Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46 Victor Zambrano

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 13, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46.
• Player Name, position, team: Victor Zambrano, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: June 21, 2001.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Devil Rays): 34 G, 188.1, 12-10, 97 R, 88 ER, 132 SO, 106 BB, 28 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.44 WHIP, 4.21 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent 08/19/1993. Traded by the Devil Rays to the Mets 07/30/2004. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Victor is known for pitches with exceptional break, so much so that finding the strike zone can be a challenge for him.  He posted a splendid 22-17 record with the Devil Rays in the year and a half before his trade, even though he led the American League in wild pitches, walks and hit batsmen. "Victor has an uncanny ability to work out of a jam," explained Devil Rays manager Lou Pinella."
• Commentary: As the Devil Rays were the doormat of the AL East for the earlier part of their existence, it would not be a stretch to believe that many players would have been happy to get out of there.  Zambrano probably wasn't one of them.  He was doing rather well for himself down there, going 35-27 with 372 strikeouts, an ERA of 4.47, and a WHIP of 1.491 in 135 games, 61 of them starts.  But just before the trading deadline, the Devil Rays sent him and Bartolome Fortunato to the mets in exchange for Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz.  With the Mets, Zambrano went 2-0 down the stretch in 3 starts.  While the Mets didn't make the playoffs that year, Victor was slated to be in the Mets rotation for 2005.  He didn't fare so well that year, with a 7-12 record and 4.17 ERA. Tommy John surgery knocked him out after May in 2006.  Zambrano signed on with the Blue Jays, but couldn't find the success he did at Tampa Bay.  In 2008, he spent the year with both the Rockies and Yankees minor league systems, and after two years playing in Taiwan and the Mexican League, he retired from baseball.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1988 Topps #317. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama