Random Topps Card of the Day: 2005 Topps #597 Laynce Nix

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 23, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2005 Topps #597.
• Player Name, position, team: Laynce Nix, outfielder, Texas Rangers.
• Major League Debut: July 10, 2003.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1994 stats (Rangers): 115 G, 371 AB, 58 R, 92 H, 20 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 46 RBI, 1 SB, 23 BB, 113 SO, .437 SLG, .730 OPS, .248 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rangers #4th, June 2000. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Laynce made a lot of noise early in the 2004 season, cracking eight home runs in his first 30 games. In July, however, a shoulder injury landed him on the DL and he never really revived his stroke. still, the Rangers regard Nix - who made just one error in center field - as a integral part of their future."
• Commentary: I have a hard time choosing which of the two sets from the 2000's - 2004 or 2005 - is my favorite from the decade. I lean towards the 2005 design when comparing the two only because the big bold letters of the player's name above makes it easy to read even when I'm not wearing glasses. If only Topps found a way to keep the widths of the font consistent from player to player in series one. The 2005 Topps set is probably the easiest to "photoshop" or make custom cards from because you can easily manipulate the letters above. It wouldn't matter which of the 30 teams you'd use, as long as you're able to remove the picture in the middle, you can add whatever picture you'd wish to use.When Laynce Michael Nix was drafted by his hometown Rangers, (he lived in the Dallas suburbs in 2000), it was a dream come true. Three years after beginning the climb up Texas' organizational ladder, Nix finally made it to Arlington for a 53-game run in 2003. He was the Rangers' starting centerfielder in 2004, but as the blurb on the back noted, was sidelined by shoulder injuries. It would be a shoulder injury and subsequent decision to have surgery that would affect his 2005 season. In 63 games during the 2005 season, Nix would hit .240 with 6 home runs, 32 runs driven in, 2 stolen bases, and an OPS of .664. A slow start (.094, 4 rbi's in 9 games) plus with Gary Matthews Jr. returning from injury himself, Nix was sent down to the minors in April, 2006. He would be traded to the Brewers in a six-player trade that saw Nelson Cruz and Carlos Lee going to Arlington. Mostly playing for the Brewers AAA team in Nashville throughout his time in the Milwaukee organization, he did appear in 30 games for the Brew Crew from 2006 through 2008. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds in 2009, and found himself playing in Cincinnati for two seasons. After a year in DC, he spent the last two seasons with the Phillies. A free agent heading into the 2014 season, he is hoping to latch on with another team in hopes of continuing his big league career.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1979 Topps #103. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama