- Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2006 Topps #285.
- Team: 2005 Oakland Athletics.
- Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats: Manager: Ken Macha, 88-74, .543 PCT., 26 GB, Second Place American League West Division.
- Commentary: If your favorite player somehow didn't get a regular card (and with only less than 600 slots available in a 660-card set, it's very possible), at least he showed up in the team card. I've been on the fence with team cards since they came back in 2001. At first I thought it was a waste of a card slot as some player could have easily taken the spot. But then I look back to the team leader cards of the 80's and 90's and think, at least now everybody is in the shot instead of maybe a couple of random players or "team leaders." The back of the card of the 2005 Oakland Athletics team card will tel you that the A's were all but left for dead by the end of May, thanks in part to a 17-32 record. But they somehow rallied and "transformed a 12 1/2-game deficit in the AL West to a two-game lead on August 30. They did finish 2nd that year, but it definitely an improvement over their record the year before (last place). Team leaders for key stats are listed on the bottom right corner of the card (you'd have to look carefully or you'll miss it. What's even funnier about the back of the card is that the words that are supposed to be inside the gray boxes are missing. So if you're wondering why "8 Games" is listed not once, but twice, it's because the team's longest winning streak and longest losing streak were both 8 games (evens things out a bit, huh). In the hitting categories, Mark Kotsay was the A's batting champ at .280, with Eric Chavez providing the power and leading the team in both home runs and rbi's (27, 101 respectively). Danny Haren (or is it Dan Haren...what was he going by back then?) led the team in wins with 14 while the ERA champ was Joe Blanton at 3.53. The 2006 Athletics actually improved by five games, and won the AL West division. After sweeping the Twins 3-0 in the Divisional playoffs, they were swept by the Tigers in the ALCS.
- Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps #206. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
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