The Philippines in the World Baseball Classic...2016 Edition!!!

In 2012, the Philippines, that hotbed of baseball in Asia, was invited to participate in a four-team qualifying round where the country that wins this six-game round-robin schedule, would go on to the 16-team World Baseball Classic tournament.

Okay, so hotbed isn't really the word. But listen, after the Americans introduced the Filipinos to the game during the Spanish-American War, the Philippines won the first Asian Baseball Championships in 1954. The game, however, faded in popularity, with basketball the number one team sport on the islands. But baseball is making a comeback, thanks in part to Filpino teams winning gold medals in the 2005 and 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

The WBC Philippines team shocked the world by beating Johnny Damon (yes, THAT Johnny Damon) and team Thailand in their first game (proudly recalled in this post back after it happened). And although they did eventually lose to squads from Chinese Taipei and New Zealand, a third place showing did in fact give the powers that be to give the Philippines another shot at getting to the games.

This week, the Philippines, along with Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, are competing amongst themselves for one spot in the tournament that takes place in 2017. Team Aussie will be their first opponents, which should be a challenge for the Filipino team. Australia has participated in EVERY WBC since 2006 and doesn't plan on taking next year off.

So who is on Team Philippines? Any major leaguers with ties to "The Pearl of the Orient?" The answer...is YES!!!

Tim Hulett, a MLB player from 1983-1995 and has been a minor league manager (presently with the Rangers Short-A team in Spokane) after his playing days, was tabbed to manage Team Philippines.

Clay Rapada, a journeyman left-hander who last appeared in the majors in 2013, leads a pitching staff of 13. In seven seasons, Rapada has a cumulative record of 8-0, with a 4.06 ERA, 82 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.366 in seven MLB seasons.

Chris Aguila, one of six outfielders on the team, played for both the Marlins and the Mets in parts of four seasons. He hit 4 home runs, drove in 16 rbi's, to go with a .230 batting average and slash statistics (OBP/SLG/OPS) of .280/.343/.624.

Eric Fariss, who was in the majors from 2011-2012 and was recently in the minor league system of the Twins, is on the team as well.

There are presently two players on the team with MLB affiliations, one is Marlins farmhand Brad Haynal, a catcher, and the other is outfielder Angelo Songco, who has a Pro Debut card from 2010.

By the time this post comes out, the game would be long over (they lost 11-1 by the way).

Good luck to Team Philippines the rest of the way.

Mabuhay!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #328 Donn Pall

(Sorry...these posts were supposed to publish yesterday. But the kids were tuned to the Dr. Who marathon thingy and we were hooked onto it until the Day of the Doctors episode).

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, November 23, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #328.
• Player Name, position, team: Donn Pall, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: August 1, 1988.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Phillies): 8 G, 17.2 IP, 1-0, 7 R, 5 ER, 11 SO, 3 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 2.55 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the White Sox #23rd, June 1985. Traded by the White Sox to the Phillies 09/01/1993. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his sixth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Donn's keys in 1993 were consistency (sub 3.00 ERA in 6 of the season's 7 months), and control (no BB in 34 of his 47 games)."
• Commentary: There was a book that I remember reading that had set aside chapters by decade of baseball history. One of the sections included a few "what could have been teams." Among them were the 1994 Chicago White Sox. They were easily cruising through the 1994 season when the strike hit. And while they did finish the season in first place that year, who knows...they may have won that World Series title 11 years earlier than they actually did. But that's not the point of this post, and it definitely doesn't apply to Donn Steven Pall (somehow given the obvious nickname of "The Pope"...not that I know of his religious affiliation, but most likely the moniker was given to him because of his name). In 1993, the White Sox were running roughshod over the competition in the American League West division. By September 1, the Sox were 75-57, had just beaten the Yankees 5-3, and were ready to call it a day, when they made one more announcement. Donn had been traded to the Phillies for a player to be named later (Doug Lindsey). The Chicago-born Pall must have been heartbroken. It was a month past the trading deadline, it was almost the end of the year. He had performed amicably for the Sox (2-3, 3.22 ERA, 29 K's, 1.244 WHIP in 39 games), assured a spot onto the postseason roster. Now he was off to Philly, themselves in 1993, a playoff contender looking for pitching to put them over the top. Although Pall did not make it onto the postseason roster of the Phils, while his old team failed to get past Toronto in the playoffs, his new one shocked the Braves and moved on to the World Series. In 1994, Pall signed with the Yankees as a free agent, but by July 26, was released. He was then signed by a team in Chicago...this time the Cubs. He finished the season with a combined 1-2 record, a 3.69 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in 39 innings of work. He re-signed with the White Sox for the 1995 season, but spent the entire year in Triple-A Nashville. He left the White Sox organization again after the 1995 season, and signed on with the Marlins. In Florida, Pall bounced between the big leauge club and the AAA team in Charlotte. After a 4 game stint with the Reds' farm team in Indianapolis, Pall retired from the game as a player. He has since returned to the White Sox, this time as a Community Relations Representative.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8 cards.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1961 Topps #51. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #698 Willie Wilson

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

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #698.
• Player Name, position, team: Willie Wilson, outfielder, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: September 4, 1976.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Cubs): 105 G, 221 AB, 29 R, 57 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 7 SB, .348 SLG, 11 BB, 40 SO, .258 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Royals #1st, June 1974. Signed with the Cubs as a Free Agent 12/18/1992. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 17. This is his seventeenth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Ranks 13th on all-time M.L. SB list."
• Commentary: Make no mistake about it. Willie James Wilson will always be a Kansas City Royal. The cards that Topps has included of him since he retired in 1994 (like his 2003 ATFF and the Autograph card in 2012 Archives) picture him in his Royals uniform. But in the era of Free Agency, the chances of remaining with one team becomes less and less probable. So after 15 solid seasons with the Royals, in which he appeared in 1787 games, hit for a .289 average, 40 home runs, 509 rbi's, stole 612 bases, one Gold Glove award, two Silver Sluggers, two All-Star Game appearances, and one World Series Championship, Wilson signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics. Two years later, he signed another free agent deal, this time taking his talents to the Chicago Cubs. Now relegated as a platoon player, he did share fielding knowledge with the Cubs' young outfielders, specifically Dwight Smith and some guy named Sammy Sosa. In 1994, he was reduced to a bench role, playing behind Opening Day hero Karl Rhodes. After 17 games in which he hit for a .238 average, a .701 OPS, 4 runs scored, and 1 stolen base, Wilson was released by the Cubs, and thus ended his major league career. He has since taken to coaching, first within the Blue Jays organization, and then in the independent leagues. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2000, and currently runs the Willie Wilson Baseball Foundation in Kansas City, MO.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 18.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1983 Topps #706. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #660 Gregg Jefferies

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, October 3, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #660.
• Player Name, position, team: Gregg Jefferies, first baseman, St. Louis Cardinals.
• Major League Debut: September 5, 1987.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Cardinals): 142 G, 544 AB, 89 R, 186 H, 24 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 83 RBI, 1 SB, .485 SLG, 62 BB, 32 SO, .342 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mets #1st, June 1985. Traded by the Royals to the Cardinals 02/12/1993. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 15. This is his eighthTopps card.
• Blurb on the back: "So consistent was Gregg in 1993 that he never went more than two straight games without a hit. On 9-7, he had a 4-hit, 3-SB game.."
• Commentary: Quick! What's the first thing you think about when you hear the name Gregg Jefferies (I've always misspelled it Jeffries, only recently did I finally figure out that there is an third 'e' between the 'f' and 'r' in his name)? Come on. Okay, time's up. If you were a collector in the late 80's through early 90's, this was THE GUY! This was the player whose 1989 Topps Future Star card you wanted (probably along with that kid from Seattle...Junior something or other). This was the player who the Mets were hoping would bring them back to the promised land of the World Series just three years after their last title run. And it's not as if this guy turned out to be a dud of a player. He did have a nice five-season career in New York (in 465 games, he hit for a .276 average, with 42 home runs, 205 rbi's, and OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .332/.416/.748). But apparently, he didn't turn out to be the wunderkind Mets fans were hoping for. So it was on December 11, 1991, that Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds, and Keith Miller were sent off to Kansas City in the deal that sent Bill Pecota and some Cy Young award winning pitcher named Bret Saberhagen to the Big Apple. After a decent season in KC, he was traded once again, this time across the Show Me State to St. Louis. Here is where he started hitting. In his first season with the Cardinals, he hit .342 with 16 homers and 83 rbi's. In 1994, he held his own with a .325 average, 12 home runs, 55 rbi's, and an OPS of .880. It was also in St. Louis that he earned spots onto the NL All-Star team. After a successful run under the Arch, Jefferies would go on to play in Philadelphia for four productive seasons. He was traded to the Angels in 1998, but injuries would start to take its toll. After two seasons with the Tigers in a bench capacity, he retired from baseball. He now runs a sports academy bearing his name in California. He finished his career with a cumulative .289 average, 126 home runs, 663 rbi's, and 196 stolen bases. But even though he will forever be linked with the Mets (as recent cards of him like his 2013 Topps Archives SP depict him in his glory days with New York) in the Hobby, he found a lot of success west of the Mississippi River.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 27.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2012 Topps Update Series #US158. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #121T Rick White

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, October 1, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #121T.
• Player Name, position, team: Rick White, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: April 6, 1994.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Buffalo - AAA-American Association): 7 G, 28 IP, 0-3, 13 H, 11 ER, 16 SO, 8 BB, 3 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.54 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Pirates #15th, June 1990. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Pittsburgh's bullpen was of the committee variety in 1994, but the chairman was White, a former minor league starter."
• Commentary: Richard Allen White made the Pirates roster out of Spring Training in 1994, and made his MLB debut 3 games into the season against the Giants (a 13-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth inning effort). He finished his rookie season with a 4-5 record, finishing 23 games, saving 6 of them. He had a respectable ERA of 3.52 to go with 38 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.274 in 43 games, 75.1 innings pitched. After another season with the Pirates, White did not return to the majors until 1998, as a member of the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His journeyman career began after two-plus seasons in Tampa Bay, beginning with the Mets (2000-2001), Rockies and Cardinals (2002), White Sox and Astros (2003, and although he ended his season in Houston, his 2003 Topps Traded and Rookies card features him as a member of the Pale Hose), Indians (2004), a return to the Pirates (2005, where he earned a 4-7 record in 71 games pitched, 23 games finished, 2 saves), Reds and Phillies (2006), a second stint with the Astros, and finally finishing his 2007 campaign with the Mariners. In 12 years, White accumulated a record of 42-54, a 4.45 ERA, 16 saves, 167 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.379 in 613 career games. Although his MLB career spanned 12 seasons, White only appears on 4 cards in Topps' regular sets (the eponymous Topps brand and the Traded/Update sets). His last appearance on any kind of Topps card was in 2005 Topps Total, a combo card shared with fellow Bucs pitcher Brian Meadows.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.08-$0.25.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1991 Topps Traded #3T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. 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

P.S. Okay, so I promised new and improved...but couldn't figure out what to add to this. I actually had time to write a commentary with research. Maybe I'll conclude with a scan of the back of the card. Here you go. jba

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #92T Charlie O'Brien

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, June 12, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #92T.
• Player Name, position, team: Charlie O'Brien, catcher, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: June 2, 1985.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Mets): 67 G, 188 AB, 15 R, 48 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 0 SB, .378 SLG, 14 BB, 14 SO, .255 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Athletics #5th, June 1982. Signed as a free agent with the Braves 11/27/1993. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his eighth card.
• Blurb on the back: "Because of his defensive genius, Charlie was hand-picked by the Braves as a back-up and mentor to super-rookie Javy Lopez."
• Commentary: If this card looks familiar as a previous Card of the Day...it is. This is the second time that the Randomizer picked this card for today's subject. And as much as I would have loved to switch cards (using maybe the card before or after this one), I thought to honor the Randomizer's wishes and use this card again. The original post became one of the most read post on my blog thanks to an article linking my post and this card to his site (there were over 4000 hits to this humble, little blog thanks to this). To save time and agony, I'll just keep the original commentary, just changing a couple of things. Making his third appearance on the Randomizer, Charlie O'Brien, who never played more than 70 games up to this point in his career, was known more for his defense than he was for his bat. But it was what he brought to the game later on that revolutionized the catcher's position. Inspired by the goalie masks that hockey players use, he created a mask for catchers that was, yes a bit larger, but provided more protection for the man behind home plate against foul balls, against bats against the back of the head, et al. And, the view was amazing. You didn't even have to remove the mask to catch those pesky foul balls. And once it was approved by MLB to use in play, well, lets just say his mask added years to a catcher's health. At this time, the Braves had a young superstar waiting in the wings to become their primary catcher. O'Brien's signing guaranteed that a young Javy Lopez would learn from one of the better defensive catchers in the game.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1981 Topps #666. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #548 Dave Nilsson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, May 13, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #548.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Nilsson, catcher, Milwaukee Brewers.
• Major League Debut: May 18, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (New Orleans, AAA-American Association): 17 G, 61 AB, 9 R, 21 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB, .492 SLG, 5 BB, 6 SO, .344 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Brewers as a Free Agent 01/28/1987. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Bothered by shoulder problems much of the year, Dave snapped back to hit .301 in his last 33 games."
• Commentary: You have to love it when players are depicted in a throwback uniform. I think the "Turn-Back-the-Clock" trend started with the White Sox in 1990 (see Topps '91 cards of Robin Ventura and Sammy Sosa, along with cards from the other companies). In the 1994 set, both Billy Spiers and today's subject are wearing the uniforms of the American Association Milwaukee Brewers from the 1920's (more info about this can be found here). Now I don't get it. I understand Topps' non-official rule of including the complete minor league stats of a player if he has less than four lines of MLB stats. But why did Topps put his minor league stats at the end of the stat box instead of his MLB stats. He certainly stayed on the big league roster for most of the year (well, there was that exception from the middle of May through late June when he was on the DL and then rehabbed with Zephyrs for 17 games. His MLB stats were: 100 G, 296 AB, 35 R, 76 H, 10 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 3 SB, .375 SLG, 37 BB, 36 SO, .257 AVG. The Brewers in the mid 90's had two native Aussies on their roster: Geelong-born pitcher Graeme Lloyd (1993-1996) and Brisbane-native catcher Dave Nilsson. Both men made history on April 14, 1993, when Lloyd appeared in the ninth inning of a game against the California Angels. It would be the first time that MLB would witness an All-Aussie battery. Nilsson had a pretty good year at the plate for the Brewers in 1994. Before the strike, he was hitting .275 with 12 home runs, 69 rbi's, and an OPS of .777. As Milwaukee switched leagues to accommodate the arrival of both the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays, Nilsson found National League pitching more to his liking. In 1999, he hit a career high 21 home runs to go with 62 rbi's and hit above .300 for the second time in his career (.309) to go with a career high OPS of .954. He even made the NL All-Star team that year, becoming the first Australian MLB All-Star. He could have continued his career with the Brewers, or with any of the other 29 clubs for that matter. With the money he earned in the US, he bought the Australian Baseball League in 1999, renaming it the International Baseball League of Australia. Speaking of Australia, with the Olympics being hosted by Sydney in 2000, he opted for Free Agency and after a stint with the Chunichi Dragons, led all Olympic baseball players in batting average with a high .565 and .957 slugging percentage (an international best for Nilsson). Although he was out of MLB, he remained active as a player, first with Telemarket Rimini in the Italian Baseball League in 2003, then with the Braves after signing a minor league contract with the franchise in 2004. He left the Braves after a month to prepare for the 2004 Athens Olympics. The Aussie team shocked the world by beating a Japanese "Dream Team" 1-0 and eventually took the Silver Medal at the Games. Although the IBL of Australia eventually went bankrupt, Dave remained active developing players in his home country. In 2010, a new Australian Baseball League was formed and Nilsson was tabbed to manage the new Brisbane Bandits. Dave Nilsson is a Hall of Famer, inducted to the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 2008. The SABR's BioProject has a page on the man known as "Dingo."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 12 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2001 Topps #750. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #523 Mike Moore

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, May 5, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #523.
• Player Name, position, team: Mike Moore, pitcher, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: April 11, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Tigers): 36 G, 213.2 IP, 13-9, 135 R, 124 ER, 89 SO, 89 BB, 36 GS, 4 CG, 3 SHO, 0 SV, 5.22 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mariners #1st, June 1981. Signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent 12/09/1992. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his thirteenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Mike tossed the first two one-hitters of his career, plus a two-hitter, in a 7-week stretch in 1993."
• Commentary: I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the 1994 Topps set. For me, it was the final year of the "Junk Wax Era." Because after the strike hit, production of cards went down because the demand for cards were down. All those "speculators" who had hoped to cash in their boatloads of cards for a big payday didn't get the results they had hoped for. Fortunately for those of us who stayed the course, the Hobby righted itself as the games returned and the fans came back. Michael Wayne Moore was at the twilight of his career when the strike occurred. And what a career it was. The first pick of the Mariners in the 1981 draft (#1 overall), he made the roster out of Spring Training the following season. He wouldn't experience his first winning season with the M's until 1985, when the then 25 year old finished 17-10 in 34 starts (14 were complete games) with an ERA of 3.46, 155 strikeouts and a 1.215 WHIP. He would finish 10th in the Cy Young voting that year. Unfortunately, that would also be the only year he'd finish with a winning record while playing for Seattle. After two seasons (1987-88) in which he would go a combined 18 and 34, Moore, in the hopes of pitching for a contending team, signed on with the Oakland Athletics, and his career took off from there. His first season with the A's paid dividends as he was backed up with a powerful offense and one of the best pitching coaches in baseball. He would finish the season 19-11 with 172 strikeouts, an ERA of 2.61 (his career best), and a spot onto the AL All-Star Team. He even earned the win in all three of his postseason starts as the A's cruised to a World Series title. After four successful seasons in Oakland (where his 66 wins matched his win total in Seattle, and that took 7 years to do), he signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent. During the strike-shortened season, Moore went 11-10 with a 5.42 ERA in 25 starts (which led the American League...hey, the season ended in August). In 154.1 innings of work, he struck out 62 batters, while leading the league with 89 walks. He retired as a player after the 1995 season, ending his career with a 161-176 record and 4.39 ERA.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 20.

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: 1954 Topps #65. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #70T Chan Ho Park

(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 Tuesday, April 23, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #70T.
• Player Name, position, team: Chan Ho Park, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: April 8, 1994.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Han Yang University): Not Available.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Dodgers as a Free Agent 01/14/1994. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 15. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Chan made his ML debut on 4-8-94 as the first Korean-born player ever to make "the bigs." he (SIC!) signed with L.A. because, he says, when pitching in a 1991 amateur tournament in Dodger Stadium, "The Dodgers touched my heart.'"
• Commentary: My daughter has this phrase that she liked to say, whenever she sees Asians doing awesome things, whether its on the latest TV Dance program, or just out in public. "Asian Invasion." (Please keep in mind that I am Filipino, my wife is Chinese, making both my kids, well, half of each (would that make them Chinapino-American, Filipinese-American, both of which are portmanteaus). Regardless. The "Asian Invasion" as my daughter would call it, did not begin with Hideo Nomo (although Nomo-mania did open the floodgates), but with the Korean-born Chan Ho Park. Does anybody remember the controversy (if you could call it that) about what the heck were managers going to do if they had to talk to him on the field? Would there be a need for an interpreter to go out there? While it is now allowed, it was a hot-button topic in 1994. And can you imagine the fun manager Tommy Lasorda and eventually Bill Russell had when both Park (Korea) AND Nomo (Japan) were in the starting rotation? Throw in Ismael Valdez from Mexico, Ramon Martinez & Pedro Astacio of the Dominican Republic, and Tom Candiotti from the US and the Dodgers had a virtual United Nations on his hands. It's a good thing that all shared a common language...baseball. Park made the Opening Day squad of the Dodgers in 1994, but after two relief appearances in which he allowed five hits, five runs (all earned), and five walks in four innings of work (six strikeouts), he spent the rest of the year with the Double-A farm team in San Antonio, where in 20 starts, Park went 5-7 with an ERA of 3.55 and 100 strikeouts in 101.1 innings of work. He didn't return to Hollywood until September call up time the following year, having spent the season in Albuquerque. This probably explains while the other card companies still included him in their products, Park was not seen on a Topps card until 1997. In his first full season with the Dodgers, Chan Ho went 5-5 in 48 games (10 starts, with a 3.64 ERA and 119 strikeouts. He would be part of the starting rotation from 1997 through 2001, even earning his lone All-Star berth in 2001 (in which he was charged with the loss after giving up the home run to Cal Ripken). After going 75-49 with a 3.79 ERA, 966 strikeouts, and 1.306 WHIP, Park signed as a Free Agent with the Texas Rangers in 2002. He would go on to spend three-and-a-half seasons in Texas, with a cumulative 22-23 record and 5.79 ERA. He was traded to San Diego before the 2005 trading deadline for Phil Nevin. It was during his time in San Diego that it was discovered that Park, who went on the DL due to intestinal bleeding, was suffering from a congenital defect called Meckel's diverticulum. He had successful surgery to correct this, and six days later, his wife gave birth to the couple's first child in the same hospital. After a season plus with the Padres, he would spend time with the Mets & Astros (2007), Dodgers (a homecoming of sorts in 2008, in which he joined an exclusive club of pitchers to have made starts against all 30 teams), Phillies (2009), and Yankees & Pirates (2010). While his stint with the Padres was his last in the US, Chan Ho Park continued pitching with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan in 2011 and the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization in 2012. He retired as an active player on November 30, 2012. Thanks in part to Chan Ho Park, the number of Asians playing professionally in the United States, and in the Majors, continues to grow. In the process, it is helping to make baseball a truly global game.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.60-$1.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 20.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2009 Topps #497. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1986 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #482 Hipolito Pichardo

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, April 13, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #482.
• Player Name, position, team: Hipolito Pichardo, pitcher, Kansas City Royals.
• Major League Debut: April 21, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Royals): 30 G, 165 IP, 7-8, 85 R, 74 ER, 70 SO, 53 BB, 25 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 4.04 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Royals as a Free Agent 12/16/1987. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Hipolito's Latin friends nicknamed him "Debajo Dinero" (down money), because if he keeps the ball down, he makes money."
• Commentary: Hipolito Antonio (Balbina) Pichardo was a mainstay on the Royals' pitching staff from 1992 through 1998 (he was with the team in 1999, but was out for the year due to injury) whether in the bullpen (which is how he spent his 1994 season) or as a starter (from 1992-1993). In 1994, Pichardo appeared in 45 games, finished 19 of them, saved 3 more, all the while compiling a 5-3 record with 36 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.92 in 67.2 innings of work. During his seven seasons in KC, Hipolito went a combined 42-39 with a 4.48 ERA, saving 19 games, and struck out 340 batters. He signed with the Red Sox in 2000 and found success in the Sox' bullpen, going a combined 8-4, 3.97 ERA, and 54 K's. After being granted free agency once again, he signed with the Astros for the 2002 season. But in his only appearance for the Astros that season, a May 7 game at Philadelphia, Pichardo lasted just .1 of an inning, giving up three hits, three runs (an ERA of 81.00), two walks on 24 pitches against six batters faced. He would subsequently take the loss as both teams were tied at 4 before he came in, and the Astros did not recover. That would also be the last time Hipolito would take the field in the majors. He spent the 2003 season as the closer for the Saltillo Sarapeos of the Mexican League, saving 13 games out of 24 appearances in 25.2 innings of work. But soon retired from the game after the season ended. How odd it is that although Pichardo's career ran well into the 21st century (2002), that his last Topps card appeared in 1995. Even with the number of cards Topps had in 2001, you think they could have put him on a card for the 2001 campaign as he was with Boston by that time. Oh well...
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4.

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: 1957 Topps #121. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #162 Bob MacDonald

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, February 19, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #162.
• Player Name, position, team: Bob MacDonald, pitcher, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: August 14, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Tigers): 68 G, 65.2 IP, 3-3, 42 R, 39 ER, 39 SO, 33 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 3 SV, 5.35 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Blue Jays #19th, June 1987. Contract purchased by the Tigers 03/30/1993. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 3. This is his third and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Purchased from Toronto just days before the season opener, Bob went on to lead the Detroit staff in appearances. Over the last two years, lefthanders have hit only .191 against him."
• Commentary: I learned something yesterday. I was on a baseball website that was trying to determine how many spots are open on the Cubs roster. They described reliever James Russell as the team's LOOGY. And I wondered, "What's a LOOGY?" It turns out that there are LOOGY's and ROOGY's. What does that mean? LOOGY is an acronym which stands for "Lefty One-Out GuY (which means that ROOGY is a Righty One-Out GuY). These are pitchers who appear in tons of games (like Russell) and face just one batter, with the hope that they get their guy out before being replaced by the next batter, or to get out of an inning without causing any damage whatsoever. In many cases, it is an exaggeration that every big league team needs has these kinds of pitchers. It is insane to think that for the money that these athletes are paid that a manager would use a guy for just one batter in a game EVERY TIME. Even the mop-up reliever gets an inning or two of work from time to time. But there are times when it is in the best interest of the manager to use a guy for one batter. So I understand the point of it. Such was the role of Bob MacDonald in 1993. Yes, he led the team in appearances, and with a .191 batting average against vs. left-handers, he was the team's LOOGY. In 1993, he faced only one batter in 10 of the 68 games he appeared (he faced 293 batters in 1993, so he did more than a one-batter appearance). MacDonald did not pitch in the big leagues in 1994. What happened? He signed with the Astros as a Free Agent in February, but was released just before spring training ended. He then signed on with the Mariners and pitched with the team's AAA team in Calgary, going 2-2 with 26 strikeouts in 25 games and 31 innings of work. But because he was charged with 26 earned runs (to give him an ERA of 7.55), he was released by the Mariners organization in June. On July 1, the White Sox took a chance on Bob and signed him to a minor league contract. He fared much better in the 25 games with both Birmingham (AA-Southern) and Nashville (AAA-American Association), earning a 4-4 record with an ERA of 1.73. He bounced around between the major and minor league organizations of both the New York Yankees (in 1995) and Mets (1996). He even played for the Hanshin Tigers in 1997 before calling it a career. While he may not have enjoyed a fruitful career in baseball, it turns out that MacDonald is a local legend on the basketball courts in the Clearwater, Florida, area. He also manages a semi-pro slow pitch softball team, showing off his hitting prowess in the sport. He is also an award winning cook, winning area chili competitions, including a first place award in 2009. Hey, if you have to keep busy...
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1976 Topps #275. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1976 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #211 Tom Candiotti

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, February 01, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #211.
• Player Name, position, team: Tom Candiotti, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: August 08, 1983.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Dodgers): 33 G, 213.2 IP, 8-10, 86 R, 74 ER, 155 SO, 71 BB, 32 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.12 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Royals as a Free Agent, 01/05/1980. Signed with the Dodgers as a Free Agent, 12/03/1991. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 17. This is his twelfth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Tough-luck Tom worked 17 straight starts in which he allowed 3 ER or less in '93, yet suffered 10 no-decisions."
• Commentary: I still can't fathom that it has been almost 19 years since I graduated from high school. It means that next year (or before the end of this year), my high school class will begin making plans for a 20th High School Class Reunion. Yikes. It seems like yesterday that I was just surviving junior year. Anyway, this isn't about me, this is about the card above. Tom Candiotti was a veteran of ten seasons (okay, so he was in the minors for all of 1985), with four different teams. By the end of the 1993 season, his pitching record, on games he earned the decision, was 103-103. Even!!! The knuckleballer had some really good years (like in 1986 when he went 16-12 with 17 complete games) and some bad years (11-15 in 1992, leading the league in losses). In 1994, Candiotti went 7-7 with a 4.12 ERA. He did strike out 102 batters and walked 54 (contributing to a 1.327 WHIP). He was knocked out of the 1994 season in mid-August due to injury. He stayed with the Dodgers until the end of the 1997 season. With LA, he was 52-64 with a 3.57 ERA. He struck out 718 batters whle walking 329. He signed with the Athletics as a free agent for the 1998 season, and was released a season-and-a-half later. He returned to the Indians in 2009 in time for the team's pennant run, but a bad knee shut him down soon afterwards. Candiotti retired during spring training in 2000. Tom has had a good post-playing career. He is a Hall of Famer. He was inducted into the International Bowling Museums Hall of fame in June of 2007. He also appeared in the movie "61*" as knuckleball pitcher (stretch, huh) Hoyt Wilhelm. He also is a TV-radio analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is also a baseball card collector. According to theclevelandfan.com, the top 25 cards in his collection is valued at $7,000,000 plus.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 22.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH145. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #675 Roberto Alomar

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 04, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #675.
• Player Name, position, team: Roberto Alomar, second baseman, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: April 22, 1988.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Blue Jays): 153 G, 589 AB, 109 R, 192 H, 35 2B, 6 3B, 17 HR, 93 RBI, 55 SB, .492 SLG, 80 BB, 67 SO, .326 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Padres as a Free Agent 02/16/1985. Traded by the Padres to the Blue Jays 12/05/1990. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 20. This is his eighth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Robbie's career-firsts in 1993 included: an inside-the-park home run (June 18 vs. Boston), a grand slam (August 29 vs. Seattle) and an All-Star Game homer."
• Commentary: Isn't this an awesome looking card?  The design elements (the home plate border and the stripe that includes the team name along the bottom) incorporate team colors, you have an awesome action shot of Roberto Alomar turning a double play (if you look closely, he is in mid-air), and he's trying to avoid being run over by some other guy named Alomar...his brother Sandy, Jr.  By the time this card reached the marketplace (Series 2), he was already a two-time World Champion, a four-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and for the third year in a row, finished sixth in the MVP voting.  His 1994 numbers were no different.  Although most of the year was killed off thanks to the strike, Roberto still hit .306 with 8 home runs, 38 rbi's, stole 19 bases, had OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .386/.452/.838, and won the Gold Glove at the end of the year.  He left Toronto after the 1995 season for Baltimore.  In his five seasons with the Blue Jays, he was a .307 hitter, with 55 home runs, 342 rbi's, and 206 stolen bases, When all was said and done, Alomar was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame wearing a Blue Jay's cap, the first player to be inducted with that team's affiliation.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 66.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1977 Topps #86. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #31T Gabe White

(Before I begin with today's Random Card of the Day segment, I would like to wish my parents a Happy 39th Wedding Anniversary today! Must make sure to call/visit them at the store later.)

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, November 14, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #31T.
• Player Name, position, team: Gabe White, pitcher, Montréal Expos.
• Major League Debut: May 27, 1994.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Ottawa, AAA-International): 6 G, 40.1 IP, 2-1, 15 R, 14 ER, 29 SO, 6 BB, 6 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 3.12 SV.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Expos, #3rd, June 1990. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Gabe, the Expos' top upper-level pitching prospect, made his ML debut on 05/27/94 in style, allowing one run on four hits over six innings to defeat the Colorado Rockies."
• Commentary: You'd think that with only four regular cards to his name that Gabe White didn't have a long career.  Au contraire.  White's career in the major leagues spanned 11 seasons, with five teams.  While he was drafted by les Expos de Montréal, he spent a majority of his career with the Reds.  Cincinnati must have liked White a lot because even after trading him away to the Rockies and Yankees, he was traded back to the Reds in later deals.  Anyway, in two years with Montréal, White appeared in 26 games, started six of them, went 2-3 with a high 6.57 ERA, and struck out 42 batters in 49.1 innings of work.  After his 1995 Topps card, White did not appear in another Topps product until 2001.  It would be his final appearance in an eponymous Topps card as his remaining cards were in the extremely comprehensive Topps Total products.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1989 Topps #166. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #271 Brad Pennington

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, October 27, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #271.
• Player Name, position, team: Brad Pennington, pitcher, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: April 17, 1993.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Orioles): 34 G, 33 IP, 3-2, 25 R, 24 ER, 39 SO, 25 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 4 SV, 6.55 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Orioles, #12th, June 1989.  Bats:  left.  Throws:  left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 2. This is his second and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Brad made the Orioles' roster after a scoreless spring training, then did not allow a rn in 15 of his first 19 appearances."
• Commentary: Brad Pennington is the first player that I can recall having Kane County appear in the statistics box on the back of his card.  The Kane County Cougars were just a new minor league team in 1991, and at the time was part of the Orioles' farm system.  While I lived nowhere near Geneva, it was close enough to be called the minor league team of the NW suburbs.  Pennington was one of the players under the "Coming Attractions" subset in the 1993 subset, and he impressed the O's management enough to earn a spot on their roster that year.  Yes, his ERA is ridiculously high, by any standards, but when you only average an less than an inning per appearance, any runs you're credit with will bloat that number.  In 1994, Brad spent most of the year in AAA, but when called up to Baltimore, he struggled.  By the middle of June of 1995, the O's traded him to Cincinnati.  He last appeared in the majors with the Devil Rays in a game where he faced four batters and allowed one earned run without getting an out...his ERA that year...infinity.  His final season in pro baseball was with the Allentown Ambassadors of the Northern League.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2.

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

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #53T Shawn Boskie

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, October 4, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #53T.
• Player Name, position, team: Shawn Boskie, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: May 20, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Cubs): 39 G, 65.2 IP, 5-3, 30 R, 25 ER, 39 SO, 21 BB, 2 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 3.43 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs, #1st, January 1986. Traded by the Cubs to the Phillies 04/12/1994. Bats: right. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his sixth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Not only did Shawn stabilize an injury-depleted Phillie pitching staff after his April acquisition, he defeated the Cubs - the team that traded him - twice in 6 days (June 2 and 7)."  Actually, the games he beat the Cubs were June 1 and June 6, 1994.  The links go to the correct games, but Topps had the wrong two days.
• Commentary: There is something about the 1994 Topps set that makes it unique among the other sets from the decade.  The home-plate shaped picture frame stands out in this design.  And Topps used it for the their 1994 Topps Football (using a football shape) and 1993-94 Topps Basketball (round) products too.  I guess this is a sentimental set for me because 1994 was the year I graduated high school and was the last year of my "youth."  The pictures were huge here and this would be the last year that Topps would not use foil lettering in the player's name in the base set (they saved that for their ToppsGold parallel set).  Shawn Boskie was one of the first players I remember that debuted after the Cubs magical 1989 season.  And he did rather well for the Cubs, going 19-29 with an ERA of 4.43.  He was traded to the Phillies in the middle of April, and along with the two wins against the Cubs, he went 4-6, struck out 59, and had a ERA of 5.23.  His stay in Philly didn't last long as he was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 21, 1994.  I wonder why Boskie was not depicted with the Mariners (or at least why mention was not made about it, considering there was plenty of time to make the switch).  This may be his Topps last card, but Boskie continued on with the Angels, Orioles, and Expos before ending his major league career in 1998.  He pitched in the minor leagues exclusively in 1999-2001, toiling for the Dodgers, Angels, and Diamondbacks' AAA-teams.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 7 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps #695. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #726 Alvaro Espinoza

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, January 17, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #726.
• Player Name, position, team: Alvaro Espinoza, third baseman-shortstop, Cleveland Indians.
• Major League Debut: September 14, 1984.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Indians): 129 G, 263 AB, 34 R, 73 H, 15 2B, 0 3B. 4 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB, .380 SLG, 8 BB, 36 SO, .278 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Houston Astros as a Free Agent 10/30/1978. Signed with the Indians as a Free Agent 04/03/1992. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his sixth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "After 15 three-hit games in his career, Alvaro enjoyed his first four-hit outburst on July 2, 1993, against California."
• Commentary: Once again, the Randomizer picks a card from 1994. I think it's due for a tune-up. It's either that or that's just how the randomizer works. I don't know. The coolest thing about this card is the back photo of Alvaro sporting a straw hat and glasses. Although I like the action shot on the front of the card, I would not have minded Topps using the back photo for the front. Besides, this is the same set that includes Jose Rijo with a water blaster.
  
  
  
  Espinoza played all four infield positions in 1994, committing a grand total of 10 errors in 313 chances for a .968 fielding percentage. He saw action in 90 games that year, batting .238 with a homer and 19 driven in. Although this is his last regular Topps card, Alvaro went on to play parts of two seasons with the Tribe.  In a midseason deadline deal, Espinoza was traded to the Mets with Carlos Baerga for Jeff Kent and Jose Vizcaino, a straight-up trade for middle infielders.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1985 Topps #67. 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: 1994 Topps #200 Cal Ripken

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 5, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #200.
• Player Name, position, team: Cal Ripken, shortstop, Baltimore Orioles.
  Major League Debut: August 10, 1981.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Orioles): 162 G, 641 AB, 87 R, 165 H, 26 2B, 3 3B, 24 HR, 90 RBI, 1 SB, .420 SLG, 65 BB, 58 SO, .257 AVG.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Orioles, #2nd, June 1978. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 21. This is his second card.
• Blurb on the back: "Cal needs 5 HR's to break Ernie Banks' record for HR's by a SS."
• Commentary: Just to be clear: regular Topps Cards means the number of regular cards the player appears in that doesn't include any subsets like Record Breakers, All-Stars, Super Veterans, or any other card that is not that player's regular base card during his playing career (so short printed variation cards in 2009 do not count into the total). Exceptions would be if the player appeared in a multiple-player rookie or prospect card. Cal Ripken, Jr., appeared in 21 different Topps sets (1982-2001 Topps, 1982 Topps Traded), hence 21 regular Topps cards. If you were to count all of his appearances in Topps eponymous sets, during his playing career, you'd have 47 cards (which includes the five separate cards from 2000 Milestones). Still playing shortstop for the O's, and only a couple of years away before becoming MLB's Iron Man. Cal put up incredible numbers and had received so many accolades up to this point in his career that even without the "streak," the man was destined for the Hall of Fame. He broke the mold of what a traditional shortstop (slick fielding, but not to heavy on the power) and set the standard for those who would come after him (specifically, guys who would become household names in the 90's and deep into the 2000's). The picture used for his 1994 card is perfect for the horizontal orientation. Look at his follow through and you can imagine what his wingspan would be like (if he had wings of course). The only drawback would probably be the home plate shaped frame that separates the picture from the name plate (the angle seems a bit off where at the bottom tip of home plate). But still, with the orange and gray color scheme used in the design elements, it is a beautiful card. Regarding the blurb, I'm pretty sure he broke that record in 1994.
• Beckett value: $0.60-$1.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 117 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1997 Topps #360. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps Traded #92T Charlie O'Brien

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, January 3, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps Traded #92T.
• Player Name, position, team: Charlie O'Brien, catcher, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: June 2, 1985.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1993 stats (Mets): 67 G, 188 AB, 15 R, 48 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 0 SB, .378 SLG, 14 BB, 14 SO, .255 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Athletics #5th, June 1982. Signed as a free agent with the Braves 11/27/1993. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his eighth card.
• Blurb on the back: "Because of his defensive genius, Charlie was hand-picked by the Braves as a back-up and mentor to super-rookie Javy Lopez."
• Commentary: Making his second appearance on the Randomizer, Charlie O'Brien, who never played more than 70 games up to this point in his career, was known more for his defense than he was for his bat. But it was what he brought to the game later on that revolutionized the catcher's position. Inspired by the goalie masks that hockey players use, he created a mask for catchers that was, yes a bit larger, but provided more protection for the man behind home plate against foul balls, against bats against the back of the head, et al. And, the view was amazing. You didn't even have to remove the mask to catch those pesky foul balls. And once it was approved by MLB to use in play, well, lets just say his mask added years to a catcher's health. At this time, the Braves had a young superstar waiting in the wings to become their primary catcher. O'Brien's signing guaranteed that a young Javy Lopez would learn from one of the better defensive catchers in the game.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 10 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1985 Topps #720. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. See you then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1994 Topps #225 Greg Vaughn

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, October 13, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1994 Topps #225.
• Player Name, position, team: Greg Vaughn, outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers.
  Major League Debut: August 10, 1989.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1988 stats (Brewers): 154 G, 569 AB, 97 R, 152 H, 28 2B, 2 3B, 30 HR, 97 RBI, 10 SB, .482 SLG, 89 BB, 118 SO, .267 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Brewers #4th (Special) June, 1986. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Vaughn's fifth regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only, not including his 1990 Topps '89 MLB Debut card). When I first started following baseball, many card companies touted Vaughn as the next big slugger for the Brewers. He was a "Future Star" in Topps 1990 set and by the end of the 1993 season, he had just finished his first All-Star campaign, pacing the Brew Crew with his 30 home runs and 97 rbi's while manning left field. It certainly wasn't his fault that the team finished in 7th place that year. But he and teammate Darryl Hamilton gave the team some solid offense during future HOF Robin Yount's final stand in Milwaukee. The back of his card includes a picture of Vaughn relaxed during warmups. And why not. The bio on the back reads "Brewers' leading home run hitter each of the last three seasons, (Greg) set personal highs in batting average and roundtrippers in 1993." Vaughn played for 8 seasons with the Brewers before being traded in mid 1996 to San Diego. He never missed a beat playing in southern California. He even hit 50 home runs in 1998, which in a normal year would have led the majors in that statistical category. However, in the National League of 1998, 50 homers was only good for fourth place. Ouch. Vaughn continued his career with All-Star career with the Reds, Devil Rays, and Rockies before calling retiring in 2003. He finished his career with 355 home runs, 1072 rbi's, a batting average of .242, and an OPS of .807. That, along with 4 All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger, and consecutive fourth place finishes in the MVP race, makes for a great career.
• Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 25 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 2003 Topps #59. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama