Random Topps Card of the Day: 2000 Topps #227 Bernie Williams 1999 League Championship Highlight

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Saturday, October 19, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2000 Topps #227.
• Player Name, position, team: Bernie Williams, outfielder, Florida Marlins.
• Special: American League Championship Series Game 1, New York 4, Boston 3 (10 innings).
• Blurb on the back: "Quietly, consistently, Bernie Williams has always en there when the Yankees have needed him most. Such was the case in the opening game of the 1999 ALCS, when his lead off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning dispatched the Red Sox 4-3. The decisive bomb, which traveled over the 408' marker in Yankee Stadium's center field, was reminiscent of another clutch blow by Williams: an 11th-inning homer that beat the Orioles in the 1996 ALCS opener. New York would dispose of Boston in five games."
  
• Any special information about this specific card: Topps must have really loved the all foil look for their cards because it was used for a number of years in a row. As nice as shiny as they are in person, they make for really bad scans. I'm trying to figure out if that line that's coming down the front of the card is from the card itself, the holder I use when I scan, or the scanner itself. From 1996 through 2001 (with the exception of 1997), it became pretty repetitive. The Yankees would storm into the World Series, and manage to win it. But this card isn't highlighting anything from the World Series. This card, one of seven in the subset, was the only card that discusses the 1999 AL Championship series. You'd like to think that the back would review the entire series. But instead, it quietly summarizes Bernie Williams' game-one, extra-inning, walk-off home run. And then Topps' writers mention that it is "reminiscent" to his 1996 Game 1 home run, also in extras. The only mention of a series recap was in the final sentence. For the record, Williams went 5-20 with one home run an two runs driven in during the five game tilt.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.07-$0.20.

Tomorrow is Retro Sunday, the one day of the week that we feature a card from 1951-1975. The card we will feature tomorrow is: 1951 Topps Blue Back #24. Come back at 1:00 PM CST to see who (or what) it is.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH311 Stephen Drew

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Friday, October 18, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights #UH311.
• Player Name, position, team: Stephen Drew, shortstop, Arizona Diamondbacks.
• Major League Debut: July 15, 2006.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2005 stats (Lancaster, A-California and Tennessee, AA-Southern): 65 G, 250 AB, 44 R, 80 H, 21 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 3 SB, 38 BB, 49 SO, .596 SLG, 1.010 OPS, .329 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Diamondbacks #1st, June 2004. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his first Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Stephen, the younger brother of Los Angeles Dodgers star J. D. Drew, was selected 15th overall in the 2004 draft. Widely hailed as a potential Big League star, the former Florida State standout played for the independent Camden Riversharks in '04, cracking .427. Drew abused California League (A) pitching so badly in '05 (.389-10-39 over 38 games) that he earned a promotion to Tennessee (AA)."
• Commentary: How popular was Stephen Oris Drew in 2009 with Topps? He had not one, but two base cards in the 2009 eponymous set (39 and 345). But this isn't about his either of those cards. Drew's reputation as a solid baseball prospect preceded him thanks to his big brother J. D. But since being called up to the D-backs in 2006, he has definitely stood out from his brother's shadow and become an outstanding ball-player in his own right. From 2006 through 2012, other than stints on the DL, Drew was the primary shortstop for the Diamondbacks, hitting a cumulative .266 with 72 home runs, 333 rbi's, and percentages of .328/.436/.735. As the DBacks were languishing in the NL West, the team traded Drew to the Athletics in an August trade. With the Athletics for the remainder of the season, Drew helped the A's win the AL West division by contributing 5 home runs, 16 rbi's, and a .250 bat. He signed with the Red Sox as a Free Agent and in 2013, became the team's regular shortstop. He hit 13 home runs, drove in 67 rbi's, and hit for .253 in 124 regular season games.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $1.50-$4.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 41.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2000 Topps #227. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Flash back with the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

ANNOUNCEMENT: Contest Involving 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team!!!

It is time once again start the one contest that I hold on this humble, little blog every year. It is a contest of a very high magnitude (for me anyway).

Last night, my annual post on "Meeting the Possible Candidates for the 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team" will appear on the blog. With that post, the contest begins.

What do you have to do to enter???

To enter the contest, e-mail me your twelve picks for the team at bdj610@hotmail.com with "All-Star Rookie Team Contest" in the subject line (do not leave your picks in the comments section). Your job is to select the players who you think Topps will bestow their Rookie Cup for their eponymous 2013 Topps set. There are twelve spots open for this team, one for each of these positions: 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, C, three outfielders (regardless of where they play), one left-handed starting pitcher, one right-handed starting pitcher, one left-handed relief pitcher, and one right-handed relief pitcher. I have already explained why the need for four pitchers on my post later today.

If you get more players correct than I do when Topps officially announces the 2013 All-Star Rookie Team (normally announced late in November), you will automatically win a hobby pack of 2013 Topps Updates and Highlights (the regular packs, not the jumbos). So let's say I get seven of the ten spots right, and you get eight to all ten correct, you win a free pack of cards!!! (This means if I totally bomb and get all ten players wrong, then EVERYBODY wins!!!)

Anybody who correctly predicts all the players on the team will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win the grand prize:

A complete 150-card set of 2005 Topps Rookie Cup (suggested Beckett Value $20.00-$40.00).

The drawing (if needed) will be held after the official announcement is made and all winners will be notified via e-mail. Their names will be announced on the blog soon afterwards.

Only one entry per person. Entries must be received by Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST.

Good luck to all.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Meet the Possible Contenders for the 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

Okay, the season is more than two weeks over, and the Championship Series on both sides are getting extremely interesting. But before the World Series begins, I'd like to go over the Top Rookies of 2013.

Why?

Because these are the guys that are going to be strong contenders for the 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team, that's why.

Anyway, perusing the MLB website, they have added a set of statistics in a section called the Top Rookie Tracker. This section features just a handful of the players MLB believes are contenders for either League's Rookie of the Year. And believe it or not, the players on the list they have provided stats for well represent each of the positions Topps uses for their Rookie All-Star team (1b, 2b, 3b, ss, three outfield, c, rhp, lhp, and relief pitcher…ahem...will explain this in a minute). So below is a list of potential nominees that the 30 MLB managers will see when they cast their votes for the 2013 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The stats are as of the end of the 2013 regular season:

First basemen:
Matt Adams, STL (108 G, .284, 17 HR, 51 RBI, 0.839 OPS, 0 SB)
Nate Freiman, OAK (80 G, .274, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 0.716 OPS, 0 SB)

Second basemen:
Derek Dietrich, MIA (57 G, .214, 9 HR, 23 RBI, 0.679 OPS, 1 SB)
Nick Franklin, SEA (102 G, .225, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 0.686 OPS, 6 SB)
Scooter Gennett, MIL (69 G, .324, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 0.834 OPS, 2 SB)
Jedd Gyorko, SD (125 G, .249, 23 HR, 63 RBI, 0.745 OPS, 1 SB)
Brock Holt, BOS (26 G, .203, 0 HR, 11 RBI, 0.513 OPS, 1 SB)
Jurickson Profar, TEX (85 G, .234, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 0.644 OPS, 2 SB)
Chris Valaika, MIA (22 G, .219, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 0.605 OPS, 0 SB)

Third basemen:
Nolan Arenado, COL (133 G, .267, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 0.706 OPS, 2 SB)
Conor Gillaspie, CWS (134 G, .245, 13 HR, 40 RBI, 0.695 OPS, 0 SB)
Luis Jimenez, LAA (34 G, .260, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0.608 OPS, 0 SB)
Anthony Rendon, WSH (98 G, .265, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 0.725 OPS, 1 SB)
Josh Satin, NYM (75 G, .279, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 0.781 OPS, 1 SB)
Ryan Wheeler, COL (28 G, .220, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 0.506 OPS, 0 SB)

Shortstops:
Didi Gregorius, ARI (103 G, .252, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 0.704 OPS, 0 SB)
Adeiny Hechavarria, MIA (148 G, .227, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 0.565 OPS, 11 SB)
Jose Iglesias, DET (109 G, .303, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 0.735 OPS, 5 SB)
Pete Kozma, STL (143 G, .217, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 0.548 OPS, 3 SB)
Brad Miller, SEA (76 G, .265, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 0.737 OPS, 5 SB)
Jonathan Villar, HOU (58 G, .243, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 0.64 OPS, 18 SB)

Outfielders:
Oswaldo Arcia, MIN (97 G, .251, 14 HR, 43 RBI, 0.734 OPS, 1 SB)
Brandon Barnes, HOU (136 G, .240, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 0.635 OPS, 11 SB)
Jackie Bradley Jr., BOS (37 G, .189, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 0.617 OPS, 2 SB)
Nick Castellanos, DET (11 G, .278, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0.556 OPS, 0 SB)
Khris Davis, MIL (56 G, .279, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 0.949 OPS, 3 SB)
Adam Eaton, ARI (66 G, .252, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 0.674 OPS, 5 SB)
Avisail Garcia, CWS (72 G, .283, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 0.731 OPS, 3 SB)
Robbie Grossman, HOU (63 G, .268, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 0.702 OPS, 6 SB)
Billy Hamilton, CIN (13 G, .368, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0.902 OPS, 13 SB)
Aaron Hicks, MIN (81 G, .192, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 0.597 OPS, 9 SB)
Juan Lagares, NYM (121 G, .242, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 0.633 OPS, 6 SB)
David Lough, KC (96 G, .286, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 0.724 OPS, 5 SB)
Alfredo Marte, ARI (22 G, .186, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0.527 OPS, 0 SB)
Wil Myers, TB (88 G, .293, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 0.831 OPS, 5 SB)
Marcell Ozuna, MIA (70 G, .265, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 0.693 OPS, 5 SB)
A.J. Pollock, ARI (137 G, .269, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 0.73 OPS, 12 SB)
Yasiel Puig, LAD (104 G, .319, 19 HR, 42 RBI, 0.925 OPS, 11 SB)
Darin Ruf, PHI (73 G, .247, 14 HR, 30 RBI, 0.806 OPS, 0 SB)
Logan Schafer, MIL (134 G, .211, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 0.601 OPS, 7 SB)
J.B. Shuck, LAA (129 G, .293, 2 HR, 39 RBI, 0.697 OPS, 8 SB)
Scott Van Slyke, LAD (53 G, .240, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 0.807 OPS, 1 SB)
Christian Yelich, MIA (62 G, .288, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 0.766 OPS, 10 SB)

Catchers
Rob Brantly, MIA (67 G, .211, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 0.528 OPS, 0 SB)
Evan Gattis, ATL (105 G, .243, 21 HR, 65 RBI, 0.771 OPS, 0 SB)
Tony Sanchez, PIT (22 G, .233, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 0.688 OPS, 0 SB)
Travis d'Arnaud, NYM (31 G, .202, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0.548 OPS, 0 SB)

Right-Handed Starting Pitchers:
Wily Peralta, MIL (32 GS, 11-15, 4.37 ERA, 129 SO, 1.418 WHIP)
Shelby Miller, STL (31 GS, 15-9, 3.06 ERA, 169 SO, 1.205 WHIP)
Julio Teheran, ATL (30 GS, 14-8, 3.2 ERA, 170 SO, 1.174 WHIP)
Jose Fernandez, MIA (28 GS, 12-6, 2.19 ERA, 187 SO, 0.978 WHIP)
Dan Straily, OAK (27 GS, 10-8, 3.96 ERA, 124 SO, 1.240 WHIP)
Chris Archer, TB (23 GS, 9-7, 3.22 ERA, 101 SO, 1.1269 WHIP)
Tom Koehler, MIA (23 GS, 5-10, 4.41 ERA, 92 SO, 1.356 WHIP)
Gerrit Cole, PIT (19 GS, 10-7, 3.22 ERA, 100 SO, 1.1676 WHIP)
Jonathan Pettibone, PHI (18 GS, 5-4, 4.04 ERA, 66 SO, 1.465 WHIP)
Justin Grimm, TEX (17 GS, 7-9, 5.97 ERA, 76 SO, 1.571 WHIP)
Nick Tepesch, TEX (17 GS, 4-6, 4.84 ERA, 76 SO, 1.365 WHIP)
Zack Wheeler, NYM (17 GS, 7-5, 3.42 ERA, 84 SO, 1.360 WHIP)
Brandon Maurer, SEA (14 GS, 5-8, 6.3 ERA, 70 SO, 1.566 WHIP)
Brad Peacock, HOU (14 GS, 5-6, 5.18 ERA, 77 SO, 1.380 WHIP)
Todd Redmond, TOR (14 GS, 4-3, 4.32 ERA, 76 SO, 1.207 WHIP)
Allen Webster, BOS (7 GS, 1-2, 8.6 ERA, 23 SO, 1.813 WHIP)
Hiram Burgos, MIL (6 GS, 1-2, 6.44 ERA, 18 SO, 1.670 WHIP)

Left-Handed Starting Pitchers:
Hyun-jin Ryu, LAD (30 GS, 14-8, 3 ERA, 154 SO, 1.203 WHIP)
Martin Perez, TEX (20 GS, 10-6, 3.62 ERA, 84 SO, 1.335 WHIP)
Tony Cingrani, CIN (18 GS, 7-4, 2.92 ERA, 120 SO, 1.098 WHIP)
Pedro Hernandez, MIN (12 GS, 3-3, 6.83 ERA, 29 SO, 1.817 WHIP)
Tyler Skaggs, ARI (7 GS, 2-3, 5.12 ERA, 36 SO, 1.370 WHIP)

Right-Handed Relief Pitchers:
Jim Henderson, MIL (61 G, 5-5, 2.7 ERA, 75 SO, 1.133 WHIP, 28 SV)
Danny Farquhar, SEA (46 G, 0-3, 4.2 ERA, 79 SO, 1.185 WHIP, 16 SV)
Josh Fields, HOU (41 G, 1-3, 4.97 ERA, 40 SO, 1.289 WHIP, 5 SV)
Trevor Rosenthal, STL (74 G, 2-4, 2.63 ERA, 108 SO, 1.101 WHIP, 3 SV)
Cody Allen, CLE (77 G, 6-1, 2.43 ERA, 88 SO, 1.251 WHIP, 2 SV)
Dane De La Rosa, LAA (75 G, 6-1, 2.86 ERA, 65 SO, 1.161 WHIP, 2 SV)
Kyuji Fujikawa, CHC (12 G, 1-1, 5.25 ERA, 14 SO, 1.083 WHIP, 2 SV)
Chia-Jen Lo, HOU (19 G, 0-3, 4.19 ERA, 16 SO, 1.396 WHIP, 2 SV)
Alfredo Figaro, MIL (33 G, 3-3, 4.14 ERA, 54 SO, 1.243 WHIP, 1 SV)
Jake Odorizzi, TB (7 G, 0-1, 3.94 ERA, 22 SO, 1.213 WHIP, 1 SV)
Adam Warren, NYY (34 G, 3-2, 3.39 ERA, 64 SO, 1.428 WHIP, 1 SV)
Robert Coello, LAA (16 G, 2-2, 3.71 ERA, 23 SO, 1.294 WHIP, 1 SV)
Seth Maness, STL (66 G, 5-2, 2.32 ERA, 35 SO, 1.258 WHIP, 1 SV)
Yoervis Medina, SEA (63 G, 4-6, 2.91 ERA, 71 SO, 1.3086 WHIP, 1 SV)
Bruce Rondon, DET (30 G, 1-2, 3.45 ERA, 30 SO, 1.360 WHIP, 1 SV)
Paul Clemens, HOU (35 G, 4-7, 5.4 ERA, 49 SO, 1.472 WHIP, 0 SV)
Kevin Gausman, BAL (20 G, 3-5, 5.66 ERA, 49 SO, 1.342 WHIP, 0 SV)
Tanner Roark, WSH (14 G, 7-1, 1.51 ERA, 40 SO, 0.913 WHIP, 0 SV)
Trevor Bauer, CLE (4 G, 1-2, 5.29 ERA, 11 SO, 1.823 WHIP, 0 SV)
Steve Johnson, BAL (9 G, 1-1, 7.47 ERA, 20 SO, 1.723 WHIP, 0 SV)
Carter Capps, SEA (53 G, 3-3, 5.49 ERA, 66 SO, 1.627 WHIP, 0 SV)
Preston Claiborne, NYY (44 G, 0-2, 4.11 ERA, 42 SO, 1.291 WHIP, 0 SV)
Will Harris, ARI (61 G, 4-1, 2.91 ERA, 53 SO, 1.234 WHIP, 0 SV)
Jeremy Jeffress, TOR (10 G, 1-0, 0.87 ERA, 12 SO, 1.258 WHIP, 0 SV)
Brandon Kintzler, MIL (71 G, 3-3, 2.69 ERA, 58 SO, 1.064 WHIP, 0 SV)
Jean Machi, SF (51 G, 3-1, 2.38 ERA, 51 SO, 1.094 WHIP, 0 SV)
Bryan Morris, PIT (55 G, 5-7, 3.46 ERA, 37 SO, 1.307 WHIP, 0 SV)
Ryan Pressly, MIN (49 G, 3-3, 3.87 ERA, 49 SO, 1.278 WHIP, 0 SV)
Stephen Pryor, SEA (7 G, 0-0, 0 ERA, 7 SO, 0.545 WHIP, 0 SV)
A.J. Ramos, MIA (68 G, 3-4, 3.15 ERA, 86 SO, 1.262 WHIP, 0 SV)
Hector Rondon, CHC (45 G, 2-1, 4.77 ERA, 44 SO, 1.408 WHIP, 0 SV)
Alex Wilson, BOS (26 G, 1-1, 4.88 ERA, 22 SO, 1.734 WHIP, 0 SV)

Left-Handed Relief Pitchers:
Paco Rodriguez, LAD (76 G, 3-4, 2.32 ERA, 63 SO, 0.901 WHIP, 2 SV)
T.J. McFarland, BAL (38 G, 4-1, 4.22 ERA, 58 SO, 1.486 WHIP, 0 SV)
Joe Ortiz, TEX (32 G, 2-2, 4.23 ERA, 27 SO, 1.253 WHIP, 0 SV)
Scott Rice, NYM (73 G, 4-5, 3.71 ERA, 41 SO, 1.352 WHIP, 0 SV)
Caleb Thielbar, MIN (49 G, 3-2, 1.76 ERA, 39 SO, 0.826 WHIP, 0 SV)
Justin Wilson, PIT (58 G, 6-1, 2.08 ERA, 59 SO, 1.058 WHIP, 0 SV)

If you're wondering why I separated the starting pitchers from the relief pitchers, and then if they are right handed or left handed, allow me to explain (conspiracy theory time folks…get something to drink, this may take a while).

As you all know, Topps instituted what I am calling the "Stephen Strasburg" rule in 2010. Somehow, Strasburg was added to the ASRT even though he only pitched in 12 games. Now, Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher. But so is Neftali Feliz, at the time, the star closer for the Rangers, and a player many people believed should have been named onto the team as the RHP. In past years, it didn't matter if a pitcher was a starter or a reliever, only ONE RHP or ONE LHP was chosen for the team (of course there were exceptions…tie votes came into play).

So what does Topps do? For the 2010 Topps All-Star Rookie Team, they added a relief pitcher spot. This ensured not only Feliz' spot on the team, but gave Topps justification to include their poster boy Strasburg.

Then in 2011, instead of continuing the trend of having three pitchers (a RHP, a LHP, and a RP), Topps went back to the two-pitcher format, but instead of it being a RHP and LHP as in years past, the 2011 Topps All-Star Rookie Team included just one Starting Pitcher and one Relief pitcher. In 2012, Topps went back to a "three-person pitching staff" which included a Starting RHP, a starting LHP, and one reliever. So for four straight years, Topps had four differe

Back to the point. As in past years, this blog has done a contest where the object is to outguess me in choosing the Rookie Teams. The Grand Prize, if a contestant correctly guessed all the members of said team, was a complete 150 card set of 2005 Topps Rookie Cup (appropriate, no?). Anyway, while few have come close, none have won the grand prize. Those who did guess more players correctly than I did would win a pack of that year's Updates and Highlights/Update Series.

Well, we're doing it again.

So take a look at the list above, send me an e-mail (bdj610@hotmail.com) with your picks by November 2, 2013. You can pick the following (12 players total):

• One player each for 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, C,
• Three players for OF,
• One Starting RHP, Starting LHP, Relief RHP, Relief LHP.

The reason why I'm asking for four pitchers is because who knows how Topps is going to designate the pitchers for the 2013 ASRT.  Picking four pitchers will cover all bases.  That way, however Topps announces the final selections, your choices will count.

After November 2, I will make my selections and then we will all wait together until the formal announcements have been made. If you out guess me, let's say I guess seven of the 10 or 11 spots correctly, and you guess eight or more, then you automatically win a Hobby pack of 2013 Topps Update Series. If you guess all the players correctly (if there are ten or eleven, who knows), then you will be entered into a drawing to win the 2005 Topps Rookie Card base set (Beckett Value $20.00 - $40.00). It's that easy.

So here's to hopefully many entries by November 2. Good luck.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH15 Kevin Cash

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Thursday, October 17, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH15.
• Player Name, position, team: Kevin Cash, catcher, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: September 6, 2002.
• Last Line of Statistics: 2007 stats (Red Sox): 12 G, 27 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 4 BB, 13 SO, .148 SLG, .390 OPS, .111 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Blue Jays as a Free Agent 08/07/1999. Signed with the Red Sox as a Free Agent 01/24/2007. Bats: right. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 4. This is his third Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Kevin won the Red Sox back-up catcher's job in 2008 thanks to his defensive acumen, and in particular, his proficiency at corralling Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. To practice the art, Cash catches from a pitching machine which spits out rag balls made of a tacky fabric that  makes them stick as they go through the mechanism, causing them to flutter"
• Commentary: It takes special skill to be able to catch a knuckleball. I think Bob Uecker said it best, "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up." Kevin Forrest Cash did such a good job of training himself how to catch this unpredictable pitch that he made it onto the 2008 Red Sox roster as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. Taking advantage of this new role, Cash appeared in 61 games for the Red Sox, hitting .225 with 3 home runs and 15 runs batted in. The following year, he signed a minor league free agent contract with the New York Yankees. He did appear in the Bronx for a ten game stretch when both the Yankees' regular catchers were on the DL, but Cash would wind up going on the DL himself, requiring surgery on a torn rotator cuff. He was released by the Yankees in September, and even though he had contemplated retirement, took another chance and signed another minor league deal, this time with the Astros. He did get called up to Houston in 2010, appearing in 20 games before being re-acquired by the Red Sox for the pennant chase. In his second run with the BoSox, he hit .133 with 1 rbi in 29 games played. In 2011, he signed on with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock before calling it a career for good in January 2012. After one year as an advance scout for the Blue Jays, Terry Francona, his former manager in Boston, hired Cash to be his new bullpen coach for the Indians.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.12-$0.30.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 4.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2005 Topps Update and Highlights #UH311. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Until tomorrow everybody.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1993 Topps Traded #81T Jeff Richardson

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, October 16, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1993 Topps Traded #81T.
• Player Name, position, team: Jeff Richardson, second baseman-shortstop, Boston Red Sox.
• Major League Debut: July 14, 1989.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1992 stats (Buffalo, AAA-American Association): 97 G, 328 AB, 34 R, 95 H, 23 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 5 SB, .399 SLG, 19 BB, 46 SO, .290 AVG.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Reds #7th, June 1986. Traded by the Pirates to the Red Sox 04/03/1993. 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: "Jeff's first major league Home Run occurred for the Reds at St. Louis, 8-29-89."
• Commentary: There were two players in the majors named Jeff Richardson (the only two players named as such) from the period of 1989 through 1993. And believe it or not, both shared the same middle name (Scott). So in effect, there were not one...but TWO Jeffrey Scott Richardson's during this time in MLB (and MiLB for that matter). Jeff Richardson of Wichita, KS, was a pitcher who appeared in only one game for the California Angels, faced two batters, the first man he faced hit a bases-clearing triple, the second grounded out (1-3). He wasn't charged with any runs (even though he did allow those three runs to score), but he never pitched in the majors again, so his final numbers include a 0.00 ERA. Jeff Richardson, born in Grand Island, NE (I didn't know they had islands in Nebraska), is the player who is seen above. In 15 games with the Red Sox, Richardson hit .208 with two rbi's during a two month stretch in the 1993 season. After May 28, he was sent down to the minors, and never returned to the major leagues. Richardson's final MLB stats include 74 games played, 171 plate appearances, a .176 average, 2 home runs, 13 runs driven in, 1 stolen base, and percentages of .235/.255/.490. Now the good news for either Richardson is that both made their MLB debuts during the time Topps created and distributed their MLB Debut sets. So regardless of how short each Richardson's career was, both men were able to get onto a baseball card and own a sliver of cardboard history.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.02-$0.10.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 2 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH15. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 2008 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Random Topps Card of the Day: 1990 Topps #611 Walt Terrell

Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Tuesday, October 15, 2013:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1990 Topps #611.
• Player Name, position, team: Walt Terrell, pitcher, New York Yankees.
• Major League Debut: September 18, 1982.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1989 stats (Yankees): 13 G, 83 IP, 6-5, 52 R, 48 ER 30 SO, 24 BB, 13 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 5.20 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Drafted by the Rangers #33rd, June 1980. Traded by the Padres to the Yankees 07/22/1989. Bats: left. Throws: right.
• Number of regular Topps Cards (includes regular and traded cards only): 11. This is his ninth Topps card.
• Blurb on the back: "Walt attended Morehead (Kentucky) State University. On August 6, 1983, he became the first pitcher in NY Mets' team history to belt 2 Home Runs in one game."
• Commentary: Figures that on the day that he achieved the feat described on the back of the card that it would be against the Cubs. Not only did he get the win (against future HOF Fergie Jenkins no less) but those two home runs accounted for all 4 of the Mets runs that night. He was a one-man wrecking crew. For those who have been enjoying the Yankees run of success these last couple of decades, what I'm about to write is going to shock you. The Padres, looking for help for a pennant chase against the Giants, traded Charles Walter Terrell and a player to be named later (Freddie Toliver) to a team that had no postseason aspirations whatsoever. This team was 7.5 games out of first place by the time this trade was made. That team? The New York Yankees. The Yankees gave up Mike Pagliarulo and Don Schulze to acquire Terrell, who wound up being a "rent-a-player" for the Bronx. In 1990, Terrell signed with the Pirates. But after a 2-7 record and 5.88 ERA in 16 starts, the Bucs released the beleaguered pitcher. Four days later, he signed with the Tigers, a team he found much success with in the middle 80's (54-48 record, 4.10 ERA, 35 complete games, 7 shutouts, 450 strikeouts). He finished his season with a 6-4 record, an ERA of 4.54 and 30 k's in 12 starts. He would pitch for two more seasons with the Tigers before calling it a career in 1992.
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $0.01-$0.05.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 13 cards.

Tomorrow's card will be: 1993 Topps Traded #81T. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. We're looking back at a card from 1993 here on the blog tomorrow.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama