Random Topps Card of the Day: 2007 Topps #542 Omar Infante

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, November 9, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2007 Topps #542.
• Player Name, position, team: Omar Infante, shortstop, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: September 7, 2002.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2006 stats (Tigers): 78 G, 224 AB, 35 R, 62 H, 11 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 3 SB, 14 BB, 45 SO, .415 SLG, .740 OPS, .277 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent 04/28/1999. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Omar manned four defensive positions in 2006, but he brings more to the table than just a versatile glove. "He can hit," manager Jim Leyland says. "It blows my mind how he can sit around and sit around and then go up there and give you a good at-bat. Not many guys can do that." Excluding his designated hitter at-bats last year, Ifanted swatted .322."
• Commentary: So Omar Rafael Infante started his career as a Tiger, huh? The first time he came into national prominence was with the Braves in 2010, when he became not only an All-Star, but one who would serve in a utility role (the role where he can be taken out of the game and then come back into the game if need be at another position). But after playing in more than 100 games in 2004, and 2005, Infante's play, in the eyes of the management, was regressing. So after trading for players like Carlos Guillen and Placido Polanco, Infante was reduced to a bench role in 2007. He would wind up appearing in 66 games for the Tigers in 2007, playing in seven different positions, including DH. He would go on to hit for a .271 average with 2 home runs, 17 runs driven in, and percentages of .307/.355/.662 in limited duty. He would be traded to the Cubs after the 2007 season, but a month later was traded again to Atlanta. It is here, given the chance to play on a regular basis, that Infante showed that he could hit for average and become one of baseball's best utility men. Three seasons with the Braves and two more with the Florida/Miami Marlins later, Infante was traded back to Detroit. Six years older, and much more well rounded as a player, Omar hit .318 with 10 home runs, 51 rbi's, and complemented a powerhouse offense on their way to the AL Central title and through the ALCS.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 20 cards.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1970 Topps #263. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama