Topps Baseball Card Of The Day, April 2022
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4/29/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2009 Topps #584 Ron Washington, Rangers
More Ron Washington Topps Cards: 1987 1988T 2007 2008
Coaches don't get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But if they did, Ron Washington is a first-ballot selection with 97% of the vote. The work he did with the 2000's Athletics has been well-documented; Eric Chavez presented Washington with one of his Gold Gloves as a seismic thank-you (and even replaced it when it was damaged!).
Successful coaches have a way of earning managerial consideration from other clubs, and "Wash" was no different—he was on the fast track to manage almost from his first year coaching in Oakland. The Texas Rangers ultimately gave Washington his first shot at running a team in November 2006, and though they fell one strike short of a championship, it was quite the gainful hire.
Here, Washington is fresh off his second season at the helm in Texas. Though the 2008 Rangers finished under .500 for a fourth straight year, they improved by four games from 2007 as newcomer Josh Hamilton emerged as an MVP candidate. Washington's pitchers mostly disappointed, however, and the Angels blew through the rest of the division.
THIS CARD: This is not a random selection; we specially selected Washington's card in acknowledgement of his 70th birthday 4/29/2022. Despite his off-field issues and his having the audacity to take on my Giants in the 2010 World Series, I've always had a lot of respect for Washington and can't recall anyone ever disparaging him publicly.
In Rangers history, #38 has also been worn by notables such as...no one. But former team cornerstone Ruben Sierra wore the number when he returned to the Rangers in '03, so there's that. Washington remains the most significant #38 in club history; the most recent user was OF D.J. Peters in 2021.
More from Washington's 2008 season: Texas started 9-18 but climbed to 60-54 by early August. They still trailed the Angels by hella, however, and a 3-13 stretch in mid-August ended whatever slim hopes they had of even a Wild Card berth. The Rangers finished with an unsightly 5.37 ERA, allowing 12+ runs 14 times and even losing a game in which the Texas offense supplied 17 runs.
(flip) Today, the Rangers' team record for players used is 64 in 2014. Sixty-four. That's frikkin' hard to do. 41 pitchers. You'll never convince me in a pre-COVID world that all that was necessary.
Of those 19 rookies, 1B/OF Chris Davis (.285, 17, 55) was the only one who really shined for an extended period. SP Matt Harrison won nine times, but with a 5.49 ERA and 1.566 WHIP. Tommy Hunter would later become a fine MLB pitcher, but he was knocked around in three 2008 outings.
Washington, a former IF who played mostly SS, suited up for the 1977 Dodgers, the 1981-86 Twins, the 1987 Orioles, the 1988 Indians and the 1989 Astros. Only in 1982 did he top 100 games (119).
AFTER THIS CARD: Washington's Rangers squad, under .500 in 2008 as we mentioned, was in the World Series by 2010—but lost to the Giants in five games. As we also mentioned, Texas was within a strike of winning the 2011 World Series against St. Louis, but fate was not on their side. The skipper received AL Manager of the Year votes annually 2009-13 but somehow never finished higher than second.
By 2014, Texas was a 95-loss team and Washington was out as manager; he resigned in September once reports of an extramarital affair came to light. Wash stepped down as the Rangers' all-time wins leader with 664 over eight seasons; he's since returned to coaching, with the 2015-16 Athletics and the Braves since 2017. Happy 70th from TSR.
Ron Washington appeared in Topps as a manager in 2007-09 Topps; he appeared as a player in 1983-87 Topps and in 1988 Topps Traded. For whatever reason, the company excluded him from 1989 Topps, while two companies who DID include him in their 1989 sets (Donruss and Upper Deck) used absolutely frightening photos of him. There HAS to be a connection.
CATEGORIES: 2009 Topps, Texas Rangers
More April 2022 Topps Cards Of The Day
4/1/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1994 Topps #233 Rich Amaral, Mariners
More Rich Amaral Topps Cards: 1993 1995T 1998
Rich Amaral had to wait until two months past his 29th birthday to receive his first taste of the major leagues. As you might expect from someone buried on the farms for over a decade, Amaral was willing to play wherever the Seattle Mariners told him to, and managed to extract 10 major league seasons out of that versatility (and speed).
The Mariners originally called Amaral up in May 1991; Omar Vizquel wasn't hitting and Amaral was over .300 down in AAA Calgary (in fact, he'd be the Pacific Coast League batting champion in 1991). Two days later Amaral was on the DL, knocked out for six weeks by a sprained elbow ligament suffered on a play at second base.
In 1992, Amaral got in a handful of April/May games for Seattle before returning to the club from Calgary in September; in all, he hit .240 but found time at seven positions (though only three for more than three innings).
Here, the 31-year-old has completed his official rookie season, one in which he served as the 1993 Mariners' primary 2B (and sometimes 3B) through July before injuring his hamstring. Amaral took on a utility role after healing, but still placed 5th in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
THIS CARD: This is not a random selection; we are presenting Amaral in COTD in recognition of his 60th birthday today. It's crazy watching him become a sexagenarian because I can remember Amaral's rookie season of 1993, which in my mind was about 15 years ago, not 29.
It's pretty obvious why we chose Amaral's 1994 Topps card, isn't it? 1993 was his best season by far, and Topps didn't give me a stack of Amaral cards to pick from.
Amaral is listed as a SS even though, as we said, he played mostly 2B-3B in 1993. In fact, only 14 times in Amaral's 110 games did he handle SS. Strange...
(flip) Yes, Amaral was a #2 pick by the 1983 Cubs and might have had a future there, except A) 2B Ryne Sandberg elevated his game to superstar levels in 1984, and B) SS Shawon Dunston, drafted first overall by the Cubs in 1982, existed (and played well).
Three full years at AA Pittsfield (Cubs)? Granted, Amaral wasn't a star, but his play didn't warrant that. To his credit, upon reaching the majors, Amaral never bad-mouthed the Cubs for denying him promotions. But I'm happy to do it for him.
Those 57 steals for AAA Birmingham (White Sox, who plucked Amaral from the Cubs after the 1988 season but never called him up either) were second in the Southern League to teammate C.L. Penigar's 64. Penigar never reached MLB and I guarantee his name is 12% of the reason why.
AFTER THIS CARD: Defensive issues cost Amaral his full-time 2B job in early 1994, as Luis Sojo and later the shifted SS Felix Fermin gobbled up most of the 2B at-bats. In fact, Amaral even returned to AAA Tacoma when some Alex Rodriguez guy was promoted for a time. But he still started 53 times at several positions for Seattle that year.
But from 1995-97, Amaral—now firmly in a super-utility role—averaged nearly 100 games and 20 steals for the Mariners while hitting .287! After a 1998 season which began and ended with Amaral on the disabled list (strained back muscle, torn left calf muscle), the Mariners moved on from the 36-year-old. Enter Baltimore, who gave Amaral 2Y/$1M.
Amaral hit .277 with nine steals in 91 games for the '99 Orioles, but was cut in July 2000 with a .217 average and never played again.
Rich Amaral appears in 1993-94 and 1998 Topps, as well as 1995 Topps Traded.
CATEGORIES: 1994 Topps, Seattle Mariners
4/2/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2008 Topps #538 Alex Romero, Diamondbacks
More Alex Romero Topps Cards: 2004T
I get Alex Romero confused with Alex Ramirez, another short-lived MLB outfielder who went on to a long career in foreign leagues. The difference is: Ramirez was a legendary Japan League slugger, while Romero might be best known for, well, something far less praiseworthy.
Here, however, Romero has just won a job with the 2008 Diamondbacks. Seven seasons in Minnesota's system had led nowhere for Romero, and the Twins actually did him a favor by waiving him in January 2007. He joined Arizona and came within four hits of leading the Pacific Coast League that season while batting .310 for AAA Tucson.
THIS CARD: Geez, Romero! That signature had to take five minutes to complete. It's pretty obvious this guy practices (given all the contracts he'd end up signing to play in winter/foreign leagues, he was wise to do so).
This might be our first 2008 Topps Diamondbacks card—or should I say, D-Backs? Rather than squeeze the little circus balls too tightly, Topps went with the abbreviated nickname. All other team names were fully spelled out.
More from Romero's early 2008 season: almost all of his early run came as a pinch-hitter, and he went 3-for-his-first-7 with three RBI in that role. That includes an RBI single off Colorado's Ryan Speier in the T10th that iced a 5-2 win on 4/6. Romero spent 4/22 through 5/26 at Tucson.
(flip) Nixon, of course, was the longtime Red Sox outfielder and 2004 World Champion who spent 2007 with Cleveland. Nixon wound up going 6-for-35 with the 2008 Mets, his final major league stop.
"Final Outfield Spot" LOL. Is that what they told Romero? He played outfield once for the Diamondbacks until June started (he started in CF 4/20 and was double-switched out in the B6th).
Ugh. Seeing Bob Melvin's name just reminds me of Oakland's 2021-22 off-season purge, which included Melvin, their (successful) manager of 10+ seasons.
AFTER THIS CARD: Romero finished 2008 at .230, 1, 12 in 78 games. In Spring Training 2009, despite being recovered from a broken hand suffered in winter ball, the 26-year-old was outrighted to AAA Reno by the Diamondbacks...but wound up getting in 66 games with Arizona after returning in late June (batting .248 with one homer).
That was it for Romero in MLB; subsequent minor league deals with the Astros, Braves, Marlins and Giants did not lead to a big-league promotion. Romero played several years in the Mexican and Italian Leagues and has headed to Venezuela literally every winter—including this past one—for more action; Romero's 780 career Venezuelan Winter League games have to rank high on their all-time list.
Alex Romero debuted as a First-Year player in 2004 Topps Traded & Rookies, then made his final appearance in 2008 Topps.
CATEGORIES: 2008 Topps, Arizona Diamondbacks
4/3/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2004 Topps #432 Brian Roberts, Orioles
More Brian Roberts Topps Cards: 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Roberts, fleet 2B of the Orioles, was one of the league's best at his position from 2004-09. Unfortunately, he was essentially done by age 32 due to myriad physical woes in the 2010's.
Roberts made his MLB debut in 2001, serving as Baltimore's regular SS for most of June/July while Mike Bordick was out (despite major defensive issues). Roberts then shuttled back and forth between Baltimore and AAA Rochester in 2002, though it should be said that the 2002 Orioles—who were 67-95 overall—were 20-18 when Roberts played.
Here, Roberts has completed a breakout 2003 season. Called up from AAA Ottawa in May to replace injured Jerry Hairston Jr., Roberts became the O's regular 2B and wound up batting .270 while leading the club in triples and steals.
THIS CARD: We see Roberts stretching to force out Texas OF Doug Glanville at 2B. Glanville was only a Ranger for 52 games in 2003, and just two of those games were at Baltimore. Let's see if we can pinpoint when this pic was shot (it's too old for a Getty Images search).
7/21/2003: Glanville reaches 1B twice. After singling in the T2nd, he advances to 2B on a walk. After singling in the T8th, he's stranded on a fly ball. So let's try the next day...
7/22/2003: Glanville, after singling in the T3rd, advances to 2B on an infield hit; he does not reach base again. So this pic must be Glanville advancing to 2B as the Orioles unsuccessfully try to retire him on Einar Diaz's infield hit (which went to SS, according to Baseball Reference).
(flip) Roberts' 5/22 slam off Anaheim's Troy Percival in the T9th gave Baltimore a 7-4 comeback win. His 5/28 slam off Anaheim's Ramon Ortiz in the B2nd keyed a 6-2 Baltimore win. Roberts hit just 97 career homers in MLB, but six were slams!
There's no way Delmaria still exists as a MiLB affiliate; it had to go belly-up in the 2021 restructuring, if not sooner.
That SPEC indicates Roberts was drafted as a compensatory pick for a lost free agent—in this case, 1B/DH Rafael Palmiero, who left the Orioles after the 1998 season but returned in 2004-05.
AFTER THIS CARD: Now the Orioles' unquestioned 2B, Roberts took off in 2004, leading the league with 50 doubles and scoring 107 runs. In 2005 he made the AL All-Star team as he exploded for 18 homers and a .314 average! Roberts hit .294 and averaged 13 bombs, 46 doubles and 37 steals from 2005-09, making his second All-Star squad in 2007! The Orioles inked their star 2B to a 4Y/$40M extension in February 2009.
Then came the setbacks.
In 2010, Roberts missed most of the first four months with a strained abdominal muscle—and the last six games with a concussion after bonking himself in the helmet with his bat. In mid-May 2011, he was concussed once more while sliding into 1B and didn't return until June 2012. After a month of action, a groin strain and hip surgery ended Roberts' 2012 season. And in 2013, he missed most of the first three months with a hamstring strain.
Not surprisingly, the Orioles—having gotten all of 192 games from Roberts 2010-13—let him walk once his contract expired after the '13 season. He joined the rival Yankees on a 1Y/$2M deal (with incentives) for 2014, but was cut in August after batting just .237 with a .300 OBP. Two months later, 37-year-old Roberts announced his retirement. He finished up with 1,527 hits and a .276 average across 14 campaigns.
Brian Roberts—who was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2018—appeared in 2004-14 Topps.
CATEGORIES: 2004 Topps, Baltimore Orioles
4/4/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2001 Topps #344 Felipe Alou, Expos
More Felipe Alou Topps Cards: 1992T 1993 2003T 2004 2005 2006
Felipe Alou was a big league semi-star, batting .286 with over 2,000 hits and over 200 homers from 1958-74, mostly with the Giants and Braves. Fast-forward to 1992, when Alou took over as Expos manager from Tom Runnells and turned that scuffling ballclub around practically overnight. Alou guided the Expos to 94 wins in 1993 and probably would have led them to a championship in 1994 had the strike not wrecked everything.
Montreal went into cost-cutting mode following that season and never seriously contended again, though under Alou's leadership the young Expos always gave nothing less than total effort. They even managed to finish 2nd in the NLE with 88 wins in 1996 despite a payroll well under $20M!
Here, however, Alou's 2000 Expos squad has skidded to a fourth consecutive 4th-place finish in the NLE, losing over 90 games for the third straight season despite the presence of budding superstar Vladimir Guerrero Sr. It was hardly all Alou's fault; he was forced to use the likes of Peter Bergeron as his CF and Mike Thurman as a SP.
THIS CARD: If the Expos still existed, #17 might be retired in Alou's honor by now. He is comfortably ahead of Buck Rodgers as their all-time leader in games managed (1,408) and won (691). And let's face it: barring a major shift in the front office/ownership, nobody else would have lasted long enough in Montreal to have their number retired.
The only other notable #17 in Expos history was OF Ellis Valentine, who was an All-Star and Gold Glover for the team in the late 1970's.
More from Alou's 2000 season: the infamous Jeffrey Loria bought into Montreal's ownership group in 1999, and before long the club had gone on a spending "spree", signing RP Graeme Lloyd (3Y/$9M, HUGE in Expos dollars) and trading for SP Hideki Irabu ($2M for 2000 plus a pricey 2001 option that was restructured). Expectations grew a bit, and the team got off to a 31-23 start through 6/5 before injuries—including to both Lloyd and Irabu—and inexperience reared their ugly heads.
(flip) During his Expos run, Alou gained NL Manager of the Year votes in 1992 (2nd place) 1993 (3rd place) 1994 (1st place) 1996 (2nd place) and even secured a vote in his 95-loss 2000 season! As Giants manager, he also got NL Manager of the Year attention (4th-place in 2003, 5th-place in 2004).
TOPPS PHOTOGRAPHER: "Okay, Mr. Alou, we got a straight-on shot of you for the front of your card. Now, for the back photo, can you pretend a cat just ran onto the field near third base?"
Manager cards returned to 2001 Topps after a seven-set absence. I was happy about this, my only complaint being Topps altering their design from the rest of the commons. By 2004 Topps, Manager card designs matched player card designs once again.
AFTER THIS CARD: After a 21-32 start to the 2001 season, Alou was fired by the Expos. He spent 2002 as the Tigers bench coach before returning to the Giants as their manager 2003-06. The 2003 team went to the NLDS, the 2004 team was painfully eliminated from postseason contention in Game #162, the 2005 team challenged for the NL West title despite being under .500 and without Barry Bonds until Spetember. And the 2006 team, well, stunk.
Now 86, Alou continues to serve as a special assistant for the Giants. He is warmly received whenever taking the Oracle Park field for ceremonies, reunions, etc.
Felipe Alou appeared as a player in 1959-74 Topps, and as a manager in 1993, 2001, and 2004-06 Topps. Alou also turns up as a manager in 1992 and 2003 Traded.
CATEGORIES: 2001 Topps, Montreal Expos
4/6/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2003 Topps #413 Jon Garland, White Sox
More Jon Garland Topps Cards: 1998 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2010U
Garland, longtime fixture in the White Sox rotation during the 00's, went 92-81, 4.41 during his nine-season Chicago tenure. Twice, he won 18 games, and he was never better than in the White Sox' championship year of 2005—that year Garland made the AL All-Star team and earned some Cy Young consideration.
But here, he's a 23-year-old fresh off his first full season in MLB. Abused by AL hitters during his debut campaign of 2000, Garland made large strides after temporarily switching to relief in 2001. He rejoined the rotation that July and remained there throughout 2002. Though consistency escaped him in '02, Garland posted a 2.72 ERA in his final seven starts of the year.
THIS CARD: Garland wears #52 here, but he wore his more familiar #20 from 2003-07 (not sure why he switched). Next to longtime teammate Jose Contreras, Garland may still be the most notable #52 in club history.
Typically, dudes with visible chains throw fairly hard—think Javier Vazquez 20 years ago or Jose Berrios today. Unofficially, the thicker the chain, the higher the velocity. Garland's bling-to-velo rate, on the other hand, had to be among the lowest ever by the time he was through. He only reached the low-90's as a youngster and was down to 86-87 MPH at the end...but the visible chain remained. It left me puzzled.
More from Garland's 2002 season: on 8/28, he shut out the Blue Jays on 109 pitches, whiffing a season-high nine. Garland's WHIP dropped in every month except July, and he did not allow a homer in his final three starts (covering 18 innings).
(flip) On 5/22 at Boston, Garland pitched shutout ball into the B9th but was pulled after back-to-back pinch-hit singles; CL Keith Foulke preserved the combined shutout.
Garland induced four GIDP in his 4/25 start at Cleveland—that's a lot. All four of the runners had reached via walk or error!
That Trade was an outright fleecing: the White Sox gave up ex-closer Matt Karchner to acquire Garland near the 1998 Trade Deadline. Though the Cubs did reach the NLDS that year, Karchner didn't contribute much, registering a 4.60 ERA and no saves across parts of three seasons before the Cubs issued his career-ending release in September 2000.
AFTER THIS CARD: Garland continued to take some lumps over the next two seasons, but made every start and still picked up 24 wins. We mentioned his 2005 breakout campaign; he was extended for 3Y/$29M in December 2005 and supplied Chicago with 18 more wins in 2006.
Though his ERA and WHIP actually dipped from 2006, Garland was only 10-13 in 2007 and found himself moved to the Angels in a curious deal for SS Orlando Cabrera (the salary difference was just $3M and the Sox already had a pricey SS in Juan Uribe). Though he went 14-8 for the 2008 Angels, Garland's ERA swelled to 4.90 and he wasn't re-signed.
Garland split 2009 with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers, then went 14-12, 3.47 for the 2010 Padres. The Dodgers inked him for 1Y/$5M in November 2010, but his season ended 6/1 after a shoulder injury that required a surgical cleanup. Doubtful he'd pass his physical, Garland backed out of a potential deal with Cleveland for '12, finally returning to MLB with the 2013 Rockies.
The big righty began surprisingly well, but gradually pitched himself into a mid-season release. He never pitched professionally again.
Jon Garland debuted in 1998 Topps as a draft pick, then appeared annually from 2002-10. His quality, 33-start season with the 2010 Padres did not lead to inclusion in 2011 Topps base or Update ...baffling.
CATEGORIES: 2003 Topps, Chicago White Sox
4/7/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1996 Topps #391 Robby Thompson, Giants
More Robby Thompson Topps Cards: 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Here, we catch up with the veteran 2B on the heels of his ninth season with the Giants, which was also the second year of a 3Y/$11.6M extension he signed after his breakout 1993 campaign. 1995 was challenging for Thompson, as he hit just .223 and missed 49 games with a groin strain and a bad shoulder that eventually required surgery in September.
THIS CARD: Thompson manages to look like a player, coach and umpire all at once with this particular stance/expression. This card has long been—at least to me—one of the most identifiable of 1996 Topps, and I wish front images like this one were still common today.
That radio station in the background was (and still is) the San Francisco Giants flagship station. I do not listen to that station for anything other than occasional Giants games, however—it is all about 95.7 The Game!!
More from Thompson's 1995 season: he was on the DL from 5/26-6/10 with the groin injury and last played 9/13 before the shoulder issues grew to be too much. Thompson ended the year on a seven-game hit streak, and on 5/2, after the Dodgers had gone up 3-0 in the T15th—not a typo—Thompson's three-run homer off Greg Hansell tied the score in the B15th! Two batters later, Matt Williams doubled home Barry Bonds for the thrilling walk-off Giants win!!!
(flip) Just saying, Topps would do well to include a colored/patterned background for the stats in a future set.
I've seen a couple of bunt doubles, but none of the suicide-squeeze variety. The Giants won that day 6-5; Jeff McCurry was the Pirates reliever victimized by Thompson.
Thompson, once again, shown running. As I've mentioned in previous COTD, he was shown blazing the basepaths in three of four Topps front images at one point; I don't think even Vince Coleman got that treatment.
AFTER THIS CARD: Thompson was limited by neck whiplash (from a dive) and a strained hip to 63 games in 1996, in which he batted .211. With his contract expired after the '96 season, San Francisco traded for 2B Jeff Kent of Cleveland. Ironically, Thompson tried to hook up with Cleveland in Spring Training 1997, but received a career-ending release prior to Opening Day.
Next, Thompson coached for the Giants, Indians and Mariners, serving as interim manager for the latter in 2013 as Eric Wedge missed a month following a stroke. (He is not to be confused with Rob Thompson, who served as Yankees 3B coach for a time.)
Robby Thompson appeared annually in Topps 1987-1996.
CATEGORIES: 1996 Topps, San Francisco Giants
4/8/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 1992 Topps #414 Jeff Ware, Blue Jays Draft Pick
More Jeff Ware Topps Cards: 1991T
Not to be confused with Jeff Ware of the 1996 Toronto Maple Leafs.
Ware, a member of Team USA in the 1991 Pan-American Games, at least reached the major leagues—which is more than can be said for many of his old Pan-Am teammates. Here, he's just been taken 35th overall in the 1991 Draft...more on that below.
THIS CARD: I remember pulling my first 1992 Topps Draft Pick card (probably not Ware) and thinking "What the hell is this?" in response not only to the design—which for the first time did not match regular Topps commons—but the player in street clothes. While Topps continued to give Draft Picks a different design from commons through 2001, at least they scrapped the "Growing Pains" photos.
The other issue with the Draft Picks: despite the altered design, they were listed on Topps Checklists with the teams who drafted them. They should have had their own section, like All-Stars had.
Not a bad looking guy, Jeff Ware. I see a combination of Darren Daulton and Shawn Estes. And I'm probably one of two people on Earth who sees it (there's one other guy in Singapore who shares my opinion).
(flip) The ERA is a little high for a first-round draft pick, but hey, whatever. As you see, Ware started 16 times as a junior at Old Dominion and successfully closed the other two games he pitched in—today, we call that the (Julio) Urias Usage Plan.
VCU is Virginia Commonwealth University. For someone who is acronym-heavy like me to not know that is embarrassing.
The Blue Jays drafted Ware as a compensatory pick for the loss of free agent George Bell to the Cubs. Despite losing their longtime superstar, and despite Ware's minimal MLB impact (read on), Toronto won two titles in the early 1990's. So everything worked out PERFECTLY!
AFTER THIS CARD: Ware performed well for High-A Dunedin in 1992 (5-3, 2.63 in 12 starts), but lost all of 1993 to rotator cuff surgery. An elbow strain and shoulder tendinitis limited him in 1994, but by September 1995 he was in the majors after a 7-0, 3.00 performance for AAA Syracuse.
Ware was bombed in his first and last Toronto starts, but turned in three strong performances in between (even winning once while walking seven). In 1996, he was either solid or disastrous, racking up a 9.09 ERA in 18 games (nine starts) for the Blue Jays. After an unimpressive go with AAA Tucson (Brewers) in 1997, Ware's pro career ended just shy of 27.
Since 2006, Ware has worked as a minor league pitching coach at various stops, with a 2017-19 stint as the Blue Jays' minor league pitching coordinator mixed in.
Jeff Ware appeared in 1991 Topps Traded as a Team USA member, then returned in 1992 Topps as a Draft Pick. If you want a Ware card with Toronto, turn to 1996 Collector's Choice.
CATEGORIES: 1992 Topps, Toronto Blue Jays, Draft Picks
4/9/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2013 Topps Update #164 Robert Andino, Mariners
More Robert Andino Topps Cards: 2006 2008U 2009U 2012 2013
Here, Andino, the former Marlins prospect who got three sips of iced tea followed by a half-cup of coffee across four seasons with Florida, has just joined the Seattle Mariners after a couple of seasons as a semi-regular with the Baltimore Orioles. In one of those series of transactions that only baseball executives can make sense of, the Mariners traded for Andino in November 2012, non-tendered him, then re-signed him to a 1Y/$1.6M deal.
It's the least Andino deserved after ripping the single that, coupled with Rays 3B Evan Longoria's walk-off homer against the Yankees, eliminated the 2011 Red Sox (who I loathed) from postseason contention.
THIS CARD: Andino charges a slow roller at Safeco Field (I do not yet recognize T-Mobile Park as a stadium name). This isn't as exciting as the barehanded catch he made against Minnesota's Justin Morneau in 2011—no video available at present—but you gotta make the routine plays, too.
According to Getty Images, this pic was shot 4/18/2013 against the Tigers; no other details available. Andino's Mariners defeated Detroit 2-0 that day, with Andino collecting two hits and playing both 3B and SS.
More from Andino's early 2013 season: on 4/5, he pinch-ran for Kendrys Morales in the T10th and scored the go-ahead run on Jesus Montero's double! Seattle eventually went up 8-6 and held on for the 8-7 win.
(flip) When this Andino card was randomly selected for COTD, I did not know where to search for him in my 2013 Topps album. The fact that he moved on to other teams after those four seasons apiece with Florida and Baltimore had completely escaped my memory.
Imagine if teams immediately decided to acquire dudes after they delivered a big hit against them. We'd have Roberto Alomar the 1993 Oakland Athletic, Edgar Renteria the 1998 Cleveland Indian, and perhaps most blasphemous, David Ortiz the 2005 Yankee. (Shudder) Although given what went down with Ortiz's teammate Johnny Damon, the latter example doesn't seem so ridiculous.
Andino beat the Mariners with a T9th solo homer off RP Charlie Furbush, 7/3/2012, and that first MLB homer took place 4/1/2008 against Mets RP Matt Wise. Andino only hit 18 career jacks, but many of them came in crucial situations.
AFTER THIS CARD: For a very brief period in 2013, Andino was Seattle's starting SS, but that arrangement lasted less than two weeks, during which Andino hovered around the Mendoza line. He was DFA'd and outrighted to AAA Tacoma in late May, then dealt to the Pirates two months later.
Pittsburgh (who was good in 2013-14) kept Andino at AAA Indianapolis through the 2014 season. He did not play anywhere in 2015, but got in 13 MLB games with the 2016 Marlins and 49 more with AAA Norfolk (Orioles) in 2017 before being slapped with a 50-game suspension for Amphetamine. He never made it back to pro baseball.
Robert Andino appeared in 2006, 2012 and 2013 Topps sets, as well as 2008-09 and 2013 Topps Updates & Highlights.
CATEGORIES: 2013 Topps Update, Seattle Mariners
4/11/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2007 Topps Update #175 Masumi Kuwata, Pirates
More Masumi Kuwata Topps Cards: n/a
Kuwata, an ace starter for most of 21 seasons with Yomuiri of the Japan League, fulfilled a years-long dream of playing in the United States when he signed a MiLB deal with Pittsburgh in December 2006. Now, had the signing taken place 10 years prior, it would have been quite a coup for the Pirates. But Kuwata was 38 when he signed the deal, and 39 when he made his MLB debut 6/10/2007.
THIS CARD: Inside this pic:
TOPPS PHOTOGRAPHER: "Excuse me, Masumi?"
KUWATA: "Yes?"
TP: "We're taking your Topps photo. Can you drive 15 miles to an open field and pretend you're warming up with somebody?"
KUWATA: "But I actually am about to warm up with somebody right here—"
TP: "Just go to the field, old man."
I'll forgive the signature since Kuwata likely didn't do much writing in English back home. (And if I'm dead wrong, I apologize.)
More from Kuwata's 2007 season: he started strong for the Pirates, with a 2.53 ERA and .114 BAA through nine appearances. Then on 7/2, the Brewers tagged him for seven earned runs in ⅔ of an inning, and he never recovered his effectiveness.
(flip) In that MLB debut, which took place at Yankee Stadium, Kuwata pitched a 1-2-3 B5th but allowed a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez in the B6th.
Olivo, a relief pitcher, got in 85 games with the Pirates and Cardinals 1960-63. Among his teammates were Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski and rookie Willie Stargell.
This is where Topps should NOT have been married to their Rookie Card format. There was absolutely no reason to not include Kuwata's full Japan League stats on the reverse, rather than just those from his (forgettable) final season there. Kuwata had some big years in Japan; collectors should have been told this. At least the company had the sense to print his impressive career stat line.
AFTER THIS CARD: The Pirates designated Kuwata for assignment in August 2007, but he refused an outright assignment to AAA Indianapolis and returned to Japan. Surprisingly, he signed a new MiLB deal with the 2008 Pirates, but failed to win a job and retired from baseball.
Masumi Kuwata appeared in 2007 Topps Update.
CATEGORIES: 2007 Topps Update, Pittsburgh Pirates
4/12/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2016 Topps Update #6 Chris Herrmann, Diamondbacks
More Chris Herrmann Topps Cards: 2013
No known relation to Frank.
Catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann debuted in MLB in September 2012. The next year, he was recalled by Minnesota during a 10-game hitting streak for AAA Rochester; in July, Herrmann whacked one of Minnesota's three grand slams of the season!
Herrmann was recalled four more times by the Twins in 2014, but finally won the backup catcher's job (to Kurt Suzuki) out of Spring Training 2015. Herrmann, however, never hit all that much and was traded to Arizona in November 2015.
Here, the 28-year-old has earned a job behind starting C Welington Castillo. He got off to a cold start, but as he warmed up in May, manager Chip Hale began to use Herrmann in the outfield and at first base—just as Minnesota used to do—in addition to his backup catcher role.
THIS CARD: Per Getty Images, this pic was shot 4/10/2016 as the Cubs visited Arizona. That night, the D'Backs fell to Chicago 7-3, with Herrmann taking an 0-for-4 hitting and an 0-for-1 throwing out basestealers. (In the Getty gallery, there was a sensational pic of Herrmann making a sprawling catch that I wish Topps could have used here, but I don't think it was shot early enough to land in the Update set.)
We see Herrmann serving behind the plate here, but he was also used nine times in the outfield and twice at first base by Arizona. In fact, not only did he become the first Diamondback ever to start at both C and CF—he became the first major leaguer PERIOD to do it since Brandon Inge in 2008! Thanks, MLB.com.
More from Herrmann's early 2016 season: he hit .138 in April, but in his first five starts of May he recorded four multi-hit games. On 5/8, Herrmann homered twice at Atlanta—including a two-run game winner in the T11th off Jim Johnson!
(flip) I will never learn. I will never read the blurbs before profiling the cards. This proves it. (Berkman's blasts, which came off SP Jeff Suppan and RP Jay Witasick, powered Houston to a 9-6 win over the Royals 7/9/2000.)
That Trade With Twins sent future White Sox phenom Daniel Palka to Minnesota. Palka went to the White Sox on waivers in November 2017, blasted 27 homers for Chicago in 2018, and has barely been heard from since.
Those 18 BB in 157 AB in 2013 aren't bad at all, averaging out to 70-something over a full season.. But the 49 K (not shown) were bad at all.
AFTER THIS CARD: Herrmann got in a career-high 106 games for the 2017 Diamondbacks. The good news: he homered 10 times, including a walk-off against the Mets in July. The bad news: he hit .181 with a few too many K. Arizona let Herrmann go in Spring Training 2018, and he's since appeared in just 66 MLB games (for the 2018 Mariners and 2019 Athletics).
Despite a VERY hot start to his A's career in 2019 (a grand slam in his first start, and a 4-for-4 effort in his second), Herrmann has been outside the bigs looking in since that season. He spent 2020 at the Giants' Alternate Training Site and 2021 at AAA Worcester (Red Sox).
Chris Herrmann has appeared in 2013 Topps and 2016 Topps Update. Why he lacks a 2018 card is beyond me, but 2018 Topps wasn't very good IMHO.
CATEGORIES: 2016 Topps Update, Arizona Diamondbacks
4/13/22 Topps Baseball Card Of The Day: 2003 Topps #444 John Burkett, Red Sox
More John Burkett Topps Cards: 1990T 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1995T 1996 1997 1998 1999 2001 2002
Here, Burkett, the ace of my Giants in the early 1990's who's making his third COTD appearance, has just closed the book on his first of two seasons with the Red Sox (2002-03). While not as tough as he'd been during his All-Star 2001 campaign with Atlanta, Burkett proved to be a serviceable back-end starter for the Red Sox in 2002 (except for August, see below).
THIS CARD: Here, we have the rare front image of a pitcher receiving a throw back from his catcher. Topps, by 2003, had come a long way from the redundancy horror of Burkett's 1993-95 Topps front images, which were practically identical.
That's #19 across Burkett's back, a number with a good Red Sox history. Fred Lynn wore it in the 1970's, Bob Ojeda wore it in the 1980's, Josh Beckett wore it in the 2000's and Jackie Bradley has worn it off-and-on since 2017.
More from Burkett's 2002 season: he allowed one ER in his final 16+ innings, including eight shutout innings vs. Baltimore 9/21 to keep the Red Sox within one game of the AL Wild Card. Also, on 7/11 at Toronto, the 37-year-old picked up career win #150 with six strong innings.
(flip) That lone 2002 shutout went down 7/27 against Baltimore; Burkett fired 111 pitches, scattered four hits and whiffed seven. His effort was appreciated by his manager and bullpen, which worked six innings the previous night.
Those 13 wins in 2002 included seven victorious decisions in a row to open the season. Burkett was very streaky from a won-loss standpoint in 2002.
Free agent Burkett signed with Boston for the price of 2Y/$11M, despite hoping to parlay his excellent 2001 into a three-year deal.
AFTER THIS CARD: In what proved to be his final big league campaign, Burkett went 12-9 for the 2003 Red Sox, benefitting from a strong offense that offset his 5.15 ERA and staggering inconsistency. Burkett retired a month shy of 39 after Boston's postseason run, during which he started twice but was not all that effective.
John Burkett appeared annually in Topps 1991-2003, except 2000. He's also got Traded cards for 1990 and 1995.
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