Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #256 Alex Gonzalez

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, October 23, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #256.
• Player Name, position, team: Alex Gonzalez, shortstop, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: April 4, 1994.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Cubs): 152 G, 536 AB, 71 R, 122 H, 37 2B, 0 3B, 20 HR, 59 RBI, 3 SB, 47 BB, 123 SO, .409 SLG, .704 OPS, .228 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Blue Jays #14th, June 1991. Traded by the Blue Jays to the Cubs 12/10/2001. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his thirteenth  Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Over the first 10 days of May, Alex hit three homers (two of the walk-off variety) - all to win games in the 10th inning."
• Commentary: You can blame that Bartman guy all you want, but if it wasn't for this guy muffing what should have been a double play to end that fateful 8th inning, it would have been the Cubs running for the World Series...or that's what we're told in some places. But it doesn't matter now, even if it has been 10 years after that sting. Alex Scott Gonzalez (not to be confused with Alex Gonzalez, the one whose career has continued through the 2013 season) was acquired from the Blue Jays after Ricky Gutierrez left the team via free agency. And to be honest, Gonzalez did fill in quite nicely in those first two years. In 2004, after 37 games in which he was hitting .217 with 3 home runs and 8 rbi;'s in which he spent all of June on the DL, Gonzalez was part of the massive 4-team trade that saw eight players change hands. When the dust settled, Alex was sent to Montreal, with Nomar Garciaparra taking over at short. Gonzalez did much better in Montreal, hitting .241-4-16 in 35 games. But in September, the Expos traded him to the Padres, where he finished the season with cumulative .225-7-27 numbers. He signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005, and after a successful season, signed with the Phillies in 2006. After 20 games with Philly though, Alex Gonzalez retired. He would "un-retire" the following year, but couldn't latch on with either the Royals or Nationals. He has since become an analyst for NBC and the MLB Network, as well as a principal of Miami Sports Management.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 15 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1983 Topps #556. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama