Topps Card Of The Day Archive August/September 2014

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8/2/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2001 Topps #728 Prospects

The first Prospects card to appear on TSR. Before my collecting days (and birth) Topps did feature some variation of Prospects cards in at least some of their sets—the first Topps appearance of my favorite player, Rickey Henderson, was on such a card; Nolan Ryan also debuted on one.

But by 1987 they'd taken a hiatus, one that would last until the 1992 set. Prospect Cards (though occasionally under different titles) would regularly appear in Topps thru the 2005 set, when new licensing rules forbade the inclusion of any player lacking time on an MLB roster.

THIS CARD: Despite the timing, the selection of this card had nothing to do with the recent trade of Jake "Peavey" to my Giants—it was actually chosen well before the trade, even before the selection of the previous COTD but put on hold to celebrate Barry Bonds' 50th birthday on 7/24. "Peavey", by the way, served up Bonds' 700th home run.

Phil Wilson never made the majors or even AAA. A 19-year-old A-baller at the time of this card, the very tall righty was, in 2000, the Angels #6 prospect as ranked by Baseball America. But he slipped badly in 2001-02, and underwent elbow surgery in 2003. Wilson never impressed again and was out of pro ball by the end of 2007.

Following six years as an afterthought in the Yankee chain, Cubillan split the 2000 season between the Toronto and Texas organizations, dominating both (0.81 WHIP in 32 minor league games.) At 27, he finally toed big league rubber—in 20 games for the Rangers, Cubillan recorded a WHIP above 2.3 and an ERA nearing 10.

"Peavey", in his first full season as a pro, tied for 2nd in the Midwest league with 13 wins in 2000. His 164 K tied for first, and tied for 3rd with 11 K/9—not shabby at all for a 15th-round pick!

AFTER THIS CARD: Cubillan's greatest impact on MLB was being packaged with eventual star Michael Young to Texas in a deal for P Esteban Loaiza in 2000. He became a decent closer for AAA Ottawa, racking up 47 saves over a two-year span. In the bigs, a different story—6.85 ERA and 2.0 WHIP over 56 total MLB games spread over three seasons. He finished up in Japan, and never appeared on another Topps card (though he did find his way into Topps Total.)

"Peavey" went on to a Cy Young award win with the Padres (2007) and a five-year run as one of the game's top RHP. He also starred for the White Sox before a trade to eventual World Champion Boston in 2013. On the day of this posting, Peavy was perfect into the 7th vs. the Mets before taking the loss—dropping his 2014 record to 1-11. He received a 2001 Topps Traded individual card with his name corrected and has appeared in every Topps set since 2003.

CATEGORIES: 2001 Topps, Subsets

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8/15/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1999 Topps #142 Eric Young, Sr., Dodgers

More Eric Young Topps Cards: 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Young, an outfielder by trade, converted to second base as a professional after the Dodgers selected him in the 43rd round in 1989 out of Rutgers. He posted back-to-back 70+ steal seasons in his first two full years as a pro and was chosen by the Dodgers to replace the released Juan Samuel in midseason 1992 on the strength of a .337 average at Albuquerque.

Last-place LA won four of its first five with "EY" in the lineup but soon both he and the club stalled, and the team decided to leave Young unprotected in the 1992 Expansion Draft (on that same day the Dodgers acquired newly-drafted Jody Reed from the Rockies to man 2B in 1993.)

Young shuffled between the outfield and second base throughout his first three Rockie seasons before settling in at second in 1996; that year all he did was lead the league in steals and make the NL All-Star Team (as a reserve.) Now arbitration-eligible, his salary skyrocketed into the $3 million-plus range.

Still, Young felt unappreciated in Colorado, and was re-acquired by the Dodgers for the stretch run in late 1997. He remained thru the 1999 season.

THIS CARD: Young appears to be hustling back to second base after perhaps going halfway on a fly ball, but how many card images are taken from that angle? As I look a little closer, perhaps that is third base he's returning to. Then again, he doesn't appear to be slowing up...I can't figure it out. Could it be one of those plays where the runner is certain the ball won't be caught, but it is, and he has to scamper back two bases?The cropped Atlanta Brave (?) doesn't help.

Whatever base it is, Young sure as hell better not be rounding it going in that direction.

THE REVERSE: That pic...I don't recall ever seeing Young that slender. He's one of those guys who just seems chunky, no matter his actual measurements.

More details about Young's big Rockies home debut: it was actually at Mile High Stadium, not Coors Field—for 80,000 people to fit there, about half of them would need to be babies on their parents' lap.

Colorado beat Montreal 11-4, with Kent Bottenfield giving up Young's longball. Bryn Smith (?!) threw seven scoreless for the win. All Expo runs came in the 9th off Steve Reed, including a three-run jack by future teammate Mike Lansing.

AFTER THIS CARD: Young lasted thru the 2006 season for a number of clubs, playing regularly into 2004. (He even cameod with my Giants in '03, though I'm the only person I know who remembers that.) He'll be best remembered as a Rockie—Young officially retired as one in 2008 on a one-day contract, and today coaches for the team. He wrapped his playing career with 465 steals, and appeared in Topps set thru 2005 (he only played 116 MLB games over his final two seasons.)

Eric Young, Jr. has also worn the Denver pinstripes and also been a stolen base champ. He's best known for accidentally breaking Tim Hudson's ankle as a Met in 2013, however.

CATEGORIES: 1999 Topps, Los Angeles Dodgers

8/10/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2013 Topps #543 Donovan Solano, Marlins

More Donovan Solano Topps Cards: 2014

The Colombian Solano is the younger (and thus far, more successful) brother of ex-Nat Jhonathan (sic) Solano. Because he doesn't have much power, or much speed, he toiled in the Cardinals' minor league system for years until Miami rescued him.

THIS CARD: The 2013 Topps cards are noticeably thinner than ever. I recently extracted my 2007 Topps set—it is stored in an album the same size as 2013, uses the exact same protectors as 2013, and only has eleven more cards than 2013 (Mickey Mantle plus 10 of the 20 special factory-exclusive rookie cards). Yet 2007 is tangibly heavier than its' 2013 counterpart—Solano's card feels like a business card.

Solano barely missed earning a roster spot in 2012 Spring Training. He was called up in May and stayed up for the duration and started 56 times at 2B and eight each at 3B and the outfield—fairly certain the young infielder is at second base on this card. Only Justin Ruggiano (.313) topped his .295 average among Marlins with 90+ games played. Solano committed only two errors as a second baseman—both in September.

THE REVERSE: As you can see, 2010 is the only year of Solano's decade-long pro career in which he spent the whole season in one uniform (AA Memphis).

Check out this interesting 2012 quote from his first MLB manager, Ozzie Guillen, who was asked about giving Solano playing time in the outfield: "I don't see why not. He's a tremendous athlete. Is he a good outfielder? No. Am I afraid to put him out there? No. I think this kid can play any position he wants." (courtesy of KFFL.com)

AFTER THIS CARD: Solano spent most of 2013 with the Fish, starting 92 games at 2B wrapped around a month-long DL stint (oblique). He was to start '14 in the minors but when wayward baseballs took out Derek Dietrich (batted) and Ed Lucas (pitched), Solano got a repreive and stayed in the majors until a June demotion.

CATEGORIES: 2013 Topps, Miami Marlins

8/19/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2004 Topps #507 Jeff Suppan, Cardinals

More Jeff Suppan Topps Cards: 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Suppan was what's colloquially known as a "get by" pitcher—never at any point in his career did he possess great stuff, yet he always seemed to not only get by, but often excel. "Soup" was drafted by Boston out of high school by Boston in '93 and debuted for them at age 20 two years later. One rough start (3.1 IP, 8 ER vs. Minnesota) skewed his final numbers in two trials that year.

After '97, the Sox chose to leave him unprotected in the draft; Suppan toiled briefly in Arizona before finding a home along Jose Rosado and friends in the Royals' rotation. Suppan took the ball without fail for four years with the Royals, amassing 132 starts and averaging 213 IP (though few of his other numbers impressed.) The now-27-year-old's salary shot from the near minimum when originally signed to over $4M.

THIS CARD: The classic "Spring Training New Uni" (STUN) posed shot. At first glance, it appears the rear and primary pix were taken in the same session but upon further inspection, you can discern two separate jersey collars and two hats. Suppan's mitt seems slightly larger than I'm used to seeing. As a pitcher, who could blame him if it was?

THE REVERSE: Because Soup is featured in his new RedBirds garb, I totally forgot he ever played for Pittsburgh (though I do recall his second Red Sox stint.) He enjoyed an All-Star caliber start to 2003, owning a 2.72 ERA into mid-May (though only 3-6). When Boston re-acquired him at the deadline, he was fresh off a shutout of the Cardinals (albeit a Cardinal lineup without semi-nemesis Jim Edmonds). He made 11 up-and-down starts and was left off the Sox playoff roster.

According to the blurb, only three hurlers exceeded Suppan's 163 starts from 1999-03. They were Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Russ Ortiz (several others tied).

AFTER THIS CARD: During the 2004 postseason, Suppan made baseball history—with his legs rather than his resilient arm. On third base with his team down 1-0 in the 3rd to his former Boston mates, he inexplicably froze halfway home on a grounder to first. The Sox—who were conceding the run—erased the wayward pitcher, stifling a rally en route to victory.

Still, Suppan remained a Bird for two more years and even atoned for his baserunning mishap with a brilliant, MVP-winning 2006 NLCS. He then landed a four-year deal with Milwaukee but did not complete it, pitching his way off Milwaukee's roster in mid-2010 (the final year). Suppan finished 2010 back with the Cardinals.

Failing to win a job with the defending champion Giants in the spring, Suppan returned to the Royals organization. Typically, veteran pitchers on minor league deals exercise "out" clauses in their contract if not called up by a certain date. Either Soup lacked such a clause, or he just enjoyed Omaha cooking, because at age 36 he wound up making 27 starts for the AAA Royals—an entire season—without ever being called to the bigs.

Six progressively worse starts for SD in early '12 closed the book on Suppan; he officially retired in 2014.

Jeff Suppan appeared annually in topps from 1996-2010, with the exception of 1999. He was such a top prospect that...he never had any prospect cards; even during his MLB apprenticeship years he was given standard base cards.

CATEGORIES: 2004 Topps, St. Louis Cardinals

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8/31/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2001 Topps #146 Tom Glavine, Braves

More Tom Glavine Topps Cards: 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

2001 Topps is starting to come up a tad too frequently in my random selection process. It will take a ten-COTD vacation.

Any young pitcher whose career gets off to a rocky start should only look to Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux for inspiration—they went a combined 13-31, 5.03 in their first full MLB seasons (1988 and 1986 respectively). By 2014, they were first-ballot Hall-of-Famers, and winners of an aggregate 685 MLB games—including postseason—and six Cy Young awards.

The tall left-hander didn't succeed by overpowering batters. Rather, Glavine's M/O usually went like this: establish the outside corner, then streeeetch that corner little by little until umpires were unwittingly giving him six inches off the plate. Glavine rang up 192 hitters in 1991, but for the rest of his career, he only exceeded 160 K once.

He pitched 23 seasons—the first 17 and the final one with Atlanta. In between came five years as a Met; Glavine never looked right in the Orange and Blue. He won 20+ games five times, made 10 All-Star teams (starting in '91 and '92) and was the 1995 World Series MVP. If that weren't enough, he was a lifetime .186 hitter and won four Silver Slugger awards!

THIS CARD: Typical Glavine: easy, relaxed motion on the front. I miss the Braves legends being displayed on Turner Field's wall.

THE REVERSE: Just feast your eyes on all the red italics on the back, namely the games started. This guy practically never missed a start until his final season (I can't find out exactly why he was shut down early in '89; my guess is fatigue). Steve Carlton (709) and Tommy John (700) were the only two lefties to ever start more games than Glavine's 682, which ranks 12th all-time overall. No active pitcher is even within 225 games of him!

The two books Glavine wrote: None but the Braves: A Pitcher, a Team, a Champion (1996) and Baseball for Everybody: Tom Glavine's Guide to America's Game (1999). Both are available for cheap on Amazon.com.

This card represents Glavine's fifth and final 20-win season; he was N.L. Cy runner-up to Randy Johnson of Arizona.

AFTER THIS CARD: As mentioned, Glavine surprised many by jumping to the division-rival Mets after the '02 season at age 37. He won 61 games over five years in New York, including career #300 in August 2007 (at the Cubs).

Returning to the Braves for '08, he suffered his first major arm injury and underwent two surgeries. Just when he seemed poised to return in June '09, he was unceremoniously dumped instead and never pitched again. Any hard feelings dissolved by February '10, when Glavine officially retired as a Brave and joined their front office. He appeared in Topps thru 2008 but did not receive a 2009 card even though under contract with Atlanta until just before Series 2's release.

CATEGORIES: 2001 Topps, Atlanta Braves

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9/5/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1999 Topps #349 Hal Morris, Royals

More Hal Morris Topps Cards: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Before Sean Casey came along, there was Hal Morris—a poor man's Casey who played incumbent Todd Benzinger out of the Reds full-time 1B job (and into a platoon) in 1990. Morris roped .351 in the final four months, and his overall .340 would have easily won the batting title had he enough PA's. (He settled for a World Series ring...not a bad consolation prize.)

Benzinger eventually moved on, and Morris became the Reds' primary first sacker—when healthy—thru 1997. Like Casey, Morris lacked a picturesque swing but still hit over .300 several times. Unlike Casey, he was a below-average power hitter for his position (topping out at 16 homers.)

THIS CARD: If it weren't for this card, I'd forget Morris ever played in KC. Morris signed with the Royals after the '97 season for the hefty sum of...$1M. After having played but one game in the outfield since 1990, KC shuffled the now-33-year-old between there, DH and first base equally. Morris homered once in over 500 Royal PA's, and was not re-signed.

The card front tells only some of the story about Morris' unorthodox approach at the plate—his lower limbs tended to shuffle as he geared up. It worked for the guy, though—he was a lifetime .304 hitter.

THE REVERSE: Morris' five-hit-game began with a K at the hands of Bret Saberhagen, who won two Cy Young awards as a Royal. He then singled twice vs. Sabes, doubled against ex-Reds teammate Greg Swindell, smacked an RBI single off Hall-of-Famer Dennis Eckersley, and finished up with an RBI double vs. Carlos Reyes. At that point KC was up 4-2 in the 9th; they went on to win 8-4.

AFTER THIS CARD: This was Morris' final Topps' base/traded card. He returned to the Reds as a reserve in 1999-00 before finishing up with Detroit in late 2000. Morris ended his career in memorable fashion—he stroked a pinch-hit, walk-off single off Twins no-name Danny Mota to seal a wild 12-11 win! (Mota, 24, never appeared in the majors again either.)

After some time away from the game, Morris has worked in the Pirates/Angels scouting departments in recent years.

CATEGORIES: 1999 Topps, Kansas City Royals

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9/13/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2011 Topps Update #107 Brandon McCarthy, Athletics

More Brandon McCarthy Topps Cards: 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014

6'7" McCarthy was drafted in 2002, and in the majors by 2005. In fact, he went 3-1, 1.69 down the stretch for the eventual champion White Sox (yet for some reason did not receive a base or Update card in the '06 set.) He spent '06 in the Sox' pen before being dealt to Texas—a deal that landed then-prospect John Danks in Chicago.

McCarthy could not stay healthy in Texas. Separate blister, elbow, hand and (two) shoulder injuries cut into his first three seasons there (2007-09); he was demoted—and eventually injured—in 2010, never pitching in the majors.

Oakland signed the free agent for $1M to round out an already-good rotation; at 27, McCarthy was now the "old man" of the Athletics' staff.

THIS CARD: I have every Topps card of McCarthy ever made except his '05 Update, and none of them capture just how tall the guy is. 2011 is no exception. Topps had the right idea with this angle, but the faint image of the batter and the overlapping graphic kind of botch things.

Maybe it's just me but the batter looks to be facing left but batting right, and his hands seem to be in front of him rather than behind. All the distraction takes away from McCarthy, at least for this card viewer.

THE REVERSE: As alluded to, McCarthy wasn't out for the entire 2010 season; he was pitching—and pitching well—in AAA Oklahoma City wrapped around several DL stints, including a season-ender in July. (He did not have a 2011 Topps base card.)

Not only did McCarthy kick off 2011 well; he went on to make a career-high 25 starts, toss a career-high 170.2 innings, record a 3.32 ERA, and complete five games (topped only by Tampa's James Shields in the AL.) His nine wins were also a career high; he could have easily won 13.

AFTER THIS CARD: McCarthy landed in infamy on September 5, 2012, when an Erick Aybar liner fractured his skull and nearly killed him. He came back with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013; in '14 McCarthy finally enjoyed a 30-start season (combined with the Snakes and Yankees) and should reach 200 IP for the first time—he's 12.1 IP shy as of 9/15.

Every year since that baffling '06 exclusion, McCarthy has received either a Topps Base or Update card.

CATEGORIES: 2011 Topps Update, Oakland Athletics, Players Hit In Head By Line Drive

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9/16/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2009 Topps #215 Ian Kinsler, Rangers

More Ian Kinsler Topps Cards: 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Kinsler was one of the final players to appear in Topps before being on an MLB roster, having appeared in a 2005 Topps set released over a year prior to his MLB debut. He played for three separate NCAA schools and was twice drafted (but unsigned) by his hometown Arizona Diamondbacks—Kinsler attended high school just outside of Tucson and was teammates with several future big leaguers, including Scott Hairston.

As a junior, Kinsler was drafted by the Rangers #17 in 2003; this time he put pen to paper and went about the business of hitting .402 and slugging .692 in A ball the following season! He became a top prospect, succeeded Alfonso Soriano as the Rangers' 2B in 2006, and never looked back.

By 2008, Kinsler was an All-Star and a 20-20 man, although he was missing 30-40 games per year. Kinsler had been drafted as a shortstop and only switched to second in the high minors, explaining a somewhat high error total. He was regarded as a good defender overall, however.

THIS CARD: I've never liked cards where the player's face isn't at least largely visible, and no accompanying head shot appears either on the front or back. Kinsler is one of the few star players I cannot identify by face and I blame this card!!! (Not really.)

THE REVERSE: Kinsler's lifetime BAA vs. Wandy has since dropped to "only" .632; He is at .583 and .571 vs. Brian Matusz and Rick Porcello, respectively. (He never batted again vs. Byrd and Rogers.) His hit streak ended in Game #1 of the second half of '08, a 6-0 loss at Minnesota in which then-SP Glen Perkins and friends held Kinsler in check (0-for-4).

Kinsler, who signed a 5Y/$22M contract in the spring of '08, made the All-Star team on the strength of a .337 first half (he slugged .548) during which he ripped 34 of his 41 doubles. A sports hernia ended his season 8/17; he was the league hits and runs leader at the time. Kinsler came back with a 30-30 2009 season.

AFTER THIS CARD: Kinsler played for Texas thru 2013, going 30-30 in 2011 and making two more All-Star teams. In consecutive ALDS vs. Tampa Bay in '10-11, he smoked four home runs in nine total games, including the 2010 series capper off Rafael Soriano.

With the younger, cheaper Jurickson Profar wating in the wings, Texas dealt Kinsler to Detroit for Prince Fielder in the winter of '13. The veteran second baseman made yet another All-Star team, while both Profar and Fielder saw their '13 ruined by major injuries.

Kinsler left Texas as their all-time steals leader, though former DP partner Elvis Andrus passed him in 2014. He still ranks 7th in doubles and 5th in runs.

CATEGORIES: 2009 Topps, Texas Rangers

9/19/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1999 Topps #67 Troy Percival, Angels

More Troy Percival Topps Cards: 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Percival was drafted as a catcher but converted to pitcher in A ball (partly why he did not debut in MLB until age 26). The move paid off; Percival nailed down an Angels' franchise record 316 contests over nine years as closer (ten overall). When he left the team, he was 190 ahead of the next-closest Angel! Percival was known for a high leg-kick, and wearing glasses on the mound.

Here, Percival has just completed his fourth season. He shook off command lapses to nail down 42 games—tied for 2nd in the league—against six blown for the semi-surprising 85-win Angels, who were tied for first place as late as the final week.

THIS CARD: Like just about every 1999 Topps card, not a bad front photo, just little of interest to discuss on a page like this. Troy's pitch grip is about it—he was pretty much a two-pitch guy in these days, using high-90's heat and a sharp curve. Every great while, out came the changeup.

THE REVERSE: Today, Percival is author of but one of the top six Angel save seasons (42 in 1998 rank sixth; Topps misprints "43" in the blurb.) At the time of this card only Bryan Harvey—who had been the Halo all-time saves leader—had a higher single-season save total for the Angels (46 in 1991) than that. The likes of K-Rod and Brian Fuentes have since joined him.

The rear photo depicts him about to look in for a sign. Or possibly praying silently—he was known to do that.

AFTER THIS CARD: With Percival advancing in age and K-Rod waiting for his shot, LA parted ways with the 35-year-old after the 2005 season. He joined the Tigers for two years, but was on the DL and basically retired for one of them before re-emerging in St. Lous in '07. He got in over 60 more games over 2008-09 with Tampa before bowing out for good.

In '02 Percival allowed one of the most spectacular World Series home runs ever hit, to Barry Bonds in what wound up an 11-10 Angel win in Game 2. He also memorably feuded with teammate Mo Vaughn over the latter's (lack of) leadership, both during and after his Anaheim stint.

CATEGORIES: 1999 Topps, Anaheim Angels, Drafted As Position Players

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9/29/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2012 Topps #541 Jack Hannahan, Indians

More Jack Hannahan Topps Cards: 2009 2012 2014

Immediately after drawing Scott Hairston, the Randomizer has selected his 2009 kind-of teammate of one week, Mr. Jack Hannahan (Hannahan had been with Oakland until an end-of-June demotion to AAA; one week later Hairston was acquired by Oakland, and a week after that Hannahan was traded to Seattle.)

So while they were never actually on the field or even in the same clubhouse together, it is possible they were both treated with the same roll of tape.

If Eric Chavez' brittle body had held up, it's possible Hannahan never wears the Green and Gold—he started 180 games at 3B for the A's in 2007-09. He flashed some pop but struck out a lot. After spending 2010 in AAA with the Seattle/Boston organizations, Cleveland auditioned him for 2011. With prospect Lonnie Chisenhall not quite ready, Hannahan actually won the Tribe 3B job!

THIS CARD: It'd be interesting to know if Hannahan managed to stay upright making this throw. Or if he got the out. Or if he even got the the throw off. So many questions. I could never play with my finger outside the mitt as the pros do. I've tried it numerous times but the temperature difference in my fingers is too distracting.

THE REVERSE: Hannahan's streak came after he'd surrendered the regular 3B job to Chisenhall, and covered only 16 games.

AFTER THIS CARD: As in 2011, Hannahan won the Indians' 3B job in Spring Training, and as in 2011, he lost it in-season to Chisenhall. Because the latter eventually went down with a broken hand, Hannahan still played extensively. He made the drive down Route 3 to Cincinnati on a 2Y/$4M deal to become (an expensive) pinch-hitter/reserve corner infielder.

Despite amassing over 100 games/300 PAs in 2012 and changing teams in the offseason, Hannahan did not receive a 2013 base or Update card.

CATEGORIES: 2012 Topps, Cleveland Indians

9/25/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2009 Topps Update #13 Scott Hairston, Athletics

More Scott Hairston Topps Cards: 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Hairston carries a special place in my heart—to date he is the only player I've ever seen ejected in person. It was at AT&T Park during his rookie year; he vehemently disagreed with a called third strike and got rung. Don't recall offhand who won that game, but the Giants chances sure increased once Hairston hit the showers—early in his career, he was a notorious killer of my Giants.

Hairston, who comes from deep MLB lineage, was the Snakes' primary 2B in '04, disappeared off the map for a couple of years, then resurfaced as a combo outfielder/2B. In time he developed into one of the game's best role players, and he'd find his name on the lineup card more often than not.

THIS CARD: As alluded to, Hairston turned Giant killing into an art form; in fact, Hairston ripped seven homers off Giant pitching in '07 alone and I'm sure at least four of them were-game winners.

I mention this because of the joy I felt upon learning back in '09 he'd been traded out of San Diego! Finally rid of him, I thought. Then I find out he's going to Oakland and will still be facing Giant pitching up to six games a year. So long, joy. (Note: he batted .440 against the SF in 2009, naturally.)

Sorry for the hard-to-read gold-embossed name. I scanned Hairston's card three times and this was the best outcome. He received a card in the base set as well (#626, Padres). This shot makes Hairston seem bigger than he really is (6'0", 200 lbs.) Don't you just wanna smash those Gatorade coolers in the background?

THE REVERSE: Hairston was traded to Oakland for three youngsters, one of whom is current O's reliever Ryan Webb. Sean Gallagher accomplished little in 91 games over four years; Craig Italiano never reached MLB.

The Hairston HR referenced was a first-inning solo shot off Boston's Josh Beckett (who still won) two days after the trade. The late Shea Stadium has since moved up to first place on Hairston's career-average-by-ballpark list.

AFTER THIS CARD: Hairston played nearly every day for Oakland—first in CF, then in LF in place of the traded Matt Holliday. He's since been employed by four clubs; after busting out for 20 homers as a 2012 Met, his production has slipped dramatically (combined .194 in 2013-14). Now a 34-year-old Washington National, he is almost strictly a pinch-hitter.

Scott Hairston has appeared in Topps every year, either as base or update, since 2003.

CATEGORIES: 2009 Topps Update, Oakland Athletics

9/23/14 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2013 Topps #398 Mike Fiers, Brewers

More Mike Fiers Topps Cards: 2014

We use a random selection process for Card Of The Day here at TSR. Only four COTD selections have been handpicked—three in memory of recently deceased major leaguers, one celebrating Barry Bonds' 50th birthday.

All others have been randomly selected—including Fiers, who's been in the news recently for an unfortunate reason. Yes, out of the nearly 20,000 Topps cards up for selection, the only card I own of arguably the month's biggest headliner is chosen.

Between the past selections of Jim Fregosi (died in early 2014) Ray Searage (June '14 blooper star) and now Fiers...startin' to get a little suspicious about this "randomizer". If it picks a Derek Jeter card next, cue the investigation.

THIS CARD: These are the kinds of photos/crops 1999 Topps sorely needed. Full-body shots work, but not for 80% of a set. Here, Fiers is caught mid-delivery; some cards from this angle will feature distracting bats, helmets, etc. (including the 9/13 COTD) but here, it's as if the camera is positioned at the base of the mound.

Fiers looks to be quite the fireballer in this shot, but he isn't—he's low-90's at best, not a guy who will blow away hitters. He's since switched to #50; according to baseballreference.com, he's the only Brewer to ever wear #64 in the regular season.

THE REVERSE: Going a little further into Fiers' hot streak: Fiers went 4-2 during that eight-start stretch, and allowed a single home run (to Brett Wallace of Houston). He went at least six innings each time out.

Note his 2009 Rookie League debut: 35 K vs. 1 BB in 21 innings! Of course, at 24, Fiers was way more experienced than many of his opponents...still impressive. (Also note that 8-0, 1.11 mark he recorded in AAA just before being promoted in 2011. How Topps did not at least give him a 2012 Update card is beyond me; this is his first base/Update Topps card.)

AFTER THIS CARD: A Nova Southeastern University teammate of Fiers was J.D. Martinez, who after an unimpressive stint with the 'Stros became a 2014 sensation with the Tigers (Fiers and Martinez were the first two NSU alum to reach MLB.)

Following a washout 2013 season (broken arm), Fiers re-emerged as a dependable starter for Milwaukee in late '14—though still well under the radar. That all changed on 9/11 when an 88-mph Fiers fastball bore in on the face of superstar Marlin Giancarlo Stanton—hospitalizing him and ending his season.

Umps ruled Stanton swung at the fateful pitch, so Reed Johnson finished his AB—with the exact same HBP/swing result (but on the hand). Some Marlins became enraged, which in turn set off the already-upset Fiers; benches cleared but nothing more. Fiers had entered the Brewer rotation in early August; he's 6-3, 1.84 since (as of 9/22).

CATEGORIES: 2013 Topps, Milwaukee Brewers