Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #822 Rick Reuschel

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, January 2, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #822.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick Reuschel, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: June 19, 1972.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Cubs): 38 G, 257 IP, 11-13, 111 R, 97 ER, 140 SO, 76 BB, 38 GS, 6 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.40 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cub s #3rd, June 1970. Traded by the Cubs to the Yankees 06/12/1981. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 19. This is his tenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "The ace of Cubs staff, Rick led the club in Complete Games and Srikeouts during the 1980 season."
• Commentary: This is Topps' third try at a "Traded" set, the first since 1976. With competition finally allowed to enter the baseball card market, Topps needed to find something to stand out among the crowd. At the time, each company made one set (how about that)? So for Topps, the idea of creating an "end-of-the-year" set sounded like a brilliant one. So Topps created a 132-card supplement to their 726 card set. And instead of numbering them as a new set (the way they do it now), the first card of the set is #727, making it look as if it was a continuation of the original set. After a decade with the Cubs, Rick Reuschel was traded off to the New York Yankees on June 12, 1981. The Yankees, looking for pitching help for a run at the playoffs during the strike-shortened 1981 season, sent Doug Bird, Mike Griffin (a PTBNL), and $400,000 to Chicago. Well, with the Yankees, Reuschel appeared in 12 games, 11 starts, went 4-4 with an ERA of 2.67, striking out 22 batters in 70.2 innings of work. The Yankees did make it to the postseason, and while the Bronx Bombers did go on to defeat the Brewers in a "Divisional Series," Reuschel took the loss in Game 4, in a close 2-1 contest. During the World Series, Reuschel appeared in two games, starting Game 4, an 8-7 loss, and appeared in relief during the decisive Game 6. A contract dispute with his new team plus a torn rotator cuff kept "Big Daddy" off the mound in 1982. He was released by the Yankees after the 1982 season. It didn't find long to find work...he rejoined the Cubs for the 1983 season.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 29.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1997 Topps #353. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, December 21, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #207.
• Player Name, position, team: Ozzie Smith, shortstop, San Diego Padres.
• Special: Record Breaker: Most Assists by a Shortstop, Season.
• Headline on the Back: "Smith Sets New Assist Mark For Shortstops"
• Any special information about this specific card: On October 5, 1980, the final game of the season for both the Padres and Giants, Larry Herndon grounded out to Ozzie Smith, ending the fifth inning. Smith would be replaced in the bottom of the sixth defensively. When Smith made the throw to Gene Tenace at first base, it would be the 621st and final assist that Smith would make that year, which was now the new record for assists by a shortstop. Realistically, the "Wizard of Oz" set the record a week earlier against the Dodgers on September 26, when his second assist of the night (a Steve Yeager groundout) broke the mark established by Glenn Wright of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1924. As of the end of the 2013 season, the record has yet to be broken. Smith, who would be elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 2002 thanks in large part to his defense, presently holds the MLB record for assists by a shortstop with 8,375 (the active leader in this statistic as of the end of the 2013 campaign is the Yankees' Derek Jeter with 6,349). The MLB record for assists, regardless of position is held by Rabbit Maranville with 8,967 of them. But of that number, 7,354 were from the shortstop position, more than 1000 behind the Wizard.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.75-$2.00.

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: 1958 Topps #396. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #843 Jason Thompson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, October 22, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #843.
• Player Name, position, team: Jason Thompson, first baseman, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: April 23, 1976.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Angels): 102 G, 312 AB, 59 R, 99 H, 14 2B, 0 3B, 17 HR, 70 RBI, 2 SB, .526 SLG, 70 BB, 60 SO, .317 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Tigers #4th, June 1975. Traded by the Angels to the Pirates Yankees 04/01/1981. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his sixth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: A two-time All-Star with the Tigers in the late 70's, Jason Dolph Thompson found himself traded to the Angels on May 27, 1980 for rightfielder Al Cowens. He would be traded just before the end of spring training in 1981 to Pittsburgh in exchange for Mickey Mahler and Ed Ott. During the strike-shortened season, Thompson appeared in 86 games, hit for a .242 average with 15 home runs and 42 rbi's. It would be the following year that he would prove that the Bucs received the better end of the trade. In what would be his third All-Star season, Thompson hit .284 with 31 home runs, 101 rbi's, 100 walks (becoming the third player in Pirates history with 100 rbi's and walks during the same season) and had percentages of .391/.511/.902. He finished with a .993 fielding percentage, committing 10 errors in 1510 chances. During his stay in the Steel City, Thompson hit for a cumulative.259 with 93 homers, 354 rbi's (the same number or rbi's he drove in with Detroit), and an .808 OPS. In 1986, he was traded to the Montréal Expos. After 30 games in which he hit for a .196 average, and with a young up-and-comer named Andres Galarraga taking over the reins at first base, Thompson was released, thus ending his MLB playing career.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #256. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 2004 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #666 Detroit Tigers Team Card

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, June 6, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #666.
• Team: 1980 Detroit Tigers.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats: Manager Sparky Anderson, 84-78, .519 PCT., 19 GB, Fourth Place AL East.
• Commentary: When I saw the number of today's card, I really thought, "Yes, a player who knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs." Then I saw the year and remembered, "Drat, this isn't Topps Total!" Besides, the Yankees, who finished first in the AL East were eliminated by the Royals in the ALCS (yes folks, the Royals were a very good team back then). The Tigers, on the other hand, finished in fourth place, 19 games behind the Yankees (and a half game up on Boston). But the Tigers had young stars in Alan Trammell & Lou Whitaker manning the middle infield (as they would all throughout the 80's and early 90's), sluggers Lance Parrish & Kirk Gibson, along with skipper Sparky Anderson, a nucleus was there that would in four seasons steamroller all over the AL. Parrish led the 1980 Tigers in home runs (24) while Trammell was the hitting star with an even .300 average. The Tigers ace, Jack Morris, was a workhorse at the plate, with a record of 16-15, 11 complete games, and two shutouts, even with an ERA of 4.18. Closer Aurelio Lopez anchored the bullpen with 21 saves as well as a 13-6 record and 3.77 ERA. In 1981, thanks to a strike-shortened season, the Tigers finished a combined 60-49, good for a cumulative third in the AL East. The back of the card provides team collectors a complete Tigers team checklist. There are 26 players on the list: 10 pitchers, 2 catchers, 6 outfielders, 6 infielders, and two guys (Rick Peters and Johnny Wockenfuss) who played multiple positions (the utility guys).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1990 Topps Traded #107T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #508 Rob Dressler

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, February 27, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #508.
• Player Name, position, team: Rob Dressler, pitcher, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: September 7, 1975.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Mariners): 30 G, 149 IP, 4-10, 75 R, 66 ER, 50 SO, 33 BB, 14 GS, 3 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.98 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Giants #1st, June 1972. Contract purchased by the Mariners 06/07/1979. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his fourth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Rob combined on shutout vs. Rangers, 9-5-79."
• Commentary: I have to be honest. This is the best picture that Topps could come up with for Rob Dressler? You can barely see his face thanks to the shadow caused by the bill of his cap. Then again, you have to wonder if he even has a ball in his glove as he is posing in the windup (if you want to even call it that). And this is Dressler's final Topps card too, so there was no chance of redemption. I guess this is the most that has ever written about Dressler's card. The randomizer chose it, so I should make a bit more of an effort. Dressler's major league career spanned five seasons. He spent most of his time in the minors throughout his career, making brief appearances in the majors until 1976. On the strength of a 5-1 record and 1.12 ERA with the minor league affiliate in Phoenix (AAA-PCL), Dressler was called up in May and joined the Giants rotation. With the Giants in 1976, he started 19 of the 25 games he appeared in, went 3-10 with a 4.42 ERA and 33 strikeouts. He spent all of 1977 and part of 1978 in the minors before being the PTBNL in an earlier deal with the Cardinals. He made 3 appearances with the Cardinals, all after being a September call-up. He went 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings of work. He was traded to the Mariners in April 11, 1979, and after a brief stint with the M's AAA team in Spokane, he joined the big club in Seattle in June, where he went 3-2 in 21 games of work. Dressler finally broke camp with a big league team in 1980 as he was selected to join the M's bullpen. However, he was promoted to the starting rotation in the end of July and as a full-time starter, he went 4-6 in thirteen starts, with an ERA of 3.39 and 19 strikeouts. He was released from the Mariners before the end of Spring Training in 1981 and ended his playing career. As 1980 would be his final season, the career statistics on the back of Dressler's Topps card is complete. There are two cartoon blurbs on the bottom of the card, the first mentions that Rob "hurled one-hitter for Lafayettte vs Alexandria, Opening Day, 1975." The second caption mentions that Rob "majors in Accounting at Portland State University during off-season." There is a post on another blog (called the Playful Utopia) that does a better job of describing Rob Dressler's career. And if you decide to click on the link, keep an eye on the comment section. It looks like somebody is doing rather well for himself since his playing days after all.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1983 Topps Traded #34T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #738 Bert Blyleven

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, February 07, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #738.
• Player Name, position, team: Bert Blyleven, pitcher, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: June 05, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Pirates): 34 G, 217 IP, 8/13, 102 R, 92 ER, 168 SO, 59 BB, 32 GS, 5 CG, 2 SHO, 0 SV, 3.82 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Twins #3rd, June 1969. Traded by the Pirates to the Indians 12/09/1980. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 25. This is his twelfth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: Topps' first traded cards (or at least the concept of traded cards) actually began in 1972 when within their final series, they included seven cards featuring players who were traded off to other teams. Big names too (Steve Carlton, Joe Morgan, Denny McLain, Frank Robinson, Jim Fregosi, Rick Wise, and Jose Cardenal). Each player is wearing the colors of their new teams and there was a big "Traded" stamp right in the middle of the picture. The first traded sets independent of the regular set came out in 1974 and then again in 1976. It wasn't until 1981 that a Topps Traded set became an annual product sold only to hobby shops. Rik Aalbert Blijleven, aka Bert Blyleven, was a 22-year veteran pitcher for five teams. His numbers were overlooked by Hall of Fame voters but thanks to sabermetrics, his numbers were more appreciated and many understood just how good he really was. It all came to a head when he was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. But around the time this card came out, he was known as a the player who was signed ot a 22-year contract by the Texas Rangers only to be traded two seasons later to the Pirates (the only NL team he would pitch for in his career). He was traded to the Indians in a six-player trade, with Manny Sanguillen joining him in the transaction. In his first year with the Tribe, Bert went 11-7 with an ERA of 2.88, struck out 107 batters in 159.1 innings of work. His best season in Cleveland happened in 1984, when Blyleven went 19-7 with a 2.97 ERA. He finished third in the Cy Young voting that year. An All-Star with the Indians in 1985 (it would be his second All-Star Nod and the first since 1973), he was traded to the Twins for four players. It would be his second run with the Twins, last pitching for them in 1976. After three more years with the Twins and another four with the California Angels (he was out all of 1991 due to injury), he retired from the game at the age of 41 with a career 287-250 record, 60 shutouts, an ERA of 3.31, and 3,701 strikeouts. He is presently the the color commentator for the Twins on television, a role he has played since 1996.
• Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 42 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #396. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #223 Roy Lee Jackson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, December 19, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #223.
• Player Name, position, team: Roy Lee Jackson, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: September 13, 1977.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Mets): 24 G, 71 IP, 1-7, 37 R, 33 ER, 58 SO, 20 BB, 8 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 1 SV, 4.18 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 06/27/1975. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "His 1st big league Win came vs. Cardinals, 09/30/1979."
• Commentary: I remember during the early 90's when there would be advertisements for baseball cards.  You'd hear the name of Donruss, Fleer, Score, and even Upper Deck.  Where was Topps in all of this?  They had more than 40 years in the business and yet they couldn't be included in the commercial about baseball cards?  I'm sure there were good reasons, it all depends on who you'd talk to.  Even some of the books (yes, I do have them) would utilize cards from the other 4 companies on the cover, yet have color pictures of Topps cards within it?  My point?  If Topps were to use this design today, I would guarantee you that the team logo would be included on the cap of the card, and not the team name and position.  The position might be put in where the baseball is (instead of the word Topps), and there'd be a Topps logo floating around somewhere.  On the back of Roy Lee's card, there are two cartoons with captions about Jackson's career.  The first mentions that he was on the All-Star Team for the Appalachian League in 1975.  The second mentions that he "works in the magnetic tape business during the off-season."  Yes, folks, many players had jobs during the off-season.  And obviously, there is no specification (because there is no room for it) as to what exactly he did in the magnetic tape business.  So here is Jackson, a September call up for the Mets from 1977 through 1979, finally getting a chance to play for the Mets after June.  His stay was long enough to finally give Topps the chance to put him on a card, even though they had three other opportunities prior (you know that they'd have done it too if Roy Lee played now instead of in the late 70's).  However, Roy Lee did not play for the Mets in 1981.  He was traded to the Blue Jays before the end of the year for Bob Bailor.  With the Jays, Jackson went 1-2 with an ERA of 2.61, 7 saves, and 27 strikeouts.  A workhorse for the Jays in the bullpen, Jackson saved 30 games of the 93 games he finished, compiled a 24-21 record, struck out 204 batters, and had an ERA of 3.50.  He was released by the Blue Jays before the 1985 season, finding work with the Orioles organization before being traded to the Padres.  He would spend a season with San Diego before being released and then signed by the Minnesota Twins.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 2001 Topps #623. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #16 Ron Davis

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, October 24, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #16.
• Player Name, position, team: Ron Davis, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: July 29, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Yankees): 53 G, 131 IP, 9-3, 50 R, 43 ER, 65 SO, 32 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 7 SV, 2.95 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs, #3rd, June 1976.  Traded by the Cubs to the Yankees 06/12/1978.  Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Ron won 2 games vs. Red Sox in Yankees 4-game sweep of crucial series at Fenway Park, Sept., 1980."
• Commentary: The baseball cap set finally broke the string of actually boring designs from 1977 through 1980.  The wildly colored borders (that didn't really match the team colors...pink...really?)  Ron Davis had a wildly successful run out of the Yankees bullpen as the decades changed.  His 14-2, 2.86, 43-strikeout rookie season earned him a fourth place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.  He followed that up with a 9-3, 2.95, 65 K season to show he did not suffer the ills of a sophomore slump.  So how did he do in 1981?  He was named to the 1981 AL All-Star Team, finished with a 4-5 record (for an up to career record of 27-10 record), 2.71 ERA, 83 K's, and a WHIP of 0.986.  He was traded to the Twins as the 1982 season was going underway (the trade also included future Twins star Greg Gagne).  Not finding as much success with the Twins as he did in his time with the Yankees, he was traded to the Cubs during the 1986 season, and finished his career in the west coast with both the Dodgers and Giants.  Although out of baseball now (except for the camps he runs for youths in Arizona), he is living vicariously through the exploits of his son, first baseman Ike Davis of the New York Mets.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1993 Topps #424. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #778 Ruppert Jones

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, October 22, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #778.
• Name, position, team: Ruppert Jones, outfielder, San Diego Padres.
• Major League Debut: August 1, 1976.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Yankees): 83 G, 328 AB, 38 R, 73 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 18 SB, .357 SLG, 34 BB, 50 SO, .223 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Royals #3rd, June 1973. Traded by the Yankees to the Padres 04/01/1981. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Jones' sixth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). If you ever wondered why the Padres colors were brown and yellow, it's not because brown was the color of the Friar's robes (although it is a striking coincidence), nor is it because the team's owner, Ray Kroc, wanted the team to wear the color of hamburgers and mustard to remind fans to go to McDonalds. It was because brown was his favorite color of the team's original owner C. Arnholt Smith. Everything had to be brown, from the car he drove, to the team's official stationary (must have been hard to read then). This is Ruppert Jones' second appearance on the Random Card of the Day. The first was his 1977 rookie card shared with Jack Clark, Lee Mazzilli, and Dan Thomas on 05/11/2010. By this time, he had already been drafted by the Seattle Mariners and had a good three-year run with the fledgling franchise. He was one of the M's first all-stars in 1977 and even hit the Mariners first inside the park home run on 08/06/1977 (that's according to one of the two comics at the back of his card). He was traded to the Yankees after the 1979 season and even though he only appeared in 83 games, he finished third on the team in stolen bases with his 18 (that's a bit of stretching isn't it???). He was traded again on 04/01/1981 to the Padres and appeared in 105 games for the Friars. He hit for a .249 clip to go with 4 home runs and 39 rbi's. The following year, he became an All-Star. The other comic on the back of his card mentions that Ruppert was on the same high school team as major leaguers Claudell Washington and Glenn Burke.
• Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 15 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1977 Topps #594. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #835 Rusty Staub

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, August 20, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #835.
• Player Name, position, team: Rusty Staub, first baseman, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: April 9, 1963.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Rangers): 109 G, 340 AB, 42 R, 102 H, 23 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 1 SB, .459 SLG, 39 BB, 18 SO, .300 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Colt 45's as a Free Agent 09/11/1961. Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 12/16/1980. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Staub's nineteenth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Staub was featured in our 2011 Topps Archives Project last year (which I will probably bring back after this season is over going into next year's 60th anniversary). Funny, even though he played in the 1971 and 1972 seasons, he doesn't have Topps cards for the following year (that would be 1972 and 1973 Topps sets). Why is that? A commenter in my Archives post said it was a licensing disagreement. I won't dispute it, but can somebody verify this? Staub played for the Mets previously (from 1972-1975), and after the 1980 season, resigned with the team as a Free Agent. Much of what I would have written about Staub I covered before, but in the event that you don't want to click on the link, I'll go through some of the highlights. He is the last Colt .45 player to play in the majors. He was a member of the first Expos team in 1969, and endeared himself to the French-Canadian fan base by learning how to speak French. He became known as "Le Grande Orange" thanks to his red hair. During his second tour of duty with the Mets, not only did he serve as the team's first baseman, but he also became one of the team's coaches. Since his retirement, he was a restaurant owner, a Mets broadcaster, and more importantly, established the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund in 1986, which raises and distributes money to the families of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty.
• Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 16 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #556. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #375 Dave Concepcion

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, June 24, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #375.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Concepcion, shortstop, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: April 6, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Reds): 156 G, 622 AB, 72 R, 162 H, 31 2B, 8 3B, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 12 SB, .360 SLG, 37 BB, 107 SO, .260 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed by the Reds as a Free Agent 09/12/1967. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Concepcion's eleventh regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including the 1967 Topps Venezuelan card, which came four years before his rookie card in 1971). Is it just me, or is it because Topps couldn't use team logos that they decided on hats as an integral part of the 1981 Topps design? They couldn't even put the hat logos on the card, just the position and team name. When the 1993 Topps Archives Basketball cards came out, the 1981 design (they used the baseball designs for the "Missing Years") had the actual team logos where the hat would have been. By the time this card came out in 1981, Dave was already a 7-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove Winner, and as a member of the Big Red Machine in the 1970's, appeared in 4 World Series, with the Reds winning in 1975-76. His career at this point would be easily comparable to a certain NY shortstop, but I'm not going there. Based on the picture on the card, it looks like the Reds were at Shea Stadium that particular afternoon. It must be early in the ball game when this picture was shot...the players in the dugout aren't really paying attention to what's going on in the field. Look how compact Concepcion is in his batting stance. He may not have hit for power (at this time, it wasn't really a necessity for shortstops), but at least we know he could hit. Many Reds fans are still wondering why Concepcion hasn't been enshrined in Cooperstown yet? He was on the ballot for fifteen years, and didn't make it. Perhaps the newly re-formed Veteran's Committee will correct this slight. When it is done, though, is any body's guess.
• Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 25 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2002 Topps #623. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #415 Ben Oglivie

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, June 12, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #415.
• Player Name, position, team: Ben Oglivie, outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1971.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Brewers): 156 G, 592 AB, 94 R, 180 H, 26 2B, 2 3B, 41 HR, 118 RBI, 11 SB, .563 SLG, 54 BB, 71 SO, .295 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Red Sox #11th, June 1971. Traded by the Tigers to the Brewers 12/09/1977. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Oglivie's ninth regular Topps card (total includes base and traded cards only). After looking at a card from the 1981 Traded set, we come today to pay homage to one of Harvey's Wallbangers, one of the main players of a team that brought postseason glory to the baseball hungry fans of Milwaukee, WI. Ben Oglivie had the best years of his career playing for the Brew Crew. In 1980, he made his first All-Star team, and finished the year among the leaders in home runs (actually, he and Reggie Jackson shared the AL home run crown with 41) and rbi's (a career high 118). He was an MVP candidate, and in 1982, helped send the Brewers to the World Series. In nine years with the Brewers, Oglivie hit for an .277 average, blasted 176 home runs, and drove in 685. In 2002, he was one of six players honored with his own Topps Reprint baseball card day. However, it was a reprint of his 1980 Topps card that was given away. There is a part of me that still believes that the Brewers belong in the American League.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 15 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: 1959 Topps #470. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #826 Joe Rudi

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, June 8, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #826.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Rudi, outfielder, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: April 11, 1967.
• 191t Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Angels): 104 G, 372 AB, 42 R, 88 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 53 RBI, 1 SB, .417 SLG, 17 BB, 84 K, .237 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the A's as a Free Agent 06/13/1964. Traded by the Angels to the Red Sox 01/23/1981. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Rudi's fourteenth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The 1981 Topps Traded set was the first set Topps produced since 1976. The reason? Competition. Donruss and Fleer both won the rights to produce baseball cards, ending Topps' monopoly on the Hobby since 1956 when the Topps Company bought out its rival Bowman. So now Topps needed something to stand out from the newly formed crowd. It did so by producing an end of the year update set that was to be sold only in hobby shops. Enter the 1981 Topps Traded set. Now, believe it or not, the 1981 Topps set, mostly remembered for its use of baseball caps in the design, does use the Topps logo last seen in 1979 (albeit on the back of the card...incidentally, this would be the last time that the old Topps logo would be used). And instead of differentiating the Traded set from the regular set, the cards started numerically after the last card from the 1981 Topps set, so it started with 727 and so forth. As the randomizer originally selected 1981 Topps Traded #110, that really meant #826, which is what we're here to discuss today. Joe Rudi, after many successful years with both the Oakland A's (not Athletics...A's) and California Angels (not the Anaheim Angels, not the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...California Angels), was sent off to Boston as part of a five player deal that saw Fred Lynn, the first player to become ROY and MVP in the same season, to California. It did appear though, that he was starting to wind his career down as he only played sparingly with the Red Sox in the 1981 season. He returned to the A's after the 1981 season, but injuries caught up with him and by that time, he saw limited action. He was released by the team by the end of the 1983 season. He was a 3-time All Star, a three time Gold Glove winner, and a three-time World Series Champion. Who said good things didn't come in threes?
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2002 Topps #17. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 2002 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps Traded #753 Dick Davis

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, March 18, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps Traded #753.
• Player Name, position, team: Dick Davis, outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: July 12, 1977.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Brewers): 106 G, 365 AB, 50 R, 99 H, 26 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 5 SB, .386 SLG, 11 BB, 42 SO, .271 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed by the Brewers as a Free Agent 07/10/1972. Traded by the Brewers to the Phillies 03/01/1981. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Davis' fourth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). With the introduction of the 1981 Topps Traded set, Topps began to respond to its new found competition in the marketplace. Donruss and Fleer both won the rights to produce baseball cards and for the first time since 1956, Topps had company in the baseball card business. So in what way could they stand out against their new rivals? Create an update set. Not another series that adds to the eponymous set, but a whole new product entirely. Genius. Their first attempt at it came in the form of this 1981 Topps Traded product. At 132 cards, Topps realized that they didn't have to waste an entire row with double printed cards (something that they must have recognized as from 1982-1992, every set contained 792 cards instead of 726). The stock used was the same as the base set, and because the card numbers started at #727, the only way to tell where the regular set ends and the traded set begins is by checking to see when the players names start appearing in alphabetical order. The following year, Topps added a "T" to their traded sets, to further distinguish it as a separate product. Davis was traded to the Phillies in the middle of spring training, and saw limited action with his new team in 1981. He ended his career the following year, playing for the Phils, Blue Jays, and Pirates (in each instance, was traded for another player, lasting with the Jays for only one week). The back of the card notes that "Dick batted .391 against the Yankees in 1979." Two cartoons below the note state that Dick "earned 3 letters in basketball during his high school career" and that he "has been nicknamed 'Sweetness' by his teammates."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1984 Topps #784. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1981 Topps #443 Jim Beattie

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, January 16, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1981 Topps #443.
• Player Name, position, team: Jim Beattie, pitcher, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: April 25, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1980 stats (Mariners): 33 G, 187 IP , 5-15, 115 R, 101 ER, 67 SO, 98 BB, 29 GS, 3 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 4.85 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Yankees #4th June 1975. Traded by the Yankees to the Mariners 11/01/1979. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Beattie's third regular Topps card (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards). The word Topps makes an appearance on the card, albeit not the familiar logo we've all been accustomed to (that begins in 1982). The design this year is mostly remembered for the use of the hats as an integral part of the design. Note that all the hats, except for the Pirates hat, are all regular baseball caps, with the button top. The Pirates hat is flat. Why? I don't know. Beattie didn't do too well in 1980, and the statistics show it. The card itself was double printed, meaning there are more of this card than others. Topps printed all their cards on six sheets that would be 11 cards across, and 12 cards down. However, there are only 726 cards in this set, on each sheet containing 132 cards, 11 cards were printed twice. With six different sheets, that's 66 DP cards.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 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: 1972 Topps #713. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama