Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T81 Justin Orenduff Draft Pick

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 30, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T81.
• Player Name, position, team: Justin Orenduff, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2004 stats (Virginia Commonwealth): 15 G, 100 IP, 5-5, 33 R, 27 ER, 129 SO, 34 BB, 15 GS, 3 CG, 5 SHO, 1.18 WHIP, 2.43 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Dodgers #1st, June 2004. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Justin is a huge movie buff who majored in small-business management. "One of the things I'd like to do...is my own DVD/theater place," he said. First, though, he's concentrating on his Big League dream. The 33rd overall pick in the 2004 draft, Orenduff owns a lively fastball and a wicked slider .The combination helped him go 19-5 over his first two seasons at Virginia Commonwealth."
• Commentary: Justin A. Orenduff spent his professional baseball career within the Dodgers' minor league system. Upon graduating Virginia Commonwealth, Orenduff, after being drafted by LA in 2004, was assigned to the team's Rookie League franchise in Ogden, Utah. With the Raptors, Justin would appear in 13 games, ten as the starter, earn a 2-3 record with a 4.74 ERA, 57 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.626 in 43.2 innings of work. In 2005, he split time with both the Vero Beach Dodgers (High A-Florida State) and the Jacksonville Suns (AA-Eastern), earning a combined 10-5 record in 26 games (25 as the starting pitcher), even earned a spot in the Florida State League All-Star Team. From 2006-2007, he remained with the Suns, going a combined 12-7 with 167 strikeouts in 37 games before finally earning the promotion to AAA-Las Vegas. Here, Orenduff struggled, going 3-7 with a 6.55 ERA and a WHIP of 1.891. After one more run (a 15 game stint in the bullpen of the Inland Empire 66ers of the California League), Orenduff retired, albeit briefly. In 2011, he re-signed with the Dodgers, joining the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. But after nine games, an ERA of 8.74 and a WHIP of 2.118, he decided to end his career for good, never making it to the major leagues. Orenduff has found great success as a writer on both twitter (where you can follow him at @justinorenduff) and on a baseball website called Baseball Rebellion where he shares his insights on the art of pitching. According to his bio, Justin is the lead pitching instructor at ITS Baseball, Baseball Rebellions research facility.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.30-$0.75.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1990 Topps #539. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T147 Scott Dohmann

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, December 27, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T147.
• Player Name, position, team: Scott Dohmann, pitcher, Colorado Rockies.
• Major League Debut: May 15, 2004.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Tulsa, AA-Texas): 50 G, 93.2 IP, 9-4, 47 R, 43 ER, 102 SO, 29 BB, 4 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1.31 WHIP, 4.13 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rockies #6th, June 2000. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "When injuries and ineffectiveness tortured the Colorado Rockies middle-relief crew in 2003, Scott became a primary option, earning multiple recalls from Colorado Springs (AAA). The former Ragin' Cajun (he helped Louisiana-Lafayette to the '00 College World Series) has led two Minor Leagues in starts, but now is being developed as a reliever. In '02, Dohmann was third in the system with 13 wins for Salem (A)."
• Commentary: Funny, how did Christopher Scott Dohmann make his MLB debut in 2004, when his Topps card says that he was called up multiple times in the 2003 season? I think it's a typo...making this an uncorrected ERROR CARD!!! Dohmann was an effective reliever for the Rockies when he was on the 25-man roster. In 41 games, he earned an 0-3 record with an ERA of 4.11 and 49 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. In 2005, although 2-1, his ERA ballooned to 6.10 in 32 games. He would be traded off to the Kansas City Royals in a deadline deal in 2006. He would soon join the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007 and would be among those that shed the "Devil" name in 2008. He would sign minor league deals with the Diamondbacks in 2009 and Dodgers in 2010, although he would never make it back to the majors. He finished his career with a 9-8 record (he never lost a decision with Tampa Bay, going 5-0), an ERA of 5.32, 166 strikeouts, 96 walks, and a WHIP of 1.598. He only has one regular (which includes cards in the traded set), but in the 2005 Topps Total set, was paired with fellow reliever Brian Fuentes.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.15-$0.40.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1991 Topps #635. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #110 Todd Helton

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 2, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #110.
• Player Name, position, team: Todd Helton, first baseman, Colorado Rockies.
• Major League Debut: August 2, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Rockies): 160 G, 583 AB, 135 R, 209 H, 49 2B, 5 3B, 33 HR, 117 RBI, 0 SB, 111 BB, 72 SO, .630 SLG, 1.088 OPS, .358 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rockies #1st, June 1995. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 18. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: The great hitters can't be kept down forever, as Todd proved on May 29, 2003. Entering the game amidst the longest home run drought (89 at-bats) of his career, he cracked three in a 12-5 romp over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was his second "tater trifecta" - hte first coming on May 1, 2000 versus the Montréal Expos."
• Commentary: The man who will be forever known as "Mr. Rockie" Todd Lynn Helton may just be the first Rockies player to be inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame, as long as the writers get past any prejudice over the notion that he spent his entire career in the thin air of Denver. I mean heck, they did install that humidor, and that seems to have evened the playing field. During Helton's first seven full seasons in the majors (not counting his 35 game cup-of-coffee in 1997), Helton was among the game's best hitters, hitting a ridiculous .340 with 246 home runs, 825 rbi's, percentages of
  .434/.620/1.053. In 2004, he made his fifth straight All-Star team and won his third Gold Glove award in five years. But from 2005 through 2013, his offensive production went down (not that two seasons were cut short due to injury should be used as part of the reason why), but he would go on to hit a cumulative .293 in 1112 games, hit 118 homers (you can't blame the humidor, that was installed into Coors field in time for the 2002 season), and drove in 570 rbi's. He did help lead the Rox to their first World Series appearance in 2007, and as the team's first baseman for 17 seasons, he committed only 79 errors in 20,694 chances, giving him a fielding percentage of .996. Todd Helton announced his retirement during the 2013 season. Will Cooperstown be calling next?
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.10-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 119 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1983 Topps #442. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46 Victor Zambrano

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

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46.
• Player Name, position, team: Victor Zambrano, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: June 21, 2001.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Devil Rays): 34 G, 188.1, 12-10, 97 R, 88 ER, 132 SO, 106 BB, 28 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.44 WHIP, 4.21 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent 08/19/1993. Traded by the Devil Rays to the Mets 07/30/2004. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Victor is known for pitches with exceptional break, so much so that finding the strike zone can be a challenge for him. He posted a splendid 22-17 record with the Devil Rays in the year and a half before his trade, even though he led the American League in wild pitches, walks and hit batsmen. "Victor has an uncanny ability to work out of a jam," explained Devil Rays manager Lou Pinella."
• Commentary: Eventually, and I swear I'll get around to it, I will have to go over all the Random Card of the Day posts and keep track of which cards have already been used. Why? Because this specific card from 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies, was already a previous subject for a Random Card of the Day (December 12, 2012). Which is just as well. Both kids are sick and I promised my daughter that I'd leave the laptop at home so she can play on the net. I can live with that. Personally, I'm not feeling too well either, but after getting some rest (and taking some medicine), I should have no problems getting going. So here's what I wrote last year for Victor Manuel Zambrano's traded card. As the Devil Rays were the doormat of the AL East for the earlier part of their existence, it would not be a stretch to believe that many players would have been happy to get out of there. Zambrano probably wasn't one of them. He was doing rather well for himself down there, going 35-27 with 372 strikeouts, an ERA of 4.47, and a WHIP of 1.491 in 135 games, 61 of them starts. But just before the trading deadline, the Devil Rays sent him and Bartolome Fortunato to the mets in exchange for Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz. With the Mets, Zambrano went 2-0 down the stretch in 3 starts. While the Mets didn't make the playoffs that year, Victor was slated to be in the Mets rotation for 2005. He didn't fare so well that year, with a 7-12 record and 4.17 ERA. Tommy John surgery knocked him out after May in 2006. Zambrano signed on with the Blue Jays, but couldn't find the success he did at Tampa Bay. In 2008, he spent the year with both the Rockies and Yankees minor league systems, and after two years playing in Taiwan and the Mexican League, he retired from baseball.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1988 Topps #145. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1988 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #256 Alex Gonzalez

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, October 23, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #256.
• Player Name, position, team: Alex Gonzalez, shortstop, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: April 4, 1994.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Cubs): 152 G, 536 AB, 71 R, 122 H, 37 2B, 0 3B, 20 HR, 59 RBI, 3 SB, 47 BB, 123 SO, .409 SLG, .704 OPS, .228 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Blue Jays #14th, June 1991. Traded by the Blue Jays to the Cubs 12/10/2001. 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: "Over the first 10 days of May, Alex hit three homers (two of the walk-off variety) - all to win games in the 10th inning."
• Commentary: You can blame that Bartman guy all you want, but if it wasn't for this guy muffing what should have been a double play to end that fateful 8th inning, it would have been the Cubs running for the World Series...or that's what we're told in some places. But it doesn't matter now, even if it has been 10 years after that sting. Alex Scott Gonzalez (not to be confused with Alex Gonzalez, the one whose career has continued through the 2013 season) was acquired from the Blue Jays after Ricky Gutierrez left the team via free agency. And to be honest, Gonzalez did fill in quite nicely in those first two years. In 2004, after 37 games in which he was hitting .217 with 3 home runs and 8 rbi;'s in which he spent all of June on the DL, Gonzalez was part of the massive 4-team trade that saw eight players change hands. When the dust settled, Alex was sent to Montreal, with Nomar Garciaparra taking over at short. Gonzalez did much better in Montreal, hitting .241-4-16 in 35 games. But in September, the Expos traded him to the Padres, where he finished the season with cumulative .225-7-27 numbers. He signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005, and after a successful season, signed with the Phillies in 2006. After 20 games with Philly though, Alex Gonzalez retired. He would "un-retire" the following year, but couldn't latch on with either the Royals or Nationals. He has since become an analyst for NBC and the MLB Network, as well as a principal of Miami Sports Management.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 15 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1983 Topps #556. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #66 Cliff Floyd

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

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #66.
• Player Name, position, team: Cliff Floyd, outfielder, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: September 18, 1993.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Mets): 108 G, 365 AB, 57 R, 106 H, 25 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 68 RBI, 3 SB, 51 BB, 66 SO, .518 SLG, .894 OPS, .290 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Expos #1st, June 1991. Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 12/23/2002. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 19. This is his thirteenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Cliff played HS hoops with vs. several future NBA'ers"
• Commentary: I have waxed poetically enough on this humble, little blog that I really love the 2004 Topps set because of the silhouette that appears on the lower left corner of the card. How Topps was able to design that to be identical to the main picture is amazing. Quite frankly, one of the few players I can think about that Cliff could have played basketball against would be Farrugut Academy's own Kevin Garnett. I'm sure there are others as the Chicago area is a hotbed for HS basketball. I would have finished my freshman year of high school when Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Jr. graduated from Thornwood HS in South Holland, IL. So needless to say it was fun watching a "local" kid make it onto cardboard history. By the time he joined the NY Mets in 2003, he was an All-Star, a World Champion (with the Marlins in 1997), and the season before played for three teams (the Marlins, Expos, and Red Sox). So to be able to play a full year without having to move anywhere must have been a nice change of pace for Floyd. In 2004, the year this card came out, Floyd appeared in 113 games, hit for a .260 average, with 18 homers and 63 rbi's while patrolling left field at Shea. But 2005 would be a better year for him offensively and in terms of health as he hit 34 home runs, drove in 98 rbi's, hit for a .273 average, and had percentages of .358/.505/.863. The injury bug returned in 2006, limiting Floyd to under 100 games. The following year, he signed on with his hometown Cubs to be near his ailing father. Two more years in the bigs with the Rays (and another World Series appearance) and Padres and Floyd called it a career. He is now a broadcaster with both Fox Sports Florida, NBC SportsTalk, and the MLB Network.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 34.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1995 Topps #558. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #590 Kerry Wood

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, June 5, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #590.
• Player Name, position, team: Kerry Wood, pitcher, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: April 12, 1998.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Cubs): 32 G, 211 IP, 14-11, 77 R, 75 ER, 266 SO, 100 BB, 32 GS, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 0 SV, 1.19 WHIP, 3.20 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cubs, #1st, June 1995. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 17. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Anyone who saw Kerry work in the 2003 postseason was treated to a glimpse of someone who might be baseball's next superstar pitcher - if he's not that already. Last year, Wood became the quickest pitcher ever to 1,000 strikeouts, both by games (134, besting Roger Clemens' 143) and innings (853 to Hideo Nomo's 927 2/3)."
• Commentary: Oh what could have been. It was supposed to have been their year. And they were five outs away from getting there. It's such a shame that even with that meltdown in game 6, that the Cubs couldn't muster enough strength to win the next day. But alas, it was so. But don't blame Kid K. He did his best despite the controversies and the conspiracy theories (not to mention the injuries). Because his 2001 Topps card was a previous Random Card of the Day subject, a review of his 2004 season is in order. A strained triceps injury sidelined Wood for two months. But when he was on the mound, he was still a pitcher to be feared. He did finish the season with an 8-9 record, a 3.72 ERA, and struck out 144 of the 595 batters he faced. For the record, since December 20, 2012, I managed to add exactly one Kerry Wood card to my collection: the 2013 Topps Chasing History Kerry Wood #CH-36.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 60 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 2009 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH104. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #296 Carlos Tosca

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, April 6, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #296.
• Name, position, team: Carlos Tosca, manager, Toronto Blue Jays.
• Major League Debut: n/a. Managerial Debut: June 3, 2002.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Blue Jays): 86-76 3rd (AL East).
• Any special information about manager: Promoted to Manager 06/02/2002.
• Any special information about this specific card: Tosca's second regular Topps card as a manager (total includes both Topps and Topps Traded cards).
• Commentary: When Carlos Tosca took over the reins of the Toronto Blue Jays after a 20-33 start, he became the fifth native Cuban to manage a team in the major leagues. The Jays finished with a 58-51 record under Tosca, giving him a shot to manage the team the following year. Although he never played in the major leagues, Tosca had 17 seasons of minor league managerial experience, starting in the Yankees Gulf Coast teams in the 1980's, and as high as Greensboro for two seasons. After two years away from the game, he returned to the GCL, this time for the Royals, even spending the 1991 campaign with the Baseball City Royals of the Florida State League. When the Marlins came into existence, they hired Tosca to run their Gulf Coast team before moving him up the ranks through Kane County, Portland (ME), and Charlotte). In 2001, the Braves hired Tosca to manage their Triple A team in Richmond. In 17 seasons managing in the minors, he compiled an astounding 1163-1081 record, including the 1996 Eastern League champion Portland Sea Dogs. In 2003, Tosca's Jays finished a respectable third place (against the Yankees and Red Sox, third place was pretty good) at 86-76. However, with the Blue Jays were struggling in the 2004 campaign, Tosca was fired after 111 games, leaving the Canadian franchise with a 47-64 record. He has since served as Fredi Gonzalez' right hand man, acting as bench coach with him first with the Marlins in 2007, and then moving with him to the Braves in 2010.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this person do I own?: 2 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: 1956 Topps #149. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #593 Franklyn German

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, March 12, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #593.
• Player Name, position, team: Franklyn German, pitcher, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: September 7, 2002.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Tigers): 45 G, 44.2 IP, 2-4, 32 R, 30 ER, 41 SO, 45 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 5 SV, 2.06 WHIP, 6.04 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Athletics as a Free Agent 07/02/1996. Traded by the Athletics to the Tigers 07/05/2002. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 2. This is his second and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Franklyn is so highly regarded as a future closer, he made the 2002 Sportsticker All-Prospect Team at that spot."
• Commentary: I wasn't sure what Sportsticker (is it Sports Ticker or Sport Sticker?) was, let alone why they picked German as the closer on that team. So I looked it up. It actually is SportsTicker, and comes from a company called SportsTicker Enterprises LP. It is classified as a "Holding Company For Sports Wire Services." The major sports networks have used this company for the scrolling news at the bottom of the screen (similar to the business reports that have the stocks running continuously). How legitimate was this team? The 2002 Team, which Franklyn German was a part of, included Victor Martinez (C), Jason Stokes (1B, over Adrian Gonzalez...it says so in the article), Orlando Hudson (2B), Mark Teixeira (3B), Jose Reyes (SS), Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, and Joe Borchard (OF), Kirk Saarloos, Brett Myers, Jerome Williams (RHP), and Billy Traber (LHP). For German's inclusion, the article states that he had "28 saves and fanned 85 in 61 inings." Used primarily in the bullpen, Franklyn Miguel (Madé) Germán was the victim of being on a couple of really bad Tigers teams. Decent won-loss records gave way to extremely high ERA's, WHIP, and low save totals even though he finished 40 of the 126 games he appeared). In 2004, he appeared in 16 games for the Tigers during a couple of call-ups during the year (a brief run in late June-early July, and again in September), pitching in 14.2 innings allowing 12 earned runs (for an ERA of 7.36) and striking out 8. In his first (and only) full season with the Tigers in 2005, he actually did a lot better. He finished 19 games (out of 58), going 4-0 and achieving a decent ERA of 3.66. He was placed on waivers by the Tigers in April, 2006, was picked up by the Marlins and made the team's Opening Day roster. He pitched in 16 games for the Marlins before being sent down to the minors in May. After signing a minor league contract with the Rangers in 2007 (playing for the Oklahoma City RedHawks), Franklhn made it back to the majors the following year with the Rangers. Although he went 1-3 with 9 games finished (no saves) in 17 games, German was designated for assignment. He signed on with the Pirates when the Rangers could not find a place for him, and was subsequently traded to the White Sox two months later. He did not appear with either team that year. In fact, those last games with Texas would be the last he would pitch in the majors. After finishing the season with the White Sox' affiliate in Charlotte, German was out of baseball. In 2011, he joined the Diablos Rojos of Mexico in the Mexican League.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1985 Topps #183. 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: 2004 Topps #262 Tomokazu Ohka

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, January 09, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #262.
• Player Name, position, team: Tomokazu Ohka, pitcher, Montréal Expos.
• Major League Debut: July 19, 1999.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Expos): 34 G, 199 IP, 10-12, 106 R, 92 ER, 118 SO, 45 BB, 34 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.40 WHIP, 4.16 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Red Sox as a Free Agent 11/20/1998.  Traded by the Red Sox to Expos 07/31/2001. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Japanese writer Keiko Yamamori has penned a biography of Tomo.  It went on sale in October 2002, just after the clever righty completed the best season in the Majors by a Japanese starter this side of Hideo Nomo.  That year, Ohka barely made Montréal's rotation out of spring training, but finished seventh in the NL in ERA (3.18)."
• Commentary: Yes, the 2004 set utilizes a small picture (smaller than average), but that silhouette on the lower left corner certainly makes up for it. Can you imagine the computer work it had to take just to get the outline to match the picture, down to the wrinkles on the pant let.  Tomo Ohka held his own as a member of the starting rotation for a team that was on its last legs financially.  As a member of Les Expos (and as one of the players who moved with the team to Washington DC), he went 31-34 with an ERA of 3.71, striking out 322 batters and had a WHIP of 1.335.  Injuries knocked him out for most of the year (middle of June through middle of September).  But in 15 games, in the team's last year in Montréal, Ohka went 3-7 with an ERA of 3.40.  Although he moved with the team to DC, his stay was brief as he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade deadline deal.  He spent parts of two seasons with the Brewers before returning to Canada with the Blue Jays.  He was released by the Jays in the middle of the 2007 season.  After playing in the AAA affiliates of the Mariners, Cardinals, and White Sox, he returned to the Majors with the Indians in 2009.  He returned to Japan in 2010 to play for the Yokohama Bay Stars.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 9 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be 1982 Topps Traded #63T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T113 Jim Crowell

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 27, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T113.
• Player Name, position, team: Jim Crowell, pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: September 12, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre - AAA-International): 54 G, 54.2 IP, 0-8, 31 R, 25 ER, 42 SO, 23 BB, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1.57 WHIP, 4.12 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed by the Indians as a Free Agent 06/17/1995. Signed by the Phillies as a Free Agent 08/18/2002.  Bats: right. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Philadelphia is the fifth organization for Jim, who found his way into the system after a stint under ex-Phillies closer Mitch Williams with the independent Atlantic City Surf in '02. After good relief work with Scranton-Wilkes Barre (AAA) in '03, Crowell made four appearances in the Majors in Ma of '04. It was the 30-year-old's first big league action since he pitched briefly for Cincinnati in 1997."
• Commentary: The 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies set was split into three distinct sections:  the veterans, draft picks/prospects, and first-year player cards (not counting #221, Barry Bonds).  All would feature the now famous silhouette with the player number next to it.  Suffice it to say, if you played under number 75, you stay in the majors was not going to be long.  I think the blurb on the back pretty much sums up Jim Crowell's major league career.  He pitched in a total of ten major league games in his career, a career 0-1 with a 11.37 ERA.  He spent most of his professional years in the minor league organizations of seven different franchises (Indians, Reds, Cardinals, Padres, Phillies, Marlins, and Blue Jays), in effect a journeyman minor leaguer.  In the minors, he managed a 59-59 record with a 4.20 ERA, 726 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.475 in 413 games.  With the Phillies in 2004, Crowell appeared in four games, three innings of work, struck out one batter, and allowed one earned run (two runs total).  In SWB, he had more success, with a 7-3 record, a 2.40 ERA, and 44 k's in 63.2 innings of work.  After the 2004 season, he signed on with the Marlins, and appeared in four games for them in 2005.  He allowed 8 earned runs in 3.1 innings of work, resulting in an ERA of 21.60.  It would be his last opportunity in the majors.  He continued to play in the minor leagues until 2007, when he finally called it a career.  
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 card.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2007 Topps #67. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46 Victor Zambrano

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, December 13, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46.
• Player Name, position, team: Victor Zambrano, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: June 21, 2001.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Devil Rays): 34 G, 188.1, 12-10, 97 R, 88 ER, 132 SO, 106 BB, 28 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.44 WHIP, 4.21 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent 08/19/1993. Traded by the Devil Rays to the Mets 07/30/2004. Bats: both. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Victor is known for pitches with exceptional break, so much so that finding the strike zone can be a challenge for him.  He posted a splendid 22-17 record with the Devil Rays in the year and a half before his trade, even though he led the American League in wild pitches, walks and hit batsmen. "Victor has an uncanny ability to work out of a jam," explained Devil Rays manager Lou Pinella."
• Commentary: As the Devil Rays were the doormat of the AL East for the earlier part of their existence, it would not be a stretch to believe that many players would have been happy to get out of there.  Zambrano probably wasn't one of them.  He was doing rather well for himself down there, going 35-27 with 372 strikeouts, an ERA of 4.47, and a WHIP of 1.491 in 135 games, 61 of them starts.  But just before the trading deadline, the Devil Rays sent him and Bartolome Fortunato to the mets in exchange for Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz.  With the Mets, Zambrano went 2-0 down the stretch in 3 starts.  While the Mets didn't make the playoffs that year, Victor was slated to be in the Mets rotation for 2005.  He didn't fare so well that year, with a 7-12 record and 4.17 ERA. Tommy John surgery knocked him out after May in 2006.  Zambrano signed on with the Blue Jays, but couldn't find the success he did at Tampa Bay.  In 2008, he spent the year with both the Rockies and Yankees minor league systems, and after two years playing in Taiwan and the Mexican League, he retired from baseball.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 6 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1988 Topps #317. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #54 Shane Halter

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, December 3, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #54.
• Player Name, position, team: Shane Halter, shortstop, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: April 6, 1997.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Tigers): 114 G, 360 AB, 33 R, 78 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 30 RBI, 2 SB, 27 BB, 77 SO, .342 SLG, .611 OPS, .217 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by Royals, #5th, June 1991. Claimed off waivers by the Tigers 03/13/2000. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his fourth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "In 2002, Shane asked to be traded, but he was so impressed with new manager Alan Trammell last season, that he made it a point to say how happy he was in Detroit. Though he would prefer a job that was his alone, he played as a 'third starter' in the middle infield, seeing regular action at second base and shortstop."
• Commentary: I have waxed poetic many times over about how much I love the 2004 Topps set.  From the easy-to-sort by team name header, to the fact that Topps returned to white borders for the first time since 1997, it's hard NOT to fall in love with this set (and the subsequent 2005 set...but that's for another RotC segment).  Did I mention that I also loved how Topps was able to incorporate a silhouette of the player's SAME POSE on the bottom left corner of every card??!  And then to include the player's uniform number?  How could you go wrong??!  Could you blame the guy for wanting to be traded out of Detroit?  The team went 43-119 that year, one of the worst seasons ever by a major league franchise.  But when your team decides to experiment with youth (Carlos Peña, Warren Morris, Ramon Santiago, and Eric Munson, the team's infielders from first to third, were 25, 29, 23, and 25 in age respectively), and you're 33, it's hard NOT to want to say "I want out."  But Trammell put him in action often enough all over the infield to play over 100 games for the fourth time in his career.  Not bad for a guy who's claim to fame was playing all nine positions in a major league ballgame (done on October 1, 2000).  Ironically, Halter did leave Detroit, albeit as a Free Agent.  He signed with the Anaheim Angels for the 2004 campaign, where he filled in at third for an injured Troy Glaus.  Halter himself saw limited duty for the Halos due to injuries and not-so-good offensive numbers in 2004, which wound up being his final major league season. After one year with the Cubs' minor league team in Iowa, he called it a career.  
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1995 Topps Traded and Rookies #50T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T73 Greg Golson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, November 03, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T73.
• Player Name, position, team: Greg Golson, outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies.
• Major League Debut: September 03, 2008.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2004 stats (John Connally HS, Austin, TX): N/A G, 78 AB, 32 R, 38 H, 9 WB, 3 EB, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 20 SB, N/A BB, N/A SO, N/A SLG, N/A OPS, .487 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies, #1st, June 2004. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 3. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "A blur on the basepaths, Greg runs the 40-yard dash in a dizzying 4.29 seconds.  "If he gets on first, he'll end up on third," said Brenham High School coach Jim Long.  "That's how fast he is." In 2003 for John Connally High in Texas, Golson batted .507 with 18 steals in 18 tries.  As a USA Today First Team All-American in '04, he ripped .519 while swiping 13 in 13 tries.  He went 21st in the '04 draft."
• Commentary: The 2004 Topps set.  What more can I say about it?  It is the first set since 1997 to feature all white borders again.  Easy to sort by team name because of the large gold foil lettering at top.  And what about that silhouette at the lower left corner of every card?  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.  A future subject of "What Card is This?" Greg Golson, thanks to his being selected in the 1st round in the 2004 MLB draft, found his way onto Topps' final "Traded and Rookies" set.  I understand the Rookie Card deal with MLB, but it's cards like this that I personally miss seeing in the eponymous Topps set.  Even if they have to make an insert set out of it, and yes, I'm pretty sure every prospector out there would either horde or jack up the prices on singles, but they should at least, in some way, include those who were selected in that year's draft just so that there is some semblance of a complete retrospective of that year's MLB season.  Anyway, Golson was a speed demon in high school as you can tell by his stats and the praise heaped on him by rival HS coaches.  His minor league stats show that as well, considering he's stolen 192 bases in nine minor league seasons.  But he's only seen limited duty in the majors, appearing in only 40 games total in four years, for three different teams (Phillies, the Rangers, and the Yankees).  In 2012, he found himself at the Spring Training facility of the Royals only to have his contract purchased by the White Sox before the end of March.  He spent all of 2012 in the Sox' AAA affiliate in Charlotte.  He is 27 years-old heading into next season, and with the possible overhaul of the White Sox' roster, look for Golson to compete for a spot to stay in the majors in 2013.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5.

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

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #431 Horacio Ramirez

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, January 16, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #431.
• Player Name, position, team: Horacio Ramirez, pitcher, Atlanta Braves.
• Major League Debut: April 02, 2003.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Braves): 29 G, 182.1 IP, 12-4, 91 R, 81 ER, 100 SO, 72 BB, 29 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.39 WHIP, 4.00 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Braves, #5th, June 1997. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Manager Bobby Cox compares Horacio to a young Tom Glavine, saying "He's a pitcher. He can drop any type of pitch on you i any count. He can spot it in and out; he can do a lot of stuff.""
• Commentary: It's like the Randomizer knows what sets I like.  Once again, it picks a card from 2004.  Maybe I should have it looked at to make sure it's not doing this on purpose. Horacio Ramirez was one of the players the Braves were planning would be the future for the Braves.  With mentors like Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, it was hoped that their experience would rub off on the pitching prospects.  In 2003, it looked like they had succeeded with Ramirez.  In 29 starts, he went 12-4 with 100 strikeouts.  But in 2004, he saw limited action thanks to injuries. In 10 games, he went 2-4 with a ERA of 2.39 and 31 K's.  He was traded to the Mariners at the end of the 2006 season for Rafael Soriano.  Although he has been active going into the 2012 campaign (with the exception of 2010 when he was out of baseball) he has not been seen on a Topps card since 2008.
• Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 5 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1994 Topps #726. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #484 Jeremy Bonderman

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, January 7, 2012:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #484.
• Player Name, position, team: Prospects Jeremy Bonderman, pitcher, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: April 02, 2003.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats: Bonderman (Tigers): 33 G, 16 IP, 6-19, 118 R, 100ER, 108 SO, 58 BB, 28 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 1.55 WHIP, 5.56 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Drafted by the Athletics, #1st, June 2001. Traded by the Athletic to the Tigers 08/22/2002.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his second card.
• Blurb on the back: "Thrust into an impossible situation - asked to join the rotation for a team that would score the fewest runs and make the most errors in the American League - Jeremy came directly out of A-ball and handled it with amazing composure in 2003. His memorable first ML win came on April 23 in Oakland when he defeated Barry Zito, 4-1, who had been 22-1 in his previous 31 home starts.
• Commentary: The 2004 set was one of my favorite sets in the 2000's in terms of its design and unique silhouette on the lower left corner. Easy to sort by teams thanks to the large team name above the picture in large silver foil letters, the 2004 Topps set for me to build/acquire. The insert sets were classy too. But back to the player. There was a time in the early 2000's when the Tigers were circled on everyone's schedule, just because many teams knew they were guaranteed a win...or two...or three...against them. I don't know of a tougher way to break a player into the big leagues than to have him pitch for a team as the 2003 Tigers (43-119, ranked 14th in almost all hitting categories and at or near the bottom in the pitching statistics). But alas, Bonderman persevered and was able to stick around for the renaissance that took place a few years later when the Tigers found their way to an AL pennant and perennial contenders status afterwards. Bonderman went 61-58 the rest of the way during his tenure with the Tigers and was granted free agency after the 2010 season. He did not pitch in he majors in 2011.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 25.

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: 1960 Topps #354. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #689 Dodgers Prospects Edwin Jackson & Greg Miller

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, July 2, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #689.
• Player Name, position, team: Prospects Edwin Jackson, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers; Greg Miller, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: September 9, 2003 (Jackson); n/a (Miller)
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats: Jackson (Jacksonville-AA): 27 G, 148.1 IP, 7-7, 68 R, 61 ER, 157 SO, 53 BB, 27 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 1.17 WHIP, 3.70 ERA; Miller (Vero Beach-A/Jacksonville-AA): 25 G, 142.1 IP, 12-5, 45 R, 35 ER, 151 SO, 48 BB, 25 GS, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 1.17 WHIP, 2.22 ERA.
• Any special information about players: Jackson: Drafted by the Dodgers, #6th, June 2001. Throws: right. Bats: right; Miller: Drafted by the Dodgers, #1st, June 2002. Throws: left. Bats: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): Jackson: 9. This is his first card; Miller: 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: The 2004 set was one of my favorite sets in the 2000's in terms of its design and unique silhouette on the lower left corner. The prospect cards, of course, did not have that luxury, but did see a continuation of the multi-player prospect cards. Jackson has been a mid-season trade pickup for the last two seasons, and has played for five teams since his debut. He was even an All-Star with the Tigers in 2009. Miller, on the other hand, could not crack the Dodgers' starting rotation, and spent his entire career in the Dodgers' minor league system until 2009. A bit of trivia about this card. The checklists for the 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies set had puzzle pieces on the back of them. There were 10 checklists, but 11 rows (so in effect, there were 110 checklists). Anyway, whoever was lucky enough to complete the 110 set master checklist would complete the puzzle that was actually a visual checklist of the 2004 Topps set (both series). There were two cards that were excluded upon further inspection: card #313 (Kyle Davies...the picture of card #312 Khalid Ballouli) and this one (pictured in its place was #688 Cleveland Indians Prospects Guthrie and Sizemore).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of each player do I own?: 10 (Jackson); 1 (Miller).

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: 1971 Topps #433. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T123 Tyler Davidson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, January 14, 2011:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T123.
• Player Name, position, team: Tyler Davidson, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (Kingston-Rookie/Brooklyn-A): 65 G, 218 AB, 36 R, 72 H, 13 2B, 8 3B, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 7 SB, 17 BB, 50 SO, .615 SLG, .999 OPS, .330 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Mets, #8th, June 2002. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "In 2003, the Mets unveiled a secret weapon in their system in Davidson, a strapping first baseman who had missed his '02 pro debut with a wrist injury. When he finally got on the ballfield, he did so a sthe Appalachian League (R) Player of the Year and circuit leader in slugging percentage (.669). Despite his size (6' 5", 240 lbs), Davidson - a former high school basketball standout - is surprisingly athletic."
  Commentary: By 2004, Topps (and the other companies) went prospect happy. Adding many prospects to their base sets, there was no doubt that many of the players who made the end-of-the-year sets would not pan out. Davidson, alas, is one of those players. His last appearance in the minors was in 2005 (with St. Lucie of the Florida State League). He was soon cut by the team, and appears to have quit baseball. He had the numbers, but it appears injuries held him back. At least he can say, though, that he has a Topps card.
• Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 1 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1978 Topps #306. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T127 Jon Connolly

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, October 8, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T127
• Name, position, team: Jon Connolly, pitcher, Chicago Cubs.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (West Michigan Whitecaps-Midwest A): 25 G, 166 IP, 16-3, 37 R, 26 ER, 104 SO, 38 BB, 25 GS, 5 CG, 2 SHO, 1.00 WHIP, 1.41 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Tigers #28th June, 2001. Traded by the Tigers to the Cubs 04/29/2004. Bats: right, Throws: left.
• Any special information about this specific card: Connolly's first and only regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). I love the 2004 set design not only because of the fact it was the first set to feature white borders since 1997, but because of those silhouette outlines at the bottom left corner of every card. Yes, the uniform numbers could be confusing, but you have to admit that having the silhouette match the player's picture was pretty cool. Connolly would be one of those players wouldn't have a Topps card now if he was still trying to get to the majors now. But what potential this kid had. Yes, it's lower A ball, but you have to admire a record of 16-3, 104 K's, and a whip of 1. That's right...1.00. Connolly stay in the Cubs' minor league system was extremely brief. He returned to the Tigers' organization in 2006, bouncing around with 4 minor league teams that year. He was last seen playing for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. He has one other Topps card, included as one of the bonus players in the 2004 Topps MLB Chicago Cubs factory set.
• Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1989 Topps #387. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2004 Topps #559 Joe Mauer

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, September 15, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2004 Topps #559.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Mauer, catcher, Minnesota Twins.
• Major League Debut: April 5, 2004.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2003 stats (New Britain-Eastern AA): 73 G, 276 AB, 48 R, 94 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 0 SB, 25 BB, 25 SO, .453 SLG, .853 OPS, .341 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Twins #1st June, 2001. Bats: left, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Mauer's third regular Topps card (total includes regular and traded cards only). I don't think even Joe Mauer was sure if he was going to make the Twins in 2004. Why? Because if you notice at the lower left corner of the cards, near the silhouette of the player, is a number. And it appears that Joe's number heading into spring training that year was #71. Guys wearing that high a number normally aren't planning on joining the big club. But somehow, Joe Mauer did make it out of camp, and the uniform number assigned to him has been his ever since...#7. The demands of catching in the majors are incredible. You have to be able to call a game, know the strengths and weaknesses of all the pitchers on the staff. You're wearing a lot of equipment. You're squatting for long periods of time. You risk getting hit by pitches, bats, dirt, and in many cases, runners on third base. And, on top of all that, you have to hit. Every generation, every decade, definitely since Topps started selling baseball cards, there are catchers that define the decade or era he plays. Just mention the names Berra, Campanella, Crandall, Torre, Freehan, Fisk, Munson, Bench, Carter, Alomar, Rodriguez, Piazza, Posada, and even the brothers Molina, and memories of some of the greatest catchers in the history of baseball come back to life. In the 21st century, Joe Mauer has made a name for himself as one of the best catchers in the game. But before he could do all of that, he had to ply his trade in the minors. The back of Mauer's 2004 card includes his career minor league statistics, from his days with Elizabethton, to toiling in the Quad Cities. In 2003, he split his time between Fort Myers in the High A Florida Coast League and New Britain of the AA Eastern League. Topps named him baseball's
  "most eagerly anticipated rookie" for the 2004 campaign. The native Minnesotan was drafted by the hometown Twins, and signed a contract that would keep him with the Twins until the end of the 2018 season. The back of his card reads that Mauer "was the top quarterback in the nation coming out of high school." I think the Twins are happy that he decided to stick to baseball.
• Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 55 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: Thursday: 1980 Topps #539. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Hope you will be too.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama