Hallbound 2018. And the Motor City Rejoices!!!

1985 Topps #610 Jack Morris and #690 Alan Trammell

On Sunday, July 29, 2018, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be welcoming what should be a large and unique class of new inductees. Players who should be making their speeches after the big announcement on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, will be up there on stage, talking about their playing days, and thanking all of those who helped them become better ball players, and certainly, better human beings.

But before we get to talking about the 33 players who are on the BBWAA ballot, let's talk about two players who stayed on the ballots for 15 years and were not able to get the necessary 75% of the votes to be inducted during the regular voting cycles. Thanks to the revamped Veteran's Committees, these two men, teammates for many years, will be enshrined as Hall of Famers, and join whoever makes it in from the writer's vote, as part of the HOF Class of 2018.

On Sunday, December 10, 2018, it was announced that pitcher Jack Morris and shortstop Alan Trammell, part of a 10-person Modern Baseball Era ballot (contributions from 1970-1987), earned over 75% of the votes from a panel of 15 Hall of Fame players, managers, executives, writers, and historians that was taken on the last day of Baseball's Winter Meetings. Teammates from 1977 through 1990, both men were part of the dominant 1984 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers.

Jack Morris played in the Majors from 1977 through 1994 with the Tigers, Twins (1991), Blue Jays (1992-93) and Indians (1994). He pitched in 549 regular season games, 527 of them as a starting pitcher, posting a record of 254-186 with a 3.90 ERA, striking out 2478 batters in 3824 innings of work. He led the AL in wins in both 1981 (14) and 1992 (21), and was part of 4 World Series winning teams (1984 Tigers, 1991 Twins, and 1992-3 Blue Jays) being named the WS MVP in 1991. He was a 5-time All-Star, 7-time Cy Young candidate, and 5-time MVP candidate. He set the record for most consecutive opening day starts by a pitcher with 14 starting nods.

Alan Trammell was a lifelong Tiger, playing 20 seasons in the Motor City from 1977 through 1996. In 2293 regular season games, Trammell hit for a .285 average, with 185 home runs, 1003 runs driven in, stole 236 bases, and had a slash line of .352/.415/.767.  He was a six-time All-Star, four0-time Gold Glove winner, a 3-time Silver Slugger, and a 7-time MVP candidate. He was also named the MVP of the 1984 World Series, hitting .450 with 2 home runs and 6 runs driven in. For 19 seasons, Trammell shared the middle infield duties with second baseman Lou Whitaker, a man who many feel was slighted from the HOF voting and dropped from the writer's ballot after only a couple of years. Alan and Lou were so synonymous with Tigers baseball that not only did the pair set the record for most games played as an infield combo, but they made an appearance on Magnum PI. It is hoped that with Morris and Trammell both getting the call that "Sweet Lou" gets another look. Who knows, maybe one day he will join his teammates and manager (Sparky Anderson was inducted in 2000) in Cooperstown.

So who'll be joining the long-time teammates in July? The Hall of Fame announcement will take place on Wednesday, January 24, at 5:00 pm CST.

Post about the 33 candidates forthcoming.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #183 Larry McWilliams

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, March 13, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #183.
• Player Name, position, team: Larry McWilliams, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: July 17, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Pirates): 34 G, 227.1 IP, 12-11, 86 R, 74 ER, 149 SO, 78 BB, 32 GS, 7 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 2.93 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Braves #1st, June 1974. Traded by the Braves to the Pirates 06/30/1982. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: You want to know how the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to break out of their 21-season streak of losing seasons (jeez, you thought the Cubs were bad)? I'll tell you how. Bring back uniforms like the one that Larry McWilliams is wearing here, not just on "throwback day" or "flashback day," but as their regular uniforms!!! Larry Dean McWilliams' claim to fame was that he helped to stop Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak in 1978 (unlike Topps, I can mention the man's name). But McWilliams meant a lot to the Pirates, so much so that they traded for him in a midseason deal in 1982. He certainly did not disappoint. From 1982 to 1984, McWilliams joined the starting rotation and went 33-22 in 85 starts, 442 strikeouts, 17 complete games, 8 shutouts and an ERA of 3.10. But that doesn't count the fact that he also saved two games out of the bullpen. He was even a Cy Young candidate on the strength of a fantastic 1983 season (15-8, 199 K's, and 3.25 ERA). In 1985, his numbers started to slip and after an August 3 game where he was taken out because he had given up 5 runs in 2.1 innings of work, he was demoted to the bullpen. He finished the year with a disappointing 7-9 record, a 4.70 ERA, and just 52 strikeouts. He wasn't any better the following year (3-11, 5.15 ERA) and by April of 1987, the Pirates released McWilliams. He re-signed with the Atlanta Braves, the team that had dealt him to the Steel City, but was released after nine games two months later. He then signed on with the Rangers, but was released by the organization in February, 1988. He joined the Cardinals for the 1988 season, and after a decent season out of the bullpen, signed on with the Phillies. But after a disastrous 2-11 record, Larry was traded to the Royals in September. In 1990, the Royals released McWilliams, thus ending his major league career. He has quietly lived in Texas since. He and his wife have six children, and the couple also have nine grandchildren. He was inducted into the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. As with many 1985 Topps card, there is a trivia question box below his statistics (which actually had space for a line or two for a quick blurb). The question is: What team is known as the "Bronx Bombers?" New York Yankees, New York Mets, or Atlanta Braves.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 13 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1980 Topps #187. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #108 Darnell Coles

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, February 11, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #108.
• Player Name, position, team: Darnell Coles, third baseman, Seattle Mariners.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1983.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Mariners): 48 G, 143 AB, 15 R, 23 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB, .196 SLG, 17 BB, 26 SO, .161 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mariners #1st, June 1980. 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: n/a.
• Commentary: I love the colors on this card. The yellow and blue almost matches the uniform and logo of the Mariners. The team logo (or at least some semblance of it) makes its first appearance on a Topps card since 1965. Here is another player who I didn't realize appeared in the majors long after his last Topps card was produced. It turns out that Darnell Coles' last appears on a Topps card in 1991 (when he played for the Tigers). However, a season plus stint in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons and Hanshin Tigers, he played in the big leagues until 1997 (with the Colorado Rockies). But today's card features a young Darnell Coles, the team's first round draft pick in 1980 (6th overall), who at that point in time was shuttling between the Mariners and their AAA team in Salt Lake City. In 1985, he joined the team in the middle of May, making his season debut on May 17. Though primarily a third baseman, he was called in as a defensive replacement at left field as well as at shortstop. He started in 16 of the 27 games he appeared for the M's that year, hitting for an average of .237 with a home run and 5 rbi's in 71 plate appearances. In December of 1985, Coles was traded to the Tigers, who planned on making Coles their primary third baseman. In his first full season in the majors, he showed the Tigers' brass that he could hit, with 20 home runs and 86 rbi's, an average of .273, and an OPS of .786. He was traded in a mid-season deal to the Pirates in August, 1987, who in turn traded him back to the Mariners in July, 1988. In his first and final full season with the Mariners of 1989, he appeared in 146 games, hitting a decent .252 with 10 home runs and 59 rbi's. But as the M's decided to go with a younger team that included superstar-in-the-making Ken Griffey, Jr, as well as stars to be Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez, Randy Johnson, et.al, Coles found himself traded AGAIN to the Detroit Tigers. He would begin his trek through the majors in 1991 signing with the Giants. He would play for the Reds in 1992, the Blue Jays in 1993-94 (just in time to earn a World Series ring), and the Cardinals in 1995 before heading off to Japan in 1996 to play in Nagoya with the Dragons. He returned to the US, signing with the Rockies for the 1997 campaign. But he returned to Japan after the Hanshin Tigers purchased his contract, ending his playing career in the Far East. In 2006, he was hired by the Nationals to be a roving hitting instructor. In 2007, he began his journey as a minor league manager, first with Vermont (short season A), and then the next year with the Hagerstown Suns (A-South Atlantic). He was named the hitting coach of the Nationals' AAA team in Syracuse for the 2009 season. He is now the manager of the Huntsville Stars, the AA team of the Brewers.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1994 Topps #162. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #488 Joel Skinner

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, February 06, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #488.
• Player Name, position, team: Joel Skinner, catcher, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: June 12, 1983.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (White Sox): 43 G, 80 AB, 4 R, 17 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB, .238 SLG, 7 BB 19 SO, .213 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #36th, June 1979. Drafted by the White Sox from the Pirates as a Compensation Pick 02/02/1982. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Joel's father, Bob Skinner, is a Pirates coach."
• Commentary: Last week's RotC featured a 1985 Topps card (albeit a Traded card), this week's feature is also of  a 1985 Topps card. Joel Skinner, at this time of his career, was more known as Bob Skinner's son than he was as a ballplayer. That was going to change. Skinner spent most of his time with the White Sox as a player who would be called when needed from the team's AAA affiliate. When you're primary catcher is Carlton Fisk, playing time would be limited anyway. But Skinner took advantage of playing everyday in the minor leagues so that when it was time to bring him up to the main roster, he was ready to go. In 1985, Joel was called up for a three-game stretch in July/August where went 4 for 8 and drove in two rbi's. As two of his hits were doubles, his OPS was a high 1.350. He came back as a September callup and started twelve of the twenty games that he appeared. In September, he went 11 for 36 (.306 average) with 1 home run and three more rbi's. He finished with a career highs with a .341 average and an OBP/SLG/OPS of .408/.545/.954. In 1986, he won the backup catcher role and played in 60 games with the Pale Hose before being traded to the Yankees with Ron Kittle and Wayne Tolleson for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez, and player-to-be-named-later Bill Lindsey. After spending three seasons with the Yankees as their backup catcher, he was traded to the Indians with Turner Ward for Mel Hall during spring training in where he became the mentor of future All-Star Sandy Alomar, Jr. 1989. After retiring as a player in 1992, he stayed with the Indians organization, learning the ropes as a coach and manager until he became Cleveland's interim manager in 2002. He was the bench coach for the Oakland Athletics in 2011 and returned to the White Sox to manage the team's AAA affiliate in 2012. Many cards from the 1985 Topps set included a "Baseball Trivia Quiz" question. The back of Hoyt's card asks "Candlestick Park is the home of what team?" The answer: The San Francisco Giants.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 11 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1981 Topps Traded #738. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps Traded #59T LaMarr Hoyt

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 30, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps Traded #59T.
• Player Name, position, team: LaMarr Hoyt, pitcher, San Diego Padres.
• Major League Debut: September 14, 1979.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (White Sox): 34 G, 235.2 IP, 13-18, 127 R, 117 ER, 126 SO, 43 BB, 34 GS, 11 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 4.47 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Yankees #5th, June 1973. Traded by the White Sox to the Padres 12/06/1984. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his sixth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Hit 34 Homers in 20 games as a Little Leaguer."
• Commentary: When LaMarr Hoyt first appeared as a Random Card of the Day subject, I flippantly wrote, "if we want to know how well he did in 1983, we'd have to wait for his 1984 cards to come." Nowadays, I'm actually writing what happened during the year this card came out on these commentaries. I don't know who actually takes the time to read them, but I'd like to think people do. Anyway, to update that mess from two years ago, Hoyt won the Cy Young Award in 1983, on the strength of a 24-10 record, 148 strikeouts, and a 3.66 ERA. It also helps that Hoyt and the 1983 White Sox won the AL West division that year (which is why the 2013 White Sox will be wearing that team's jerseys on home Sundays). The following year, Hoyt did not fare to well. He went 13-18 in his decisions, his ERA went up to 4.47 and the team fell to fifth place. During the offseason, he was traded to the Padres along with minor leaguers Kevin Kristan and Todd Simmons for four players. Coming to the Sox were Luis Salazar, Tim Lollar, Bill Long, and some guy that would become the 1985 Rookie of the Year, eventually become the 2005 AL Manager of the Year, and lightning rod wherever he went, Ozzie Guillen. With the Padres, the change of scenery did him wonders. He went 16-8, a 3.47 ERA, and was named to his first and only All-Star team (he pitched three innings, allowed one run, and was named the game's MVP). The honeymoon didn't last long though because in 1986, he went 8-11 with a 5.15 ERA in 35 games, 25 starts. It would be Hoyt's final year in the majors. He was released by the Padres in 1987 thanks to off-the-field issues, and signed back with the White Sox which gave him a second chance until those off-the-field issues returned (okay, he was arrested four times on drug possession charges), killing any chances of him returning to the majors. He has since rehabilitated and in 2004, the White Sox gave him a job as a roving instructor, a position he has held ever since. Many cards from the 1985 Topps set included a "Baseball Trivia Quiz" question. The back of Hoyt's card asks "Which manager lost the most All-Star Games?: Earl Weaver, Casey Stengel, or Connie Mack. The answer: as of 1985, Casey Stengel.
• Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 16 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1984 Topps #60. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #2 Steve Garvey Record Breaker

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 17, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #2.
• Player Name, position, team: Steve Garvey, first baseman, San Diego Padres.
• Special: Record Breaker:  Most Consecutive Errorless Games, 1B.
• Headline on the Back: "Garvey's Streak of Consecutive Errorless Games sets Standard"
• Any special information about this specific card:  On September 30, 1984, Steve Garvey finished the season without committing an error.  It would be his 188th consecutive game doing so, which became the new record for first basemen.  He broke the record 10 games prior, when his 179th consecutive errorless game broke the record set by Mike Hegan of the Brewers and A's from September 24, 1970 through May 20, 1973.  The streak continued into the next season. But in the sixth game of the year, on April 15, 1985, in a game against the Giants, Garvey committed an error in the top of the ninth inning, missing a foul ball hit by Giants catcher Bob Brenly.  Brenly eventually struck out looking, but the streak had finally come to an end at 193 games (the streak began on 06/26/1983).  The record has since been broken by Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis (238) then by the Angels Casey Kotchman (274)
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2010 Topps Update Series #US299. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #67 Rafael Santana

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 18, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #67.
• Player Name, position, team: Rafael Santana, shortstop, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: April 5, 1983.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Mets): 51 G, 152 AB, 14 R, 42 H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 0 SB, .382 SLG, 9 BB, 17 SO, .276 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent 08/31/1976. Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 01/27/1984. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 7. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Rafael participated in 2 Triple Plays during 1979."
• Commentary: Regarding the blurb, that is exactly how it is written...verbatim. Apparently, Topps was in a bit of a rush to edit the sentence. But it's been more than 27 years since the card was printed, so hey...history right? Santana's breakout season came in 1985 as he was became the team's primary shortstop. While not exactly Ozzie Smith in the field, he led the NL in putouts with 301, so committing 25 errors (fifth in the NL) in 722 chances isn't all that bad. At the plate, he hit a decent .257 with a homer and 29 driven in. He went 5-20 during the 1986 World Series, scoring three runs and driving in 2 more. What I'll remember him for is that he was card #792 in my all-time favorite Topps set from 1989. Although out of Topps' spotlight since 1990, he did make a couple of appearances in three of Topps sets in 2005: Super Teams, Retired, and All-Time Fan Favorites. And he has autograph cards in each set.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 1981 Topps Traded #749. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps Traded #45T Terry Harper

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, January 3, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps Traded #45T.
• Player Name, position, team: Terry Harper, outfielder, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: September 12, 1980.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Braves): 40 G, 102 AB, 4 R, 16 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB, .206 SLG, 4 BB, 21 SO, .157 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Braves #16th, June 1973. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his fifth card.
• Blurb on the back: "Was born and raised in Douglasville, Georgia, just ½-hour from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium."
• Commentary: Because he only played in 40 games during the 1984 season, it seemed to reason, at least in the minds of the Topps Company that year, that Harper either would not be with the Braves going into the 1985 season, or be playing in the majors at all. Thus, he was excluded from the 792-card set in 1985. However, Harper was the Braves' everyday left fielder during the '85 season, appearing in 138 games, batting .264 with 17 home runs and 72 rbi's. This would be his best season in his career (up to that point and eventually as his MLB career ended after the 1987 campaign). So Topps had to include him in the "Traded" set. As with many 1985 Topps cards, there was a Baseball Trivia Quiz question on the back of Harper's traded card: (Who) Holds Major League record for most career pinch-hit homeruns (19)? The answer: Cliff Johnson.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 8 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2009 Topps #640. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 2009 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #720 Rick Sutcliffe NL All-Star RHP

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, January 4, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #720.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick Sutcliffe, All-Star Right-Handed Pitcher, National League.
• Commentary: This is going to be the first AND last time a card makes a second appearance on the Random Card of the Day segment. I had a feeling when I re-set the Randomizer that eventually, it will pick a card that has already been pulled. And here is the first card to make its second appearance thanks to the Randomizer. To save timel, here is what I wrote last year. "Who knew that an mid-season trade for a 4-5 pitcher would help the Chicago Cubs win their first National League East title? The seven-player trade sending Sutcliffe from the Indians to the Cubs on 06/13/1984 may have saved Rick Sutcliffe's season, and possibly his career. In his first game with the Cubs on 06/19/1984, he pitched a complete game, helping the Cubs win 4-3. He finished the month of June with a 2-1 record. The best was yet to come as in fifteen straight starts, from July 4 to September 14, the Cubs won. Rick Sutcliffe finished the NL year with an incredible record of 16-1 (20-6 total). When the Cy Young Award was announced, all 24 voters (remember, 12 cities, 2 votes), gave their first place votes to Sutcliffe, sweeping the field with 120 votes. The back of the card is split into two sections. The section on the left recalls three games Sutcliffe won with the Cubs, his first game against the Pirates, a 16 K, 5-0 shutout over the Cardinals 06/24/1984, and a 6-0 shutout over the Mets on 09/08/1984. The section on the right lists the 1984 NL League Leaders in Wins, with Sutcliffe's 16 good enough for fourth (ahead of him were Joaquin Andujar (20), Mario Soto (18), Dwight Gooden (17), and was tied Joe Niekro (16))."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1994 Topps #200. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1994 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps Traded #118T Tom Tellmann

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, September 7, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps Traded #118T.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Tellmann, pitcher, Oakland Athletics.
• Major League Debut: June 9, 1979.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Brewers): 50 G, 81 IP, 6-3, 28 R, 25 ER, 28 SO, 31 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 4 SV, 2.78 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Padres #11th, June 1976. Signed with the Athletics as a Free Agent 03/30/1985. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Tellmann's fifth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). The alliteration of this card is stunning. Say this ten times fast, "Topps Traded Tom Tellmann." The 1985 Topps design was one of the few which used proper team color-coordinated elements within its design. Last week, I was harping about the fact that Topps used yellow and green for all of the Pirates' cards (yellow and black would have been more ideal as there isn't a hint of green found anywhere on their jerseys...I digress). Here, the yellow and green go perfectly with the newly signed Athletic (it helps that the logo is also on the card). Tellmann was a relief pitcher with the Padres and Brewers. He found the most success in Milwaukee as he appeared in 94 games in his two seasons with the Brew Crew. He signed on with Oakland in 1985 and appeared in 11 games for the A's before injuries shut him down for the season (and his major league career). The back of the card (also in a bright green background due to the printing being done in Ireland), mentions that Tom holds a BA degree in Physical Education from Grand Canyon College, Phoenix, AZ. Below the blurb is a "Baseball Trivia Quiz question." Tellmann's reads "In 1981, he hurled 8 shutouts to time major league record for most shutouts by a rookie?" The answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1988 Topps Traded #65T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1979 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #289 Tom Underwood

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, August 16, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #289.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Underwood, pitcher, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: August 19, 1974.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Orioles): 37 G, 71.2 IP, 1-0, 33 R, 28 ER, 39 SO, 31 BB, 1 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1 SV, 3.52 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Phillies #2nd, June 1972. Signed with the Orioles as a Free Agent 02/06/1984. Bats: right, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Underwood's twelfth and final Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). It seems that long careers and long biographies on the back of the 1985 Topps cards really don't mix. Why? Because, in the case of Mr. Underwood's card here, the text for the statistics box was so small that it was very hard to read the numbers. It doesn't help that the color scheme here was green, with a grey stat box, and is that red, or pink, for the text. Maybe it's the lighting in the house, I'm not sure. As 1984 was the final year of Tom Underwood's MLB career, the statistics on the back are complete. Now if they were only easy to read. Primarily a starter, he played for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Yankees, A's (not Athletics apparently), and finally the Orioles. As a relief pitcher, his 1984 numbers aren't too shabby. He finished his career with a record of 86-87, 948 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.89. He was also named to the 1975 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The bio on the back mentions that both his father and brother played professional ball. Father John Underwood played in the Phillies' organization. Brother Pat pitched for the Tigers from 1979 to 1983. In fact, Pat made his MLB debut facing brother Tom, who was pitching for the Blue Jays, on 05/31/1979. Pat won the game 1-0.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1993 Topps #695. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #298 Marty Barrett

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

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #298.
• Player Name, position, team: Marty Barrett, second baseman, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 6, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Red Sox): 139 G, 475 AB, 56 R, 144 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 4 SB, .383 SLG, 42 BB, 25 SO, .303 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Red Sox #1st (Secondary), June 1979. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Barrett's second Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Before I begin, yes...my card is that off-center. I'm surprised that you don't see anything from the next card over. This will be one card I'll plan on upgrading (if I ever remember to do so). Barrett's first full year with the Red Sox saw him establish himself as the team's second baseman. His best season would be the 1986 season, in which his hitting (24-60 between the ALCS and World Series), kept the BoSox in hunt for that elusive World Series. The green background of the card backs printed on gray card stock, along with red (or pink) text, makes it a bit hard to read what's on the back of the cards. Below the stats is a Baseball Trivia question. The question on Barrett's card: Who won the only game for the Padres in the 1984 World Series? The answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2007 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH17. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 2007 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps Traded #89T Joe Orsulak

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, July 6, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps Traded #89T.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Orsulak, outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: September 1, 1983.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Pirates): 32 G, 67 AB, 12 R, 17 H, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 SB, .328 SLG, 1 BB, 7 SO, .254 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #6th, June 1980. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Orsulak's first Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). Because the Traded cards were now printed on a different card stock than the regular set (printed in Ireland), the gray-green background used for the backs of 1985 Topps cards is now a day-glow green, and the red/purple text is a heck of a lot easier to read. The number 1 source of the Hobby lists this card as his XRC instead of a regular RC because the traded sets were sold in limited quantities compared to finding these everywhere like the regular Topps cards. How cool was it for the Pirates to have one of their minor league teams based in Hawaii? Joe plays for parts of 14 seasons, travelling from Pittsburgh to the Orioles, to the Mets, Marlins and Expos before calling it a career in 1997. The back of the card includes a little note mentioning that Joe was "All-State goalkeeper in high school soccer." And as with many 1985 Topps cards, a Baseball Trivia Quiz question was added to the back of the card. The question: Which American League Reliever holds the record for the most wins in a single championship? The answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 13 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps Traded and Rookies #T70. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1999 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #574 Joe Altobelli

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, June 17, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #574.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Altobelli, manager, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: April 14, 1955. Managerial Debut: April 7, 1977.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Orioles): 85-77 managerial record.
• Any special information about manager: Hired as Manager before the 1983 season.
• Any special information about this specific card: Altobelli's sixth regular Topps card, sixth as a manager (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards). The pressure this guy must have felt going into the 1983 season. Having to replace a legendary manager in Earl Weaver, and managing future HOF's in Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, and some young kid named Ripken. What does he do? Only manages the team to a World Series title! As manager for the O's in the mid 80's, he had a 212-167 record. In 1984, even though the Orioles went 85-77, that was only good enough for fifth place in the seven-team AL East. After a 29-26 start to the 1985 campaign, Altobelli was replaced by Cal Ripken, Sr (for one game), then Earl Weaver, the man Altobelli replaced when he got the job. The back of the manager cards included a team checklist (which helped if you were a team collector in the 80's). The checklist was sorted in alphabetical order by the player's last name, and included the card number, a square to "check off" the players you had (which by the time I started collecting people never EVER did...), the player name, and the player's uniform number.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1988 Topps #735. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #194 Dave Stegman

We reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, April 19, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1987 Topps Traded #115T.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Stegman, outfielder, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1978.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (White Sox): 55 G, 92 AB, 13 R, 24 H, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB, .380 SLG, 4 BB, 18 SO, .261 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Tigers #1st (Special), June 1976. Signed with the White Sox as a Free Agent 04/01/1983. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Stegman's third and final regular Topps card. As the 1984 season was his last in the majors, the statistics on the back are complete. Stegman was a part time player during his major league career, spending most of his seasons in the minors and joining the big club for stretches at a time. He did play for two more seasons for the AAA teams for both the Blue Jays and Yankees, but after the 1986 season, called it a career. The blurb on the back indicates that Dave was an All-American at the University of Arizona. As with all the 1985 Topps cards, there is a Baseball Trivia Quiz section. On Stegman's card, the question is: "In the 1982 World Series, who became the first player in series history to achieve two 4-hit games?" The answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 3 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1982 Topps #719. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #720 Rick Sutcliffe NL All-Star RHP

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, March 13, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #720.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick Sutcliffe, All-Star Right-Handed Pitcher, National League.
• Any special information about this specific card: Who knew that an mid-season trade for a 4-5 pitcher would help the Chicago Cubs win their first National League East title? The seven-player trade sending Sutcliffe from the Indians to the Cubs on 06/13/1984 may have saved Rick Sutcliffe's season, and possibly his career. In his first game with the Cubs on 06/19/1984, he pitched a complete game, helping the Cubs win 4-3. He finished the month of June with a 2-1 record. The best was yet to come as in fifteen straight starts, from July 4 to September 14, the Cubs won. Rick Sutcliffe finished the NL year with an incredible record of 16-1 (20-6 total). When the Cy Young Award was announced, all 24 voters (remember, 12 cities, 2 votes), gave their first place votes to Sutcliffe, sweeping the field with 120 votes. The back of the card is split into two sections. The section on the left recalls three games Sutcliffe won with the Cubs, his first game against the Pirates, a 16 K, 5-0 shutout over the Cardinals 06/24/1984, and a 6-0 shutout over the Mets on 09/08/1984. The section on the right lists the 1984 NL League Leaders in Wins, with Sutcliffe's 16 good enough for fourth (ahead of him were Joaquin Andujar (20), Mario Soto (18), Dwight Gooden (17), and was tied Joe Niekro (16)).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.

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: 1955 Topps #170. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #350 Wade Boggs

It's a brand new month, and we've reset the Topps Card Randomizer to come up with seven new cards to present for this week. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, March 01, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #350.
• Player Name, position, team: Wade Boggs, third baseman, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: April 10, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Red Sox): 158 G, 625 AB, 108 R, 203 H, 31 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 55 RBI, 3 SB, .416 SLG, 89 BB, 44 SO, .325 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Red Sox #7th, June 1976. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Boggs' third regular Topps card (total does not include league leader cards). How weird is this? Saturday's card of the day was the 1985 Topps card of fellow All-Star and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, and the card in my last post was of Wade Boggs' 2009 Topps U & H SP? I don't know what this means either. Anyway, back in 1985, Boggs still did not have enough years of MLB service to get rid of his minor league stats (we see that he played for Elmira, Winston-Salem, Bristol for two years, and Pawtucket for two years). Topps did it right with the 1985 design, using the appropriate team colors for the team name banner and name plate. And with almost all players' cards, there is a baseball trivia quiz question below the stats. The question asks: Who led the A.L. in RBI's (123) in 1984? The answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.25-$0.60.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 87 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2000 Topps #61. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #30 Cal Ripken

We're giving the Topps Card Randomizer the week off so we can highlight seven cards redeemed from Topps' Million Card Giveaway. Introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, February 27, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #30.
• Player Name, position, team: Cal Ripken, shortstop, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: August 10, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Orioles): 162 G, 641 AB, 103 R, 195 H, 37 2B, 7 3B, 27 HR, 86 RBI, 2 SB, .510 SLG, 71 BB, 88 SO, .304 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Orioles #2nd, June 1978. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Ripken's fifth Topps card (this total includes his shared rookie card in the 1982 Topps set, not including his All-Star, team leader cards). The card looks great, with a young Ripken swinging for the fences, plus the appropriate black, orange, and white banner and name plate. The Orioles logo on the right of the team name. It's one of the few times that the design works well with the picture on the card. As this is Ripken's fourth year in the majors, there no longer are minor league stats on the back. A blurb below the stats talks about how Cal played Little League, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle League Baseball. He also played soccer. Not on the blurb was that Cal also plays basketball. There is a baseball trivia quiz question on the back, as with many of the other 1985 player's cards. The question? "The only relief pitcher to win both Cy Young and MVP in one year? Answer: The answer. What's funny is that this card came out the year AFTER this player became the second relief pitcher to win both Cy Young and MVP in one year (POSSIBLE UNCORRECTED ERROR CARD???) And this pitcher can claim to be the third to do so (although he won it about eight years later...thanks for the correction sg488).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.00-$2.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 113 cards.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1967 Topps #340. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps Traded #101T Mark Salas

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, February 3, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps Traded #101T.
• Player Name, position, team: Mark Salas, Catcher, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: June 19, 1984.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Cardinals): 14 G, 20 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, .150 SLG, 0 BB, 3 K, .100 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Cardinals #18th, June 1979. Drafted by the Twins in the Rule 5 Draft 12/03/1984. Bats: left, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Salas's first Topps card (his Rookie Card). Even though Salas played in the majors in 1984, and the statistics even shows the line of his Cardinals' stats, the totals below are his minor league totals. A baseball trivia quiz question was placed below the statistics. The question on Mark's card asks who holds the NL record for most consecutive games played (1207)? The answer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1983 Topps Traded #69T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1985 Topps #514 Jeff Cornell

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 29, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1985 Topps #514.
• Player Name, position, team: Jeff Cornell, pitcher, San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: June 2, 1984.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1984 stats (Giants): 23 G, 38.1 IP, 1-3, 30 R, 26 ER, 19 SO, 22 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 6.10 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Royals #8th, June 1978. Traded by the Royals to the Giants 02/18/1982. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Cornell's first, and only Topps card (rookie card). Cornell played in the majors for only one year, so the stats above are his lifetime MLB statistics. This is another reason why Topps should increase the size of its eponymous set. If he played in today's game, the only time we'd probably ever see a card of Jeff Cornell is if he was a member of the Yankees. He was a middle relief pitcher, and had played in the minors for a long time. That's a recipe for and gives reason for Topps not to create a card. The blurb on the back talks about his hobbies (listening to music, Tae-Kwon-Do, reading, bowling, and golf). It's as if Topps was really stretching to find something interesting about the guy.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1994 Topps Traded #95T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Join us then, won't you?

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama