Random Topps Card of the Day: 1995 Topps #218 Dave Hansen

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, March 21, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1995 Topps #218.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Hansen, third baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: September 16, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1994 stats (Dodgers): 40 G, 44 AB, 3 R, 15 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB, .409 SLG, 5 BB, 5 SO, .341 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Dodgers #2nd, June 1986. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "A chronic back problem traced to a 1988 auto accident has limited his ability to play on a regular basis, but Dave has wielded an extraordinary bat off the bench. He has hit .356 overall and .302 pinch-hitting the past two years. Dave plays the guitar."
• Commentary: In researching what kind of player Dave Hansen was like during his time in the majors, I came upon an article written by a person who played against him as a kid and grew up getting to know him. It seems that Hansen (and the writer) grew up in a hotbed of youth baseball in the cities of Long Beach and Lakewood, California. You can read all about it here. David Andrew Hansen upon arriving in the majors played an important role on those Dodgers teams in the early to mid 90's. In 1992, although he did lead NL third basemen with a .968 fielding percentage that year, Hansen hit a not too great .214 with 6 home runs and 22 rbi's. So the following year, the Dodgers used him primarily as a pinch hitter. And it is as a pinch hitter that Hansen excelled. In 1993, he appeared at third base 17 times, (15 starts). In those games, he hit .400 with 2 home runs, 12 rbi's and a 1.052 OPS. In 66 games as a pinch hitter, where he only got one shot to make an impact, he went 18 for 55 (.327 average) with 11 walks, 2 home runs, 18 rbi's, and an OPS of .894. That means in 29 of those 66 games, Hansen kept the game going by either getting on base or driving in runs. In 1995, as a pinch hitter, he hit .314 with 5 rbi's and 7 walks in 42 games. His grand totals for 1995 were .287 with 1 home run, 14 rbi's, and .743 OPS in 100 games. After the 1996 season, Dave signed with the Chicago Cubs and after one season with the Cubs, he became a gaijin, playing the 1998 season with the Hanshin Tigers. He re-signed with the Dodgers for the 1999 season, returning to his role as a pinch hitter. In 2000, Hansen set a Major League record with seven pinch-hit home runs. In 2003, Hansen signed on with the Padres and after a season was traded up north to Seattle. But after 57 games with the Mariners, he was traded BACK to the San Diego. He re-signed with the Cubs for the 2005 campaign, but then was released. The Mariners then re-signed him and after 60 games with the M's, he retired at the end of the season. At the time he retired, he ranked sixth in career pinch hits with 138. Post playing baseball, Hansen has found work as a hitting coach, first with the Diamondbacks organization, working his way up to minor league hitting coordinator the following year. He returned to the Dodgers organization after the 2010 season first as a hitting instructor, then as a hitting coach. After two seasons in Hollywood, the Mariners hired him to be their hitting coach heading into the 2013 campaign.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2002 Topps Traded and Rookies #27T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama