to where he was in baseball, I will just make my observation based on the numbers. Barry Bonds, one year after his 73-home run season, had probably one of the best statistical offensive seasons in the history of major league baseball in 2002. The numbers are already on the Blurb, so I don't need to repeat them. Regardless of what we all think of the man today, and there will be many ready to judge him now that he is on the ballot for Cooperstown for the very first time, you have to admit that he was probably the most dangerous man for a pitcher to face whenever he came to the plate. Does he deserve to be in the HOF on numbers alone? Absolutely. Will he be? Only the BBWAA knows the answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1958 Topps #462. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2007 Topps #67 Geoff Jenkins

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, December 28, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2007 Topps #67.
• Player Name, position, team: Geoff Jenkins, outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers.
• Major League Debut: April 24, 1998.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2006 stats (Brewers): 147 G, 484 AB, 62 R, 131 H, 26 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 70 RBI, 4 SB, 56 BB, 129 SO, .434 SLG, .791 OPS, .282 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Brewers, #1st, June 1995. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 13. This is his tenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Geoff's second career game-ending homer was also just the second ever by a Brewers player in a 1-0 game.  He joined Jeromy Burnitz in the distinction by connecting on September 20, 2006 against St. Louis."
• Commentary: Forgive the scan.  Thanks to the fact that I use plastic holders when scanning pictures (and many are scratched beyond belief), plus that my scanner may need to be cleaned, the card looks trashed.  But then again, the black borders hide no flaws whatsoever.  Geoff Jenkins ended his career a winner with the Philadelphia Phillies.  But prior to that, he had spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1998, the Brew Crew had just been switched over to the National League after spending their entire 28-year existence in the American League.  Jenkins showed flashes of what was to be an outstanding career in Milwaukee by hitting 9 home runs and driving 28 rbi's in 84 games.  In 2007, in what would be his final year with the Brewers, Geoff hit 21 home runs, drove in 64 rbi's, hit a good .255 clip with OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .319/.471/.790. He would finish third on the Brewers all-time list in home runs (2120.  At the end of the the 2007 season, he signed with the aforementioned Phillies, and although he spent most of the year on the bench, his lone hit in the World Series (a double in the 6th inning in Game 5) set the tone for the Phillies to finish off the AL Champion Rays.  He was released by the team before the 2009 season and a year later, signed a one day contract with the Brewers so that he could announce his retirement with the team. 
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 26.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps #713. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T113 Jim Crowell

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 27, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T113.
• Player Name, position, team: Jim Crowell, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: September 12, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre - AAA-International): 54 G, 54.2 IP, 0-8, 31 R, 25 ER, 42 SO, 23 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1.57 WHIP, 4.12 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed by the Indians as a Free Agent 06/17/1995. Signed by the Phillies as a Free Agent 08/18/2002.  Bats: right. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Philadelphia is the fifth organization for Jim, who found his way into the system after a stint under ex-Phillies closer Mitch Williams with the independent Atlantic City Surf in '02. After good relief work with Scranton-Wilkes Barre (AAA) in '03, Crowell made four appearances in the Majors in Ma of '04. It was the 30-year-old's first big league action since he pitched briefly for Cincinnati in 1997."
• Commentary: The 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies set was split into three distinct sections:  the veterans, draft picks/prospects, and first-year player cards (not counting #221, Barry Bonds).  All would feature the now famous silhouette with the player number next to it.  Suffice it to say, if you played under number 75, you stay in the majors was not going to be long.  I think the blurb on the back pretty much sums up Jim Crowell's major league career.  He pitched in a total of ten major league games in his career, a career 0-1 with a 11.37 ERA.  He spent most of his professional years in the minor league organizations of seven different franchises (Indians, Reds, Cardinals, Padres, Phillies, Marlins, and Blue Jays), in effect a journeyman minor leaguer.  In the minors, he managed a 59-59 record with a 4.20 ERA, 726 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.475 in 413 games.  With the Phillies in 2004, Crowell appeared in four games, three innings of work, struck out one batter, and allowed one earned run (two runs total).  In SWB, he had more success, with a 7-3 record, a 2.40 ERA, and 44 k's in 63.2 innings of work.  After the 2004 season, he signed on with the Marlins, and appeared in four games for them in 2005.  He allowed 8 earned runs in 3.1 innings of work, resulting in an ERA of 21.60.  It would be his last opportunity in the majors.  He continued to play in the minor leagues until 2007, when he finally called it a career.  
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2007 Topps #67. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2009 Topps Minnesota Twins

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Team Set of the Week:

• Team: 2009 Minnesota Twins
• Record: 87-76, first place, AL Central Division.
• Manager: Ron Gardenhire
• Card on the Top: Joe Mauer

The checklist consists of the following players:

• MIN1 Joe Mauer
• MIN2 Francisco Liriano
• MIN3 Justin Morneau
• MIN4 Glen Perkins
• MIN5 Delmon Young
• MIN6 Alexi Casilla
• MIN7 Kevin Slowey
• MIN8 Michael Cuddyer
• MIN9 Joe Nathan
• MIN10 Jason Kubel
• MIN11 Nick Blackburn
• MIN12 Carlos Gomez
• MIN13 Scott Baker
• MIN14 Denard Span
• MIN15 HHH Metrodome

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2009 Topps eponymous set:

• You got an up-close and personal shot of Joe Mauer in the retail set, here is his base card, which was used as a reprint in the 2011 Topps 60 Years of Topps insert set:
  
  

• Here is Delmon Young following through on his swing in the base set:
  
  

• Alexi Casilla shows he can swing too in his eponymous Topps card:
  
  

• And Michael Cuddyer shows his base running skills on his Topps card:
  
  

• Joe Nathan in a similar pose, just a different picture:
  
  

• Nick Blackburn, up close on his base card:
  
  

• Carlos Gomez...didn't we discuss this before???:
  
  

• Another shot of Scott Baker, up close though in the base set:
  
  

So of the 14 players included in this set, eight feature pictures of players that you will only find in the retail set.  The 2009 retail sets contained a lot of variations between the eponymous base and traded sets and the retail ones, which is great if you're a fan of team sets and want a bit more variation to your regular cards.

Next week's featured set will be the 2012 Oakland Athletics. Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update Series.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #376 Gorman Thomas

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, December 26, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #376.
• Player Name, position, team: Gorman Thomas, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: April 6, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Brewers): 137 G, 452 AB, 70 R, 111 H, 24 2B, 1 3B, 32 HR, 86 RBI, .246 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pilots, #1st, June 1969.  Contract purchased by the Brewers 02/08/1978. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 18. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Led Midwest League with 31 Homers at Danville in 1971.  Led Texas eague with 26 Homers at San Antonio in 1972.  Hit .322 with 36 Homers, 114 RBIs and 114 Runs at Spokane in 1977.  Also led PCL batters with 320 Total Bases."
• Commentary: A man who can claim to have been drafted by the Seattle Pilots (of the 45 men who were drafted by the Pilots, only nine, including Thomas, made it to the majors).  Talk about buyer's remorse.  The Brewers knew Gorman could hit for power, but once in the majors, he just couldn't hit consistently, with averages below the Mendoza line in three of his first four seasons.  In 1977, the Brewers kept Thomas in the minors for the entire season, and then in October, traded him as the PTBNL in an August deal with the Rangers.  But for some reason, the Brewers bought his contract from the Rangers, so he never got to suit up for Texas.  With a chance to start anew with the Brew Crew in 1978, Gorman hit 32 home runs, drove in 86 rbi's, and finally got past the .200 career mark with a .246 average.  In 1979, Gorman hit a career high 45 home runs (which led the league that year) with 123 runs batted in, an average of .244 and OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .356/.539/.895 (all career highs).  The problem?  Prone to strikeouts, he also struck out a league high 175 times.  Regardless, he was considered for the MVP that year, finishing 7th in the balloting.  "Stormin' Gorman" was traded to the Indians in a five-player deal in 1983, and produced for the Tribe in 106 games.  The following year, it was off to Seattle, where for two-plus seasons, finally got to play for the city he was originally drafted to play for (even though the Pilots would move to Milwaukee one year into their existence).  In the middle of the 1986 season, he was released by the Mariners and signed on a month later with the Brewers.  Back in Milwaukee for a swansong, in 44 games, he hit 6 home runs and 10 rbi's.  He was released after that season and retired from playing.  He still has ties to the Brewers organization, making appearances in the community representing the team and also meets fans at Gorman's Corner, a concession stand named in his honor, on many weekend games at Miller Park.
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 24 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies#T113. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1977 Topps #130 Al Oliver

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, December 25, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1977 Topps #130.
• Player Name, position, team: Al Oliver, first baseman, Montréal Expos.
• Major League Debut: September 23, 1968.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1976 stats (Pirates): 121 G, 443 AB, 62 R, 143 H, 22 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 61 RBI, .323 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed by the Pirates as a Free Agent 06/13/1964. Signed with the Cubs as a Free Agent 01/29/2010. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Al had pinch-Double in 1975 All-Star Game helping N.L. to victory."
• Commentary: The 1977 Topps set was one that could be easily sorted by team thanks to the large font used for the team name.  I'm trying to remember which blogger was it that was trying to collect cards of players with folding chairs, but the picture used for Al Oliver's card is certainly unique in that regard.  Al was a previous subject on the RotC, with his 1984 Topps card selected a couple of years ago.  Before he would go on to choose #0 on all of his jersey's, Oliver was #16 for a Pirates team that was very dominant throughout the seventies (five division titles, including a World Series Championship in 1971).  He also was the last player to hit a home run at Forbes Field, and the first to score a run at Three Rivers Stadium a few weeks later.  By 1977, Al was a three-time All-Star and perennial MVP candidate.  That year, he was very productive at the plate, hitting an exceptional .308 average with 19 home runs, 82 rbi's, thirteen stolen bases, 40 walks which helped his OBP go up to an astounding .353 (and an OPS of .834).  Primarily the Buc's left fielder, Oliver had a .981 fielding percentage with only 6 errors in 317 chances.  This would also be Oliver's last season with Pittsburgh as he was involved in a 4-team trade (Pirates, Rangers, Braves, and Mets) that involved 11 players (including the likes of Bert Blyleven and Tom Grieve).  When the smoked cleared, Oliver was now a member of the Texas Rangers, where he did not disappoint with his bat (a .324 average to go with 14 home runs and 89 rbi's).  His career would continue on with the Expos, Giants, Phillies, Dodgers, and Blue Jays before calling it quits for good after the 1985 season.  Although he did not get the necessary number of votes to stay on the HOF ballot (4.3% in 1991), many believe that he should be considered by the Veterans Committee for HOF induction one day.  
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 33 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1979 Topps #376. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1979 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

A Quick Note During this Holiday Season

We survived the Mayans, so there is only one thing to say (okay, a few things to say...)

On behalf of my family to yours, Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah (sorry for not saying it sooner), a Happy Kwanzaa as well.

May you find the cards you need in your stockings and may we all add to our ever growing collections in the coming new year.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies #T64 Brian Sanches

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 24, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies #T64.
• Player Name, position, team: Brian Sanches, pitcher, Kansas City Royals.
• Major League Debut: June 01, 2006.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1999 stats (Spokane, A-Northwest): 9 G, 34 IP, 1-1, 19 R, 18 ER, 51 SO, 12 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 4.76 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Royals, #2nd, June 1999. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "'A second round selection by Kansas City in the 1999 draft out of Lamar University, Sanches recorded a short-season high 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings in '99 at Class-A Spokane, and was named the sixth-best prospect in the Northwest League.  He throws a fastball in the low-90's, and has shown good command of a change-up.  It is, however, his devastating curveball that has the potential to become the best breaking pitch in the Royals' organization.  Brian is expected to add even more velocity to his fastball as his frame fills out."
• Commentary: The second Traded set since it returned from its three-year hiatus, the 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies set was again split between rookies (T1-T90) and veterans (T91-T135).  Brian Sanches' major league career started six years after the Royals drafted him. He was traded to the Padres on August 26, 2003 for Rondell White, and then traded off to the Phillies on the first of April, 2004.  After making his big league debut, he would spend the next three seasons bouncing back and forth between the majors and the AAA affiliates of both the Phils and Nationals (with whom he signed for the 2008 season).  It wasn't until he landed with the Florida Marlins that he found success.  In three seasons with the Marlins as a middle reliever, he went 10-5 with an ERA of 2.92.  He struck out 158 batters and had a WHIP of 1.288.  He re-signed with the Phillies to a minor league deal after the 2011 season, and did see some action with the big league club at the end of June, 2012.  But after 10 games, he was sent back tot he minors and on July 31, he was released.  He signed with the Astros a few days later, and spent the rest of the season with the 'Stros' affiliate in Oklahoma City.  Brian signed with the Royals as a Free Agent on 11/16/2012, his career finally coming full circle, as he is now back with the team that drafted him more than 12 years ago.  Even with the success he achieved with the Marlins, he was never included in any of Topps' eponymous sets.  He did appear in the Topps '52 Rookies set as a Phillie (thanks to the MLB Properties mandate, he was Rookie Card Logo eligible in 2006), and appeared as a SP in the 2007 Heritage set (which used the same picture of Sanches from the '52 set).  But that's it.  There are no Topps cards of him with the Marlins.  Why? I think we all know the answer.  And it's another reason why I wish Topps would expand from the usual 660 and go back to 792+ cards for their base set.  Or at least include him with the Update Series.  Is that too much to ask???
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1977 Topps #130. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1965 Topps #490 Earl Battey

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 23, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1965 Topps #490.
• Player Name, position, team: Earl Battey, catcher, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1955.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1964 stats (Twins): 131 G, 405 AB, 33 R, 110 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 52 RBI, .272 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the White Sox as a Free Agent before the 1953 season. Traded by the White Sox to the Senators 04/04/1960.  Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Wears Little League head protector at bat because of frequent injuries.  Earl caught over 100 games for last five seasons."
• Commentary: For the second Retro Sunday in a row, the Randomizer selects a card from the pennant-happy 1965 Topps set.  After playing parts of five seasons with the Chicago White Sox (which included their 1959 AL Pennant-winning season), Battey was traded to the Senators and became their primary catcher.   As captioned on the back of his Topps card (next to a drawing of a catcher using a basket to catch a popup, Battey was a three-time Gold Glove winner with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins.  He also appeared on four AL All-Star teams and was a three-time MVP candidate.  He was no slouch at the plate either, hitting a .277 clip (.354/.412/.766 in the OBP/SLG/OPS percentages) in his eight seasons with the franchise.  In 1965, Battey (and did I mention that he has a name that was just suited for baseball headline writers), drove opposing pitchers nuts (you thought I was going to say batty didn't you...).  Sure his 6 home runs was lower than expected (he averaged 16.2 runs in his previous five seasons), but he only struck out 23 times, walked 50 times (7 intentionally) and had 117 hits in 394 at bats.  He was a factor in getting the Twins to World Series in 1965.  Battey retired from MLB in 1967, and had a fulfilling life after baseball.  He earned his undergraduate degree in education (Summa Cum Laude), was a high school teacher and baseball coach.  Earl Battey passed away on November 15, 2003 in Ocala, Florida from cancer.  He was 68 years old. The following year, Battey was posthumously inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame. In 2010, he was named one of the Twins top 50 players of all time.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $3.00-$8.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM..

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies #T64. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

I Must Confess. I Have New Vices and I Think These Have Affected My Kids.

In case you've wondered why I haven't put anything on this blog other than the Random Cards of the Day (and the Random Team Sets of the Week), allow me to explain.

Thanks to my kids, I have become addicted in new vices that I never imagined I would ever want to partake. And to make matters worse, I may have corrupted their minds...at least in the way they approach the world of collecting.  And while I wish I could have done this with baseball cards, I'm pretty thrilled with what they've been occupying themselves with lately.

The first one is the Lego Minifigures. Yes, I know other bloggers are into them. And I have bought these in the past for my kids whenever we were near the Lego store. But now it has become an obsession for the three of us. Ever since we bought the book...

that featured the first seven series of figures, it has now become the goal of the kids (and in effect, me) to complete the next series going forward. That would be series 8...

and now we are a football player, scuba diver, skier, and Santa Claus away from finishing the 16-figure set.

My kids have even learned how to "figure" out how to tell what character they're holding by feeling for the object each person holds (sadly, I taught them this). Yes, it is a form of pack-searching, which is unethical in the world of sport card collecting, but seems to be an accepted practice when searching out for figurines of this sort. Now I'm not endorsing this practice whatsoever, but I compare this to being able to see through packs of cards when Topps sold them in plastic packaging (that period of time from 1992-1995 between the wax wrappers and the current foil-like packaging).

Now series 9, which was supposed to arrive in stores in January, arrived at the Lego Store in time for Christmas...

We bought six, (we are now the proud owners of the Knight, the Actress, the Judge, the Gypsy, the Plumber, and the Alien Avenger) and now they want more (Series 10, for those keeping track, comes out in March/April). I will only start to panic if they ask me to go on the Bay and look for past series.

The other addiction my kids have, and got me hooked onto, are these Papa Louie games from Flipline Studios. Specifically, the games that involve making and serving different kids of foods to customers. These are akin to the restaurant games you find everywhere (like on facebook with their Cafeville). What makes these games special,and why I approved of them playing them, are that my son found them on a math games website (one of those sites that kids can go on to play games that have some math related concepts to them).

My son started with Papa's Burgeria, where you had to take orders from customers and build their burgers to their exact specifications (even if it is three layers of onions, one well done burger, and then three more layers of onions).  You have to take orders, cook the burgers, and then make the burgers without making the customers wait too long to get their orders and then give them their food.  Now, at first he was having trouble with keeping track of when customers come in and cooking the burgers without burning them.  So his sister and I started to help.  And then we got hooked.  Then we discovered more of these games.

There is Papa's Pizzaria (which was the first game...if you don't count Papa Louie's When Pizzas Attack!), then the Burgeria, which is followed (in chronological order) by Taco Mia!, Freezeria, Pancakeria, Wingeria, and Hot Doggeria (in which the "restaurant" is located in a baseball stadium).  All feature the same concept of taking orders, building food to each individual's specs, and then serving it to them in the hopes that the like it and give us tips so that we can buy upgrades, posters, furniture, and clothing.

To make matters worse, we noticed that many of the "customers" frequented almost all of the restaurants.  So after playing Burgeria and moving on to Wingeria, for example, if we saw a customer from the previous game, we would say to each other out loud,

"Hey, it's Big Pauly," (yes, Flipline even made virtual trading cards for each of their characters complete with bios) or

"Rita just ended her shift and wants wings."

Believe it or not, my kids and I can tell you the name of almost everybody in the picture above, even the ones all the way in the back that are still in the stadium.

As it became an obsession (at least to me), I started reading (not fanfiction) the official stories behind some of Louie's customers (which you can find either on the official site or in a Wikia made by their fans).  So now we know that a few of them are based on real people (Matt and Tony are the developers, Mandi is Tony's wife, Doan is a college classmate), that Alberto and Penny are dating thanks to both working at the Freezeria, that Xolo and Xandra are twins (there was a vote as to whether or not to make them siblings or put them into a relationship...the sibling choice won), and that Flipline has had their fans select via voting tournaments the next restaurant workers from the pool of customers who have frequented each of the restaurants (which is how Cooper and Prudence became the workers in the Pancakeria, as well as how Taylor and Peggy were picked for the Hot Doggeria game).

No normal human being should know more about the characters of a kids computer game series than the people who live down the street.  But here we are.

Help!!!

Whether it's the Lego Miniseries (which we now have display cases...HELP!!!  AGAIN!!!), or the following day at the Wingeria (we are now at day 77, and still no end in sight to finish the game), it's all in fun.  Both of these things have given me and my kids something to bond over and talk about other than "How's school?"

Now, if you excuse me, I have five orders of wings and strips in the deep fryer, two rare burgers on the grill, and four shakes in blenders that need to be watched because everyone want them chunky, not smooth...whatever that means.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2003 Topps #620 Brett Myers

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, December 22, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2003 Topps #620.
• Player Name, position, team: Brett Myers, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: July 24, 2002.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2002 stats (Phillies): 12 G, 72 IP, 4-5, 38 R, 34 ER, 34 SO, 29 BB, 12 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 4.25 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies, #1st, June 1999. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 13. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Many baseball scouts have touted Brett as the next Curt Schilling because of his similar workhorse mentality and blistering fastball.  In 2001, Myers was rated as having the best heat in the Phillies system.  With his hard-breaking curveball and change-up, Brett was destined for success.  It all came together on 07/24/2002, as he recorded a win in his big-league debut."
• Commentary: Brett was a rookie in 2002, and if this set came out after the MLB edict, it would be his rookie card.  However, he appears in the 2000 Topps set as a draft pick (a shared card) and in the 2000 Topps Traded set (first solo card).  So there is no "First Year" badge on Myers' card.  Called up in July, he had a impressive debut when he out-pitched Mark Prior to help the Phils beat the Cubs at Wrigley 4-2 (and 4 days later, my son was born...that's another sotry).  In 2003, Myers won a career high 14 games (tagged with 9 loses), struck out 143 batters, and had an ERA of 4.43 in 193 innings of work.  He played for the Phillies for 8 seasons, and compiled a 73-63 record mostly as a starter (there was that year in 2007 that he took over the closer duties and saved 21 games).  As soon as the Philies ended the stranglehold the Braves had over the NL East division, Myers saw action in 7 postseason games, winning 2 games in the 2008 postseason that helped the Phils make it to and eventually win the 2008 World Series.  In 2010, he signed on with the Houston Astros to give a veteran presence to a young Astros team. He went 14-8 with a 3.14 ERA in 33 games for them that year.  After a disastrous 2011 campaign (7-14, 4.46) , he was named the 'Stros closer in 2012 and saved 19 games for them before being traded to the White Sox as they were making their push for the playoffs. He is a free agent heading into the 2013 season, with the Twins and Angels the leading contenders for Myers' services.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 13.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1965 Topps #490. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1978 Topps #468 Warren Cromartie

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, December 21, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1978 Topps #468.
• Player Name, position, team: Warren Cromartie, outfielder, Montréal Expos.
• Major League Debut: September 6, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1977 stats (Expos): 155 G, 620 AB, 64 R, 175 H, 41 2B, 7 3B, 5 HR, 50 RBI, .282 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Expos, #1st (Special), June 1973. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 7. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "On of the N.L. leaders in Doubles last season, Warren went 2-for-4 in his first game with the Expos in 1976. Went 24-46 for .522 Avg. in Memphis' final 10 games of 1975 season."
• Commentary: Warren Cromartie may not have known it at the time this picture was taken for his 1978 Topps card, but he would have one heck of a career in both the US and Japan. With the Expos in 1978, he hit .297 with 10 home runs, drove in 56 rbi's, and had an OPS of .755. He also stole 10 bases and had a good year defensively (.978, 8 errors in 372 chances) as the team's left fielder.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05. After 9 productive seasons in Canada, Cromartie, at the age of 30, signed on with the Yomiuri Giants, playing for legendary Japanese slugger Sadaharu Oh. He was named the MVP of the Central League in 1989, on the strength of a .378 batting average with 15 homers and 78 rbi's. After he retired from baseball in 1991 (he returned to the US and played with the Royals in limited action), he wrote a book called Slugging It Out in Japan: An American Major-Leaguer in the Tokyo Outfield, which detailed his time in the baseball.  "Cro" has remained active in the game since his playing days ended.  In 2004, he managed the Japan Samurai Bears, a team of Japanese players playing through the independent Golden Baseball League.  He hosts a baseball radio show in Miami, which runs during the baseball season.  And going back to his roots in Montréal, he also has his own radio segment on a radio station in the "City of Saints."
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps #620. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

A Moment to Reflect...

This humble, little blog is going to pause at 8:30 am CST to reflect and remember the 20 children and 6 adults whose lives were lost last Friday in Newtown, CT.

• Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06
• Daniel Barden, 9/25/05
• Rachel Davino, 7/17/83
• Olivia Engel, 7/18/06
• Josephine Gay, 12/11/05
• Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06
• Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06
• Dawn Hochsprung, 06/28/65
• Madeleine F. Hsu, 7/10/06
• Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06
• Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05
• Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06
• James Mattioli , 3/22/06
• Grace McDonnell, 12/04/05
• Anne Marie Murphy, 07/25/60
• Emilie Parker, 5/12/06
• Jack Pinto, 5/06/06
• Noah Pozner, 11/20/06
• Caroline Previdi, 9/07/06
• Jessica Rekos, 5/10/06
• Avielle Richman, 10/17/06
• Lauren Rousseau, 6/1982
• Mary Sherlach, 2/11/56
• Victoria Soto, 11/04/85
• Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06
• Allison N. Wyatt, 7/03/06

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those who were senselessly killed in last week's shooting.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2001 Topps #623 Kerry Wood

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 20, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2001 Topps #623.
• Player Name, position, team: Kerry Wood, pitcher, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: April 12, 1998.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2000 stats (Cubs): 23 G, 137 IP, 8-7, 77 R, 73 ER, 132 SO, 87 BB, 23 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 4.80 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs, #1st, June 1995. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 17. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "After missing all of 1999 while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery, Kerry returned triumphantly on May 2, 2000 - nearly two yars to the day from his historic 20-strikeout game.  On the first pitch he saw as a batter, Wood blasted a two-run homer.  He went on to earn the W after six innings of three-hit ball.  On the season, batters hit just .226 of the young fireballer."
• Commentary: I didn't know if I liked the green used in the 2001 Topps set or the blue used for the Opening Day set better.  But after seeing the blue used in the 2003 set, I'm glad for the shade of green.  Kerry Wood was the toast of the town when he arrived in Chicago.  Here was this kid (he was only 20 at the time of his 20-K performance) making it look easy against major league hitters.  He was already drawing comparisons to another Texas-born strikeout artist.  He was Chicago's hope for a championship, and it almost could have been done.  To dream though.  Anyway, Wood did not miss a beat in 2001, going 12-6, an ERA of 3.36, striking out 217 of the 740 batters he faced (11.2 k's per 9 innings pitched), and getting a WHIP of 1.256.  Unfortunately, he was a frequent visitor to the MLB disabled list, missing chunks of time from 2004-2007.  He experienced a renaissance of sorts when he was converted to a closer.  In 2008, he saved 34 games and was named to his second All-Star team.  After a couple of seasons in the AL (with the Indians and Yankees), Kerry returned to the Cubs as a free agent, retiring with the team just this past year.  
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 59 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1978 Topps #468. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Team Set of the Week: 2009 Topps Cleveland Indians

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Team Set of the Week:

• Team: 2009 Cleveland Indians
• Record: 65-97, fourth place, AL Central Division.
• Manager: Eric Wedge
• Card on the Top: Grady Sizemore

The checklist consists of the following players:

• CLE1 Grady Sizemore
• CLE2 Cliff Lee
• CLE3 Victor Martinez
• CLE4 Fausto Carmona (now known as Roberto Hernandez)
• CLE5 Jhonny Peralta
• CLE6 David Dellucci
• CLE7 Travis Hafner
• CLE8 Kelly Shoppach
• CLE9 Jake Westbrook
• CLE10 Ben Francisco
• CLE11 Mark DeRosa
• CLE12 Asdrubal Cabrera
• CLE13 Ryan Garko
• CLE14 Shin-Soo Choo
• CLE15 Kerry Wood (which was the bonus card in what was previously a 14-card set)

The cards in order from the set (the checklist at the end was cut from the back of the package. What, you don't do that?):

Key differences between the team set and 2009 Topps eponymous set:

• Grady Sizemore is seen stretching to catch a ball on a card that is set horizontally:
  
  

• Victor Martinez shows some love to the fans on his base card:
  
  

• We get a closer look at Roberto Hernandez, who at the time was calling himself Fausto Carmona:
  
  

• Jhonny Peralta is getting ready to make an infield catch on his base card:
  
  

• David Dellucci is on base on his eponymous card:
  
  

• And here is Travis Hafner's card from series 2:
  
  

• Jake Westbrook...another view:
  
  

• Ben Francisco at bat on his Topps base card:
  
  

• He appeared in the 2009 Topps base set as a Cub, and showed up in the 2009 Topps U & H set as a Cardinal, so if you want a 2009 Topps designed card of Mark DeRosa as an Indian, you'll only find it in the retail set:
  
  

• And finally, Kerry Wood was included in the set as the bonus 15th card. Many of the other team sets' bonus cards were of stadiums, of managers, and even Presidents. Topps thought enough of Wood to add him to this set:
  
  

So of the 15 players included in this set, ten feature pictures of players that you will only find in the retail set.  I think the 2009 retail sets contained a lot of variations between the eponymous base and traded sets and the retail ones.  This set is a clear example of the reasons why I love collecting these team sets.  You have many players with different pictures exclusively found in the retail set.  You have players (like DeRosa) pictured on three different teams using the same Topps design.  Now you don't have to be an insane collector like me to get all 30 sets.  If you collect a specific team, just get your team's set and compare the cards.  You will like what you see.  Speaking of 2009...

Next week's featured set will be the 2009 Minnesota Twins.  Hope you'll be here when we compare the cards from the retail set to their counterparts found in Topps and Topps Update and Highlights.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #223 Roy Lee Jackson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, December 19, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #223.
• Player Name, position, team: Roy Lee Jackson, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: September 13, 1977.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Mets): 24 G, 71 IP, 1-7, 37 R, 33 ER, 58 SO, 20 BB, 8 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 1 SV, 4.18 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 06/27/1975. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "His 1st big league Win came vs. Cardinals, 09/30/1979."
• Commentary: I remember during the early 90's when there would be advertisements for baseball cards.  You'd hear the name of Donruss, Fleer, Score, and even Upper Deck.  Where was Topps in all of this?  They had more than 40 years in the business and yet they couldn't be included in the commercial about baseball cards?  I'm sure there were good reasons, it all depends on who you'd talk to.  Even some of the books (yes, I do have them) would utilize cards from the other 4 companies on the cover, yet have color pictures of Topps cards within it?  My point?  If Topps were to use this design today, I would guarantee you that the team logo would be included on the cap of the card, and not the team name and position.  The position might be put in where the baseball is (instead of the word Topps), and there'd be a Topps logo floating around somewhere.  On the back of Roy Lee's card, there are two cartoons with captions about Jackson's career.  The first mentions that he was on the All-Star Team for the Appalachian League in 1975.  The second mentions that he "works in the magnetic tape business during the off-season."  Yes, folks, many players had jobs during the off-season.  And obviously, there is no specification (because there is no room for it) as to what exactly he did in the magnetic tape business.  So here is Jackson, a September call up for the Mets from 1977 through 1979, finally getting a chance to play for the Mets after June.  His stay was long enough to finally give Topps the chance to put him on a card, even though they had three other opportunities prior (you know that they'd have done it too if Roy Lee played now instead of in the late 70's).  However, Roy Lee did not play for the Mets in 1981.  He was traded to the Blue Jays before the end of the year for Bob Bailor.  With the Jays, Jackson went 1-2 with an ERA of 2.61, 7 saves, and 27 strikeouts.  A workhorse for the Jays in the bullpen, Jackson saved 30 games of the 93 games he finished, compiled a 24-21 record, struck out 204 batters, and had an ERA of 3.50.  He was released by the Blue Jays before the 1985 season, finding work with the Orioles organization before being traded to the Padres.  He would spend a season with San Diego before being released and then signed by the Minnesota Twins.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 2001 Topps #623. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama