Random Topps Card of the Day: 1991 Topps #635 Andy Hawkins

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, December 28, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1991 Topps #635.
• Player Name, position, team: Andy Hawkins, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: July 17, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1990 stats (Yankees): 28 G, 157.2 IP, 5-12, 101 R, 94 ER, 74 SO, 82 BB, 26 GS, 2 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 5.37 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Padres #1st, June 1978. Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent 12/08/1988. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his ninth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Andy enjoys hunting, fishing, watching the Dallas Cowboys and raising cattle on his ranch. He and his wife have three children: Katy, Libby, and Curtis."
• Commentary: When I read the blurb on the back, I just had to check. No, Curtis Hawkins, Andy's son, is not the WWE wrestler "Curt Hawkins." Hey, I was curious. I loved the 1991 Topps set as well. Yes, it was massively overproduced. But this was the first time that Topps acknowledged (blatantly) how long they have been in the business of making baseball cards. It's a clean design (and a wonderful relief on the eyes after the multi-colored 1990 set). Team-colored borders frame the card and a simple pennant sticks out with the team's name logo. Now the 1991 Topps set, in its initial run, was chock full or errors. And yes, I was one of those lucky few to get my hands on a complete set with all the errors. Not bad for a 14 year-old (the set actually came in December...I think.) I remember Melton Andrew Hawkins as card #9 in the 1988 Topps set. I also remember that he took the loss in a no-hitter that he pitched against the White Sox. What I didn't know was that his next start wound up being an extra inning affair, a 2-0 loss to the Twins. The significance that is lost in this game is that Hawkins pitched 11.2 innings of this game. You definitely won't see this in today's game. Eleven and two-thirds. Wow. Hawkins spent part of the 1991 season in Yankees' pinstripes. After four games in which he earned an 0-2 record and a 9.95 ERA, the Bombers released the former Padres ace. Hawkins would sign with the Athletics, and return to the west coast. As an Athletic, Hawkins found a bit of success, appearing in 15 games with a 4-4 record and 4.79 ERA to show for it. By August 20, 1991, the Athletics released Hawkins. After a minor league run within the Mariners organization in 1992, Hawkins ended his playing career. Today, he is the bullpen coach for the Texas Rangers.
• Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 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: 1954 Topps #213. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama