Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #16 Fred Stanley

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 8, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #16.
• Player Name, position, team: Fred Stanley, shortstop-third baseman, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: September 11, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Yankees): 130 G, 480 AB, 96 R, 138 H, 26 2B, 1 3B, 36 HR, 100 RBI, 7 SB, 66 BB, 80 SO, .571 SLG, .965 OPS, .320 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Astros #8th, June 1966. Traded by the Padres to the Yankees 10/24/1972. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Went 5-for-15 with 2 Doubles in 1976 American League Championship Series."
• Commentary: Fredrick Blair Stanley made his MLB debut with the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and when he retired from the game in 1982, he became the last active player from the Pilots to do so. But even after playing for the Pilots/Brewers, Indians, and Padres, he made the most of his time playing for the Bronx Bombers during a time in which the Yankees were in the midst of another run of postseason/World Series appearances. Primarily a back up his first two seasons in pinstripes, Stanley was given the chance to be an everyday player from 1975-76. During that stretch (in which he appeared in more than 100 games in both seasons, the only time he'd make that many appearances while in New York), Stanley hit for a .230 average, one home run, 35 rbi's, and achieve an OPS of .568 in 227 games and 590 plate appearances. Once the Yankees acquired Bucky Dent from the White Sox for the 1977 season, Stanley returned to back-up duty (and then the Yankees would go on to win the World Series...but that's another story). In 1979, Stanley appeared in 57 games, hit .200 with 2 home runs and 14 rbi's, hit for percentages of .236/.270/.506. After one more season in New York, he signed on with the Oakland Athletics, finishing his career in 1972. He would go on to work within the Giants organization, first as a minor league manager, then named as the team's Director of Player Development in 2007. The back of Stanley's card, like many from 1979, has a section on the side of the statistics box asking "What Happened" on a certain date. On the back of the card, it asks "What Happened on July 29, 1908?" Answer: "Browns' Rube Waddell fanned 16 A's in winning 5-4."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 9.

Tomorrow's card will be 1997 Topps #283. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #103 Jim Todd

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, December 24, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #103.
• Player Name, position, team: Jim Todd, pitcher, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: April 29, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Mariners): 49 G, 107 IP, 3-4, 52 R, 46 ER, 37 SO, 61 BB, 3.87 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs #10th, June 1969. Traded by the Cubs to the Mariners 10/25/1977. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Traded by Cubs to A's for Champ Summers, April 6, 1975. Traded back to the Cubs for Joe Coleman, March 15, 1977. Released to the Mariners, October 25, 1977, completing deal in which Cubs acquired Pete Broberg, 4-20-77."
• Commentary: You could say that James Richard Todd was probably just one of those guys who filled a spot on a major league roster during his six seasons in the majors. And you'd be right, considering his career totals of 25-23, an ERA of 4.23, 194 strikeouts, 234 walks, and a WHIP of 1.526 in 270 career games and 511 innings pitched. But he had posted crazy numbers in the minors, including a 54-44 record, 3.28 ERA, and 467 strikeouts before making his MLB debut that the Cubs had no choice BUT to get him to the majors. But what does it say about your career when the blurb on the back of your baseball card doesn't talk about your numbers, or a game where you contributed to a team victory, but about the times you were traded, for whom, and when? Not much. Jim Todd's career with the Mariners lasted just the one season, for before the 1979 season, he was released by the M's and signed on with the divisional rival A's. With Oakland, the team that he had pitched for from 1975-76, Todd had a disastrous season, going 2-5 with a high 6.56 ERA, a high 1.963 WHIP, two saves, and finished 21 of the 51 games he was called in for duty. After one final run with the Phoenix Giants in 1980, Todd retired from the game.
• Beckett value: $0.10-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #39. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1976 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #533 Leroy Stanton

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, April 4, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #533.
• Player Name, position, team: Leroy Stanton, designated hitter-outfielder, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Mariners): 93 G, 302 AB, 24 R, 55 H, 10 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, .182 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent before the 1965 season. Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1976 Expansion Draft 11/05/1976. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his eighth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "His 1st Hit in majors was a Triple for Mets in 1970. Hit 3 Homers for angels in a 10-inning game, July 10, 1973."
• Commentary: The head honchos must have known what was on the horizon because up until that point, they didn't feel the need to put the Topps logo on the front of the card before in time for the 1979 Topps set. It would also be the only time collectors would see this logo on a regular card set (yes, they brought the curved "T" logo back in 2003 as a Super Short Print Parallel for a few cards...and then again when they gifted Target their own unique parallel set). By the time this card came out, Leroy Bobby Stanton was a veteran of seven full major league seasons (not counting the two cups of coffee he took with the Mets in 1970 and 1971). He was given the opportunity to play full time when the Mets included him in the deal that sent Nolan Ryan to the Angels (and two other guys) in exchange for Jim Fregosi. Looking back, I think the Angels got the better of this trade. From 1972 to 1976, Stanton roamed the outfield (primarily as the right fielder) and though not flashy offensively (.247 with 47 home runs, 242 rbi's, and a .693 OPS), in 1036 chances (39 assists) he only committed 28 errors (for a .973 fielding percentage). But after a hitting .190 with 2 home runs and 25 rbi's in 1976, Stanton was left exposed to the Expansion Draft to fill up the rosters of the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. Stanton was selected by the Mariners as the 40th pick (20th player selected by the M's). In Seattle's initial season, Stanton hit career highs in all of the main hitting categories (.275, 27 home runs, 90 rbi's, .852 OPS), and was the most productive of the fledgling Mariners players. However, in 1978, his hitting struggles returned, and in 93 games, finished with a dismal .182 average, 3 home runs, and 24 rbi's. The Mariners released him after the season ended, and instead of calling it a career, Stanton signed with the Hanshin Tigers for the 1979 season. In 1980, he returned to North America, playing for the Puebla Angeles of the Mexican League. Although he signed with the Blue Jays (ironically, the other team from the '76 expansion draft), he retired after not making the team out of spring training. As 1978 was his final season in the majors, his final statistics on the back of the card are complete. As with all of the player cards from 1979 Topps, there is a Baseball Dates segment on the side of the statistics asking what happened on a certain date. On the back of Stanton's card, it asks, "What Happened on September 27, 1923?" The answer: Lou Gehrig hit the first Homer of his major league career.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1992 Topps #667. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #537 Tom Veryzer

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, March 7, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #537.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Veryzer, shortstop, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: August 14, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Indians): 130 G, 421 AB, 48 R, 114 H, 18 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 32 RBI, .271 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Tigers #1st, June 1971. Traded by the Tigers to the Indians 12/09/1977. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 13. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Tied for Southern League lead in Sacifice Flies with 7 at Montgomery in 1972. Led Appalachian League shortstops with .915 Fielding Percentage at Bristol, 1971. Traded to Tribe, 12-9-77."
• Commentary: The picture may be blurry upon close inspection (this was before the days of digital photography remember), but the card does show a nice action shot of today's subject at the plate following the flight path of the ball. Tom Veryzer was a pretty good fielding shortstop whose career spanned from the 70's through the early 80's. If it wasn't for timing, his career could have continued past 1984, but alas it was not to be. On the strength of a strong 1975 season in which he had 102 hits in 404 at bats (a .252 average), of which 5 were home runs, Veryzer was named to Topps 1975 All-Star Rookie Team. His 1976 card includes the famous Topps Rookie Cup. While his hitting was not the greatest (his 1977 average was below the Mendoza Line at .197), his fielding made it hard to take him out of the starting lineup. However, the Tigers had a player waiting in the wings that would eventually lockdown the Tigers shortstop issues for a very long time by the name of Alan Trammell that made Veryzer expendable. He was traded in December of that year to the Indians for outfielder Charlie Spikes. With the Tribe, Veryzer found his hitting stroke, and after taking over the shortstop role in May, formed one of the better infield tandems in the American League. In 1979, even though his hitting slumped, he had his best season with the glove. He hit a paltry .220 with 34 rbi's and a .533 OPS, but had an outstanding .974 fielding percentage and was credited for 90 double plays in 148 games at short. Tendinitis took a toll on him in 1980, but he did finish with a .271 average and .971 fielding percentage. He was traded to the Mets in January of 1982, but with Ron Gardenhire and Wally Backman holding down the short and second, Veryzer appeared in only 40 games that season. He was traded off to the Cubs before the 1983 started, but as the Cubs had Larry Bowa and some kid named Ryne Sandberg in the infield at Wrigley, Tom remained a backup infielder, seeing limited playing time with Chicago as well. He made his only postseason appearance with that magical 1984 NL East Champion team (just being a part of that team endears him to Cub fans everywhere, regardless of how many games he played. However, the Cubs had a number one draft pick waiting in the wings to take over the shortstop role on the north side. Shawon Dunston made the jump to the majors in 1985, demoting Bowa to a reserve role and leaving Veryzer out of a job. It would be Tom Veryzer's last run in the majors. He finished his career with a batting average of .241, 14 home runs, 231 rbi's, and an OPS of .577. On the back of Veryzer's Topps card, Topps included a "Baseball Dates" section. The date highlighted on his card was April 13, 1925, and on that day, "Walter Johnson hurled 1-0, 15-inning shutout." However, baseball-reference has this game actually taking place on April 13, 1926.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #589. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #376 Gorman Thomas

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, December 26, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #376.
• Player Name, position, team: Gorman Thomas, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: April 6, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Brewers): 137 G, 452 AB, 70 R, 111 H, 24 2B, 1 3B, 32 HR, 86 RBI, .246 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pilots, #1st, June 1969.  Contract purchased by the Brewers 02/08/1978. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 18. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Led Midwest League with 31 Homers at Danville in 1971.  Led Texas eague with 26 Homers at San Antonio in 1972.  Hit .322 with 36 Homers, 114 RBIs and 114 Runs at Spokane in 1977.  Also led PCL batters with 320 Total Bases."
• Commentary: A man who can claim to have been drafted by the Seattle Pilots (of the 45 men who were drafted by the Pilots, only nine, including Thomas, made it to the majors).  Talk about buyer's remorse.  The Brewers knew Gorman could hit for power, but once in the majors, he just couldn't hit consistently, with averages below the Mendoza line in three of his first four seasons.  In 1977, the Brewers kept Thomas in the minors for the entire season, and then in October, traded him as the PTBNL in an August deal with the Rangers.  But for some reason, the Brewers bought his contract from the Rangers, so he never got to suit up for Texas.  With a chance to start anew with the Brew Crew in 1978, Gorman hit 32 home runs, drove in 86 rbi's, and finally got past the .200 career mark with a .246 average.  In 1979, Gorman hit a career high 45 home runs (which led the league that year) with 123 runs batted in, an average of .244 and OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .356/.539/.895 (all career highs).  The problem?  Prone to strikeouts, he also struck out a league high 175 times.  Regardless, he was considered for the MVP that year, finishing 7th in the balloting.  "Stormin' Gorman" was traded to the Indians in a five-player deal in 1983, and produced for the Tribe in 106 games.  The following year, it was off to Seattle, where for two-plus seasons, finally got to play for the city he was originally drafted to play for (even though the Pilots would move to Milwaukee one year into their existence).  In the middle of the 1986 season, he was released by the Mariners and signed on a month later with the Brewers.  Back in Milwaukee for a swansong, in 44 games, he hit 6 home runs and 10 rbi's.  He was released after that season and retired from playing.  He still has ties to the Brewers organization, making appearances in the community representing the team and also meets fans at Gorman's Corner, a concession stand named in his honor, on many weekend games at Miller Park.
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 24 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies#T113. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Cards That Make You Go...What??! of the Week: 2011 Topps 60-Years of Topps Eddie Murray #60YOT-28 and #60YOT-87

1979 Topps Eddie Murray #620. The original.

It's been a long time since I last did one of these segments. It was one of the first ones I did on this humble, little blog. For those who don't know what I mean whenever I would say "What??!," it's code for "What was Topps Thinking??! when they made this card (or these cards)." Past subjects include the 2007 Topps Alfonso Soriano / Daryle Ward cards, the 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Tommy Lasorda card, and the 1999 Topps Prospect Cards in Series 1 AND 2 that both featured Gabe Kapler.

Today's featured cards come from the wildly popular insert set from 2011 Topps: 60 Years of Topps. The subject? Eddie Murray? Why? It's not because each series consisted of only 59 cards (what...1951 too good to be reprinted???).

Just like in 2010, Topps included a set that consisted of cards that highlights every year of Topps' run in the baseball card world. And just like in 2010, a full set could be found in series 1 and 2 (not in the Update series believe it or not). But what Topps did drove me nuts in 2010, made me go crazy in 2011. Instead of just making these cards reprints (akin to the Mantle, Mays, Clemente, Ryan, and Aaron cards from 1996-2000, and my favorite 2001 Topps Through the Years set), Topps actually had to include a narrative about the specific card being featured on the front. Whether it was about the design or the player, the Company had something nice to say on the back of each card. To add insult to injury (for set collectors anyway), Topps did include reprint cards of every card used in this insert set. BUT THEY WERE SHORTPRINTED!!! So now, there are reprint cards out there that are booking much higher than the base cards they were highlighting. WHAT??!

With that aside. To represent the 1979 Topps set, Topps included the card of Eddie Murray for series 1. It is his second year card, and he was starting to come into his own as one of the Orioles young sluggers. He was a worthy player to represent this set (in 2001, the Through the Years card was of Oriole teammate Jim Palmer). So the base insert (#60YOT-28) included the following text on the back of the card:

2011 Topps 60-Years of Topps Eddie Murray #60YOT-28.

As the momentum of the rookie card chase built, Topps obliged with the introduction of team Prospects cards in 1979 - 26 of them with three players per squad. Pedro Guerrero was among them, but the most desirable rookie in the set turned out to be a light-hitting shortstop named Ozzie Smith. A solid group of veterans included Eddie Murray's second card (#640).

Hey, that's great. The blurb on the back combines a bit of baseball card history, the fact that Topps introduced team Prospects, and even mentioned the inclusion of the Wizard's rookie card. But Murray was the subject on the front. So he and his card was mentioned. His reprint card #640 was inserted as a SP for set collectors to chase. Fine.

But Topps created a second series for this insert set. And who did they pick as the subject for the 1979 card?

It wasn't Ozzie Smith. It wasn't even a prospect card of Pedro Guerrero. Heck, it wasn't even the aforementioned Jim Palmer. Once again, the subject for the 1979 card was...

EDDIE MURRAY!!!

WHAT??!

That's right. It was Eddie Murray again. Nothing against the Hall of Famer, but AGAIN??? They could have (and should have) picked anybody else, like the three guys above. They could have picked Jack Morris. Or even better. They could have featured Bump Willis (#369) wearing his Rangers jersey but had the Blue Jays as his team affiliation. They did correct Willis' card. That error card would have worked. I mean, no other card in either the 2010 or 2011 set was duplicated (not counting the Frank Thomas cards in the 2010 set...at least the card used in the second series was the infamous NNOF - No Name on Front). But here is Murray's card again. And the blurb on the back of the basic insert card (#60YOT-87)?:

2011 Topps 60-Years of Topps Eddie Murray #60YOT-87.

Rampant inflation didn't burn hobbyists in 1979; they still could purchase a Topps wax pack for 20 cents - the same price as the previous year. Potential treasures included the second Eddie Murray card (#640) and rookies for Ozzie Smith and Willie Wilson. One particularly prescient offering paired Nolan Ryan with the man he would pass atop the all-time strikeout list four years later - Walter Johnson.

So Topps name-dropped Ozzie Smith (again), Willie Wilson, and even Nolan Ryan. That's right. In 1979, Topps had a subset featuring active leaders and all-time leaders in statistical categories. Topps could have picked any of the other 725 cards from this set as the 1979 representative in series 2.

But they picked Eddie Murray's card.

And what was the kicker in all of this? Topps created reprint cards of the 59 cards utilized in series 2. That now means that there are not one...BUT TWO reprint cards of Murray's 1979 Topps card.

WHAT??!

This must have driven set collectors crazy. If Topps reprinted his card twice, that means that there are two identical cards they have to look out for and make sure that each are unique to the series they were a part of. But how can you tell the difference between the reprint card from series 1 and the one from series 2? You will have to look at the codes.

What codes?

The codes that have been printed on EVERY Topps card since 2009. You will see a 7 or 8-digit number at the bottom of every Topps card after the words: "FOR TRACKING INFO, PLEASE SEE WWW.TOPPS.COM. CODE#XXXXXXXX." If you go onto Topps website, look at the bottom of the page. Under the Help section, there is a link called CPSIA Tracking Labels. CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It was a law enacted in 2008 that was "aimed at protecting children 12 years of age and under from all products containing lead and pthalates." The act was originally aimed at toys, and other children's products. As baseball cards (and sport cards in general) are a child's plaything, Topps went ahead and complied with the act.

Back to the point. If you enter the number at the bottom of the card onto Topps' website for CPSIA tracking labels, you will get information about where the card was made and from what product it was distributed. For example, on Murray's base insert card from series one, the code number is #3621136. Typing that number and clicking on the search button will make the following information appear at the bottom of the page:

Product: 2011 Topps BB Series 1 Diamond Anniversary
CP code: 3621136
Manufacturer: Cartamundi USA
Manufacturer date: 12/23/10-1/06/11
Address: 5101 Highland Place, Dallas TX 75236

Hey, now we know where Topps prints the products (it's in the USA). I am linking the Cartamundi USA website here in case you're curious (there is no link on Topps' site).

So how will you know if you have the right card in with the right set? Look at the codes.

If you can't read the picture, the first code is #3621137. The results:


Product: 2011 Topps BB Series 1 Diamond Anniversary
CP code: 3621137
Manufacturer: Cartamundi USA
Manufacturer date: 12/23/10-1/06/11
Address: 5101 Highland Place, Dallas TX 75236

Okay, for series 2, the code is #3621136. But wait a minute. That is the same as the code for the base insert card. This isn't right. Oh but it is. So now what?

Start looking at the code cards on the other reprints. All series 1 reprints have the same CP code: 3621137. All series 2 reprints share the #3621136 code.

So be careful when you purchase either card for your reprint set. You will need to check the code on the bottom of both cards to determine what set the card is from (because certainly Topps isn't going to put that information on the cards anymore...remember 2001 Topps Archives???) I am still working on both the 2010 and 2011 Topps reprint sets. Thanks to both COMC.com and Sportlots.com, I am now more than 62% of the way there (182 of 292), with only 110 cards to go to complete both sets. I used the Black Friday deals at COMC to chip away at all the reprint cards from either set that were under $2.00. Needless to say, I'm going to take my time the rest of the way.

Good luck if you're still hunting for these cards. And Topps...

What Were You Thinking??!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #582 Paul Blair

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, October 29, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #582.
• Player Name, position, team: Paul Blair, outfielder, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: September 09, 1964.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Yankees): 75 G, 125 AB, 10 R, 22 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI,  .176 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 07/20/1961.  Traded by the Orioles to the Yankees 01/20/1977.  Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 16. This is his fifteenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: I'm looking really closely at this card, and I'm seeing that it is subtly airbrushed.  The pinstripes look to be drawn with a pen, and you can even see, right in the middle, the stripe is cut off and there is a pen line going down further.  Look at his left sleeve, the lines aren't even connected.  But he joined the team in 1977, how could they not have an actual card of the guy?  Even an action shot would have been better.  Paul Blair was winding down his career by this time. He was released by the Yanks after playing in two games only to sign on with the Reds in May of 1979 (and then re-signed with NYY in time for the 1980 season).  In 75 games with Cincinnati, he hit a low .150, with 2 home runs and 15 rbi's.  His nickname of "Motormouth" notwithstanding, and even with a number of superstar players he was proud to call his teammates, Paul was an outstanding player on the Orioles.  With the O's, Blair was a two-time All-Star, an 8 time Gold Glove winner, and a 4-time MVP candidate.  In 13 seasons and 1700 games with the O's, he hit 126 home runs, drove in 567 runs, stole 167 bases, and hit .254 (.694 OPS).  His last cards appeared in 2003 as part of Topps All-Time Fan Favorites product.  
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2012 Topps #323. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #600 George Foster

The ever popular Topps Card Randomizer has been in the shop since the end of January getting a much needed break/overhaul. Unfortunately, when I restarted it this morning, it still had a bit of a glitch,

Why do you ask?

Because the first card it picked was already featured on this humble little blog during the Randomizer's infancy (all the way back to January 12, 2010). Anyway, before I sent it back to the shop, it was able to give me a month's worth of cards to pick. And that's what we'll work with until we get something set so that it doesn't pick a card we've already had on here.

So bear with me as we kick off the summer with a repeat from last winter (ahem).

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, July 1, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #600.
• Player Name, position, team: George Foster, outfielder, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Reds): 158 G, 604 AB, 97 R, 170 H, 26 2B, 7 3B, 40 HR, 120 RBI, .281 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Giants #3rd, January 1968. Traded by the Giants to the Reds 05/29/1971. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 18. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: Hit 3 Homers in one game for the Reds vs. the Atlanta Braves at Riverfront, 07/14/1977. Many of the players' cards also had a little section called "Baseball Dates" where the question of "What Happened" on a certain date in baseball history. In Foster's case, the date is 04/18/1899 (John McGraw makes his managerial debut).
• Commentary: Now the last time this card was featured, the comments focused on the lack of the Reds' logo on his batting helmet.  Either the helmet was airbrushed off from the picture during editing, or (and don't send me nastygrams for me being ignorant about it) did his helmet not get the sticker/print job that was supposed to be on it?  Was the picture to be used for some unlicensed set (like Kraft for instance using a commenter's example) and Topps just used the same photo?  This is the kind of picture that the other card company could have used. But then again, they'd still be in the baseball card business, and...let's not go there.  Up until 1981, Topps would include the words "All-Star" on a player's regular card instead of creating a second card with that sole purpose in mind. By the time this card came out, Foster was already a three-time All-Star and the NL MVP in 1977, and his cards from the past couple of years also included the words "All-Star." And looking back, with only 726 cards in the set, it made sense just to include the All-Star moniker on the regular player card. When sets expanded to the glorious number of 792, then they had room to have two separate cards (a regular one, and an All-Star subset). I've been clamoring for years to increase the number of cards in the base set. Because since 1979, there are four more team, 100+ more roster spaces, and 660 cards in the eponymous Topps set. And that leaves people out who should get a card, even if that player is the third string catcher or the situational lefty in the bullpen. And what makes me want to grab the pitchforks and torches in the 2011 Topps set (as much as I love it), is something that will be the focus of my What??! of the Week on Monday.
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 28 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #689. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #687 Rennie Stennett

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, January 8, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #687.
• Player Name, position, team: Rennie Stennett, second baseman, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: July 10, 1971.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Pirates): 106 G, 333 AB, 30 R, 81 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 35 RBI, .243 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Pirates as a Free Agent 02/12/1969. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his eighth card.
• Blurb on the back: "Set modern record by going 7 for 7 in 9-inning game, 09/16/1975. also tied mark with 2 hits in each of 2 innings in same game. Had 12 hits in 3 games."
• Commentary: In my opinion, Topps designs in the 1970's came roaring in like a lion and out like a lamb. Classic designs from 1970, 1971, and 1972 (the gray border, black border, and psychedelic banners respectively) to start the decade, and pretty generic designs to end it (unless you're really good, you couldn't recognize which set was 1977, or 1979, or even 1978). As the years go on, these designs have become classics, and are now seen as appropriate for the era. This was also the first time Topps utilized their logo on the front of the card. Rennie Stennett was the Buc's second baseman throughout the 1970's. Though never an All-Star, the Panamanian native was an MVP Candidate in 1974 and 1977. In 1979, the "We are Family" Pirates won the World Series. Looking at Stennett's picture on the card, you have to wonder why the Pirates don't use the yellow uniforms anymore. They had a ton of success wearing them. Maybe the color was to blinding to the opposition. I don't know. But if the Blue Jays can bring back the 80's powder blue jerseys, why not the yellow and black 70's jerseys for the Pirates. Who wouldn't want to see Andrew McCutchen turning into a yellow blur in the outfield???
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.25.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 8 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: 1963 Topps #181. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #218 Dennis Leonard

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, September 1, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #218.
• Player Name, position, team: Dennis Leonard, pitcher, Kansas City Royals.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Royals): 40 G, 295 IP, 21-17, 125 R, 109 ER, 183 SO, 78 BB, 3.33 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Royals #2nd June, 1972. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Leonard's fifth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Compared to the colorful designs were the norm during the first part of the decade (see 1972, 1975, and 1976 Topps), the next few years' efforts seem so plain. They almost look the same in terms of appearance. Of course the designs were all different, but unless one really could distinguish the differences, they could easily be confused. What would Dennis Leonard have to do to make it to an All-Star team??? Between 1974 and 1975, the guy went 41 and 29, with 412 strikeouts and was a Cy Young candidate both years? I can assure you that if I had made up teams going back to 1974 and 1975, this guy would have made it onto the squad both times. Leonard was the ace of the Royals staff, and with a record going into the 1979 season of 73-50, he certainly was their man. The back of his card features a number of Leonard's major and minor league exploits: his California League leading 15 wins and 16 complete games in 1973; his 20 wins sharing the league lead in 1977; and pitching two no-hitters during his minor league career (doesn't specify dates). Along the side of many of the 1979 Topps cards, there is a feature called "Baseball Dates" In Leonard's case, the question is "What Happened on September 15, 1901??? The answer: The Chicago White Sox hit five triples in one inning.
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 1986 Topps #184. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #157 U. L. Washington

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, April 9, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #157.
• Player Name, position, team: U. L. Washington, outfielder, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 6, 1977.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Royals): 69 G, 129 AB, 10 R, 34 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .255 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Royals as a Free Agent 08/04/1972. Bats: both, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Washington's second regular Topps card. I have to take a look at the spreadsheet and see if there is anything wrong with it. Last Saturday's card was Dwight Evans' 1979 Topps #155 card. This card comes two numbers after Evans. I guess the randomizer likes the 1979 set. Otherwise, I don't know what's going on here. The number one source in the hobby says that this card is actually an "uncorrected error card" because, "Sic, bats left, should be right." Now I've been staring at the back of this card for quite some time. Can anybody tell me what the heck Beckett is talking about??? I mean I can see in the picture that U. L. is pictured batting in a left-handed batter's pose (he's a switch hitter), but 'sic?' Really??? Anyway. There are a number of players who go by their initials for their name. You know like CC, A. J., A. J., J. A., B. J., etc. The letters all stand for something (Carsten Charles, Allan James, Anthony John, James Anthony, Bossman Junior). You want to know what U. L. stands for??? Absolutely nothing. That was the his given name. Two letters. "U. L." That must have driven announcers, reporters, teachers, and others crazy. "What's your name, son?" "U. L." "What does 'U. L.' mean?" "U. L." Maybe his parents meant to call him 'Ewell' or something. But who am I to question a man's name? I mean, my name could easily be 'J. B.', but I haven't gone by that name since junior high (I started spelling out the name Jaybee in high school, and writing my name as JayBee since someone spelled my name out that way on a theatre program in college). U.L.'s major league career was just starting when this card came out (okay, it's his second year in the bigs, but he hadn't played much yet, only 79 games going into the 1979 season). The blurb on the back recalls Washington's minor league exploits, including the fact that he led the Appalachian League in sacrifice flies in 1973, along with double plays amongst shortstops. He led the American Association (AAA-Omaha) in at bats with 514. I guess when you don't have much to go on, you try to find something good to write about. That's stretching it a bit though. As with other cards from 1979, many included a Baseball Dates section, where the question of "What Happened" on a certain date in baseball history was asked on the card. On Washington's card, the date is 09/21/1934 (Brothers Dizzy and Daffy Dean of the Cardinals hurled double-shutouts over the Dodgers, Daffy threw a no-hitter. Said Dizzy, "If I'da known he was gonna throw one (no hitter), I'da thrown one, too.")
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Saturday: 1988 Topps #465. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #155 Dwight Evans

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, April 3, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #155.
• Player Name, position, team: Dwight Evans, outfielder, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 16, 1972.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Red Sox): 147 G, 497 AB, 75 R, 123 H, 24 2B, 2 3B, 24 HR, 63 RBI, .247 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Red Sox #5th, June 1969. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Evans' seventh regular Topps card. A young Evans pictured here (I remember him with a mustache in later pictures), looks like he was ready for picture day. The prior year, he participated in his first All-Star Game, and had won the second of what would be a team best eight Gold Glove awards. As with all 1979 Topps cards, it is remembered for the use (or the first appearance) of the "hook-t" Topps logo, which is now found on Target Throwback parallel cards in 2009 and 2010 (and for that matter, the Retired Signature sets from 2003 to 2005). The blurb on the back indicates that Dwight "tied the WS record for highest fielding percentage by an outfielder in a seven-game series with (a) 1.000 Pct. on 24 chances in 1975 Classic against Reds." Well, you can't really break perfection can you??? Tying the record is one thing, but how many chances did other outfielders have who had the same fielding percentage in a seven game series??? As with other cards from 1979, many included a Baseball Dates section, where the question of "What Happened" on a certain date in baseball history was asked on the card. On Evans' card, the date is 05/12/1963 (The Braves used 13 pitchers in a doubleheader).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.60-$1.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 36 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: 1967 Topps #254. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #291 Tom Griffin

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, March 20, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #291.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Griffin, pitcher, California Angels.
• Major League Debut: April 10, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Angels): 24 G, 56 IP, 3-4, 39 R, 25 ER, 35 SO, 31 BB, 4.02 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Astros #1st, January 1966. Signed with the Angels as a Free Agent 01/27/1978. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Griffin's tenth Topps card (this total includes his shared rookie card in the 1969 Topps set). The design for 1979 includes the Topps logo for the very first time (with the classic long curve on the "t"). Looking at my 2001 Topps Through the Years set, even before I acquired my 1979 Topps set, it seemed that from 1977-1980, the designs were all simple at best. And by simple I mean "blah." I think that if I rifled through a bunch of cards from this era without thinking, they'd all look staggeringly similar. Yes, I know each design is unique, but the designs looked plain. I mean, think about it...1976 used wild colors (and the famous player drawing by position) and 1981 at least had a dominating colored frame (and team cap) that sets them apart and makes them easily recognizable. The four years in between...not so much. Yes, they all have different designs, but I guess maybe because the choices for the 2001 TTY set for 1977-1980 were Carlton, Seaver, Palmer, and Ryan respectively...four HOF pitchers...I don't know...maybe that was it. Anyway, Griffin, at this point in his career, was now a journeyman pitcher. And in this classic pitchers pose, one must ask if the ball is still hidden in his glove. The picture is large, and could have been better suited for an action shot. But this is 1979, and Topps was still getting the hang of using action photos in their cards. In fact, looking back at all of Griffin's pictures, there was only one that used an action photo (1973). All others are posed. The blurb on the back just mentions that the Padres granted Griffin free agency on 10/28/1977 and that he signed with the Angels a few months later (01/27/1978), There is a "Baseball Dates" section on the back, asking what happened on 05/30/1904? The answer: Cubs' Frank Chance was Hit by Pitches 5 times in a doubleheader. Ouch.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 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: 1970 Topps #280. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1979 Topps #600 George Foster

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, January 12, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1979 Topps #600.
• Player Name, position, team: George Foster, outfielder, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1978 stats (Reds): 158 G, 604 AB, 97 R, 170 H, 26 2B, 7 3B, 40 HR, 120 RBI, .281 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Giants #3rd, January 1968. Traded by the Giants to the Reds 05/29/1971. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Foster's ninth regular Topps card (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards, and does not include any record breakers, league leaders, or other season highlight cards). Up until 1981, Topps would include the words "All-Star" on a player's regular card instead of creating a second card with that sole purpose in mind. By the time this card came out, Foster was already a three-time All-Star and the NL MVP in 1977, and his cards from the past couple of years also included the words "All-Star." The back of the card includes a blurb on a game in which Foster hit three home runs against the Atlanta Braves on 07/14/1977. Many of the players' cards also had a little section called "Baseball Dates" where the question of "What Happened" on a certain date in baseball history. In Foster's case, the date is 04/18/1899 (John McGraw makes his managerial debut).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 28 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2008 Topps #471. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash forward with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Card That Make You Go...What??! of the Week: 2001 Topps Archives Ozzie Smith #81 of 450

This installment of the What??! of the Week features a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest (if not the greatest) defensive shortstops of all time, Ozzie Smith. I'm definitely nitpicking this one because the purpose of the set this card is in was to reprint a player's first and last card. Let me rephrase that, FIRST (99% of the time, a player's rookie) and LAST Topps card.

To celebrate Topps 50th anniversary in the baseball card market, Topps created a set that consisted of the reprinted first and final cards of 200 players called 2001 Topps Archives. Five decades worth of legendary players, MVP's, World Series Champions, fan favorites, and Hall of Famers (some HOF to be's) were included in this set. Every Topps design from the previous 50 years was represented (except for one, two if you want to nitpick, at that point). They even included four players who appeared in only one Topps card. Because of the enormity of the set, and the number of players and cards involved, the set was broken into two series. Ozzie Smith was included among the players chosen in series I.

As many of us know, the Wizard of Oz's first Topps card came out in 1979 Topps (see below). That's the set with had an even more blah design than the one from 1978. It was basically a large picture above a baseball with the old Topps logo, the player's name and position, and a banner with the team's name on it. There couldn't be a simpler (and to be honest, duller) design than this one that the Topps Company could have chosen to close out the 70's. Ozzie was a member of the San Diego Padres at the time, and his rookie card shows the wizard-in-training in a brown and yellow (think hamburger and mustard colored...did somebody say McDonald's???) uniform with sideburns that were oh-so-70's. He's not even staring at the camera, as his gaze is focused to his right, showing of those mutton chops for the world to see. Looking back, I'm sure if he had a chance to do the picture over...(then again, see his 2006 Topps Rookie of the Week card...)


Anyway, if his rookie card was from 1979, why was this card used as his "first" card for the 2001 Topps Archives set???:


This card looks like it's from the 1980 Topps set. Meaning this is Ozzie's second-year card. For accuracy's sake, this should be considered an uncorrected error card. And while, yes, this does look better than his rookie card, it still should not have been used.

Did Topps not have a copy of his 1979 card? Did the designers of this set think that the '79 card look so bad that this was the next best thing? Did they think that people wouldn't notice? Was Ozzie himself involved in the decision??? Topps, what were you thinking???

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S. This is what Ozzie Smith's 2001 Topps Archives card should have looked like if they could just have used the right card:


Not a bad MS Paint cut and paste job if I do say so myself...jba