Four Topps, #713

Howdy, folks!  Earlier this evening I clicked on over to Random.org to pluck a new number for the Four Topps feature.  And would you believe it spat a 713 out at me?  The nerve!  Can anything positive come from such a number?

Well...

1987

The name of Tom Brookens reminds me of the countless summer days of my youth playing RBI Baseball on Nintendo.  Brookens and his Detroit Tigers were my favorite club to choose because it was virtually one bopper after another.  The former first-round choice wasn't exactly part of that power parade, but for some reason his name stands out.  Hey, Stat Man:  Batted .270 with 25 RBIs in 98 games for Detroit in 1986.

1988

Back to back Tigers, whoopee!  Reliever Willie Hernandez joined Detroit via trade following the 1983 season and proceeded to make three consecutive All-Star Games and win the '84 Cy Young and MVP awards.  Pretty decent acquisition for the Tigers, I'd say.  Hey, Stat Man:  Went 3-4 with eight saves for Detroit in 1987.

1987

Ah!  Our first "Draft Pick" card in the history of Four Topps.  Heck, it's the first subset card of any type.  Unless I'm mistaken, this is the first time Topps featured cards of draft selections in their regular set.  I'm kind of ambivalent towards them; some are pretty neat 'n notable (Frank Thomas, Chipper Jones) while others are plain forgettable (umm, this one, for instance!).  Griffin, who made his cardboard debut in the '88 Traded set as a member of Team USA, never made it to the big leagues in nine seasons of professional baseball.  Hey, Stat Man:  Slugged 14 homers in 68 games as junior at Georgia Tech in 1988.

1990

Oh me, oh my.  There just aren't a lot of redeeming qualities to be found on this sliver of 1990 Topps baseball.  A bad mustache, matted chest hair, and a mesh practice jersey all make for an uncomfortable hobby experience for the whole family.  I'm sure Mr. Drummond is a nice man, though.  Hey, Stat Man:  Logged 2 1/3 scoreless innings to record his lone save of the season, September 15 versus Detroit.

And the Winner Is:  In a tight race between Tigers teammates, I'll give Willie's Cy Young Award, MVP, and aviator-style glasses the edge over Brookens and his satin Starter jacket.

MK