Random Topps Card of the Day: 2011 Topps #174 Roy Oswalt

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, January 28, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps #174.
• Player Name, position, team: Roy Oswalt, pitcher, Houston Astros.
• Major League Debut: May 6, 2001.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2010 stats (Phillies): 13 G, 7-1, 82.2 IP, 53 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 21 BB, 73 SO, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 0.90 WHIP, 1.74 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Astros #23rd, June 1996. Traded by the Astros to the Phillies 07/29/2010. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his thirteenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: I loved Topps' 60th baseball set.  As it was their "Diamond Anniversary," there were a lot of Diamond related themes incorporated into the product.  From the names of their insert sets (Diamond Duos) and parallel sets (hope, cognac, blue, three of many) to including actual diamonds into their cards (a 1 of 1), diamonds were forever.  Throughout the 2000's, there were not too many pitchers more dominant than Roy Oswalt.  If you were a Reds fan, you knew that if your team was going to face him, it was a foregone conclusion that they were not going to have a good night.  I was watching MLB Network's "Top 40 Team Killers" show the other day, and they had Oswalt ranked as a "Reds Killer."  Roy went 23-3 against Cincinnati, with a 2.81 ERA, and 175 strikeouts and a 1.147 WHIP.  The Cubs fared a bit better, but not by much thanks to a 15-13 record and 3.82 ERA and 150 strikeouts.  With the Astros, he was a Cy Young Award contender (6 times in 10 years), four-time MVP candidate, and three-time All-Star.  Astros fans rued the day that he was traded to the Phillies in a deadline deal in 2010.  The 'Stros weren't doing him any favors anyway as Oswalt was 6-12  in games where he earned the decision ad a 3.42 ERA.  The trade that sent him to an already intimidating rotation (Lee, Halladay, Hamels) rejuvenated Oswalt's season, as he had a dominating 7-1 in 12 starts (and a 1.74 ERA).  He still led the NL that year with a 1.025 WHIP and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting.  In 2011, Roy didn't fare so well by his standards, but there were reasons behind it. He lives in Mississippi, and his family was hard hit by tornadoes that touched down in April that year.  So he took a leave of absence to make sure his family was all right.  He also was knocked out All of July thanks to a back injury.  He finished the year with a 9-10 record, an ERA of 3.69 and a WHIP of 1.338.  Assigned to start a crucial game 5 in the 2011 NLDS, he gave up five earned runs and 6 hits in 6 innings of work, taking the loss and ending the Phil's season.  His contract option was declined afterwards, making him a free agent.  He signed a minor league contract with the Rangers and after a four-game minor league stint, he joined the Rangers rotation.  He was moved to the bullpen when the Rangers acquired Ryan Dempster.  Soreness in his elbow limited his work in the Rangers 'pen, and filed for free agency after the season is over.    
• Beckett value: $0.25-$0.60.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 65 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2007 Topps #510. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama