Random Topps Card of the Day: 2005 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH145 2005 NL ERA Leaders

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, February 02, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2005 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH145.
• Player Name, position, team: Roger Clemens, pitcher, Houston Astros; Andy Pettitte, pitcher, Houston Astros; Dontrelle Willis, pitcher, Florida Marlins.
• Special: 2005 National League ERA Leaders
• Commentary: The product name Updates and Highlights made its debut in 2005, replacing the Topps Traded and Rookies line that collectors have grown accustomed with for decades.  The idea of the name change was so that Topps could include more than just players in their new uniforms and new rookies, but also (if they were able), team leaders and players who made the All-Star Game (in this case, they just included the players who were in the starting lineup for the 2005 ASG), the Futures Game (before the MLB Properties Rookie Card rule), and Home Run Derby Participants.  Draft Picks from the 2005 season, the last time Topps would be allowed to include them, were also part of the 330 card base set.  This now meant that the 660-card base set (which was split into two series of 330 cards) now would have a 330-card end-of-the-year set.  This lead to a lot of debate as to whether or not this set should have just been called Topps Series 3 instead of Topps U&H.  Cards like the 2005 League Leaders cards would normally be found in next year's set, but because U&H just a month after the season ended (remember, thanks to the new guidelines implemented in 2006, products for 2006 had to come out...in 2006), Topps had time to include these cards in their update set.  Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, teammates with both the Yankees and now the Astros, finished 1-2 in the ERA category, their numbers (Clemens with a league low 1.87) printed proudly on the front of the card, joined by Dontrelle Willis of the Marlins.  The back of the card lists seven other pitchers (a top ten of sorts) who led in ERA, including Pedro Martinez of the Mets (2.82), Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals (2.83), Jake Peavy of the Padres (2.88), Roy Oswalt of the Astros (2.94), John Smoltz of the Braves (3.06), John Patterson of the Nationals (3.13), and Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs (3.26). The card also mentions that this is Clemens' 7th ERA title, 2nd most to Lefty Grove, who led the ERA nine times.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.25-$0.60.

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: 1971 Topps #482. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama