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