Card Of The Day Archive April/May 2016

5/29/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2011 Topps #420 Ryan Howard, Phillies

More Ryan Howard Topps Cards: 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015

Usually, we like COTD selections of current newsmakers...but not this time, not when they're in the news for the wrong reasons. Other than maybe Marlon Byrd's PED suspension, I'm not sure there is a sadder MLB story right now than the benching of Ryan Howard.

This is Howard's second COTD selection, and since we covered his slow decline in depth back on 4/1/15 when we picked his 2013 Topps card, we won't rehash it in detail here. Just know that Howard is currently batting .159, and even MLB Network hosts can barely veil their derision whenever "Ryan Howard Strikes Out" during a game rundown. (I know you try, Sam Ryan, but not hard enough.)

Here, Howard is coming off his NLCS-ending K against San Francisco's Brian Wilson, and a slip in production from his amazing 2006-09 run of dominance. He's still among the league's best, however, and seemed poised to be for years to come. Seemed...

THIS CARD: Pre-diet Ryan Howard was an absolute force. He's not as big here as he once was, nor is he as svelte as he'd become. (Howard's listed on the reverse at 255 lbs; that would eventually drop to 240.)

The "Big Piece" opened 2010 with eight multi-hit games in his first 10, flirting with .300 for much of the summer before settling at .276. Unfortunately, though he batted .303 in nine playoff games, Howard was held without even one RBI.

Some of those position listings won't be visible over darker dirt. I can't begin to speculate what field this could be.

THE REVERSE: I'd bet my life that, in 66 years of Topps, the word "wormed" has never appeared on any other card. (For those of you unaware, the blurb refers to the longtime Phillies mascot.)

The closest we've come to selecting Alomar's card is #442 Dave West last August.

Those 199 K in 2007 were the MLB record...for 12 months, when Mark Reynolds upped it to 204.

AFTER THIS CARD: Howard was good enough in 2011 to earn an MVP vote, but ended those playoffs by tearing his Achilles. His days as a superstar were over as he fell under .230 for three of four years, and only his $25M annual contract kept him in Philadelphia as longtime mates Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels were dispatched around him.

Now 36, Howard entered 2016—the final year of his mega-extension—with a job, but was told by new manager Pete Mackanin that he'd have to hit to keep it. He didn't (seven hits in all of May) and the plug was finally pulled on the 2006 MVP in early June.

Ryan Howard has appeared in Topps annually since 2005; 2005 was a shared Prospects card with fellow star-to-be Hamels.

CATEGORIES: 2011 Topps, Philadelphia Phillies, $100M Men

4/5/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2013 Topps #236 Joe Nathan, Rangers

More Joe Nathan Topps Cards: 2000 2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015

They say never trust a guy with two first names, but for most of the past 12 years, there were few men you'd trust more than Joe Nathan to protect a late-inning lead. Drafted #6 out of New York's Stony Brook University by the Giants in '95, Nathan entered pro ball as a mediocre shortstop and was so against converting to pitching he returned to Stony Brook for a year.

(In case you're wondering, the most accomplished big leaguer out of Stony Brook behind Nathan: current Marlins starter Tom Koehler. He of a career 26-35, 4.10 record as of this writing. There's a reason you haven't heard of it.)

To the dismay of thousands of batters since, Nathan came back to the diamond—this time as a fireballing SP. In 1999, with veteran SP Mark Gardner ailing, young Nathan began his MLB career with back-to-back gems in Gardner's stead, and seemed to be on his way. Unfortunately—we'll save the details for future Nathan COTD selections—the big guy wasn't able to secure a permanent hold on a Giants roster spot until 2003.

Career-ending surgery to CL Robb Nen could have devastated the Giants' relief corps that year, but Nathan re-emerged as one of the NL's toughest setup men. The team rewarded him with...a trade to Minnesota, which proved to be among the worst in Giants franchise history—Nathan transcended into perennial All-Star closer, while the man he was swapped for was dispatched by SF after one forgettable year (catcher A.J. Pierzynski).

Here, Nathan has just wrapped up his first of two seasons with the Texas Rangers, who—after twice failing to record the final out needed for a 2011 championship—signed the 38-year-old as a free agent that off-season.

THIS CARD: Nathan just looks off in anything but Twins pinstripes. And that includes the Giants uniforms he spent his first four MLB seasons in.

No, that is not a bungee cord around Joe's neck, though I can't say what it is. (Knowing today's athlete, it probably measures blood flow rate or something.) Either a two-seam fastball or curve is on the way—Nathan's hook was dynamo for a long time; not so much anymore.

THE REVERSE: Tommy John surgery did in Nathan's 2010 season, breaking a six-year streak of excellence that might have locked up a future Cooperstown induction for the veteran closer had it not been interrupted—he was really good as a Twin.

When you put your opinions on sports (or anything else) in print, you must be man enough to admit when you're wrong—everyone is sometimes. I was grossly wrong when I promised Texas would regret giving the aging, post-surgery Nathan 2Y/$14M.

After watching their investment convert 80-of-86 save ops with a sub-1 WHIP while making two All-Star teams, the Rangers only regretted not having Nathan one month sooner.

Topps discontinued the Games Started stat around decade's turn, so let us be the ones to inform you Nathan went 12-4 in 2003 without making a single start. Even though his Giants won 100 games, Nathan outwon every other pitcher on the staff except ace Jason Schmidt (17).

AFTER THIS CARD: Nathan was insanely good in his walk year of 2013 (1.39 ERA, 0.9 WHIP, two HRA) for the 91-win Rangers, allowing two runs after July 23. The Tigers then signed the 40-year-old for two years, but Year One was shaky (6.37 ERA through June, though he halved that afterward) and Year Two ended after one appearance—Nathan received a second Tommy John surgery in April 2015.

Though Detroit—and everyone else—passed on Nathan in the 2015-16 winter (despite much reported interest), as of this writing he has not retired and isn't planning to.

Joe Nathan has appeared in Topps annually since 2000, except 2003 (he'd spent the preceding two seasons almost exclusively in AAA).

CATEGORIES: 2013 Topps, Texas Rangers, Multiple TJ Surgeries

4/17/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2011 Topps #649 Joba Chamberlain, Yankees

More Joba Chamberlain Topps Cards: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2013 2014

Hard to believe it's been nearly nine years since Joba (pronounced Jaw-buh, not Joe-buh, for anyone who spent 2007 under a rock) entered MLB. The hulking Yankee reliever made a name for himself quickly—partially for allowing one ER in 24 IP to go with 34 K down the stretch, partially for his amped-up, irksome celebrations following many of those punchouts.

Reaching 98 MPH on his fastball, the 22-year-old rookie helped the Yankees secure their 12th consecutive postseason berth in '07, only to understandably come unglued in Game 2 of the ALDS when swarmed by seasonal midges at Cleveland's Jacobs Field.

Protecting a 1-0 lead in the 8th, Chamberlain—who'd been near-invincible in the majors to this point—surrendered a walk, wild pitch, HBP, wild pitch and another walk. Cleveland tied and eventually won that game, and later the series—ending Joe Torre's storied Yankee career.

Chamberlain, mostly a starter in the minors, returned to the role in mid-2008 and threw very well; he spent all of 2009 in the Yankee rotation and was 8-2, 3.73 through August 6. But an innings limit shortened his leash very tightly in the closing weeks, skewing his final totals. Here, Chamberlain—after not making the rotation—is coming off a 2010 season spent exclusively in the bullpen.

THIS CARD: As you can see, Joba—whose given name is Justin—was/is a big boy. He evokes images of Hideki Irabu in this shot. And yet, his pants are too long.

In the first half of 2010, Chamberlain was Mariano Rivera's setup man, but manager Joe Girardi eventually went to "setup-by-committee" after Chamberlain slumped.

THE REVERSE: Al Jackson was a lefty starter best known with those awful Mets teams of the early/mid-1960's. In fact, he was a two-time 20-game loser in New York. Jackson's 1969 Topps card was his penultimate.

A current player idolizing a star from my youth makes me feel old. I mean, I remember when Jones himself was drafted. When a guy reaches MLB who grew up idolizing Kris Bryant, I might just cry.

Chamberlain was a first-round pick by way of the supplemental draft—the Yankees got a pick when Tom Gordon (Dee's dad) signed with the Phillies.

AFTER THIS CARD: Chamberlain underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-2011, and dislocated his ankle on a trampoline over that winter—he'd be sidelined until August 2012. After an up-and-down 2013, New York let him walk. Chamberlain has since thrown for the Tigers and Royals; now 30, he's with the Cleveland Indians as of April 2016.

Joba Chamberlain has appeared in either Topps or Topps Update annually 2007-14, except 2012. He was excluded from both 2015 releases, despite appearing in 69 games with Detroit in 2014—possibly because he was (by choice) unsigned until Spring Training 2015.

CATEGORIES: 2011 Topps, New York Yankees

4/24/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2013 Topps Update #212 Alfonso Soriano, Yankees

More Alfonso Soriano Topps Cards: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Someone born in 2016 will one day view Alfonso Soriano's career stats and wonder how he managed so little Hall-of-Fame consideration—after all, the guy hit over 400 home runs in 13½ full seasons. was 30-30 four times, 40-40 once, and a seven-time All-Star.

The best explanation I could give that person—you wouldn't build a team around Alfonso Soriano, nor would he be among the top guys of his era you'd want at the plate with the game on the line.

I'm not trying to knock "Fonzi"—he was a very talented player. I recall a game at AT&T Park about five years ago when Soriano took a low, outside fastball and simply torqued it over the notoriously challenging RF wall, which has proven near impossible for the average righty hitter...at night, no less. To this day, it is among the most impressive jacks I've seen hit there.

Offensively, Soriano was not unlike Bobby Bonds—both were power/speed guys who could bat first or fourth depending on where you felt their frequent strikeouts would least hurt you. Though he reached the World Series as a rookie (and was damn near the Series hero), Soriano, like Bonds, also played for a lot of bad teams, and when he did return to the postseason as a new 8Y/$136M Chicago Cub, he stunk...and stunk again the next October.

It was an interesting career, that much can't be denied. Here, 37-year-old Soriano has been traded back to his original team during Year 7 of his eight-year Cubs megadeal. The old/new Yankee did not disappoint.

THIS CARD: Assuming Soriano is high-fiving Derek Jeter following a home run—doubtful they'd celebrate a successful sacrifice bunt this way—we might be able to narrow down the date of this photo.

Let's also assume Jeter scored ahead of Soriano and was waiting for him at the plate. According to baseballreference.com, Soriano homered twice with Jeter on base at Yankee Stadium in 2013: 7/28 vs. Tampa and 9/6 vs. Boston.

Even without the Tampa teal in the catcher's chest protector ruining the mystery, Soriano's smile offered a clue—the 3rd-inning, go-ahead bomb 7/28 was Soriano's first since returning to NY, far more likely to induce a grin than the latter (first inning of a scoreless game).

THE REVERSE: Hard to believe Soriano is 40 now. He's one of those guys who always seemed young, possibly because he was always wiry-thin and—at least in my recollection—clean-shaven.

Soriano had inched to within 350 homers of Bonds' record when he slumped and retired at 38...perhaps the pressure of the chase got to him. (GOD, Topps botched what was potentially a neat feature.)

True, a lot of his drives went over the wall rather than bounce and carom off of it, but how could somebody as fast as Soriano have 30 triples in parts of 14 seasons (finishing with 31 in parts of 16 seasons)? Let's just say he wasn't known for charging hard down the line every time, which could have cost him a few.

AFTER THIS CARD: As alluded to above, Soriano played very well for the '13 Yankees (.525 SLG, 17 HR in 58 games). In one four-game August stretch, he went 13-for-18 with five homers and 18 RBI...none of those are misprints.

But the veteran went out with a whimper, released by New York a year after his acquisition following a miserable first half of 2014 (.221 BA, .244 OBP). A few months later, he officially retired just shy of 39.

Alfonso Soriano appeared annually in Topps 2000-14; 2000 was a shared Prospects card. He also has a base card in 2013 Topps, which you probably already assumed.

CATEGORIES: 2013 Topps, New York Yankees, $100M Men

4/30/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1989 Topps #663 Turn Back The Clock: 1974

More 1989 Topps Turn Back The Clock: 661 (1984) 662 (1979) 664 (1969) 665 (1964)

After three straight selections from this decade, we go all the way back to the 1980s...and by extension, the 1970s.

When I began collecting cards full-time in 1990, I was no fan of TBTC cards. The clocks were almost always turned back before my birth, and I had no appreciation for stars or achievements of yesteryear. As far as I was concerned, however good Hank Aaron supposedly was, he was no Kevin Mitchell. God, we're dumb when we're kids.

Selfishly, I hope present-day Topps never resumes TBTC. Realizing a trip down Memory Lane with a stop 25 years ago means 1991 would make me feel...so...old. (Has it really been over a quarter-century since "U Can't Touch This?" REALLY?)

TBTC takes us back 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 seasons ago; for the math-challenged, that means 1984, 1979, 1974, 1969 and 1964 in respect to 1989 Topps. This particular card represents 1974, a year best remembered for Aaron passing Babe Ruth for #1 on the career homer list—a spot he held for 33 more years.

As shown at left, a lot more went down after that.

THIS CARD: Topps, prominent card text should never be closer to upside-down than not...this card-within-a-card is rotated 140 degrees. The whole card should have been landscape-oriented, but Topps was two years away from such layouts.

This was Aaron's 21st and final season with the Braves. (Two more with the Brewers followed.)

THE REVERSE: Which 1974 bullet points shall we expand upon...okay, got it:

George Mitterwald was a catcher for the Twins/Cubs 1966-77 and the least accomplished of the three-homer quartet. Which isn't to say he was awful—the guy hit 76 more major league home runs than you or I did.
Orta, who later (as a Royal) became far for famous for being incorrectly called "safe" in the 1985 World Series, "only" managed two other five-hit games in his other 15 seasons—one of them being a six-hit contest in 1980!
Kaline doubled against Dave McNally in a loss at Baltimore; he retired at season's end with 3,007. Gibson whiffed Cesar Geronimo of visiting Cincinnati; Geronimo was also K #3K for Nolan Ryan six years later, believe it or not.
Brock's record fell to Rickey Henderson in 1982 (130). It's never been seriously challenged.
Aaron, of course, victimized veteran Dodgers starter Al Downing for homer #715. He finished with 755, the MLB record until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007.

AFTER THIS CARD: Covered above already for the mentioned individuals. Topps discontinued Turn Back The Clock after the 1990 set.

CATEGORIES: 1989 Topps, Subsets

5/10/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2000 Topps #450 Draft Picks: Richard Stahl/Ben Christensen

More 2000 Topps Draft Picks: n/a

2000 Topps makes its second COTD appearance (#405 Albert Belle was the first back on 1/11/15) with two guys who combined to play zero major league games, although one of them became infamous for reasons detailed below.

Stahl was a 6'7" LHP drafted #18 overall by Baltimore—as a compensatory choice for the loss of free agent Eric Davis to the Cardinals—out of high school. He wasn't easy to hit, and he wound up with just 35 HRA in over 520 minor league innings. But Stahl's command left a lot to be desired—he was moved from starting to relieving and back, not reaching AA until his sixth professional season. (Not helping: his regular trips to the disabled list.)

Cubs prospect Christensen also threw hard—his sinker reached 94—and lost once in three college seasons (against 21 wins, not all as a starter). He might have gone higher than #26 overall, but under orders from a Wichita State coach, he infamously drilled a waiting hitter in the face for timing his warmup pitches months before the 1999 draft.

That hitter, Evansville's Anthony Molina, suffered serious injuries that ended any hope of a pro career—though Christensen was able to avoid jail time.

THIS CARD: Rookie card emblems on draft pick cards seem a little redundant, but remember, some undrafted amateurs received Topps cards in the past—Olympians, for example.

With his collar under the O's logo, Stahl appears to be wearing a medallion.

2000 Topps carried 15 draft pick duo cards; 19 of the 30 players never reached the majors.

Why do there have to be so many damn ways to spell Ben's last name? Remember the old Pirates/Giants reliever Jason Christiansen? Or the former A's outfielder Ryan Christenson? Not to mention fellow 1999 draftee Ryan Christianson? For Christenson's sake...

THE REVERSE: I'm going to assume Christensen's three straight 17-BB years are not a misprint. Topps mentions low-level Daytona and Eugene, but they omitted rookie league Arizona (though those stats are included).

11-0, 2.34? Not bad, Stahl. (We were unable to find his full high school statistical records.)

AFTER THIS CARD: Neither man made it to MLB; Christensen maxed out with parts of four consecutive years with AA West Tennessee; the Cubs cut him after the '03 season, and he finished up with a very brief run with AA San Antonio (Mariners) in 2004. Final line: 12-19, 4.64 in 74 games.

Stahl lasted a bit longer and did reach AAA in his final pro season of 2006. He closed at 27-39, 4.23 in 148 games—the final six in the Cincinnati Reds' system.

(It should be noted that Molina, Christensen's beaning victim, went to prison for sexual assualt on a child back in 2014. Call his injury a bit of advance karma.)

CATEGORIES: 2000 Topps, Subsets

5/20/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2007 Topps Update #49 Sammy Sosa, Rangers

More Sammy Sosa Topps Cards: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

This is the final Topps appearance for one of the most captivating, fashionable stars the game has ever seen.

Sosa, as many baseball fans are aware, started out in 1989 as a raw, skinny 20-year-old Texas Ranger—and finished up in 2007 as an accomplished, bulky 38-year-old Texas Ranger. In between: 13 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, where Sosa enjoyed the most prolific four-year power stretch in league history.

Along with fellow Ranger prospect Wilson Alvarez, Sosa joined the White Sox in a trade for longtime star Harold Baines in mid-89. Though Sosa clearly had ability, he was slow to harness it, and the White Sox swapped him for veteran Cubs slugger George Bell after the '91 season.

As a Cub, Sosa appeared to reach his potential at last, averaging 34 homers, 100 RBI and 26 steals from 1993-97—and that includes three years shortened by strike or injury! Little did anyone know where his true ceiling lay, however.

66. 63. 50. 64. No, those weren't the Cub win totals from 1998-2001. Those numbers represented the respective HR tally for the newly bulked-up, neck-free Sosa over that period. Having added crowd-pleasing pomp and flair to his game, Sosa became a true sensation.

By 2002, 33-year-old Sosa's salary had grown to $15M, but his numbers, while still excellent, began to trend downward. After being caught using a corked bat in 2003, Sosa's popularity in Chicago—already slipping amid reports of an inflated ego and seemingly little interest in improving/maintaining his other baseball skillz—further dipped.

When he left the ballpark without permission during 2004's final game and lied about it, management cut ties with Sosa via trade with Baltimore.

Now 36, not much went well for Sosa in 2005 on or off the field; he only received minor-league offers for 2006—which he rejected. Here, after a year on the sidelines, the former superstar has accepted a similar offer with the familiar Texas Rangers for 2007.

THIS CARD: This can't be a STUN photo; no way would any sane man wear even a short-sleeved pullover in Arizona. Sosa is obviously warming up prior to a regular-season game someplace other than Texas. That red T is reminiscent of the 2003 Blue Jays logo, sans bird. Sosa's signature looks like a pair of glasses held together by string.

THE REVERSE: I've always been fascinated by Sosa leading the NL in 2000 and 2002 with respective totals of 50 and 49 homers, yet not leading the NL in any of his three 60+ homer seasons (thanks to Mark McGwire twice and Barry Bonds) during the same period.

Sosa added 112 K to that lifetime total in 2007; his 2,306 ranked second all-time when he retired (to Reggie Jackson—Adam Dunn and Jim Thome later passed him; Alex Rodriguez likely will by 2016's end.)

DH sure looks strange by Sosa's name, but indeed 85% of his 2007 run was in that role.

AFTER THIS CARD: Sosa did indeed win a job with the then-mediocre Rangers, and wound up leading the team with 21 HR; his 92 RBI trailed leader Michael Young by just two...and Sosa played 42 fewer games! (That has to be close to a final-season RBI record. but we couldn't confirm.) On 6/20, he joined the 600-HR club with a blast off Jason Marquis...SP for the Chicago Cubs, of all teams.

That would be it for "Slammin' Sammy", who finished with 609 lifetime jacks—at the time, only Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays had more; Rodriguez, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Thome have since dropped Sosa to #8 all-time.

Despite his gaudy stats, Sosa's maxed out at 12% in Hall of Fame voting due to PED suspicion, and hasn't made much post-retirement news other than this.

Sammy Sosa appeared annually in Topps or Topps Update 1990-2007, except 2006 when he was unsigned and thought to be retired. He was similarly omitted in 2008.

CATEGORIES: 2007 Topps Update, Texas Rangers, Players Hit In Head By Pitch

5/23/16 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1991 Topps #551 Bob Kipper, Pirates

More Bob Kipper Topps Cards: 1987 1988 1989 1990 1992

As stated on the COTD homepage introduction, the primary objective of this feature is to put my over 10,000 baseball cards "to use" in some way. A sub-objective: even I, who knows quite a lot about MLB, will learn something I'd otherwise have never known—or would have ever had a need/desire to know.

Bob Kipper is a classic example. I remembered him clearly from his Pirates days, but had no clue he began as an Angel...or was once a starter...or was cut before completing one season with the Twins.

Turns out Kipper was quite the prospect once upon a time—he was All-American in high school, drafted by the Angels #8 overall soon after, and California League (A) Pitcher Of The Year in 1984. By 1985, 20-year-old Kipper was in the bigs, but clearly in over his head and dispatched after two games—first to AAA, then to the Pirates in a six-player trade that sent vets George Hendrick, John Candelaria and Al Holland west.

Kipper immediately joined the Bucs rotation and remained there for most of 1986-87 (in one of those 1987 starts, Kipper impressively stood tall as a snarling Darryl Strawberry charged the mound). He was too reliant upon his fastball at times, however, and demoted to AAA both years.

Eventually, Kipper's skipper Jim Leyland shifted him to relief—it took, and Kipper averaged just under 50 RA over the next four seasons.

This card represents the third of those seasons—though he sat the first month with a shoulder strain and continued to struggle with the gopher ball, overall Kipper threw well for the 95-win Pirates.

THIS CARD: Photo obviously taken at a Spring Training facility. Kipper's face says "You gonna take the picture or what?"

THE REVERSE: Kipper's numbers were skewed by an early-season fill-in start in which he allowed seven ER in 1.1 IP—even with that, his season WHIP was still 1.12! By the way, to me anyway, an activity doesn't really count as a "pastime" if you can literally do it anywhere at any time with little-to-no preparation. (I would have accepted "going to concerts".)

Does anyone else still use "SO" as a strikeout abbreviation? "K" seems more or less ubiquitous.

Doc Gooden and Shawon Dunston were the only two noteworthies selected ahead of Kipper. (Okay...I suppose you could include Spike Owen.)

AFTER THIS CARD: Kipper did not have a good first half of 1991 and was actually told mid-season that he would not be brought back for 1992—and he wasn't, though his numbers were exponentially better in the second half. Minnesota swooped in with a 1Y/$1M offer—an absolute windfall for a 1992 middle reliever!

Sadly, the defending World Series champions cut 28-year-old Kipper after a very rough pair of July outings. He got in a handful of games for AAA Norfolk (Mets) in 1994, and that was it for Kipper as a professional pitcher.

After coaching in the Independent leagues for a time, Kipper has worked in the Boston organization since 1999—twice serving as bullpen coach for the major league club (2002, 2015)

Bob Kipper appeared in Topps annually 1986-1992, all as a Pirate (1986 is a Traded card). As far as we can tell, no Angel cards of him exist. (1992 Stadium Club features him as a Twin.)

CATEGORIES: 1991 Topps, Pittsburgh Pirates