Random Topps Card of the Day: 2011 Topps Update Series #US102 Sean Burnett

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, June 7, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2011 Topps Update Series #US102.
• Player Name, position, team: Sean Burnett, pitcher, Washington Nationals.
• Major League Debut: May 30, 2004.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2010 stats (Nationals): 73 G, 1-7, 63 IP, 52 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 20 BB, 62 SO, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 3 SV, 1.14 WHIP, 2.4 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #1st, June 2000. Traded by the Pirates to the Nationals 06/30/2009. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "The emergence of Sean as a lights-out reliever gives the Washington Nationals an additional ninth inning option to go to wiht Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard. Burnett converted his first three save chances of '11, and extended his two-year scoreless streak to 22 2/3 innings."
• Commentary: I guess when a first round draft pick becomes a middle relief pitcher, he stops getting the attention of collectors. Why? Because although Sean Burnett made his debut in 2004 and has been a bonafide major leaguer since 2008, as of 2013, he has made only six appearances in a Topps or Topps Traded/U and H/Update Series product. Only six. And of the six, two of them were because he was a high draft pick for the Pirates in 2000. In fact, before this card was added to the Update Series set, the last time Burnett appeared on a card was in 2005 Topps! Nothing between then. It's like he fell of the face of the earth or something. Topps might as well call their Update series set, "the middle relievers and third string catchers set" because they seem to include a ton of them in these products. Okay, granted, in 2005, Burnett was injured for the entire season, and he was stranded in the Pirates minor league system in 2006 and 2007. But you'd think that a guy like Burnett would get cards on a regular basis. I guess when you're a relief pitcher for the Pirates, you don't get cards. Burnett was traded to the Nationals in a deal that sent All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan to the Bucs. In his first two years of service in DC, Sean appeared in 106 games, had a combined earned record or 2-8, 3 saves, 82 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.44. In 2011, Burnett pitched in 69 games, earned a 5-5 record, had an ERA of 3.81, and struck out 57 batters in 56.2 innings of work. At the plate, he appeared twice, had a single and drew a walk. He also scored a run. His batting average that year was a perfect 1.000 and because his OBP and SLG numbers were the same 1.000, his OPS is a call 2.000 (in seven years, he has a combined batting average of .069, 2 hits in 29 at bats). With the Nationals adding superstar closer Rafael Soriano in the 2013 season, Burnett signed with the Angels, leaving the Nats after four very successful years.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.12-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps Traded #98T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama