bdj610's Topps Baseball Card Blog: Random Topps Card of the Day: 1999 Topps #24 Paul Konerko

Monday, November 25, 2013

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1999 Topps #24 Paul Konerko

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, November 25, 2013:

Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1999 Topps #24.
Player Name, position, team: Paul Konerko, first baseman, Cincinnati Reds.
Major League Debut: September 8, 1997.
Last Line of Statistics: 1999 stats (Indianapolis, AAA-International League): 39 G, 150 AB, 25 R, 49 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 1 SB, .540 SLG, 19 BB, 18 SO, .327 AVG.
Any special information about player: Drafted by the Dodgers #1st, June 1994. Traded by the Dodgers to the Reds 07/04/1998. Bats: right. Throws: right.
Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 20. This is his fifth Topps card.
Blurb on the back: "On May 12, 1997, Paul hit three home runs for San Antonio. On May 12, 1998, he belted three for Albuquerque."
Commentary: He's been with the White Sox for so long that it's easy to forget that Paul Henry Konerko was traded to the White Sox by the Reds for Mike Cameron. Now Cameron's career with the Reds lasted just that one season in 1999, where he appeared in 146 games, hit for a .256 average, 21 home runs, drove in 66 rbi's, and stole 38 bases as the team's centerfielder. But Paul Konerko would go on to play in 15 seasons and 2,187 regular season games for the Pale Hose, hit for a respectable .281 average, 427 home runs, 1,361 rbi's, six All-Star Team selections, and oh yeah, one World Series title. But at the time this card came out, there were no black pinstripes adorning Konerko's uni. The stripes were red, and after being in 75 games, in which he was a terrible .217, hit 7 homers, and drove in 29 rbi's, it was off to Indy, allowing Sean Casey full reign over first. With the first base spot already settled, the Reds kindly sent Paul to the White Sox. The rest is history. In his first full season in the majors, Paulie would hit .294, 24 homers, 81 rbi's, and achieve percentages of .352/.511/.862. With Konerko now the Pale Hose's new first baseman, it allowed their superstar, Frank Thomas to slowly transition to the DH role. The rest, as they say, is history. Yes, the White Sox got the better of Cincinnati that day. Oh, and just for kicks, I looked up what Konerko did on May 12, 1999. Why no link? Because the team was off that day.
Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
How many cards of this player do I own?: 85 cards.