Random Topps Card of the Day: 1959 Topps #490 Frank Thomas

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, July 20, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1959 Topps #490.
• Player Name, position, team: Frank Thomas, third baseman-outfielder, Cincinnati Redlegs.
• Major League Debut: August 17, 1951.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1958 stats (Pirates): 149 G, 562 AB, 89 R, 158 H, 26 2B, 4 3B, 35 HR, 109 RBI, .281 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Pirates as a Free Agent 07/23/1947. Traded by the Pirates to the Redlegs 01/30/1959. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 10. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "The biggest trade of the Spring sent Frank to Cincinnati. Immediately Redleg fans contracted an ailment known as pennant fever. Frank is one of the real distance hitters and if you doubt it ask the Dodgers. He hit 7 homers in his first 8 games at Los Angeles in '58."
• Commentary: It's funny to see the word Redlegs on a baseball card in reference to the team in Cincinnati. But then again, there is some historical significance to it. To avoid being associated to what was then the USSR and the threat of being called Communists, the Reds organization changed their name to "Redlegs" from 1954 through 1959. So before there was a slugger named Frank Thomas, who crushed the ball for a long time as a member of the White Sox (then Athletics, then Blue Jays), there was Frank Joseph Thomas, a three-time All-Star with the Pirates. In his eight seasons with Pittsburgh, Thomas hit for a respectable .275, with 163 homers, 562 rbi's, and OPS of .807 in 925 games. No wonder Redlegs' fans were excited to get him and three other players in a seven-player exchange. In his lone season with Cincinnati, Thomas hit for a .225 average, 12 home runs, and drove in 47 rbi's, not really numbers that fans and the organization were expecting from the 30-year-old Thomas. By the end of the year, would be traded to the Cubs for three players, thus beginning a tour of duty that would include stops with the Milwaukee Braves, Mets, Phillies, Astros, and Atlanta Braves. He would play for 16 seasons, finishing with a .266 average, 286 home runs, 962 rbi's, and percentages of .320/.454/.774. 
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $4.00-$8.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1996 Topps #114. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1966 Topps #187 Chuck Dressen

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, June 15, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1966 Topps #187.
• Name, position, team: Chuck Dressen, manager, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: September 18, 1977. Managerial Debut: July 29, 1934.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1965 stats (Tigers): 65-55 4th (American League).
• Any special information about manager: Hired by the Detroit Tigers 06/18/1953.
• Any special information about this specific card: Dressen's seventh and final regular Topps card, all as a manager (includes regular and traded cards only).
• Blurb on the back: "Meet one of baseball's senior members. After spending 15 seasons as an active player, Chuck joined the managerial wars in 1932. As a big league skipper, he held the reins of the Cincinnati Reds, the old Brooklyn Dodgers, the Washington Senators and the Milwaukee Braves, before joining the Tigers in 1963. Breaking into organized ball in 1919 as a second baseman, Chuck switched to the hot corner and became one of the game's top third sackers. In 1924, the infielder batted .346 at St. Paul and he was brought up to the majors the following year. Among the highlights of his managerial career were the two consecutive National League pennants he captured for the Dodgers in 1952 and 1953. Baseball experts feel that Chuck's '66 Tigers will be in the thick of the A.L. pennant fight."
• Commentary: So before Tommy Lasorda and before Walter Alston, it was Charles Walter Dreesen at the helm of the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 'Bum's battles with the Yankees for baseball supremacy. And although his Dodgers fell short of the championship both years, he set the foundation for the team's success in 1955. He was actually the Dodgers, this time in LA, when he was hired to helm the Tigers. He did manage the team to a winning record and finish in the first division. But his health started to deteriorate. In 1965, he suffered a heart attack and was not able to join the club until the end of May. In 1966, he suffered a second heart attack and while recovering from that, would become stricken with a kidney infection. Chuck Dreesen died of cardiac arrest due to the complications from both. He was 71 years old. He finished with a career 1,037-993 record as a manager.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.50-$4.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps Traded #T31. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1972 Topps #94 1971 AL Pitching Leaders

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, March 30, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1972 Topps #94.
• Player Name, position, team: Mickey Lolich, pitcher, Detroit Tigers; Vida Blue, pitcher, Oakland A's; Wilbur Wood, pitcher, Chicago White Sox.
• Special: 1971 AL Pitching Leaders
• Commentary: Nothing too fancy about the card above other than it features three All-Stars from the 1971 season who led the American League in wins. This was before the Sabermetrics, the WAR, and all of those other new-era statistics. This was when your best pitchers were judged by their won-loss record. And in their defense, the three gentlemen featured here wouldn't need those kinds of numbers to tell how good they were in '71. Combined, Lolich, Blue, and Wood started 126 games, completed 75 of them, 19 were shutouts. They were a combined 71-35, had a combined ERA of 2.25, a combined WHIP of 1.036 (with Wood having an even 1.000 WHIP - 334 hits and walks in 334 innings of work), and struck out a combined 819 batters. The back of the card just lists the top 10 players in the AL in wins, even though it doesn't mention that specifically. Rounding out the top 10 in wins are Jim Hunter (21) of the A's, Dave McNally of the Orioles (21), Joe Coleman of the Tigers (20), Andy Messersmith of the Angels (20), and three more Orioles, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, and Jim Palmer, each with 20 wins. You have to remember that in 1971, the Orioles featured four starters who would wind up with 20 or more wins, propelling the O's to the AL pennant and their third straight World Series appearance..
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.00-$2.50.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1984 Topps #332. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1974 Topps #478 1973 World Series Game #7

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, January 12, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #463.
• Player Name, position, team: Bert Campaneris, shortstop, Oakland A's.
• Special: World Series Game 7, Oakland 5, New York 2.
• Any special information about this specific card: Bert Campanaris' third inning home run in the (his third in the World Series, and which I am hoping Topps was smart enough to depict here based on his swing) set the tone for the game, helping the franchise to their third consecutive World Series title. As with the other six cards in the subset, the backs included the batting lines for both teams that day and the box score. No pitching totals, no game summary. That was all Topps could fit in the back that year. What it doesn't say is that Ken Holtzman earned the victory, going 2-1 in the WS, holding the Mets to one run in 5.1 innings. The MVP of the World Series was Reggie Jackson, who although hit just one home run (also in the 7th game) during the series, hit .310, drove in 6, and had an OPS of .941.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps Traded #T71. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1955 Topps #189 Phil Rizzuto

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, January 5, 2014:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1955 Topps #189.
• Player Name, position, team: Phil Rizzuto, shortstop, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: April 14, 1941.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1954 stats (Yankees): 127 Games, 307 At Bat, 47 Runs, 60 Hits, 11 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .195 B.Avg; 185 PO, 294 A, 16 E, .968 F.Avg.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent before the 1937 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "The Dodgers never thought the kid they turned down because he was 'too small' would develop into a great shortstop. That's exactly what happened to Phil and his long list of baseball feats proves size has nothing to do with ability. In his 1st year as a Yank he hit .307 and his .350 mark in '50 won him the A.L.'s Most Valuable Plyaer Award. He's played in 8 World Series."
• Commentary: I made a mistake. Last week, I said that the 1954 set had the least amount of cards for a Topps Baseball product. The 1955 set had room for 210 cards, but only 206 were released, with four being held back thanks to the Bowman vs. Topps baseball card wars. Eventually, Topps won out, and the first monopoly on the baseball card market began the following year. So much has been written about Philip Francis Rizzuto's career that all I can offer is a brief summary of what he had done up until this point and what he did during the 1955 campaign. Although his career in Yankee pinstripes lasted 16 years, he only played for 13 seasons. The other three were spent wearing the uniform of the US Navy from 1943-45. An All-Star by the time he joined the armed forces, he did not miss a beat upon his return. By the 1955 campaign, Rizzuto was a five-time All-Star, perennial MVP candidate, winning the award in 1950. His career was already winding down by the time this card appeared in Series 2 of the 1955 Topps product. "Scooter" appeared in 81 games for the Yankees that year, hitting .259 with a home run and 9 rbi's. He also made his debut at 2nd base that year. In the World Series against Dodgers, Rizzuto held his own with 4 hits and 9 walks in 20 plate appearances. The Bums from Brooklyn did win it all in a seven-game affair though. Rizzuto finished his playing career in 1956 with a career average of .273, 38 home runs, 563 rbi's, an OPS of .706, and seven World Series titles. Not soon afterwards, Rizzuto joined the Yankees broadcasting team, beginning a 40-year career telecasting Yankees games on TV and radio. Never elected by the BBWAA, Rizzuto was voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1994. Phil Rizzuto passed away on August 13, 2007, at the age of 89. At the time, he was baseball's oldest living Hall of Famer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $100.00-$175.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 17.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1997 Topps #60. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1954 Topps #213 John Fitzpatrick

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 29, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1954 Topps #213.
• Player Name, position, team: John Fitzpatrick, coach, Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Major League Debut: n/a.
• Last Line of Statistics: n/a.
• Any special information about subject: Joined the Pirates coaching staff in 1953.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 1. This is his first and only Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "John, starting his 29th season in Baseball, joined the Pirates as Coach in '53. A former Catcher and 1st Baseman, he hit .306 at Portland (PCL) in 1932 and in '35 he helped Oklahoma City win the Texas League Crown. As player-manager at Olean in '44, he hit .342. John also managed Pueblo and Newport News, and coached Hollywood from 1949 thru 1952."
• Commentary: Although John Arthur Fitzpatrick never played in the major leagues, the Pirates hired him as a coach thanks to his nineteen plus seasons as a minor league player and player-manager. It also helped that he had a long association with the Bucs' manager Fred Haney, who made sure to include "Foghorn" in his inner circle. And how many people can lay the claim as not to strikeout even once during a season, let alone a season-and-a-half (as it stated in one of the three cartoon blurbs below the stat box)? Granted, he had 391 at bats in 127 games, but you have that luxury to get in the game when you're a player-manager. He must have been some kind of coach to be given one of the 250 elusive spots in Topps' eponymous set. Heck, skipper Haney even got a card in this set (#75). So did Topps include Coach Fitzpatrick as a tribute to his long professional career? Or was it because of their battle with Bowman that Topps (note that one Mickey Mantle wasn't in this set) that Topps filled their set with whoever they could sign? Who knows. What we do know is that the Bucs were 50-104 in 1953, and 53-101 the following season. Jeez, it makes the Cubs of 2012-2013 seem like world-beaters, huh? Maybe I should simulate a series with these two franchises and see who'd be the best among the worst. Fitzpatrick stayed on with the Bucs until after the 1955 season, and then followed Haney to the Milwaukee Braves (where they fared a bit better). A baseball lifer, John Fitzpatrick passed away on November 19, 1990 at the age of 86.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $7.50-$15.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T81. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1958 Topps #396 Dutch Dotterer

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 22, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1958 Topps #396.
• Player Name, position, team: Dutch Dotterer, catcher, Cincinnati Redlegs.
• Major League Debut: September 25, 1957.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1957 stats (Nashville, AA-Southern Association): 129 Games, 455 At Bat, 82 Runs, 138 Hits, 29 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 79 RBI, .303 B.Avg; 673 PO, 57 A, 11 E, .985 F.Avg.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Reds as a Free Agent before the 1950 season. 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: "Dutch reminds a lot of people of the great Moe Berg because he also speaks several foreign languages. He batted .272 in his first pro season with Lockport in the Pony League."
• Commentary: First of all, "Pony League" should have been written as PONY League for it stands for "Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York," (Lockport, NY). Remember the fuss that was made when Gary Pettis' brother wound up on his 1985 Topps card? Well, for Henry John Dotterer's 1961 card (which would also be his final Topps card), it wasn't "Dutch" depicted on the card, but his brother Tommy Dotterer, who was in the Reds' minor league system at the time the card was produced. After three years in the Reds/Redlegs' minor league system, Dutch joined the US Navy and served during the Korean War. Upon his return, he returned to the Reds' organization, and finally made it to the big club in 1957. Although Dotterer made it onto the Reds' roster in 1958, Dutch spent most of the season with the Reds' AAA team in Seattle, returning in September. He appeared in 11 games that year, hit for a .250 average with 1 home run and two rbi's to his credit. He would remain the Reds' backup catcher until the end of the 1960 season. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in October that year, and then was left exposed for the 1961 expansion draft. He was selected 12th player selected (24th overall) by the Washington Senators. After appearing in seven games for the Senators, he would play for the Syracuse Chiefs, the minor league team in his hometown before calling it quits for good in1963. Dotterer made the most of his after-playing career. He became a bilingual education teacher at a high school in Santa Ana, California (hey, if you can speak "several foreign languages," why not teach?), then opened a bookstore in Syracuse when he "retired" from teaching. He was an incredible speaker, who could go on and on about topics ranging from his travels through baseball, and his time in the Navy (where he became friends with a young slugger from the Army named Willie Mays). Henry John Dotterer passed away on October 9, 1999, at the age of 67 due to complications from diabetes.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $4.00-$8.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2005 Topps #597. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1967 Topps #245 Curt Flood

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 15, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1967 Topps #245.
• Player Name, position, team: Curt Flood, outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals.
• Major League Debut: September 9, 1956.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1966 stats (Cardinals): 626 AB, 167 H, 21 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 78 RBI, .267 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Redlegs as a Free Agent before the 1956 season. Traded by the Redlegs to the Cardinals 12/05/1957. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his tenth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "One of the steadiest players in the majors, Curt is always around the .300 mark in hitting. He is swift afoot and a defensive standout. Curt was honored by his teammates in 1965 when he was voted "The Most Valuable Cardintl." (sic)
• Commentary: A nice large picture, with the fonts used for the team name the only real design element for the front of the cards, the 1967 Topps set must have been a nice respite from all the designs used in previous years, and is a nice, and probably un-noticed, homage to the design used 10 years prior (the 1957 set also used a large picture). Before Curt Flood became the name most associated with what we now know as Free Agency (if you need to learn the story behind all of that, the History Channel has an easy-to-understand summary of the events that led to dramatic changes in the way the game is played off the field. Leaving that well enough alone, the focus of today's commentary should be about his 1967 season. Two years removed from what is now considered his "Best Year," (as was described on the back of the card), Flood was in the midst of another great season, hitting .304 with 4 home runs, 27 rbi's, and percentages of .361/.392/.753. But an arm injury put him on the shelf for three weeks. When he came back, not only did he not miss a beat, but he was a better hitter than before the trip to the DL. During the Cards' final 62 games, he went 85-228 (a .373 average), drove in 23 more runs (1 homer), and percentages of .400/.443/.843). He would finish the year with a .335 batting average, and on the heels of another outstanding year at centerfield (4 errors in 323 chances), he earned his fifth consecutive Gold Glove award. It was more than enough to help the Cards win the NL pennant. Although Flood would go 5-28 in the '67 World Series against the Red Sox, the Cardinals would go on to win the Championship in seven games. Curt Flood remained on the BBWAA ballot for consideration into Baseball's Hall of Fame. In 15 years on the ballot (1977-79; 1985-1996), he would get no higher than 15.1% of the vote. Curt Flood passed away on January 20, 1997, after developing pneumonia.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $2.50-$6.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 3.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2010 Topps Update Series #US87. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1960 Topps #19 Felix Mantilla

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 8, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1960 Topps #19.
• Player Name, position, team: Felix Mantilla, shortstop-second baseman, Milwaukee Braves.
• Major League Debut: June 21, 1956.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1959 stats (Braves): 103 Games, 251 At Bat, 26 Runs, 54 Hits, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, .215 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Braves before the 1952 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Felix played 60 games at short and 23 at second base last season. He is sure-handed and has speed to burn, and on the basepaths sees lots of action. When he is not in the regular lineup, Felix is frequently used as a pinch runner. In baseball since 1952, Felix joined the Braves in 1956. He can also connect for the long ball."
• Commentary: When it comes to the 1960 set, most people think of Carl Yastrzemski's card, or Willie McCovey's card. We don't really get much exposure to what the actual design of the cards look like. Sure, the set was named by the readers of Topps Magazine as the best of the 60's, but unless you have the cards in your hands, not too many people discuss the nuances of its design. Like how the letters of the players' names are printed in alternating colors. Most people who follow baseball know that Harvey Haddix had his extra-inning perfect game bid ruined in the 11th inning on May 26, 1959. But what many people don't know (myself included until I began researching the career of today's Retro Sunday player) is how it happened. It turns out that in that fateful 11th inning, with Haddix' Pirates taking on the Braves, it was Felix (Lamela) Mantilla, who reached first on a throwing error by Don Hoak, ending the chance at the perfect game. After being sacrificed to second, and a young Henry Aaron walked intentionally, Joe Adcock hit a home run to right-center field. Because Aaron thought that Mantilla's run ended the game, Aaron rounded second and then headed for the dugout. Adcock was still running out his home run, and eventually "passed" Aaron on the bases. At that point, both hitters were called out and Adcock's homer was reduced to a double. The game ended 1-0 in favor of the Braves, with Mantilla's run counting as the only one for the game. Mantilla continued as the Braves' reserve infielder/pinch runner in 1960, appearing in 63 games, hitting for a decent .257, with 3 home runs, 11 runs driven in, and was 2 for 7 as a pinch hitter. Mantilla would spend one more season with the Braves before being selected in the Expansion Draft by the New York Mets. With the Mets, he would become the regular third baseman. Not known for power earlier in his career, a switch must have been hit because in 1964, as a member of the Red Sox, he hit a career high 30 homers and 64 rbi's and had an OPS of .910. Back to Mantilla's card though. Maybe in a bit of a preview of what would eventually come, the cartoon on the back mentions that "Last August, Felix went 3 for 4 with 3 rbi's against L.A." This caption is incorrect. Because while Felix did go 3 for 4 with 3 rbi's during a game in August, it was against the Cardinals on August 2, 1959, not against the eventual World Series champs.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.50-$4.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 40.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2006 Topps #285. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1974 Topps #487 Ted Martinez

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, December 1, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1974 Topps #487.
• Player Name, position, team: Ted Martinez, shortstop-second baseman, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: July 18, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1973 stats (Mets): 263 AB, 67 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, .255 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Mets as a Free Agent 10/6/1966. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 9. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Has been Mets' most versatile player, performing at 4 infield and 3 outfield positions. Led Mets in Triples in 1972."
• Commentary: I never noticed that the facsimile signature that normally appears on the front of the card (when part of the design) is actually on the back to the right of the player's name. Unique place for it. I guess since there was so much space, it makes sense. According to the cartoon on the back of Teodoro Noel (Encarnacion) Martinez' card, Ted likes to listen to music. Doesn't specify what kind though. Don't we all like music? I think the cartoon player likes music a bit too much, don't you think? Anyway, 1974 would be another typical season for the uber-utility player for the Mets. In a career high 116 games, Martinez would hit for a .219 average, with two home runs and 43 runs driven in. He would hit for percentages of .247/.323/571 while covering second, short, third and even centerfield for the Metropolitans. It would also be his last season with the Mets as Ted would be traded to the Cardinals for Jack Heidemann and Mike Vail. His stay with St. Louis would be brief as he would soon be traded to Oakland on May 18, 1975. The A's would go on to win the AL West. But while Martinez hit for a low .172, his defense was stellar (.973 fielding percentage - 4 errors in 146 chances) in 86 games were his contributions to the A's run to the postseason. He would be released by the A's the following season and signed as a minor league free agent with the Reds' organization. After a  year in Indianapolis, Martinez signed with the Dodgers, where he played for three seasons as a defensive replacement. Before the 1980 season started, Martinez was released, and while he did play for the Mexican Leagues all the way through the 1983 season, he would not return to the majors. He finished his career with a career .240 average, 7 home runs, 108 rbi's, and an .579 OPS.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.20-$0.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps #110. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1961 Topps #51 Detroit Tigers Team Card

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, November 24, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1961 Topps #51.
• Team: 1960 Detroit Tigers.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1960 stats: Managers: Jimmy Dykes (44-52); Billy Hitchcock;(1-0); Joe Gordon (26-31), 71-83, .461 PCT., 26 GB, Sixth Place American League.
• Commentary: Hey, the Randomizer has picked another team card. And it's of a team that was so horrible the year prior that nobody would have picked them to win the AL the next. Well, the 1961 Tigers did not go on to win the American League pennant, but they sure made an improvement from the previous year. The Tigers finished in second place with a 101-61 record, 8 games behind the unstoppable Yankees, under new manager Bob Scheffing. Ironically, it was an 8 game losing streak at the beginning of September that may have eventually been the death of their chances of reaching the postseason. Anyway, the point of this card was to review the 1960 season. Basically, the card back lists the names of the team's batting leaders: Al Kaline (leader in average - .253 - and hits - 153) and Rocky Colavito (leader in home runs - 35 - and runs batted in - 153) and pitching leaders: Jim Bunning (leader in ERA - 2.79 - and strikeouts - 202). Below the leader stats is a list of all 14 of the Tigers pitchers with their records versus the other seven teams.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $3.00-$8.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1999 Topps #24. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1956 Topps #88 Johnny Kucks

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, November 17, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1956 Topps #88.
• Player Name, position, team: Johnny Kucks, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: April 17, 1955.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1955 stats (Yankees): 29 Games, 127 Innings, 8-7, .533 Pct., 122 Hits, 54 Runs, 48 E.R., 48 S.O., 44 Walks, 3.40 E.R.Avg.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Yankees as a Free Agent before the 1952 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 7. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "After his Army discharge, Johnny went to the Yanks' spring training camp. His great pitching in exhibition games won him a job with N.Y. Johnny, with only 1 year of minor league ball is now a real major leaguer.
• Commentary: To market the cards for their target audiences (that would be kids), Topps took the unique step of replacing most of the boring text usually found on the backs of cards (if they even had them at all) with cartoons. And they were a hit. So much so that Topps continued the practice on and off over the decades. And although they are not as prevalent as they were in the 50's and 60's, there is still a bit of nostalgia that comes with these cartoons. They have come so close to iconic and recognizable that one can look at just a cartoon sketch and know that it came from or was to have been used on a baseball card. If only they replaced some of the long boring texts on some of the cards today with cartoons. I'm sure it would be more interesting to read card backs. The cartoon captions on the back of John Charles Kucks Jr.'s (last name pronounced as "Cooks.") card would have been just text in today's cardboard. But back then, the cartoons were the thing and were a perfect way to tell kids what he was doing before making it to the majors. Kucks career was a bit delayed due to his stint in Army. His best season would come in 1956, when he appeared in 34 games, 31 starts, achieved a record of 18-9, an ERA of 3.85, 67 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.315. Did I mention that he also completed 12 games, 3 as shutouts, and earned a trip to the All-Star Game? Some could argue though that the following year was better statistically for Kucks, even with the losing record of 8-10 as he had better numbers across the board (3.56 ERA, 78 K's, 1.271 WHIP are all career bests). But during the 1956 World Series against Brooklyn, Kucks appeared in three games, started Game 7, and earned the shutout victory as the Yanks trounced the Dodgers 9-0. After that fantastic 1956 season, Kucks spent time between the starting rotation and bullpen, but he could not maintain the numbers that made him an All-Star, and after appearing in nine games for the Bombers in 1959 became part of the infamous NYY-KCA pipeline, going to the Athletics with two others in exchange for Ralph Terry and Hector Lopez. His major league career ended after the 1961 season, with Kucks finishing with a career 54-56 record, a cumulative 4.10 ERA, 338 strikeouts, two World Series rings, and as the answer to the trivia question, "Who was the last pitcher Jackie Robinson faced in the Majors?". He became a stockbroker after his playing days ended. Johnny Kucks passed away on October 31, 2013 due to cancer at a hospice in New Jersey. He was 80 years old.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $7.00-$15.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1995 Topps #125. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1970 Topps #263 Duane Josephson

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, November 10, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1970 Topps #263.
• Player Name, position, team: Duane Josephson, catcher, Chicago White Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 15, 1965.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1969 stats (White Sox): 52 G, 162 AB, 19 R, 39 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 20 RBI, .241 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the White Sox as a Free Agent before the 1964 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 6. This is his fourth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Duane missed much of 1969 due to injuries. Led PCL backstops in Putouts, Assists, and DP's in 1966 and was named league's MVP. Duane led AL catchers in Assists and DP's in 1968 and appeared in the All-Star game."
• Commentary: The comic on the back of the card says that Duane Charles Josephson "is good at handling knucklers (knuckleball pitchers). To his credit, it's good that he was or learned really fast to be good at it because two of the pitchers he had to handle when with the White Sox were Hoyt Wilhelm and Wilbur Wood (late 60's). His best year in the majors was in 1968, when he appeared in a career high 128 games, hit .247 with 6 home runs, 45 rbi's, committed a low 7 errors in 734 total chances, a 40% caught stealing ratio, along with a spot on the AL All-Star team. In 1970, both Josephson and fellow catcher Ed Hermann shared catching duties for the Pale Hose. Josephson, for his part, had the better offensive year, hitting a career high .316, adding 4 home runs and 41 rbi's to his Sox numbers. It would also be his final year with the team. During the offseason, he was traded off to the Red Sox with Danny Murphy for Tony Muser and Vicente Romo. Josephson's career numbers during his six year tenure with the White Sox included a .261 average, 12 homers, 118 rbi's, offensive percentages of .303/.358/.361, 34.5% caught stealing percentage, a and a .989 fielding percentage. Pericarditis (an inflammation of the membranes that surround the heart) had always affected Josephson during his career, and it caused him to miss a good portion of the 1972 season. After two solid seasons with Boston, in which he endeared himself not only with the pitching staff, but with some of the hitters (Carl Yastrzemski especially), when trainers were concerned that Duane was diagnosed with heart disease, Josephson announced his retirement from the game as an active player. Upon retirement, Josephson ran a sporting goods store in Iowa, affectionately named "Josie's." Duane Josephson passed away on January 27, 1997, due to a heart attack caused by the pericarditis. He was only 54 years old. Josephson's biography can be found as part of the SABR's BioProject.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.40-$1.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2008 Topps #109. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1969 Topps #316 Hal Lanier

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, November 3, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1969 Topps #316.
• Player Name, position, team: Hal Lanier, shortstop, San Francisco Giants.
• Major League Debut: June 18, 1964.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1968 stats (Giants): 151 G, 486 AB, 37 R, 100 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 27 RBI, .206 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Giants as a Free Agent before the 1961 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 14. This is his fifth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "One of the better glove men in the majors, Hal is equally at home at shortstop or at 2nd base. In 1962, he led the California League in putouts and fielding. The following year, Hal turned the same trick in the Eastern League."
• Commentary: One look at his hitting numbers in the majors, and the blurb on the back of the card and you would think that Harold Clifton Lanier was just a "Good fielder, terrible hitter" who managed to get every day playing time because of his stellar defense. And yes, you'd be correct. In ten major league seasons, Lanier hit for a .228 average but had a fielding percentage of .975 covering all four spots in the infield. But his minor league numbers will tell you a different story. The cartoon on the back of the card will tell you that Hal "led the Eastern League with 163 hits in 1963." In Fresno, the Giants' California League team during the 1962 season, Lanier hit .312 with 173 hits. So he showed he could hit as well as field. After his first season in the majors, Hal was named to Topps' All-Star Rookie Team as the second baseman. In 1969, Lanier hit .228 with 35 rbi's, 101 hits, scored 33 runs, and had percentages of .265/.279/.543. Defensively, he committed 25 errors in 807 chances for a .969 percentage. He was part of 98 double plays and assisted in 530 putouts (he had 252 of his own). After 8 years in San Francisco, Lanier spent parts of two seasons with the Yankees before retiring as a player. He went back to the minors as a manager and became a coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He would go on to manage the Houston Astros, winning the NL Manager of the Year award in 1986, his first year at the helm. He would finish his MLB managerial career with a 254-232 record, but has continued managing in the independent leagues all the way through the 2013 season.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.00-$2.50.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1991 Topps #259. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1959 Topps #248 Boston Red Sox Team Card

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, October 27, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1959 Topps #248.
• Team: 1958 Boston Red Sox.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1970 stats: Manager Pinky Higgins, 79-75, .513 PCT., 13 GB, Third Place American League.
• Commentary: It's rare that the Randomizer picks a team card for these segments. But when it does, it makes for interesting discussion. Should we talk about the team being featured? Or should I discuss the card itself? It would be the fourth year in a row that Topps would include team cards within their sets. And just like the team cards from the year before, the team cards from 1959 provided collectors with checklists of the series that the card was a part of. In this case, the back of the Red Sox team card includes cards from the 1959 Topps Third Series of cards, card #'s 177 Johnny Riggs to 264 Chico Carrasquel. The 1959 Red Sox finished 5th in the American League standings, finishing a dismal 75-79, 38 games behind the AL Pennant winning Chicago White Sox. Manager Higgins was fired after a 31-42 start to the season, and after a one-game loss credited to interim manager Rudy York, Billy Jurges finished the season on a good note, winning 44 of the team's final 80 games. Pete Runnels was the team's leading hitter with a .314 average while Jackie Jensen led the BoSox with 28 home runs and 112 rbi's. Pitchers Tom Brewer (10-12, 3.76, 121 k's, 11 complete games) and Jerry Casale (13-8, 4.31, 93 k's) were the team's starting aces while Mike Fornieles (5-3, 3.07, 54 k's, 11 saves) served as the Sox' closer.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $7.00-$15.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2011 Topps #316. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1951 Topps Blue Back #24 Sherman Lollar

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, October 20, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1951 Topps Blue Back #24.
• Player Name, position, team: Sherman Lollar, catcher, St. Louis Browns.
• Major League Debut: April 20, 1946.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1950 stats (Browns): N/A (no statistics found on the 1951 Topps cards).
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Browns as a Free Agent before the 1943 season. Traded by the Yankees to the Browns 12/13/1948. 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 front: "Batting and throwing right-handed, the 6', 180 pound St. Louis Browns' catcher had a .280 batting mark in 1950."
• Commentary: In 1951, Topps jumped into the baseball card market with two series of 52 cards that were to be used to play a simple game of baseball. Each card, along with the black-and-white headshot of a player from one of the 16 teams in the majors, was a play that would determine the outcome of an at bat (ball, strike, home run, etc). If you and a friend were to play this game, and Sherm Lollar was on the card, you would get is a strike called. While John Sherman Lollar made his MLB debut with the Indians, and spent parts of two seasons with the Yankees (winning a World Series title in 1947), it wasn't until he was traded to the St. Louis Browns that he began not only to get regular playing time, but become a star. In 1950, on the heels of batting .314 through the first half of the season, he earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. He finished the year with a .280 average, 13 home runs, and 65 rbi's for the Browns. The following season, he would appear in 98 games, but still hit .252 with 8 homers and 44 rbi's. He was traded to the White Sox at the end of the season. For 12 productive years on the southside, Lollar would go on to play 1358 games for the Pale Hose, hitting a cumulative .265, with 124 home runs, 631 driven in, percentages of .358/.402/.759, earn 6 more trips to the All-Star Game, and win three Gold Glove awards for his defense. Upon retiring, Lollar became a coach for the Orioles (1964-68) and A's (1969). In 2000, Lollar was named to the White Sox' All-Century Team. He is considered one of the best catchers in the Golden Era, and is eligible for consideration on the Hall of Fame Ballot for 2014. He was one of 32 players listed in the book The Case for Those Overlooked by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. Seven players mentioned in that book have since been inducted into Cooperstown. Sherm Lollar passed away on September 7, 1963 at the age of 53 years old.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1990 Topps Traded #67T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1962 Topps #577 Dave Nicholson

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, October 13, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1962 Topps #577.
• Player Name, position, team: Dave Nicholson, outfielder, Baltimore Orioles.
• Major League Debut: May 24, 1960.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1961 stats (Little Rock, AA-Southern): 121 Games, 419 At Bat, 61 Runs, 104 Hits, 17 2B, 7 3B, 20 HR, 73 RBI, .248 Avg.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Orioles as a Free Agent before the 1958 season. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 8. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Dave was given a hefty bonus by the Orioles when they signed him in 1958. The Baltimore front office thinks that this is the year that Dave will make it big in the majors."
• Commentary: David Lawrence Nicholson's 1962 Topps card is one of 43 cards that were short-printed within the final series of cards produced that year. And because it was distributed towards the end of the year, the cards within this series are a bit harder to find because most of the collectors (kids) were focused on football. While Nicholson did toil in the minors during his 1961 campaign, he did make the Orioles out of spring training in 1962 and appeared in 97 games as a reserve outfielder, playing all three positions in the field. He would hit for a .173 average, with 9 home runs and 15 rbi's in a limited role. He was traded to the White Sox in the deal that sent future HOF Luis Aparicio to Baltimore. After three seasons in Chicago, he was traded once again, this time to the Astros for a season. While he did finish the major league portion of his career with the Atlanta Braves in 1967, he did play for two more seasons in the minors for the Triple A teams for the Braves and the Royals. 
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $12.50-$30.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2003 Topps #670. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1968 Topps #421 Ron Taylor

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, October 6, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1968 Topps #421.
• Player Name, position, team: Ron Taylor, pitcher, New York Mets.
• Major League Debut: April 11, 1962.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1967 stats (Mets): 4-6, .400 PCT, 46 SO, 23 BB, 2.34 ERA
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Indians as a Free Agent before the 1956 season. Contract purchased by the Mets from the Astros 02/10/1967. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his seventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Ron was the Mets' top relief pitcher last season as he posted a fine 2.34 ERA and was credit with fie saves in addition to 4 wins. The righty reliever has tremendous control and uses his sinkerball effectively."
• Commentary: As Topps used a vertically oriented reverse for their 1968 player cards, there was room to list all of the places that Ronald Wesley Taylor spent time with as a professional player, both in the minors and the majors. He joined the Mets just as they were about to shock the world. With a pitching staff that included future superstars like Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Jerry Koosman, a guy like Taylor could have gotten lost in the proverbial shuffle. It is a good thing he was a very good pitcher in his own right. Sharing the closer role for the 1968 Mets, Taylor would earn a record of 1-5, an ERA of 2.0, finish 44 games, saving 13 of them. He struck out 49 batters and finished with a WHIP of 1.070. In the 1969 World Series, he finished two games, saving one and allowed no runs in 2.1 innings of work. Ron Taylor would play for the Mets until the end of the 1971 season. His contract was purchased by the Expos, allowing the native of Ontario to play for his home country. But he never suited up for Montréal, and signed with the Padres soon after he was released. But after four games (the final one, ironically was against the Expos), he was released by San Diego, ending his major league playing career. With his playing days over, Ron entered medical school and eventually returned to baseball. This time Dr. Ron Taylor signed on with the Blue Jays to be their team physician. On the back of his 1968 Topps card, there is a cartoon of a hitter swatting a ball with the number "19" on it. The trivia question: Who holds the Mets' Rookie Home Run record? The answer? Ron Swoboda - 19 in 1965."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.75-$2.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2011 Topps #328. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1962 Topps #277 4th Series Checklist #265 to #352

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, February 10, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1962 Topps #277.
• Special: 1962 Fourth Series Checklist #265 Joe Adcock - #352 Frank Sullivan
• Commentary: The Randomizer has finally done something it has not done since it made it's debut back in 2010: that's select a checklist of any kind. This one is from the fourth series from 1962 Topps and gives the collector a place to check off the cards they have from the 88-card series. The nine Action Cards (#'s 311 through 319) were of that famous subset featuring Tony Kubek, Warren Spahn, Roger Maris, Rocky Colavito, Whitey Ford, Harmon Killebrew, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, and Mike McCormick. For posterity, this is the first time that I am also showing the back of the card, so you can see the names of the players on the back of the list. Bet many kids were disappointed when they opened their one card pack to find this card staring at them instead of say Hank Aaron (#320), or Willie Mays (#300), Billy Williams (#288), or even Frank Robinson (#350). Looking back, it would not have been such a bad thing to have.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $8.00-$20.00.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2007 Topps #515. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1973 Topps #621 Joe Ferguson

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, June 9, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1973 Topps #621.
• Player Name, position, team: Joe Ferguson, catcher, Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Major League Debut: September 12, 1970.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1972 stats (Dodgers): 24 AB, 7 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .292 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Dodgers #8th, June 1968. Bats: right. Throws: right..
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his second Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "On July 18, 1971 Joe hit a 9th inning Homer vs. Bucs to spoil Luke Walker's bid to become the first Pirate pitcher ever to hurl a no-hitter in Pittsburgh. Hit .400 in 10 games with Dodgers team in 1971 Arizona Instructional League."
• Commentary: I love the silhouette that appears on the player cards in 1973 Topps. It's really the only design element used by Topps that year. After four full seasons in the minors plus three very brief cups of coffee with the Dodgers, Joseph Vance Ferguson (the player's full name appears on the back of the cards), made it onto the Dodgers' Opening Day roster as the everyday catcher for the 1973 season. When Steve Yeager was inserted into their lineup, Ferguson would play either of the corner outfield positions. By the end of the year, Joe appeared in 136 games, hit for a .263 average, hit what would eventually be a career high 25 home runs, drive in a career high 88 rbi's, and have an OPS of .839. He finished 21st in the MVP voting. He also committed 3 errors in 817 chances (.996 fielding percentage) that year as well, which should have put him in consideration for the Gold Glove award as well. By 1974, Yeager became LA's everyday backstop, and Ferguson would become his back-up. Although he was no longer the everyday catcher, Ferguson still contributed to the Dodgers cause, helping them get to the World Series in 1974 (and hitting a two-run homer in Game 2, which would be the only game LA would win that year against the Oakland A's.) In June of 1976, Ferguson and Bob Detherage were traded to Cardinals in the deal that sent Reggie Smith. After half a season in St. Louis, both Ferguson and Detherage were traded to Houston. When Joe was traded by the Astros to LA in 1978, he would spend the rest of his career in SoCal. After three plus seasons with the Dodgers, he signed with the Angels, finishing his career with the Halos in 1983. In 14 years in the majors, Joe would hit for a cumulative .240 average with 122 homers, 445 rbi's, 22 stolen bases, and an OPS of .767. On the back of his 1973 Topps card, there is a cartoon of a catcher (Ferguson) catching a basketball, with the caption "Joe once scored 40 points in a college basketball game."
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $2.00-$5.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 8.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM.
Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 1977 Topps #653. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama