Random Topps Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH247 Scott Podsednik

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, May 22, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH247.
• Player Name, position, team: Scott Podsednik, outfielder, Colorado Rockies.
• Major League Debut: July 6, 2001.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2007 stats (White Sox): 62 G, 214 AB, 30 R, 52 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 12 SB, 13 BB, 36 SO, .369 SLG, .668 OPS, .243 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rangers #3rd, June 1994. Signed with the Rockies as a Free Agent 01/30/2008. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his sixth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Scott added speed to the Rockies as a part-time outfielder in 2008. Between '03 and '06, his 212 stolen bases were exceeded in the Majors by only two players."
• Commentary: The reason why the White Sox were the best team in baseball in 2005 had a lot to do with the right combination of excellent pitching, fantastic defense, clutch power hitting, and getting on base by any means necessary. One of the sparkplugs of that offense was this man, Scott Eric Podsednik. By the time he was traded to the White Sox, he had earned a reputation as a formidable leadoff hitter who not only can get on base, but steal bases at will. He led the NL in stolen bases the year before with 70. But with the Sox in 2005, as everything just came together on the south side, the man known as "Scotty Podz" would hit a productive .290 with 25 rbi's and 59 stolen bases. He didn't hit a home run at all during the regular season, but in the postseason managed to hit two of them, one a walk-off in extra innings, helping the Sox win their first title since 1917. But after an injury plagued 2007 season, the White Sox released Podsednik. The Rockies signed him just as spring training was getting underway, with a chance to win a spot on the bench. In 93 games with Colorado, Podsednik would hit .253 with a homer, 15 rbi's and 12 stolen bases. He would go on to sign another one-year deal with the Rockies, but was released before the season started. The White Sox, probably feeling a bit of regret for letting him go in the first place, re-signed Podsednik to a minor league deal, placing him with their AAA affiliate in Charlotte. But due to injuries to three of their outfielders, Podsednik found himself back in Chicago two weeks later. Given the chance to play on a regular basis, Scott would hit .304 with 7 home runs and 48 rbi's while stealing 30 bases to give the Sox a much needed (and sorely missed) presence in the lineup. In 2010, he signed a deal with the Royals, who subsequently traded him to the Dodgers before the trading deadline. He signed a minor league deal with Toronto, but was released after appearing in only 17 games in their minor league system. He finished the rest of the 2011 campaign with the Phillies, but only appeared in 14 games due to injury. He was traded to Boson in 2012, but his stay in Beantown wasn't for long as he was traded in a deadline deal to Arizona. But because he was going to be assigned to the D-Backs' AAA team, he refused the assignment, and was eventually released. He would re-sign with the Red Sox nine days later. He was granted free agency after the season ended, but as of now, Podsednik is without a team.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.12-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 30.

Tomorrow's card will be 2003 Topps #705. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama