RIP Tony Gwynn 1960-2014

I..I can't stand it.

It really doesn't seem that long ago that the man was on the field, hitting the ball with precision rarely seen in the game.

I actually did a double take when I saw this and now, I can't think straight.

I know that players come and go, and that eventually all will go to that baseball diamond in the sky.

But this man has left us so soon.

I just found out that Tony Gwynn passed away.

In 1996, along with celebrating the life of Mickey Mantle, Topps used both Gwynn and Kirby Puckett, two of the game's best hitters of the time, as spokesmen for their baseball cards. Both men did "scouting reports" on their respective league's best players of the time and Topps included insert cards featuring these reports.

Ironically, that means that both of Topps' eventual Hall of Fame spokesmen have now died.

Since retirement, Gwynn became the coach of the San Diego State Aztecs baseball team. He apparently was on leave since March due to the effects of oral cancer (due to years of chewing smokeless tobacco). And he even had to endure two operations for cancer in his right cheek.

During his 20-year, Hall-of-Fame career, all with his hometown San Diego Padres, the man who would become known as "Mr. Padre" appeared in 2,440 games, made 10,232 plate appearances. He hit for a .338 career average, had 3,141 career hits, walked 790 times while striking out only 434 times (in 20 years!!!). His percentages were .388/.459/.847. He was a fifteen-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger winner, four-time Gold Glover, and considered for the NL MVP twelve times.

In 2007, Gwynn was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame with a high 97.6% of the vote (only 13 writers denied him a vote) in his first year of eligibility.

And now, he's gone.

My condolences go out to the Gwynn family, the Padres organization, Major League Baseball, and fans everywhere.

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #442 Brian Downing

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, December 3, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #442.
• Player Name, position, team: Brian Downing, outfielder, California Angels.
• Major League Debut: May 31, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Angels): 158 G, 623 AB, 109 R, 175 H, 37 2B, 2 3B, 28 HR, 84 RBI, 2 SB, .482 SLG, 86 BB, 58 SO, .281 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the White Sox as a Free Agent 08/19/1969. Traded by the White Sox to the Angels 12/05/1977. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 20. This is his tenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Belted 2 Homers in 6-2 win vs. Twins, 4-17-82. His 8th-inning Homer produced 2-1 win vs. Yankees, 7-11-82."
• Commentary: Brian Jay Downing had one incredibly long and fruitful career in the major leagues. Twenty seasons (from 1973 through 1992) for only three teams in the American League West (the White Sox, Angels, and Rangers). He earned the nickname "The Incredible Hulk" for reasons beyond me (baseball-reference says it's due to his physique). Although neither of Downing's 2011 Topps Archives Project cards (I really have to get that going again...it would be fun again to do, even if I start them up again in 2014!!!) will feature him in either of in a Halo's uniform, by the time he signed with Texas, he left the Angels as their career leader in games (1661), at bats (5854), runs (889), hits (1588), total bases (2580), doubles (282), home runs (222), rbi's (846), and walks (866). He would even be inducted into the Angels' Hall of Fame in 2009. The 1983 season was a bit of a let down for Downing. Injuries kept him off the field from the second week in May through late June. He would hit .246 with 19 home runs and 53 rbi's in 473 plate appearances. It would be the only year in a seven season span that he would miss hitting 20 home runs (it would also be the only season in an eight-year stretch that he'd miss getting a hundred or more hits). In 2002, the Angels, in conjunction with Topps, commemorated the 20th anniversary of their AL West Division Championship team with a SGA (special giveaway) reprint set of 1983 Topps Angels team set. It would be Downing's first appearance on a Topps card since his 1992. 
• Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 22 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1991 Topps Traded #91T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1991 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #706 1982 Strikeout Leaders

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, November 8, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #706.
• Player Name, position, team: Floyd Bannister, pitcher, Seattle Mariners; Steve Carlton, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Special: 1982 AL and NL Strikeout Leaders
• Commentary: When the Topps Company actually made enough cards to include them in their eponymous sets, there would be room for statistical leader cards. Whether Topps used an All-Star card (as was the practice in the late 80's through early 90's), or as a card such as this one, one could always flip the back of the card to see who were the top players in a certain statistical category. For the subject of today's RTotD, Topps paired the strikeout kings of the 1982 season: Floyd Bannister of the Mariners, who topped the AL with 209 K's; and future HOF Steve Carlton of the Phillies, who led the majors with 286 strikeouts. Looking at the back of this card, you would also learn that Mario Soto of the Reds AND Nolan Ryan of the Astros struck out more batters (274 and 245 respectively) than Bannister, ranking Floyd #4 in the category for MLB. For Bannister, 1982 would be his best season in the Majors. On the heels of leading the AL with 110 K's, along with a 8-5 record, 3.15 ERA, and 2 shutouts, he was named to his first (and only) All-Star Team. He finished the season with a 12-13 record, but established himself as the M's ace. "Lefty," on the other hand, had another "typical" year for himself. By "typical," I mean, he won another Cy Young Award (his fourth and final one), was named an All-Star (for the tenth and final time), and finished the year with a commanding 23-11 record, 19 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 3.10 ERA in 38 starts. Following Bannister on the K-list are Len Barker (Indians, 187), Yankees pitchers Dave Righetti (163) and Ron Guidry (162), John Tudor (Red Sox, 146), Rick Sutcliffe (Indians, 142), Dave Stieb (Blue Jays, 141), teammate Jim Beattie (140), Jim Clancy (Blue Jays, 139) and Jack Morris (Tigers, 135). After Carlton, Soto, and Ryan on the NL side are Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers, 199), Steve Rogers (Expos, 179), Bob Welch (Dodgers, 176), Don Robinson (Pirates, 165) Scott Sanderson (Expos 158), Bruce Berenyl (Reds, 157), and Bill Gullickson (Expos (155).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2007 Topps #542. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #556 Willie Upshaw

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, October 24, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #556.
• Player Name, position, team: Willie Upshaw, first baseman, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: April 9, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Blue Jays): 160 G, 580 AB, 77 R, 155 H, 25 2B, 7 3B, 21 HR, 75 RBI, 8 SB, .443 SLG, 52 BB, 90 SO, .267 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Yankees #5th, June 1975. Drafted by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft, 12/05/1977. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Willie collected 3 Hits including a Home Run in Blue Jays' 11-inning,5-3 win at Seattle, 6-23-82."
• Commentary: As of the end of the 2013 season, there have been only 54 baseball players in the major leagues whose last name began with the letter "U." Until guys like Uggla and the Upton brothers did it in the last couple of years, Willie Clay Upshaw was the all-time home run leader for a guy whose last name started with "U," (and with that, our Sesame Street moment is over). Upshaw's best season in the majors would be in 1983, when he hit what would be career highs in many of the hitting numbers (.306 average, 27 homers, 104 rbi's - becoming the first player in Blue Jays' history to reach the century mark in this category), .809 OPS, 11th on the MVP voting). He would be a steady presence in the Jays lineup at first base throughout the mid 80's. By the time he left Toronto (they had some guy named McGriff waiting in the wings as their future first baseman) for Cleveland, Upshaw finished his run with Toronto with a cumulative .265 average, 112 home runs, 528 runs driven in, percentages of .336/.426/.762, and 88 stolen bases in 1,115 games played. After a year in Cleveland, Upshaw took his talents to Japan, playing for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 1989-90 (hitting 33 home runs in '89) before retiring as an active player. He has gone on to be a first base coach of both the Indians (2000-2005) and the Giants from 2006-2007 (was the first person to congratulate Barry Bonds on his 756th home run) and minor league manager. He recently finished his fourth season (seventh overall) as manager of the independent league (Atlantic) Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps Traded #124T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps Traded #22T Terry Crowley

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, October 8, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps Traded #22T.
• Player Name, position, team: Terry Crowley, first baseman, Montréal Expos.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1969.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Orioles): 65 G, 93 AB, 8 R, 22 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 0 SB, .355 SLG, 21 BB, 9 SO, .237 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Orioles #11th, June 1966. Signed with the Expos as a Free Agent 05/24/1983. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 15. This is his fourteenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Terry delivered with 9th-inning, pinch-Grand Slammer to give Orioles 10-6 win over Royals, August 8, 1982."
• Commentary: After a three-year run with the Reds and the Braves in the mid 70's (which included a World Series title with the 1975 Reds), Terrence Michael Crowley returned to the Orioles, knowing full well that with a roster of All-Stars and future stars, that the chances of him being on the roster was not the best (he didn't make it onto the roster in 1977 as the team decided to take rookie Eddie Murray instead). Knowing that he didn't belong in the minors, Crowley tore through the International League (30 homers, 80 rbi's, and a .308 average) and after a September call-up to Baltimore, never had to play in the minors again. From 1978 through 1982, Crowley was the O's primary pinch-hitter, earning the respect from managers throughout the AL by being voted the best PH in 1979. But after the 1982 season, he was released by the O's, but the Orioles had a plan to name him a hitting instructor. He was considering the new job, thus ending his MLB career, but when the Expos called, he decided to take the job for at least one more run. In 50 games, 55 plate appearances, Crowley hit .182 with three rbi's and 2 runs scored. After the season ended, Crowley decided to retire from playing. After spending time as a hitting instructor or coach with the Orioles and Red Sox, Crowley was named the hitting coach of the 1991 Minnesota Twins, the team that went from "worst to first" and won the 1991 World Series. Eight seasons later, he returned to the O's, becoming their hitting coach through the 2011 season.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2008 Topps #366. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 2008 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps Traded #79T Dale Murray

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, May 18, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps Traded #79T.
• Player Name, position, team: Dale Murray, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: July 7, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Blue Jays): 56 G, 111 IP, 8-7, 48 R, 39 ER, 60 SO, 32 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 11 SV, 3.16 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Expos #18th, June 1970. Traded by the Blue Jays to the Yankees 12/09/1982. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his eighth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Was credited with Victory in 8-4 win vs. Rangers, 4-27-82. Hurled scoreless ball for Win June 1, 1982."
• Commentary: Dale Albert Murray (not to be confused with Braves legend Dale Murphy) was an extremely effective relief pitcher who pitched in the mid-70's through the mid-80's. He even led the league in games pitched with an unbelievable (probably at the time) 81 games in 1976, meaning that he made at least one appearance in half of the Expos' games that season. The native Texan really enjoyed his time in Canada as he played for both the Expos (1974-76, 1979-1980) and Blue Jays (1981-1982), combining for a 30-28 with 201 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.17, and a 1.355 WHIP. In between his stints with Montréal, he spent time with the Reds and Mets. The Blue Jays traded Murray and minor leaguer Tom Dodd to the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Dave Collins, pitcher (and future MLB traveller Mike Morgan), and a first baseman prospect named Fred McGriff. In Murray's first year in the Bronx, Murray appeared in 40 games and 94.1 innings of work. He earned a 2-4 record with 45 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.48. He stayed with the Yankees until 1985, when he was released and subsequently signed with the Texas Rangers. But after one game in which he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) in one inning of work (what would wind up being his final major league appearance), he was sent down to the Rangers' AAA team in Oklahoma City, finishing his career with the 89ers and retiring after the season ended.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 9.

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: 1973 Topps #78. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #269 Ron Oester

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, May 10, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #269.
• Player Name, position, team: Ron Oester, second baseman, Cincinnati Reds.
• Major League Debut: September 10, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Reds): 151 G, 549 AB, 63 R, 143 H, 19 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 47 RBI, 5 SB, .359 SLG, 35 BB, 82 SO, .260 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Reds #9th, June 1974. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Ron celebrated his 26th birthday by collecting 2 Singles and a Triple with 2 RBI's vs. Astros, May 5, 1982."
• Commentary: Wouldn't it be great if every team in baseball could make a more concerted effort to draft and sign homegrown talent, akin to what colleges do? Many college programs try to recruit heavily either within the state or at least in the cities that they are based. I'd find it interesting if a team of 25 Chicagoans took on a team of 25 Cincinnatians for example for some real bragging rights? Then again, I'd think the Cincinnati team would win. The Reds have done a fantastic job scouting local talent, many of whom eventually make it as a member of the Reds. Barry Larkin is a prime example of a native of the Queen City to make an impact with the Reds. Pete Rose? Yes, he was born in Cincinnati too. Another Cincinnati-born Red was Ronald John Oester, who manned second base for the Reds for most of his thirteen years in the majors. While not a power hitter or a flashy fielder, he quietly did his job at the plate and on the field. He would reach what would eventually be career highs in both home runs (11) and rbi's (58) in 1983. He also hit career highs in strikeouts that year too (106) while hitting .264 with an OPS of .707. In 1987, Oester's season was ended by a torn ACL caused by a combination of a collision and getting his cleats caught in the artificial turf utilized at Riverfront Stadium. It would be more than a year before he returned to action. He won the Hutch Award in 1988, which is given to a player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire." By 1990, he was relegated to the bench as Mariano Duncan took more of the starts at second. He still hit a good .299 and drove in 13 rbi's in 64 games. He was added onto the Reds' playoff roster, and as a pinch hitter, went 2-4 with an run driven in as the Reds won the 1990 World Series. It was a nice sendoff for Ron, whose major league playing career ended after the season was over. He finished his career with a .265 average, 42 home runs, 344 rbi's, 40 stolen bases, and an OPS of .679 in 1276 games played as a Red. He presently is an infield instructor for the Chicago White Sox.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 14.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1998 Topps #68. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #193 Harry Spilman

(Due to the flooding that occurred in my neighborhood on Thursday, April 18, 2013, I was not able to get this post out at the scheduled time. I am just catching up now.)

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, April 19, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #193.
• Player Name, position, team: Harry Spilman, first baseman, Houston Astros.
• Major League Debut: September 11, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Astros): 38 G, 61 AB, 7 R, 17 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, .459 SLG, 5 BB, 10 SO, .279 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Reds as a Free Agent 06/25/1974. Traded by the Reds to the Astros 06/08/1981. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his sixth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Cracked pinch-Single and scored Run at LA, 7-3-82."
• Commentary: Notice how the Topps logo is incorporated into the border of the top half of the card? It connects the "t" and the "s" by going the long way around. Here is another guy who wouldn't get any Hobby love in today's cardboard world. But in 1983, even the bench guys got cards. William Harry Spilman earned a reputation as one of the games best pinch hitters. Even after being traded to the Astros in the middle of the season, Spilman hit an incredible .310 (9-29) with four walks in 33 games that he was called to pinch hit. After tearing it up in Tucson for the first couple of months in the 1982 season, Spilman was called up to the Astros in June and from June 15 through September 5, made 25 straight appearances exclusively as a pinch hitter, going 6-24 with a homer and 2 rbi's. In 1983, the first season that saw him not go back to the minors, not only did Spilman see time as the team's exclusive pinch hitter and back up first baseman, but he also took a few games in at catcher. He did not do so well that year in the pinch hitting department, (1-21 , but that one hit was a three-run homer), which contributed to a .167 average and nine rbi's. He spent seven seasons with Houston (1981-1985, and a return to the team towards the end of the 1988 season through 1989), hitting a cumulative .222 with 7 home runs, and 43 rbi's. He signed with the Tigers before the 1986 season, but after 24 games, was released. He signed with the Giants the following day, and spent parts of three seasons with the team before returning to the Astros in August of 1988. He would travel back and forth from Houston and Tucson in his second run with the Astros before calling it quits after the 1990 season. One thing of note about Harry Spilman: he would warm up future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan during the off-season, and Ryan even credited Spilman for helping him stay in shape, enough shape to see him through his seventh no-hitter. He served as a hitting coach for the Nashville Sounds from 2007 to 2008.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 11.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1977 Topps #495. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #578 David Green

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, March 4, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #578.
• Player Name, position, team: David Green, outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Louisville, AAA-American Association): 46 G, 174 AB, 45 R, 60 H, 5 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 7 SB, .575 SLG, 18 BB, 23 SO, .345 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Brewers as a Free Agent 09/24/1978. Traded by the Brewers to the Cardinals 12/12/1980. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 5. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Had 2 Singles with Stolen Base & 2 Runs, 5-24-82."
• Commentary: I was actually thinking about it this morning, but as a set collector, do I look at common cards as merely a number on a wantlist or do I consider the player assigned the number that year? I have been to many card shows where men and women are seated in front of a stack of cards with a notebook filled with set names and numbers. But no players. Now I understand that space is limited on a paper and that time is off the essence when it comes to compiling the lists and then using it to search for the cards needed to fill a collection. But once in a while, do you think about the player on the card that you're looking for? There is just so much to the story of a player, whether a star or a reserve, a player who as collectors we would consider "Hobby darlings" or "mere commons" that we don't think about. Now, I'm not talking about delving into the personal lives of ever player (that would be impossible, time consuming, and a bit creepy, don't you think?), even though the interwebs makes finding the info of a person relatively easy to find. I'm just wondering if we ever stop to think about how did this player get to the majors from time to time. Such is the case of David Green, certainly a player whose last years in the majors came before I started following the game. Recently, baseball-reference has included, if there is one, the biography of a player written by the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) called the SABR BioProject. In this case, one was posted for Green that you can see here. His story is truly incredible. By all intents and purposes, as David Alejandro Casaya Green grew up in Nicaragua, he developed into such a talented player. So much so, that he was in demand by a handful of teams. It was the Brewers who made the decision to sign Green, and so began his minor league journey. And he performed rather well, hitting .262 with 8 home runs and 70 rbi's. He was promoted to Holyoke the next year and became an Eastern League All-Star. The Cardinals saw something in him too because they insisted that if they were to consummate a trade with the Brewers at the end of the 1980 season that would send Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons, and Pete Vukovich to Milwaukee that Green be included in the package. Green became a September callup in the 1981 season, but was, in Herzog's own words "overawed" by the experience that he hit a low .147 average and drove in 2 rbi's. In 1982, Green made the club as a reserve outfielder, most of the time coming in as a defensive replacement in centerfield. A groin injury put him on the shelf for a few weeks, and the man that was called in to replace him, Willie McGee, performed so well that by the time Green was back that there was no place to put him. So David was sent back to Louisville to get some playing time. As you can see by his numbers (last line of statistics), he did so well down there that the Cards had no choice but to bring him back to St. Louis. In 76 games with the Cards that year, David hit a good .283 with 2 home runs and 23 rbi's. He stole 11 bases for a team that was being built for speed on the bases. In the 1982 World Series, Green appeared in all seven games, scoring three runs and hitting .200 as the Cardinals became World Champions. Coming into the 1983 season, the Cardinals really tried to find a place for Green to play. It took a bit of maneuvering (trading away Keith Hernandez to the Mets, and moving George Hendrick to first), but Green became the team's right fielder. In 146 games that year, David Green took advantage of the opportunity and hit for career highs in average (.284) rbi's (69, 8 home runs), stolen bases (34), triples (10), and OPS (.713). All was right in the world for David Green, until off the field problems became too much for him (which you can read more about in the bio...I don't think it is necessary to get into it here). In February of 1985, Green was traded with three others to the Giants in exchange for Jack Clark. He hit .248 that year, with 5 home runs and 20 rbi's in 106 games. In December that year, he was traded to the Brewers. But this time, the team released their once heralded prospect and so began his worldwide odyssey, playing for both the Mexican League (with the Monterrey Sultanes) and in Japan (with the Kintetsu Buffaloes). He signed with the Cardinals for a fourteen-game stretch in September, but was not added to the team's postseason roster. It would also be his final appearance in the majors. He would go on to play for the Braves and Rangers' organizations, and would also play with various teams in the Mexican League until 1991, when he finally hung up the spikes for good. He has kept himself in the game since retirement, coaching a high school team with former teammate Curt Ford, and has kept ties with the Cardinals, appearing for autograph shows sponsored by the team's "Cardinals Care charity." His nephew, Eduardo Green III, was a prospect with the Giants in 2006. Now the back of David Green's 1982 Topps card also includes three season highlights from the 1982 season. These include: April 18: singled home tying run in 9th & winning run in 11th inning; April 28: had game-winning RBI; and August 5: went 2-for-3 with RBI & 2 runs in 7-3 win vs. Bucs.
• Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2011 Topps #376. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps Traded #34T Julio Franco

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, February 28, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps Traded #34T.
• Player Name, position, team: Julio Franco, shortstop, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: April 23, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Phillies): 16 G, 29 AB, 3 R, 8 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, .310 SLG, 2 BB, 4 SO, .276 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Phillies as a Free Agent 04/23/1978. Traded by the Phillies to the Indians 12/09/1982. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 20. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Julio smashed inside-the-park Homer, April 30, 1983."
• Commentary: The card above is considered an XRC. What is an XRC? According to Beckett, it means Extended Rookie Card. It was designated by Dr. James Beckett, who had to find a way to determine what to call cards that were not distributed through normal channels, in this case, packs sold in Hobby stores and retail shops across the country. Even though under "normal" circumstances, this card, as it is Julio's first Topps card, would be considered a Rookie Card, because this card was included in a complete set that was exclusively sold in Hobby Shops, it did not fit the definition as established by Dr. Beckett. So hence the tag "XRC." Who knew that a throw-in to the infamous Phillies-Indians trade that sent Von Hayes to Philly for five players would have a long and prosperous career in baseball, not just in the United States, but around the world. He has spent time with teams in Japan (Chibe Lotte Marines 1995 & 1998), Mexico (Mexico City Tigres 1999 & 2001) and Korea (Samsung Lions 2000). But before he traveled the world as a professional hitting machine, Franco was a shortstop who wanted to show that he was worth keeping on a major league roster. After being traded to the Indians, he did just that. In 149 games, Franco hit for a .273 batting average, with 8 home runs (one an inside-the-park job as mentioned on the blurb on the back), 80 rbi's, 32 stolen bases, and by the time it was all said and done, runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year race. In eight seasons at shortstop and eventually second base with Cleveland, Franco would hit 62 home runs, drive in 530 rbi's, hit for an average of .297, steal 147 bases, and one Silver Slugger Award. In December of 1988, Franco was traded to the Texas Rangers. In five seasons, he became a three-time All-Star (winning the MVP award in 1990's affair) won the batting title in 1991 (.341), consistently one of the Rangers' best hitters. He signed with the White Sox in a one-year deal and won his final Silver Slugger Award thanks to a .319 average and a career high 20 home runs. After the 1994 season, Julio began his world tour. He signed with the Chibe Lotte Marines in 1995, then returned to Cleveland in 1996, hitting .322 and an OPS of .877. He was released by the Indians during the 1997 season, but signed that day with the Brewers. He returned to Japan in 1998 to play for the Marines again. He returned to the US in 1999 after spending most of the year in Mexico City for an appearance with the Devil Rays. For the 2000 campaign, he signed with Samsung in South Korea. In 2001, after playing most of the season with Mexico City, the Braves purchased his contract. Now in his 40's, he would sign four one-year deals with Atlanta, serving as the Braves primary first baseman...IN HIS 40'S!!!. In each season, the Braves would make the playoffs. At the end of the 2005 season, he signed with the Mets. Even though father time was finally catching up to him, Franco still contributed with 3 home runs and 34 rbi's and 8 stolen bases (please note, the man was on the back end of 40, and he stole 8 bases). Released by the Mets in July, he returned to the Braves three days later, and after 15 games, rode off into the sunset. He played for 23 years in the majors. In 2527 games, his final numbers of .298, 173 home runs, 1194 rbi's, 281 stolen bases, and a .782 OPS. In 2013, only 6 BBWAA voters thought he was worth of being inducted into Cooperstown. At 1.1% he was removed from further consideration. Which is a shame. He had a wonderful career, playing well into his 40's, and still showed that he could hit...and do it well. As with many cards from 1983, Franco's card includes a couple of season highlights. However, these were not from games played in 1982 (which was the norm with 1983 Topps cards), but from the '83 season. These include: April 9: walloped first Major League homer in 8-4 win vs. Orioles; May 8: went 3-5 with homer and 4 rbi's in Indians' 13-6 verdict at Comiskey Park.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $3.00-$8.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 45 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2005 Topps #203. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Let's Get One Thing Straight: TOPPS IS NOT TO BLAME!!!

Yes, I'm late to the party (as usual).  Yes, other people have written better articles about this topic than me (I'm not a good writer...I acknowledge this).  But it's articles like this that make me question the sanity of Chicagoans...and I'm one.

The big hullabaloo today in the Hobby involved this article written by "a collector" who noticed that on the back of this year's Topps baseball cards, that in the career chase line that compares a present player's hits total to the career leader, the career hit leader's name is missing.  On all other cards with different statistics, the career leader in that stat category is mentioned.  Just not on the one mentioning hits.  

Funny, but I think I mentioned that before somewhere on this blog. 

The problem with the article is that it was poorly researched.  He did interview Topps, who did say that it was a "simple decision" to exclude Pete Rose's name from the back of their trading cards.  But at the end, he decided that it was Topps' who was purposely trying to wipe out Rose from the record books by not including his name on the stat line.  For comparison's sake, he compares Rose's case to the likes of Barry Bonds, who by the way...has not been banned by MLB and can still be put in cards (as long as card companies are willing to pay a hefty price to do so).

What's sad about this whole mess is that the original story has been picked up by major media outlets like USA Today, CBS Sports, and even (gack) Fox News. 

What's worse?  People have been commenting on these articles, and actually believe this.

Now, I understand that not everybody follows Hobby news as religiously as us (and by us, I assume that if you're reading this, you actually follow Hobby news). But some of the comments written by "outsiders" just bordered on ignorance. 

"I'm boycotting Topps because of this?"  Sure.  

"I thought baseball cards are dead."  Hardly.

"I tore all of my cards." Sorry to hear that.

"Someone's going to create a website denouncing this atrocity." I guess these people don't read the Hobby blogs.

"Wait...if MLB still recognizes Rose on their website, how can they tell Topps not to recognize him?" Because they can.

The fact is this.  Topps is the sole licensee of MLB Properties. As indicated by the Number One Source in the Hobby, it is not Topps' call to exclude Rose's name from the stat line.  If the writer of that article actually talked to somebody from MLB Properties as Chris Olds had, he would have found out that,

“Since Pete Rose is banned from baseball,” said Matt Bourne, the MLB Vice President of Business Public Relations, on Wednesday, “he is not included in MLB-licensed products.”

Now that is not to say that Topps has made every effort to take Rose's name off cards before.  In fact, thanks to Night Owl, he has found cards from 1995 and 2006 that mention his name in the blurbs on the back or in a cartoon caption.  But in 2010, when Topps included a Franchise History card for all 30 teams, the back of the cards feature statistics that conveniently Rose was not the team's all-time leader. Coincidentally, all 30 team cards use the same stats.  

But the fact remains that Topps is not to "blame" for not putting Pete Rose's name on the back.  If MLB (and for that matter MLB Properties) tells Topps that they aren't allowed to insert Rose's name, even on a little stat line, then Topps is going to take every effort to exclude the guy's name on their cards.  

Understand that this is the last year of Topps' four year exclusive license with MLB Properties.  If Topps wants their friendship with MLB to continue, then they are going to comply.

So for everything good and holy.  It is not Topps' fault.  Let's make that crystal clear.  If you have a beef, then take it up with MLB and MLB Properties.

If there is any positive to be taken out of all of this...it's that at least people are looking at the back of the cards.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

PS:  Oh, yeah, to the guy that said that Topps made an insert card of Rose in 2011. That's a good one.  jba

PS2:  Buyback cards that Topps had to stamp as such in their Topps Heritage product last year do not count as a new cards.  Besides, the card considered Pete Rose's rookie card also includes Pedro Gonzalez, Ken McMullen, and Al Weis. Last I checked, none of those guys were banned by MLB, so why should they not have their rookie card included in the product.  jba

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps Traded #5T Doug Bair

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, February 05, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps Traded #5T.
• Player Name, position, team: Doug Bair, pitcher, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: September 13, 1976.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Cardinals): 63 G, 91.2 IP, 5-3, 27 R, 26 ER, 68 SO, 36 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 8 SV, 2.55 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #2nd, June 1971. Traded by the Cardinals to the Tigers 06/21/1983. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: Charles Doug Bair's career seemed to have been rejuvenated when he was traded to the Tigers in June of 1983. Yes, it was a far cry from his best years as the closer with the Cincinnati Reds (23-21, 50 saves, 148 games finished, 3.73 ERA and 255 strikeouts), but he was still effective out of the bullpen for Cardinals. He appeared in three games of the 1982 World Series the year before. In 1983, he was 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA, 21 K's, and a save in 26 games in the Cardinals' bullpen, which made him a reliable reliever for the Red Birds. But after his trade to the Tigers, he went 7-3 along with a 3.88 ERA, 39 strikeouts, and 4 saves. Entrenched in the bullpen during the Tigers' magical run to the World Series in 1984, Bair contributions included a 5-3 record, 4 saves, 57 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.75, and a WHIP of 1.260. In his lone (and final) postseason appearance in the 1984 World Series, he struck out the only batter he faced, coaxing a double play in the process. Believe it or not, Doug Bair's final Topps card is from the 1985 Topps set. But Bair would continue to pitch into the early 1990's. On the heels of a 6.24 ERA in 21 games, the Tigers released Bair. He signed back with the Cardinals, appearing in two games before filing for free agency. His journeyman career continued stints with the Athletics (where he had pitched in 1977), Phillies, Blue Jays, and Pirates, where he finished his MLB career in 1990. During this time, he had also been pitching each team's AAA team. In 1991, he split the year with both the Blue Jays' and Tigers' AAA system. After 7 games with the Angels' farm team in Edmonton, six of them starts, Bair called it a career. He spent time as a pitching coach in the Reds' minor league system, last with the team in 2008. On the back of most of the players' cards in 1983, Topps included a few season highlights for the player from the year before. On Bair's card, Topps honors Bair's performances in the following three games: May 3 (pitched 3 scoreless innings for win); May 11 (hurled 3 scoreless innings for save); and June 18 (held Mets in check for save in Cardinals' 5-4 decision).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 9.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1985 Topps #488. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1985 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps Traded #61T Joe Lefebvre

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 6, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps Traded #61T.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Lefebvre, outfielder-third baseman, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: May 22, 1980.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Hawaii, AAA-Pacific Coast): 8 G, 32 AB, 7 R, 11 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, .500 SLG, 4 BB, 5 SO, .344 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Yankees, #3rd, June 1977. Traded by the Padres to the Phillies 05/22/1983. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 7. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Cracked Double with 2 RBI's in 6-2 win at Montréal, 05/15/1982. Belted 9th inning Homer to tie score at Houston, 08/03/1982. Went 3-for-3, August 8, 1982."
• Commentary: I'll be honest, I was kind of torn about which last line to use for his "Last Line of Statistics:" bullet point.  Should I use his Padres line (his last line of MLB statistics on this card) or the real last line of statistics, which consisted of his 8 games in Hawaii.  At the end, I went with the Hawaii statistics.  His MLB statistics with the Padres were:  102 G, 239 AB, 25 R, 57 H, 9 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 0 SB, .326 SLG, 18 BB, 50 SO, .238 AVG.  After 18 games into the 1983 season, Joe was traded from the Padres to the Phillies in exchange for Sid Monge.  He appeared in 101 games for the NL Champion Phil's, hitting a career high .310 with 8 home runs, 38 rbi's, and an OPS of .930.  He showed up in the leaderboards, finishing 7th in triples.  A knee injury marred most of his 1984 season as well as all of 1985.  He came back at the beginning of the 1986 for 14 games, but after hitting .111 in 21 plate appearances, he retired as an active player.  He presently is an assistant hitting coach with the San Francisco Giants.
• Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2002 Topps #393. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #279 Greg Gross

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, November 22, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #279.
• Player Name, position, team: Greg Gross, outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: September 5, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Phillies): 119 G, 134 AB, 14 R, 40 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 4 SB, .328 SLG, 19 BB, 8 SO, .299 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Astros, #4th, June 1970. Traded by the Cubs to the Phillies 02/23/1979. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 15. This is his eighth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Greg drilled Double with RBI and scored Run in helping Phillies defeat Cardinals at St. Louis, 06/23/1982."
• Commentary: Doesn't he look happy in his portrait card at the bottom left of the card?  Greg Gross started his career in Houston (he was a member of the 1974 Topps All-Star Rookie Team, finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting), and then had two good years with the Cubs (a career high 5 home runs in 1977). But he will always be associated with the Philadelphia Phillies.  Although he didn't get to start many games, he was more known for his pinch-hitting and defense.  He was a member of the 1980 World Series winning team, and a mainstay in Philadelphia throughout the 80's.  In 1983, Gross had a good year at the plate, hitting .302 with 29 rbi's and .761 OPS.  Able to play all  three outfield positions, and a bit at first, Gross' contributions in September (.333 average, 26-78) as a starter helped the team win it's second NL East title in the decade.  When his playing days were over, he became a color commentator for the Phillies and worked as a coach in the Rockies organization.  He returned to the Phils as their bench coach in 2001, and worked as a hitting coach or instructor for the organization's minor league system.  He came back in 2010 as the team's hitting coach in 2010, a position he held through 2012.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 15 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2008 Topps #545. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #162 Mark Clear

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, October 16, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #162.
• Player Name, position, team: Mark Clear, pitcher, San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: April 4, 1979.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Red Sox): 55 G, 105 IP, 14-9, 39 R, 35 ER, 109 SO, 61 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 14 SV, 3.00 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies, #8th, June 1974.  Traded by the Angels to the Red Sox 12/10/1980. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings for Save vs. Orioles, 4/21/1982.  Put out the fire for Save vs. A's, 05/21/1982."  1982 Highlights:  May 9:  Chalked up save in 1-0 win at Texas.  June 6:  Silenced Angels for save at California.  July 17:  Gained credit for 8-4 victory over Kansas City Royals.
• Commentary: Mark Clear was one of the Red Sox' closers in 1982 (the job shared with Bob Stanley), but based on the the five games that Topps decided to include on the blurb and the highlights, he was the better of the two.  Even though he is credited for a low 14 saves, he finished 44 of the 55 games he entered, and was named to the All-Star Team that year.  The following year, he saved four games, but finished 33 of the 44 games he was called to pitch.  Remember, closer roles were different back then. In five seasons and 225 games with the Red Sox, he compiled a 35-23 record, saved 38 games, struck out 403 batters, and compiled a WHIP of 1.634.  He was traded to the Brewers after the 1985 season.  
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1978 Topps #370. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1978 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #669 Mike Squires

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, October 6, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #669.
• Player Name, position, team: Mike Squires, first baseman, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 1, 1975.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (White Sox): 116 G, 195 AB, 33 R, 52 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB, .359 SLG, 14 BB, 13 SO, .267 AVG.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the White Sox, #10th, June 1973. Bats:  left.  Throws:  left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 7. This is his fifth card.
• Blurb on the back: "1982 Highlights:  June 26:  Lashed 2 Singles & Scored 2 Runs in 13-3 Romp at Seattle.  August 10:  Cracked Triple with 2 RBI's and Run in White Sox' 9-4 Win over Baltimore Orioles."
• Commentary: I like how Topps incorporated their logo into the top border for this design.  Take out the pictures, and what you have is two colored frames, one larger than the other leaving a circle in the lower right corner.  The use of a smaller picture on the front of the card was not a new concept in 1983, but considering that a similar design was used in 1963, and then again in 2003, makes me think that in 2023 (unless the Mayans were right), that they will use this design element again.  Mike Squires was a career White Sox player.  From 1975-1985, "Spanky" appeared in 779 games for the Pale Hose.  He was a Gold Glove winner in 1981, and was part of the "Winning Ugly" White Sox team that won the AL West Division in 1983.  Though not a hitting sensation (six home runs in 10 seasons), a .995 fielding percentage shows that he was an excellent first baseman on the field.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 7.

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: 1956 Topps #63. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps Traded #131T Pat Zachry

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 6, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps Traded #131T.
• Player Name, position, team: Pat Zachry, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: April 11, 1976.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (Mets): 36 G, 137.2 IP, 6-9, 69 R, 62 ER, 69 SO, 57 BB, 1 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 1 SV, 4.05 ERA
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Reds #19th, June 1970. Traded by the Mets to the Dodgers 12/28/1982. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "1982 Highlights: May 19: Pitched 4-2 Complete Game Victory Vs. Reds.  August 7:  Hurled Complete Game Win at Pittsburgh. August 15: Was Credited With 1st Big League Save."
• Commentary: I miss the old days of Topps Traded card numbering.  You couldn't get a card number like #131T unless your last name began with a Z (or maybe the occasional Y or W...I don't think there's been a player with a last name that began with X...just confirmed...no player in MLB history whose last name started with X). Having card #131T also meant that this was the last player card before the checklist.  Now I know that the Randomizer is just warming up, so rejoice that it didn't pick a checklist today.  Pat Zachry is a name I really haven't heard of to be quite honest. His playing career ended in 1985, long before I took an interest in baseball card collecting.  But what a career.  Thanks  to a 14-7 record, 143 K's, and a dazzling 2.74 ERA, Zachry was named the NL Rookie of the Year in 1976 as a member of the Big Red Machine (helps that the Reds also made it to the World Series too). He was also an All-Star with the Mets in 1978.  But at the twilight of his career, he was traded to the Dodgers before the 1983 season.  As a member of the Dodgers' bullpen in 1983, Zachry went 6-1 with an ERA of 2.49, struck out 55 batters in 61.1 innings of work.
• Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 11 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #484. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1983 Topps #618 LaMarr Hoyt

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 26, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1983 Topps #618.
• Player Name, position, team: LaMarr Hoyt, pitcher, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 14, 1979.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1982 stats (White Sox): 39 G, 239.2 IP, 19-15, 104 R, 94 ER, 124 SO, 48 BB, 32 GS, 14 CG, 2 SHO, 0 SV, 3.53 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Yankees, #5th, June 1973. Traded by the Yankes to the White Sox 04/05/1977. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8 This is his third card.
• Blurb on the back: "Pitched complete game win vs. Royals, 05/24/1982. Hurled complete game victory, July 8, 1982."
• Commentary: Hoyt was just starting to come into his own as the White Sox new ace. His 19-15 record, along with the 124 K's and 48 walks (and a WHIP of 1.235) was just a preview of what would become his best year ever. The White Sox won their first American League West division title in 1983, no thanks in part to Hoyt's Cy Young Award winning effort. But if we want to know how well he did in 1983, we'd have to wait for his 1984 cards to come. The card we're looking at today reviews his fantastic nonetheless 1982 season. Below the stats and the blurb is a section called 1982 Highlights. Included are three more Hoyt gems: May 13: Turned in a complete game victory; June 15: Fired 3-hit shutout & fanned 7 at Oakland. August 14: Scattered 6 hits in 6-0 shutout over New York Yankees.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 16 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps #710. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Topps 60 Best Cards...#42!

Now that Topps has finally brought the public up to speed on their countdown of their greatest cards of all-time as voted on by the collecting public, this morning, they announced which card took in the 43rd most votes.

Card #42 is...

(drumroll please)

1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn


Thoughts: One of the three important RC's in the 1983 Topps set (along with HOF's Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg), Gwynn is sporting the unfamiliar, "destined-to-start-the-season-in-the-minors" number 53. He sure showed the Padres that he was worth keeping around huh? At #42, this card is a lot lower than I thought it should be (at least in the mid '30s), but then again, the other '83 card (Wade Boggs) showed up at #59.

Beckett has this listed between $10.00-$25.00 (January 2011)

Card #41 on the countdown will be announced tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

The Last of the Million Card Giveaways.

By the time this post comes to the blog, I will be out celebrating New Year's Day with the family. With that in mind, I thought that besides the Card of the Day, I thought I'd share some final Million Card Giveaway results on this humble, little blog.

What should be the final three codes I get before Topps switches over to the Diamond Giveaway, here is what Topps' randomizer gifted to me:

zxdT6x78L: 1958 Topps Gene Baker #358


C5pkwR6Mr: 1986 Topps Paul Molitor #267


hzcwHGG4B: 1983 Topps Kirk Gibson #430


This total means I have 55 cards in my virtual binder. I do plan on redeeming the cards that I don't have (anything from 1975 and older). Otherwise, I've heard horror stories about the condition of some of these cards, so I'm a bit leery about doing this.

On a totally unrelated note, when will Topps announce their #59 on their Topps 60 countdown??? It's been more than a week since the Schmidt RC was announced as #60!!! Oh well.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama