Random Topps Card of the Day: 2003 Topps Traded and Rookies #T71 Jeff Kent

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, March 24, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2003 Topps Traded and Rookies #T71.
• Player Name, position, team: Jeff Kent, second baseman, Houston Astros.
• Major League Debut: April 12, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2002 stats (Giants): 152 G, 623 AB, 102 R, 195 H, 42 2B, 2 3B, 37 HR, 108 RBI, 5 SB, .565 SLG, 52 BB, 101 SO, .313 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Blue Jays #20th, June 1989. Signed with the Astros as a Free Agent 12/18/2002. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 18. This is his twelfth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Signing as a free agent with Houston for 2003, Jeff quickly proved he didn't need Barry Bonds in thelineup to produce, homering on Opening Day."
• Commentary: One of the disadvantages of the cards having blue borders is that any dings and dents can be seen and although scans well, you can see blemishes on other scratches that the scanner could have. Trust me the card I have looks a lot better than the scan. Jeffrey Franklin Kent found a lot of success with the San Francisco Giants. He was a 3-time All-Star, a 3-time Silver Slugger winner, he won the NL MVP award in 2000, and had just helped lead San Francisco to their first World Series since 1989. But he did have a rocky relationship with certain players on the team, and once the season ended, and the Hot Stove started to churn, Kent, the best second baseman on the free agency market, took his talents to Houston. Yes, the move would supplant long-time second baseman Craig Biggio and send him to the outfield, but now the 'Stros had extra power to support Jeff Bagwell. He did not disappoint. In the first of his two seasons in Houston, Kent hit .297 with 22 home runs, 93 rbi's, and percentages of .348/.531/.880. The following year, he was named to his fourth All-Star team (representing the host Astros) and finished the campaign with a .289 average, 29 homers, and 105 rbi's. After the 2004 playoffs, in which the Astros lost to the Cardinals in the NLCS, Kent signed on with the Dodgers, a team he would ply his services for three seasons before calling it a career.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 43 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1986 Topps #54. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama