Random Topps Card of the Day: 2001 Topps #588 Ray Lankford

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, November 21, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2001 Topps #588.
• Player Name, position, team: Ray Lankford, outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals.
• Major League Debut: August 21, 1990.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2000 stats (Cardinals): 128 G, 382 AB, 73 R, 99 H, 16 2B, 3 3B, 26 HR, 65 RBI, 5 SB, .508 SLG, 70 BB, 148 SO, .253 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Cardinals #3rd, June 1987. Bats: left. Throws: left.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 12. This is his eleventh Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Did 200 seem to be an off-season for Ray, an 11-year vet? Look again. He was one of only two National Leaguers to hit at least 25 home runs in fewer than 400 at-bats. The other was Mark McGwire."
• Commentary: Raymond Lewis Lankford will always be a St. Louis Cardinal. Even after he was traded to the Padres after the trading deadline, he returned to the Cardinals as a Free Agent. So what happened in 2001 that caused the Cards to trade this offensive powerhouse? Simple. While the power was still there (15 home runs in 264 at bats during 91 games, percentages of .345/.496/.841), his batting average reached a career worst .235. The trade to San Diego for Woody Williams helped as he hit for a .288 average with 4 home runs and 19 rbi's in 40 games played. The following year was marred by injury, with Ray only appearing in 81 games. He signed back with the Cards for the 2003 season, but was on the shelf for the entire season due to a hamstring injury. After one last run in 2004, Lankford called it a career. His name is scattered all over the Cardinals' record lists, which include a cumulative .273 average, 228 home runs, 829 rbi's, 250 stolen bases, and an OPS of .846. He is also the only Cardinal to hit 200 home runs and steal 200 bases in a Cardinals' uniform.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 21.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1996 Topps #266. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1988 Topps #145 Bill Madlock

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Wednesday, November 20, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1988 Topps #145.
• Player Name, position, team: Bill Madlock, designated hitter/third baseman, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: September 7, 1973.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1987 stats (Tigers): 87 G, 326 AB, 56 R, 91 H, 17 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 4 SB, .460 SLG, 28 BB, 45 SO, .279 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Senators #5th, January 1970 (Special). Signed with the Tigers as a Free Agent 06/04/1987. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 16. This is his sixteenth and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: n/a.
• Commentary: Yes, I really have to go through the Randomizer to see what cards it has chosen so that this doesn't happen again. This is probably the first time ever that cards selected by the Randomizer on consecutive days have already been featured on this humble little blog (it was February 09, 2013 when this card was first picked). Which now makes me wonder how really random is the Randomizer??! The kids are back in school now, so I guess this saves me just a bit of time and agony having from having to come up with something. Anyway, here is what I wrote for Bill Madlock's final Topps card. Nothing more needs to be said about my love for the 1988 Topps set. It was the set that really got me into collecting, and I loved the way the team name hovered above the player's picture. And the 1988 Topps set was the home of the final card of Bill Madlock. What a career this man had. He was member of the Topps All-Star Rookie Team (with the rookie cup proudly displayed on his 1975 Topps card), led the National League in batting average four times, he was a three-time All-Star (even shared MVP honors in the 1975 ASG), and World Series Champion (with the 1979 Pirates, Madlock hit .375 with three runs driven in against the Orioles). As 1987 was his final season in the majors, the totals line at the bottom of the statistics are complete. He finished with a .305 batting average, hit 163 home runs, drove in 860 rbi's, and had OBP/SLG/OPS percentages of .365/.442/.807. He spent the 1988 season in Japan with the Lotte Orions and retired as a player after the season ended. He has taken positions as a coach with the Detroit Tigers and managed the independent Newark Bears for a couple of years in the mid 2000's.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 33.

Tomorrow's card will be 2001 Topps #588. 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 #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: 1995 Topps #125 John Doherty

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Monday, November 18, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1995 Topps #125.
• Player Name, position, team: John Doherty, pitcher, Detroit Tigers.
• Major League Debut: April 8, 1992.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1994 stats (Tigers): 18 G, 101.1 IP, 6-7, 75 R, 73 ER, 28 SO, 26 BB, 17 GS, 2 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 6.48 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Tigers #19th, June 1989. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 3. This is his third and final Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "John's family lived within walking distance of Yankee Stadium until he was seven, then moved a half-hour north to Westchester County. He's not, he says, "this tough kid from The Bronx. We had pick-up games from 10 in the morning until 6 at night."
• Commentary: Maybe it's just my mind wandering, or maybe it's the scanner that needs to be cleaned. Maybe it's the card itself, I don't know. But the borders of this card are a darker shade of white (is there even such a thing???). Maybe the card is just showing it's age...after all, it's almost 18 years old. John Harold Doherty's major league career lasted for about four-plus seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox (that's where the plus comes in). In 1995, his last with the Tigers, Doherty earned a 5-9 record, finished 18 games, saving six of them, had an ERA of 5.10, and struck out 46 of the 499 batters he faced in 113 innings of work. The following year, the Tigers placed him on waivers, with the Red Sox claiming him from the waiver wire. Although he did begin the year on the Boston roster, after 3 appearances and a 5.68 ERA, Doherty was sent to the minors, playing for both the Trenton Thunder (AA-Eastern) and Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA-International). But after doing well in Trenton to earn the promotion to Pawtucket (4 games, 1-1, 1.85 ERA, 14 K's), he couldn't keep it going in AAA. A 6.62 ERA, along with a 1-4 record as the PawSox's swingman did not earn him a contract with the Red Sox the following season. It would be his last year as a player in professional baseball. But at least he was able to get in on some cardboard history from 1993-1995.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.05-$0.15.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 3 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2004 Topps Traded and Rookies #T46. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #404 Darin Ruf

It's Minor League Monday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Pro Debut Card of the Week:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2010 Topps Pro Debut #404.
• Player Name, position, team: Darin Ruf, first baseman, Gulf Coast League Phillies.
• Level-League, Team Affiliation: Rookie-Gulf Coast League, Philadelphia Phillies.
  
• Minor League Stats (stats with team depicted only): 20 G, 43 AB, 5 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 8 SO, .395 SLG, .795 OPS, .326 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Phillies #20th, June 2009. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Major League Debut: September 14, 2012.
• Baseball America Organizational Ranking After Season with Team: n/a.
• Blurb on the back: "Ruf enjoyed a smooth transition to the pros in 2009, debuting with a .326 average in 20 Gulf Coast League games. The No. 2 RBI man in Creighton University history drove in 24 runs in 37 contests after being promoted to Williamsport. He joined Clearwater in '10 following a .330-4-17 start for Lakewood."
• Official Topps Rookie Card: 2013 Topps #83.
• Commentary: When your major league club already has a man who plays your position signed to a long term deal (signed a five-year deal through 2016 with an option for 2017), injured or not, he's not going anywhere. What are your options? Hope to be traded? Perhaps. But if you don't want to be a journeyman before making it to the majors, you do what is best for your organization...and your chances of making the majors. You learn a new position. Such was the case for Darin Cortland Ruf. A first baseman (as seen on his first and only Pro Debut card), Ruf began the transition from infielder to outfielder slowly. In 2010, Ruf played for both the Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League and Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League. Combined, he appeared in 129 games, hit for a .290 average, 9 home runs, 67 rbi's, and percentages of .363/.451/.814. From 2011 through 2013, Ruf climbed the ladder, spending a full year in Clearwater, then spending the following season with the AA-Reading Phillies of the Eastern League where he showed big time power on the heels of 38 home runs, 104 rbi's, a .317 average and an OPS of 1.028. Thanks to those strong numbers, the Phillies rewarded him with a September call-up. He would start the 2013 campaign with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but it was only a matter of time before he would be called up to the big leagues for good. Many feel that he was robbed recently of earning a spot on the 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. But the Phillies know that they have a guy who can give Domonic Brown, Ben Revere, and Delmon Young big-time competition for a spot on the 2014 Phillies opening day roster. 

Next week's featured card will be: 2013 Topps Pro Debut #158. Post will arrive at 9:00 AM CST. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of Minor League Monday.

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

Pack Break Week 2013: Topps Update Series and Topps Chrome Update Series

(For some reason, this post did not get published as scheduled last Sunday. Then, it got lost in the shuffle. I apologize for that. This is what should have concluded last week's Pack Break Week on Sunday, November 10.)

Sunday. It's the Day of Rest. And before Mass begins, the kids are at CCD. My daughter has a dance rehearsal, so we're going to be rushing it from church to home so she can get ready. Then there's the matter of raking leaves in the front yard...

You know, now would be the ideal time to finish off Pack Break Week.

To conclude Pack Break Week, I will now be opening the pack of 2013 Topps Update Series and the second pack of 2013 Topps Chrome Update Series found exclusively in those Mega Boxes found at the big box store..

Enclosed, in order, is what appeared in my 12-card pack of Topps Update Series:

• #US25 Wade Davis, Royals
• #US81 Casey Kotchman, Marlins
• #US165 A. J. Pierzynski, Rangers
• #US147 Charlie Morton, Pirates
• #US200 Wil Myers, Rays
• #US218 Miguel Cabrera, American League All-Star

• #US106 Clayton Kershaw, National League All-Star Gold #0601/2013
• #TM-4 Bo Jackson, Royals, 1971 Mini Card
• #US260 Darren O'Day, Orioles
• #US299 Ian Kennedy, Padres
• #US183 Jeff Bianch, Brewers RC
• #US92 Jeanmar Gomez, Pirates

Getting the gold card of a guy who should win this year's 2013 Cy Young is great. I know there's going to be demand somewhere in the Hobby Blogging Community for it (unless somebody already has given it to that person already). The Bo Jackson card is nice too. Surprised that the corners haven't been dinged...the paper quality seems to have improved over the years (at least what was used in 1971).

Now onto the Chrome Update Series pack (carefully peeling it for Baseball Dad):

• #MB-38 Kyle Gibson, Twins
• #MB-28 Rafael Soriano, Nationals
• #MB-22 Ian Kennedy, Padres
• #PH-6 Sandy Koufax, Dodgers Postseason Heroes

I guess the "MB" stands for "Mega Box." Cool, so not only did I break a pack with Ian Kennedy's regular Update card in it, but the Chrome pack had his Chrome card too. WOOT for coincidences. I also realized that not only do I have the Gold parallel of Kershaw's Update card, but his Gold Chipz too (from earlier in the week...must be a sign). Getting a chrome insert is nice, but I totally whiffed on the parallels on my two packs. Que sera sera.

I hoped you enjoyed this year's edition of Pack Break Week. I hope 2014 will bring us great things to talk about and good packs to rip.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama