Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Traded #108T Lonnie Smith

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, November 5, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps Traded #108T.
• Player Name, position, team: Lonnie Smith, outfielder, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: September 2, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Phillies): 62 G, 176 AB, 40 R, 57 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 21 SB, .472 SLG, 18 BB, 14 SO, .324 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies #1st, June 1974. Traded by the Phillies to the Cardinals 11/20/1981. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 15. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Lonnie batted .600 (3-for-5) with 2 Runs and one Stolen Base vs. Astros in the 1980 N.L. Playoffs."
• Commentary: I don't remember who said it. I don't remember where I was when it was said. For that matter, I'm not sure if it was actually said the way I remember it. What I do remember is that somebody on the radio said (something to the effect of), "Every team Lonnie Smith has played for has been a winner." Now I know that can't be literally true. I am sure he played for a few teams that were closer to the bottom to the standings than the World Series. But then I started to look. Up until that time (this had to be around 1989-1990), Lonnie Smith played for the Phillies, Cardinals, and Royals. All three of those teams won a World Series title with Smith on the roster (the 1980 Phils, the 1982 Cardinals, and 1985 Royals). At the time this was pointed out, Smith was a member of the Braves, For those around during the mid-late 80's, you'll remember the Braves not as the perennial NL Division Champions (whether it be the West or East), but as the NL West doormats. The team finished in last place in 1990, and from 1985-1990, the team finished no higher than fifth. Further back, from the time the Braves lost the NLCS in 1969 to the Mets, to the time they lost to the Cardinals in 1982, the team finished fifth or last eight times, including four straight years in the basement. This team couldn't win, and here was Lonnie Smith, patrolling left field at Fulton County Stadium. He held his own though, hitting .302 with 33 home runs and 130 rbi's from 1988 to 1990, with percentages of .390/.480/.870. This could have been the first team that he plays for that fails to make it to the playoffs during his tenure. But then 1991 happened. You know the rest. The Braves won the division, and made it to the World Series, ensuring Smith's continuing legacy. No, the Braves lost in 1991, but it didn't matter. The foundation was there, and Smith was along for the ride. But this is not about Smith during the 1991 campaign. After playing for parts of four seasons with the Phillies, Smith was involved in a three-team, five-player deal that saw him wind up in St. Louis after the 1981 season ended. In his first season in a Cardinals' uniform, Smith adjusted rather well to the team's philosophy of speed and defense. In 1982, he hit for a .307 average, scored a league leading 120 runs, belted 8 home runs, drove in 69 rbi's, and stole 68 bases. His contributions helped lead the Cardinals to the playoffs. During the 1982 World Series against the Brewers, Smith hit .321 with score six runs, and help the Cards win their first title since 1967. He truly was a winner on the field. 
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 26 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1996 Topps #403. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1996 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #493 Chet Lemon

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, June 3, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #493.
• Player Name, position, team: Chet Lemon, outfielder, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 9, 1975.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (White Sox): 94 G, 328 AB, 50 R, 99 H, 23 2B, 6 3B, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 5 SB, .491 SLG, 33 BB, 48 SO, .302 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Athletics #1st, June 1972. Traded by the Athletics to the White Sox 06/15/1975. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 17. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Chet led the White Sox in Batting in 1979 & 1980."
• Commentary: Personally, I don't really collect autograph cards. I do have some in my collection, including one of Chet Lemon from the 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set, and that was only because he did not have a card in the base set, and I decided (I don't know where my head was at the time) that I wanted to know what design was used and what his card would have looked like had he appeared in the base set. So I managed to acquire all (except one...Tug McGraw) of the cards of the players who only had auto cards from that set and were not part of the base set. I did this for the remaining two years of ATFF's existance (yes, there were a few). When Topps Archives came back, I thought (again, don't know what I was thinking), "Why not collect all the autographs of the players who were not part of the ATFF SP subset?" Not including Gary Carter's 1975 sticker auto card, the Yu Darvish '86 card, and the Jose Oquendo "nine", there are 33 autographed cards of players who did not make the base set. I have 31 of them now, one I'm still looking for is Doug Drabek (whose card, ironically, was the first one I had "won" on the Bay only to learn that the card got lost in the mail). The other one, unless I somehow win the lottery, will be just a dream to buy. The card? Hank Aaron! Back to the point. Chet Lemon was a hitting machine for the White Sox from the mid 70's through the early 80's. In seven years with the White Sox, Lemon would hit for a combined .288 average, with 73 homers, 348 rbi's, and an OPS of .814. He led the AL in doubles in 1979 with 44, and proudly represented the Pale Hose in two All-Star Games (1978 and 1979) On November 27, 1981, Lemon was traded to the Tigers for outfielder Steve Kemp. While Kemp did well in his lone year in Chicago (.286, 19 HR, 98 RBI), Lemon spent the rest of his career as a member of the Tigers. In 1982, Lemon appeared in 125 games, hit .266 with 19 homers and 52 rbi's, and an OPS of .815. He led all of MLB by getting hit by a pitch 15 times, a trend he carried over from Chicago (he led the league in two of the three previous seasons) and would get plunked a career high 20 times in 1983. Firmly entrenched as the Tigers' center fielder, Lemon helped the Tigers run roughshod over the American League in 1984, culminating to a World Series victory over the Padres (curse you Garvey). For his part, Lemon went 5-17 with one rbi and two stolen bases in the five-game series. After nine seasons in Detroit, Lemon became ill with a serious spleen disease called polycythemia vera. After going through successful surgery, he tried for a comeback, but decided to retire after learning he would need a second surgery. In 2003, he had his spleen removed and is still active in baseball. He coaches two AAU teams (the appropriately named Chet Lemon's Juice and Juice II) in Florida. His son, Marcus, was a fourth round draft pick by the Rangers in 2006. He is currently playing for the Erie SeaWolves, the AA team of the Tigers.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 28 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #87. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Traded #13T Tom Brunansky

(On this Memorial Day, the blog remembers the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives so that we may live in a free society. We also want to pay our respects to the families who understood and supported the decisions of their loved ones to join and serve their country with honor.)

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, May 27, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps Traded #13T.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Brunansky, outfielder, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: April 9, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Salt Lake City, AAA-Pacific Coast): 96 G, 343 AB, 61 R, 114 H, 17 2B, 10 3B, 22 HR, 81 RBI, 6 SB, .633 SLG, 57 BB, 74 SO, .332 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Angels #1st, June 1978. Traded by the Angels to the Twins 05/12/1982. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 15. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Hit 2 Homers including inside-the-parker, 5/28/82."
• Commentary: Although the backs of the 1982 Topps Baseball set were set to a green background, the cards that were made for the Traded set were red. The 1982 Topps Traded set would be the last that would have a different background than their regular counterparts and the last (at the time) that would come in a grey card stock. Beginning in 1983, Topps would use a white cardboard stock for their traded sets. After a brief cup of coffee with the Angels in 1981, Thomas Andrew Brunansky found himself in Spokane, WA, the new AAA home of the Angels (the team called Salt Lake City home the year before). After 25 games and a .205 average, the Angels traded their former #1 draft pick to the Twins with Mike Walters and $400,000 for Doug Corbett and Rob Wilfong. It was with the Twins that Brunansky would make his mark in the majors. The newly planted right fielder would go on to hit for a .272 average in 1982, with 20 home runs, 46 rbi's, and what would eventually be a career best OPS at .848. In seven seasons with the Twins, he would appear in 916 games, go on to hit a cumulative .250 with 163 home runs, drive home 469 rbi's, be named to one All-Star Team (he would be the lone Twins rep at the 1985 ASG and "host" as the game was played in Minneapolis), and in 1987, helped the Twins win the World Series over the Cardinals. Ironically, it would be those very same Cardinals that "Bruno" would be traded to on April 22, 1988 for second baseman Tom Herr. Brunansky would provide the power that the speed-oriented Cardinals lacked, hitting a combined 43 home runs in his three seasons in St. Louis. He would be traded by the Cards to Boston for Lee Smith, and thanks to one dramatic season saving play, endeared himself to Red Sox Nation by helping the BoSox win the 1990 AL East division title. He signed with the Brewers for the 1993 season, but he would struggle at the plate, hitting .183 in 80 games. He would be traded back to Boston the following year, eventually announcing his retirement around the time of the great strike. He returned to the Twins' organization in 2010, working his way up the ranks as a minor league hitting coach. At the end of the 2012 season, he was named the Twins' hitting coach.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.25-$3.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 23 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH163. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

P.S.: For a list of the baseball players, from the US and other countries, who served and died for their country, please click on the link here.

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #513 Rick Rhoden

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, January 21, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #513.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick Rhoden, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: July 5, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Pirates): 21 G, 136 IP, 9-4, 66 R, 59 ER, 76 SO, 53 BB, 21 GS, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 0 SV, 3.90 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Dodgers, #1st, June 1971. Traded by the Dodgers to the Pirates 04/09/1979. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 17. This is his eighth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: I'm glad that Topps has finally figured out that if they use the appropriate team colors and incorporate them into the design for each team that not only would it make sense, but it would be aesthetically pleasing to look at.  Could you imagine Pirates fans in 1982 opening packs of their cards and finding a card of Rick Rhoden, wearing a jacket over his black and gold uniform, with orange and purple borders??!  Yikes.  In 1982, Rhoden went 11-14 in his decisions, a 4.14 ERA, 128 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.342.  A very good hitting pitcher, he went 22 for 83 (for a good .265 average) and hit three home runs and drove in 12 rbi's.  In fact, Rhoden won the Silver Slugger award for three consecutive years (1984-86).  In those years, he had a .270 average with one home run and 20 rbi's in 113 games and 271 plate appearances.  His OBP/SLG/OPS percentages were .288/.355/.643.  Greg Maddux once said that a pitcher hitting .200 or better is just like a batter hitting .300 or better.  So it is safe to believe that Rhoden was no slouch at the plate.  By the time he left Pittsburgh for the bright lights of New York, Rhoden finished with a 79-73 record with 39 complete games, 9 of them shutouts.  He struck out 852 batters against 440 walks, for a WHIP of 1.313.  In his final year with the Pirates, he was named to his second All-Star Team.  When he finished his career in baseball, he began his second career as a professional golfer.  He qualified for the US Senior Open and is a dominant player on the Celebrity Players Tour.  He has won the American Century Celebrity Gold Classic eight times with 18 top ten finishes as of the end of the 2012.    
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 21 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2010 Topps #603. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Traded #63T Sixto Lezcano

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, January 10, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps Traded #63T.
• Player Name, position, team: Sixto Lezcano, outfielder, San Diego Padres.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Cardinals): 72 G, 214 AB, 25 R, 57 H, 8 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 0 SB, .393 SLG, 40 BB, 40 SO, .266 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Brewers as a Free Agent 10/01/1970.  Traded by the Cardinals to the Padres 12/10/1981. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: All the Traded sets that I had bought prior to this one normally used the same design for the backs of the cards and were also printed on white card stock (as they were printed in Ireland).  Of course, the 1990 Topps Traded set was sold in both the regular gray stock (if buying packs) and white card stock (full sets).  So imagine my surprise when I bought the full set of 1982 Topps Traded to find that instead of using the green card backs used in the regular set that they used a red card back.  Hey, if there was a way to differentiate both sets... But just like the regular cards from the '82 hockey...I mean baseball card set, above the player's statistics are two sections that include a comic and a blurb about a random player.  On this card, the comic caption mentions that Dan Meyer "had 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts with the Tigers in 1976." The blurb to the right of the comic honors Bryn Smith who "won his first big league game on 09/21/1981, pitching only 1/3 inning vs. Phillies in 17 inning game."  Sixto Lezcano (who I had continually misspelled as Lexcano) was a decent ball player in the mid 70's through early 80's.  He wasn't an All-Star, but as a member of the Brewers in 1979, on the strenght of 28 home runs and 101 rbi's, along with a .321 batting average, he finished 15th in the MVP voting that year.  He was traded to the Cardinals at the end of the 1980 season in a 7-player trade that saw Rollie Fingers and Ted Simmons go to the Brewers.  After his season with the Cards, he was traded to the Padres in a six-player trade (players to be named later were exchanged as well on both sides).  He was probably the second fiddle in this trade as the main components involved shortstops Garry Templeton and Ozzie Smith.  With the Padres in 1982, Lezcano hit 16 home runs, drove in 84 rbi's, and had a .289 average.  His stay with the Padres lasted until the end of August, 1983, when he was traded to the Phillies in a trade that involved "players to be named later."  The Phillies used Lezcano for their playoff push for the rest of the 1983 season.  In the NLCS, Lezcano went 4 for 13 with a home run and two rbi's, helping to beat the Dodgers and propel the Phil's to their second World Series in four years. He ended his playing career with the cross-state Pirates in 1985.  He presently is a batting coach for the Danville Braves. 
• Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 14 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1990 Topps #36. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #228 Sam Mejias

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, January 08, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #228.
• Player Name, position, team: Sam Mejias, outfielder, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: September 06, 1976.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Reds): 66 G, 49 AB, 6 R, 14 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, .327 SLG, 2 BB, 9 SO, .286 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Brewers as a Free Agent 10/24/1970. Contract purchased by the Reds from the Cubs 07/04/1979. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 5. This is his fifth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Sam hit bases-loaded Triple on his birthday, 05/09/1980."
• Commentary: The 2013 version of Topps Archives will honor the 1982 set by using it as one of the four designs for its base set (along with 1972, 1985, and 1990).  Above the player's statistics are two sections that include a comic and a blurb about a random player.  On this card, the comic caption mentions Phil Niekro's "200th Complete Game came vs. Pirates, 05/01/1979." The blurb to the right of the comic honors Willie Stargell, who "hit 296 HRs from 1970 thru 1979 to lead all active players."  This is one of those rare instances that I've seen on the back of a baseball card when a position player has more game appearances (66) than at bats (49).  Before joining the Reds, Mejias saw time with the Cardinals, Expos, and Cubs (he does not have a Topps card as a Cub...Topps didn't come up with the idea of a Traded set until 1981).  Sam Mejias was a bench player who did get to start six games in 1981.  He'd be a guy that would not get a Topps card today.  He would have gotten more time had he not missed all of June that year.  Because 1981 was his last year in the majors, the totals on the back of his card are complete (.247 average with 4 home runs and 31 rbi's).  Since his playing days ended, he became a manager in the Reds' minor league system and was a coach for the Mariners and Orioles. 
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #262. 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: 1982 Topps #282 Ken Macha

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, November 21, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #282.
• Player Name, position, team: Ken Macha, third baseman, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: September 14, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Blue Jays): 37 G, 85 AB, 4 R, 17 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB, .224 SLG, 8 BB, 15 SO, .200 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates, #6th, June 1972. Contract purchased by the Blue Jays 01/15/1981. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his second and final Topps card as a player (his other four are as a manager).
• Blurb on the back: "Ken's 1st big league Homer came May 4, 1980."
• Commentary: If you didn't know any better (and I think it was mentioned before...but not by me, I think the Night Owl pointed this out), this design could have easily been used for a Topps Hockey set.  Look at the hockey sticks coming down on the left side of the card.  There is a comic and a fun fact on the back of most of the player cards.  On the card of Ken Macha, the comic mentions that Bob Horner had 35 RBI's during the month of July 1980, and the fun fact mentions that "In 1977, Gaylord Perry was the only A.L. pitcher to defeat each of the other 13 clubs."  Before being known to us younger folk (remember, I didn't start following baseball until after 1987) as manager for the Athletics and Brewers, Ken Macha was a frequent traveller between the Pirates' AAA clubs in Charleston and Columbus and the big club in Pittsburgh.  He was exposed to the Rule V draft and was selected by the Expos.  With his contract purchased by the Blue Jays, he spent his final year as a bench player with Toronto.  It would turn out to be his last season in the majors.  He spent the next four seasons with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League.  After he retired as a player in 1985, he returned to the Expos as a coach.  He was named manager of the Red Sox' minor league teams in Trenton and Pawtucket before returning to the majors as a coach for former teammate Art Howe in Oakland.  When Howe left for the Mets after the 2002 season, Macha was promoted to manager.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1983 Topps #279. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #470 John Mayberry

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 21, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #470.
• Player Name, position, team: John Mayberry, first baseman, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1968.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Blue Jays): 94 G, 290 AB, 34 R, 72 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 43 RBI, 1 SB, .452 SLG, 44 BB, 45 SO, .248 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Astros, #1st, June 1967. Traded by the Royals to the Blue Jays 04/04/1978. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his twelfth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: It's hard to believe that the alternate uniforms being used by the Blue Jays now are called "retro" when the team last used those jerseys in 1983. Is 27 years really retro??? I feel old. Anyway, John Mayberry was a slugger for the Royals and was still providing the power when he arrived in Toronto. In his five seasons with the Blue Jays, Mayberry hit 92 home runs, drove in 272 rbi's, had a high .802 OPS, and a .256 batting average. By 1982, though, the skills were starting to diminish, and Mayberry was traded to the Yankees in the middle of the season.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2005 Topps #44. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Traded #76T Keith Moreland

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 12, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps Traded #76T.
• Player Name, position, team: Keith Moreland, catcher-outfielder, Chicago Cubs.
  Major League Debut: October 1, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Phillies): 61 G, 196 AB, 16 R, 50 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 1 SB, .383 SLG, 15 BB, 13 SO, .255 AVG.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Phillies, #7th, June 1975. Traded by the Phillies to the Cubs 12/08/1981. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his third card.
• Blurb on the back: "Keith belted 2 homers and scored 3 runs in helping Phillies to 8-4 win over Astros, August 22, 1981."
• Commentary: Ever notice that while the back of the cards of the base set is predominantly green, the backs of their traded cards are bright orange??? This was even before the Topps Company used the white cardboard that we became accustomed to in later Traded sets. Topps could have easily used this the 1982 design for their NHL Hockey set (see below for an example):
  
  
  But alas, the design is now more associated with baseball cards than anything, especially since this set is the home of the Ripken (rookie cards). Keith Moreland was one of the sparkplugs of the legendary 1984 Cubs team. Along with players like Dernier, Sandberg, Durham, Sutcliffe, et.al, Moreland helped the Cubs win their first ever Eastern Division title. It would be the Cubs' first appearance in the postseason since that dreaded 1945 WS. And although the Cubs didn't get to the promised land, many of the team's players continue to stir great memories in Chicago baseball.
• Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 13 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2000 Topps Traded and Rookies #T134. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #92 Brad Havens

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, October 7, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #92.
• Player Name, position, team: Brad Havens, pitcher, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: June 5, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Twins): 14 G, 78 IP, 3-6, 33 R, 31 ER, 44 SO, 24 BB, 12 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 3.58 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Angels #8th, June 1977. Traded by the Angels to the Twins 02/03/1979. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Havens' first regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). I think one of the other bloggers (I'm going to guess the Night Owl) calls this set the hockey stick set. And I never noticed that until he pointed that out. I always thought of the multi colored lines going down the left side of the cards as just an extension to where the team and player names are located, like ribbons. But hockey sticks makes more sense. Havens will be remembered as being included in the deal that sent Hall of Famer Rod Carew to the Angels. Prior to joining the Twins, the blurb on the bottom of the stats says that he was the "California League's strikeout leader in 1980" with 179 K's. Which wasn't even his career high up to that point. In 1978, with Quad Cities, he struck out 197 batters. Above Havens' card is a cartoon and another fact describing a feat in MLB history. The cartoon features Carl Yastrzemski, who hit 5 home runs in 2 straight games, on May 19 and 20, 1976. The factoid features Frank Robinson, the Giants Manager at the time, who, with a career total of 586 HR's, hit one in every 17.08 times at bat. Havens would go on to play for Orioles, Dodgers, Indians and Detroit, finishing his career with a 24-37 record, 370 K's, and 3 saves. He also did get a World Series ring as a member of that 1988 Dodgers team.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T127. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #686 Gary Allenson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, May 5, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #686.
• Player Name, position, team: Gary Allenson, catcher, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: April 8, 1979.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Red Sox): 42 G, 139 AB, 23 R, 31 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB, .388 SLG, 23 BB, 33 SO, .223 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Red Sox #9th, June 1976. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Allenson's third regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). You know, I have to agree with Night Owl, and it's something I never noticed before. But those lines that come down from the top left corner to where the team name and the player's name do look a lot like hockey sticks. Allenson began his major league career as Carlton Fisk's replacement when he out for most of the 1979 season. Upon Fisk's return, Allenson remained as the team's primary backup. Where space allows, the backs of the players cards include a comic and a quick blurb that do not involve the subject of the card whatsoever. In the cartoon, it reads, "Reggie Jackson set 5 records during the 1977 World Series. The blurb mentions how Cleveland's Municipal Stadium "was the only AL park in which Lance Parrish didn't hit a HR in 1980."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2006 Topps #152. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps #719 Jerry Narron

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, April 20, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps #719.
• Player Name, position, team: Jerry Narron, catcher, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: April 13, 1979.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Mariners): 76 G, 203 AB, 13 R, 45 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 0 SB, .291 SLG, 16 BB, 35 SO, .222 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Yankees #5th, June 1974. Traded by the Yankees to the Mariners 11/01/1979. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Narron's third regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The 1982 Topps set is mostly remembered for being the set that holds the rookie card of an Iron Man, but what is significant about this set is that it was the first of a long string of sets that held 792 cards. No more was there a need to double print an entire row of cards on each of the six sheets that made up a full set. And once again, green seems to be the favorite color choice when it comes to the backs of the cards (although the traded sets have orange backs). This was also the first set that incorporated the modern Topps logo as part of the design. Narron, at this time, was the back up catcher for the Mariners. Where space allows, the backs of the players cards include a comic and a quick blurb that do not involve the subject of the card whatsoever. In the cartoon, it reads, "Glenn Abbott combined with 3 other A's pitchers in a no-hitter 09/28/1975 (against the Angels, with Vida Blue who started the game, Paul Lindblad, and Rollie Fingers). The blurb mentions how Jerry Reuss "posted his 30th career shutout on 08/21/1981 vs. the Cardinals."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1996 Topps #71. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1996 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Traded #2T Jesse Barfield

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

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps Traded #2T.
• Player Name, position, team: Jesse Barfield, outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: September 3, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Blue Jays): 25 G, 95 AB, 7 R, 22 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 SB, .368 SLG, 4 BB, 19 SO, .267 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Blue Jays #9th June 1977. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Barfield's second Topps card (this total includes his shared rookie card in the 1982 Topps set). The unique thing about the 1982 Topps Traded set is that while the card backs of the regular 1982 Topps set uses a green background, the Traded set utilizes a red one. All other aspects of the design, front and back, are the same. The blurb on the back indicates that Barfield's first home run in 1982 was a grand slam on April 24. There is a cartoon above the the player's name, card number, and vital stats, as well as a mini factoid, neither about Jesse. The cartoon talks about the Twins' Rob Wilfong and how he led the team with 11 bunt hits in the 1980 season. The factoid is about Dave Kingman, one of only 14 players to hit over 200 HR's (252) in the 1970's.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.25-$3.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 20 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: 1962 Topps #324. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Traded #23T Chili Davis

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 01, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1982 Topps Traded #23T.
• Player Name, position, team: Chili Davis, outfielder, San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: April 10, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1981 stats (Giants): 8 G, 15 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 SB, .133 SLG, 1 BB, 2 SO, .133 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Giants #11th, June 1977. Bats: both, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Davis' second regular Topps card (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards). He was included in the regular 1982 Topps set, sharing a card with fellow Giants' Future Stars Bob Brenly and Bob Tufts. The background color of 1982 Topps cards was green, the background color of 1982 Topps Traded cards were red. If there was room, cards included a cartoon and a factoid that may or may not necessarily be about the player. In the case of Davis' traded card, the cartoon was about Johnnie LeMaster hitting a HR in his first at bat, and the factoid was about Carl Yastrzemski hitting exactly 101 home runs from 1970-1974, and again from 1975-1979.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.25-$3.00.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps #200. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see what card this is (unless you've already skipped ahead and found it for yourself...but come back anyway!!!)

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama