Random Topps Card of the Day: 2007 Topps #336 Woody Williams

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, May 29, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2007 Topps #336.
• Player Name, position, team: Woody Williams, pitcher, Houston Astros.
• Major League Debut: May 14, 1993.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2006 stats (Padres): 25 G, 145.1 IP, 12-5, 68 R, 59 ER, 72 SO, 35 BB, 24 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.29 WHIP 3.65 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Blue Jays #28th, June 1988. Signed with the Astros as a Free Agent 11/24/2006. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his fourteenth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "The Astros signed Woody for 2007, hoping to benefit from his newest pitch, the knuckleball. The 14-year vet is one of 17 active RHPs with 2,000 IP."
• Commentary: One of these days, I'll have to bring back the 2011 Topps Archives Project back, but probably under a new name. Why? Because 2011 already happened, and when Topps brought back the Archives line in 2012 (which don't get me wrong, I like), the concept was just a quick rehash of what Topps Heritage will look like for a majority of the current players if they were around in 2003 (the 1954 design) or what they will look like in 2020 (1971), 2029 (1980), and 2033 (1984). As an aside, if you're curious, the 2013 version previews the 2021 (1972), 2031 (1982), 2034 (1985), and 2039 (1990) Topps Heritage sets. But back to the point. I don't think I can call them Fan Favorites because I'm using the actual cards instead of new pictures on old designs. Besides, I liked the 2001-2002 concept better anyway when the line consisted of retired players' first and last cards (2001) or the card from their best year (2002...to a point). Anyway, if I were to include Gregory Scott Williams in my project, this would be the "final" card of the pair. While I say that though, it turns out that he does have a 2008 Topps card with the Astros...that can only be found if you buy the 14-card retail set. By the time he signed with his hometown Astros for the 2007 season, Woody Williams (he's the second guy nicknamed "Woody" as an infielder from the 1930's-40's named Woodrow Wilson Williams shared the name and was nicknamed similarly) was a 14-year veteran with the Blue Jays, Padres (two stints) and Cardinals (All-Star in 2003). He led the NL in winning percentage thanks to a 12-5 record (.706). With the Astros however, Williams went 8-15 with a high ERA of 5.27 and 101 strikeouts. He also led the league in home runs given up with 35. He was released by the Astros before the end of the 2008 spring training session and retired as a player. He was part of the 2013 HOF ballot and as we all know, nobody was voted into the Hall via the BBWAA earlier this year.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 18.

Tomorrow's card will be 1986 Topps #388. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama