Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #442 Brian Downing

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, December 3, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #442.
• Player Name, position, team: Brian Downing, outfielder, California Angels.
• Major League Debut: May 31, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Angels): 158 G, 623 AB, 109 R, 175 H, 37 2B, 2 3B, 28 HR, 84 RBI, 2 SB, .482 SLG, 86 BB, 58 SO, .281 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the White Sox as a Free Agent 08/19/1969. Traded by the White Sox to the Angels 12/05/1977. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 20. This is his tenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Belted 2 Homers in 6-2 win vs. Twins, 4-17-82. His 8th-inning Homer produced 2-1 win vs. Yankees, 7-11-82."
• Commentary: Brian Jay Downing had one incredibly long and fruitful career in the major leagues. Twenty seasons (from 1973 through 1992) for only three teams in the American League West (the White Sox, Angels, and Rangers). He earned the nickname "The Incredible Hulk" for reasons beyond me (baseball-reference says it's due to his physique). Although neither of Downing's 2011 Topps Archives Project cards (I really have to get that going again...it would be fun again to do, even if I start them up again in 2014!!!) will feature him in either of in a Halo's uniform, by the time he signed with Texas, he left the Angels as their career leader in games (1661), at bats (5854), runs (889), hits (1588), total bases (2580), doubles (282), home runs (222), rbi's (846), and walks (866). He would even be inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame in 2009. The 1983 season was a bit of a let down for Downing. Injuries kept him off the field from the second week in May through late June. He would hit .246 with 19 home runs and 53 rbi's in 473 plate appearances. It would be the only year in a seven season span that he would miss hitting 20 home runs (it would also be the only season in an eight-year stretch that he'd miss getting a hundred or more hits). In 2002, the Angels, in conjunction with Topps, commemorated the 20th anniversary of their AL West Division Championship team with a SGA (special giveaway) reprint set of 1983 Topps Angels team set. It would be Downing's first appearance on a Topps card since his 1992. 
• Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 22 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1991 Topps Traded #91T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1991 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama