A Legendary Hat and Legendary Goggles: The Frankenset Recap (Page 55: Cards 488-496)

Welcome to third installment of an 89-part series (wow, that sounds daunting) covering my completed Frankenset. I thought it would be fun to share the set page by page on this blog, and also provide some random commentary with each page. More information on the Frankenset as well as links to the pages that have been revealed can be found here.

I'll also occasionally share miscellaneous information about the set in its entirety. This week, I am featuring a fun fact about the "unique team" category. There are 77 cards in the 800 card set depicting a player with a "unique team." This is defined as a team you normally wouldn't associate that player with (think Willie Mays on the Mets or John Smoltz on the Cardinals). Here are the top teams featured in this category:

• Orioles - 7 (one of these is featured in this week's post, but the card only contributes a half point to this total, since it also fits another Frankenset category)
• Giants - 7 
• Athletics - 6 
• Padres - 5 
• Red Sox - 5 
• Angels - 5 
• Yankees - 5 

Today, we'll look at page 55 of the set, cards 488 to 496.

1993 Stadium Club #488, Scooter Tucker

The meaning of this nickname is not fully known, even by Scooter himself.

1992 Upper Deck #489, Paul Gibson

Probably Dubble Bubble, which means it lost its flavor after approximately 7 seconds.

1994 Pinnacle #490, Chris Sabo

Sabo's iconic goggles make an appearance with an added bonus of an unfamiliar uniform.

1982 Donruss #491, Billy Martin

It probably wasn't too hard to find an opportunity for this type of photo.

2013 Topps #492, Jose Molina

The middle Molina brother actually played 15 years in the majors, but is still lesser known than older brother Bengie and younger brother Yadier. 

1990 Score #493, Eric Show

If you only saw his face, I imagine you might think Eric was participating in an activity other than throwing a baseball.

2012 Topps #494, Darwin Barney

Airborne.

1984 Fleer #495, Jay Johnstone

Perhaps one of the most iconic cards of all time, from a quirkiness perspective. And Jay Johnstone was a quirky guy.

1987 Topps #496, Bruce Bochte

Bruce looks like a middle school science teacher from the early 90s. Does anyone wear glasses like that anymore?

What was your favorite card from the page? Mine would have to be the legendary Jay Johnstone. I've actually read a couple of his books, which are quick and entertaining reads. I'd say the Billy Martin would be my second choice and Chris Sabo would come in third. 

Thanks for reading!

Building a Dynasty on Nicknames: Donruss Names Series Part 6: Early 80s Edition

Welcome to part six of the Donruss Names Series, where we look at some of the more interesting names on the back of Donruss baseball cards. This series takes advantage of the fact that from 1981 to 1992, Donruss printed the players full legal name on the back of their cards. If you're new to this series of posts or just want to reminisce, here's what we've covered so far:

Part 1: Famous players who went by their middle name

Part 2: Players who you thought had a nickname, but their nickname was their real name

Part 3: Players with a unique first name (Part 1)

Part 4: Players with a unique first name (Part 2)

Part 5: Players with a unique middle name

All of the previous posts can be accessed by clicking here. 

This week, we'll look at players who went by a nickname and get the scoop on their real names. 

Interestingly, three of this week's players were prominent members of both the '77 and '78 New York. So if you know your late 70's Yankees, you should score well with this quiz. I'll mix the non-Yankees in with the Yankees. 

If you want to skip ahead to the answers, feel free. The questions and answers are repeated below along with the cards that show the info. 

1)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of John Milton? (1982 Donruss)

A) Roy White

B) Bucky Dent

C) Lou Piniella

D) Mickey Rivers

2)   Which part-time player from the late 70s and early 80s had the given first/middle name Gene Ellis? (1981 Donruss)

A) Denny Walling

B) Champ Summers

C) Mickey Klutts

D) Broderick Perkins

3)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Russell Earl? (1982 Donruss)

A) Paul Blair

B) Bucky Dent

C) Lou Piniella

D) Mickey Rivers

4)   Which future manager who played 17 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of John Albert? (1981 Donruss)

A) Buck Martinez

B) Cito Gaston

C) Ned Yost

D) Tony Pena

5)   Which relative of a more famous player had the given first/middle name of Elliott Taylor? (1982 Donruss)

A) Dale Berra

B) Ken Brett

C) Larry Yount

D) Bump Wills

6)   Which pitcher from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Albert Walter? (1982 Donruss)

A) Sparky Lyle

B) Dick Tidrow

C) Goose Gossage

D) Ron Guidry

7)   Which future pennant winning manager who played 19 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of Johnnie B.? (1986 Donruss)

A) Dusty Baker

B) Cito Gaston

C) Ned Yost

D) Terry Francona

8)   Which long-time Cub and Dodger had the given name Robert James? (1982 Donruss)

A) Ron Cey

B) Rick Monday

C) Bill Buckner

D) Rick Sutcliffe

9)   Which pitcher who carved out a 19-year career as a reliever had the given name Frank Edwin? (1982 Donruss)

A) Willie Hernandez

B) Bruce Sutter

C) Lee Smith

D) Tug McGraw

OK, time to see how you did. 

1)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of John Milton? (1982 Donruss)

A) Roy White

B) Bucky Dent

C) Lou Piniella

D) Mickey Rivers

2)   Which part-time player from the late 70s and early 80s had the given first/middle name Gene Ellis? (1981 Donruss)

A) Denny Walling

B) Champ Summers

C) Mickey Klutts

D) Broderick Perkins

Mickey Klutts belongs in the all-time pantheon of great baseball names in my opinion.

3)   Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Russell Earl? (1982 Donruss)

A) Paul Blair

B) Bucky Dent

C) Lou Piniella

D) Mickey Rivers

Red Sox fans especially might find it surprising that Bucky Dent's middle name is Earl and not f***ing.

4)   Which future manager who played 17 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of John Albert? (1981 Donruss)

A) Buck Martinez

B) Cito Gaston

C) Ned Yost

D) Tony Pena

Buck only managed a season and a half with Toronto, but for some reason I thought his tenure was longer. He had a winning percentage of .465. 

5)   Which relative of a more famous player had the given first/middle name of Elliott Taylor? (1982 Donruss)

A) Dale Berra

B) Ken Brett

C) Larry Yount

D) Bump Wills

Bump played in Japan in 1983 and 1984 before retiring. 

6)   Which pitcher from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Albert Walter? (1982 Donruss)

A) Sparky Lyle

B) Dick Tidrow

C) Goose Gossage

D) Ron Guidry

The acquisition of Goose Gossage for the 1978 season caused some tension with Lyle, who was the shutdown closer in 1977.

7)   Which future pennant winning manager who played 19 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of Johnnie B.? (1986 Donruss)

A) Dusty Baker

B) Cito Gaston

C) Ned Yost

D) Terry Francona

Dusty's back in the managerial role with the Houston Astros in 2020.

8)   Which long-time Cub and Dodger had the given name Robert James? (1982 Donruss)

A) Ron Cey

B) Rick Monday

C) Bill Buckner

D) Rick Sutcliffe

The flag-saving outfielder opted for Rick instead of Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby. 

9)   Which pitcher who carved out a 19-year career as a reliever had the given name Frank Edwin? (1982 Donruss)

A) Willie Hernandez

B) Bruce Sutter

C) Lee Smith

D) Tug McGraw

How did Tug McGraw become Tug McGraw? I'll leave you with this funny excerpt from McGraw's SABR biography

“I never answered to another name,” he told author Stanley Cohen in A Magic Summer. “My mother started calling me Tug when I was an infant because of the way I nursed. ‘He’s a real Tugger,’ she said.

“On my first day of kindergarten, the teacher called the roll and when she finished she said, ‘Is there anyone whose name I didn’t call?” I raised my hand. ‘My name is Tug McGraw,’ I said. She looked at the roll and said, ‘I have a Frank McGraw.’ I said, ‘No, that’s my dad. He already went to kindergarten.’”

How'd you do on the quiz today? Which name surprised you most? Thanks for reading. 

A Vegetable, a War Hero, and Julius Caesar: Donruss Names Series Part 5

My middle name is John. Solid saint name, but not particularly exciting. Luckily for us, some baseball players have quite interesting middle names, and I'm going to give you seven of them in today's post.

In the first installment of the Donruss Names Series, Night Owl made me aware of a post he wrote back in the twenty aughts about unique middle names as discovered on the backs of some 1975 Topps cards. The Topps company featured full player names during several different sets in the 70s. Some of those players featured in those sets of course lasted into the Donruss Full Name on the Back of the Card Era, like Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack and Vida Rochelle Blue. So because I am now aware of Night Owl's usual brilliance on the topic and knowing I cannot come near replicating it, I will present to you only new unique middle names not on his list.

This is part five of the Donruss Names Series. Here's a recap of parts one through four, which can be accessed here:

Part 1: Famous players who went by their middle name

Part 2: Players who you thought had a nickname, but their nickname was their real name

Part 3: Players with a unique first name (Part 1)

Part 4: Players with a unique first name (Part 2)

Let's dive in, looking at these unique middle names in reverse uniqueness order:

7) Mike Huff

1992 Donruss #579, Mike Huff

I don't think of Kale as a name. I think of it as a terrible vegetable.

6) Gary Sheffield

1990 Donruss #501, Gary Sheffield

Antonian seems to come from Anthony and there are some historic references on it, but nothing really stands out. I just thought it seemed unique. Bonus points if you can tell me what the ad on the front of the card is for, because I have no idea.

5) Doyle Alexander

1984 Donruss #439, Doyle Alexander

The historical figure, the Marquis de Lafayette, was a French military officer who came to America to direct American troops in the Revolutionary War against the British. Donruss would have had a hard time getting his full name on a baseball card: Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette. 

Do you think Doyle every felt strange playing for a city in a nation subject to the British? Like he let the ol' namesake down?

4) Tom Candiotti

1990 Donruss #256, Tom Candiotti

Candiotti played 16 years and racked up 151 wins in his career. Tom Caesar sounds a lot like Tom Seaver. That's all I've got.

3) Barbaro Garbey

1985 Donruss #456, Barbaro Garbey

The Garbey Garbey made me think of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former U.N. Secretary General. When I think double names, I also always think of the quote "the guy so nice, they named him twice," which I guess is a reference to the eccentric radio station owner Jimmy James (James James) from the sitcom NewsRadio from the 90s. Jimmy James was played by Stephen Root, who you might remember better as Milton from Office Space. Another interesting fact from the card back: Garbey came to the U.S. as a refugee during the Freedom Flotilla from Cuba in 1980. 

2) Cecil Cooper

1981 Donruss #83, Cecil Cooper

Celester likely derives from the Latin caelestis, meaning heavenly. That 1980 stat line was out of this world, so let's say it works. 

1) Mike Lum

1982 Donruss #300, Mike Lum

A unique middle name and an interesting back story. Lum was the first American of Japanese ancestry to play in MLB. His mother was Japanese and his father was an American soldier. They gave him up for adoption, and he was adopted by a Chinese couple who gave him his name. (Source: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mike-lum/) I

Hope you got a good dose of random from today's post! And were at least moderately entertained. What was your favorite middle name of the bunch?

Band-o Brothers

Sal and Chris are brothers. Sal is almost 12 years older than Chris. Both are major league baseball players. But the age gap meant that by the time Chris reached the major leagues, his older brother had made four all-star games, amassed over 1,700 hits and 1,000 RBI, and had celebrated three World Series titles.

Not having any brothers, I did not experience a sibling dynamic anywhere near Chris and Sal's. But it had to have been hard for Chris. But making the major leagues is an incredibly impressive feat, and Chris had a respectable career as a part-time catcher. He should be proud of his accomplishments, and I hope he is. 

I'm not certain if the folks over at Donruss were trying to portray the sibling dynamic between the Bando brothers when they released their 1982 set. The set would feature Sal's final card and Chris's first.

But doesn't it really look like Chris is looking at Sal and Sal is looking back at Chris? 

1982 Donruss #551, Chris Bando

1982 Donruss #592, Sal Bando

Wait, What's Your Name Again? (Donruss Names Series - Part 2)

Recently, I brought you on a journey reliving the glory of 1981 to 1992 Donruss. Specifically, I took a look at some quite famous players who actually went by their middle name during their playing career. The Donruss card company made this excursion possible. And we aren't done yet. In the coming weeks, I will share with you other nuggets found buried on the otherwise forgettable backs of Donruss baseball cards from the time period 1981 to 1992 (coinciding with the years the company listed the player's full name on the back of the card). 

Today's installment looks at players whom you are sure went by a nickname. You will think, there's no way that's his real name. But it is. As I see it, these lie on a spectrum from, "Hmm... that's kind of surprising" to "That's the most absurd thing I've heard since the one game wildcard round." We have seven candidates today, so here we go:

7. (Tie) Junior Felix (1990 Donruss) and Junior Kennedy (1982 Donruss)

In my experience, Junior is typically a nickname for someone who shares his name with his father. Uncertain if that's the case here. Junior Kennedy is thinking here: "Are you really doubting my name? The nerve!"

5. Mickey Tettleton (1986 Donruss)

This one makes more sense when you consider that Tettleton and Mickey Mantle both grew up in Oklahoma. Mantle's first name was also not a nickname.

4. U. L. Washington (1982 Donruss)

We are left to speculate if U. L.'s parents meant to convey any meaning by his initials. Some quick brainstorming ideas:

1) Useful Lefty (He was a switch hitter, so it kind of works)

2) Understated Legend (Not sure this one holds up in the baseball world)

3) Unusual Laugh (Anybody know U.L. or how he laughs?)

3. Carney Lansford (1986 Leaf - Yes, I know this is a Leaf card, but we love the Canadians here in ND)

Carney was featured in a previous post. He is known by me for his glasses and mustache (see above photo), as well as his blurry 1982 Fleer card. And my sister and I always enjoyed his name. 

2. Spike Owen (1990 Donruss)

Spike was destined for one of three possible careers:

1) Railroad construction worker

2) Bartender

3) Professional athlete who wears spikes

Career #3 it is! (For the record, Spike Lee's first name is Shelton.)

It was quite difficult to choose between #2 and #1. In all honesty, I think I just went with the name I like better. The last name is arguably as fantastic as the first. So, I present to you the one and only:

1. Biff Pocoroba (1984 Donruss)

Sadly, Biff Pocoroba passed away last Sunday at the age of 66. 

The only other Biff I know of is from Back to the Future. And I always assumed it was a nickname. Not so in the case of Mr. Pocoroba. But credit to his parents because if there ever was someone who looked like a Biff, it was Biff Pocoroba. May he rest in peace.

Well, thanks for stopping by. There will be more of the Donruss Names Series, but I won't tell you how much more or else you might end up abandoning this blog forever. Then I'll feel the desperation of Krusty the Clown when he lost the rights to show Itchy and Scratchy cartoons: "We've got some real good toy commercials coming up, I swear!"