The Grand Finale: The Frankenset Recap (Pages 88 and 89: Cards 785 to 800)

Welcome to another installment of a series 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.

Today we'll look at pages 88 and 89 of the set, which includes the final two pages, containing cards #785 to 800. Don't fear though, since I'm covering the set pages in a random order, this won't be the last edition of this series. 

A quick note about the size of the set: When I was putting together the set, I decided to go the over-ambitious route and make it a 800 card set. When I realized I would come up a few cards short of finding a good fit for each number, I decided to cheat a little and create checklist cards for the remaining numbers. Six of the cards in the final two pages are checklists, so those numbers will be omitted here. Without further ado, here's the end of the set!

1993 Conlon TSN #785 - Phil Collins

Shares the name of one of my favorite musical artists. The MLB Phil Collins was nicknamed "Fidgety Phil" for his pre-pitch restlessness.

1993 Donruss #786 - Alex Cole

Overshadowed by Chris Sabo among players with iconic goggles.

1996 Collector's Choice #787 - Royce Clayton

Blowing a bubble while turning two? Impressive. 

1984 Topps #788 - Milt May

You don't see a wad of chew like that much anymore. Probably for the better.

1993 Upper Deck #789 - Greg Myers

A case of really committing to the follow through on this swing. Or maybe not committing? 

1990 Upper Deck #790 - Ron Kittle

Kittle's gotta be on the short list of bespectacled 80s sluggers. See also: Reggie Jackson, Greg Luzinski.

1989 Upper Deck #792 - Bruce Hurst

It almost looks like he's smiling here, which is unlikely because this kind of looks like a swing and a miss. Further circumstantial evidence: Hurst batted .113 for his career. 

1991 Score #795 - Reds' October (Barry Larkin/Chris Sabo)

Ozzie Smith was well-known for his backflip, but Larkin flipped in joy after Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh to advance to the World Series. The Reds won the Series four games to none over Oakland.

2007 Upper Deck #797 - Gabe Gross

Nice shot of the stadium in the background on this one. I'm notoriously terrible for identifying stadiums, so I'll leave that up to the experts. (Looking in your direction, Bo.)

1991 Upper Deck #799 - Bud Black

Spending only 4 of his 15 seasons in the National League, the current Rockies manager batted .145 in 179 career at-bats. He currently ranks #70 in career managerial wins.

Thanks for visiting. Did you have a favorite from these pages? The Larkin flip probably gets my vote, but I also really like the Bud Black follow through and the Greg Myers bat throw.

The Best of Ryno

The best way for me to find topics for non-Frankenset posts is to just look through a stack (or binder) of cards. Inevitably, I'll find something quirky, fun, or otherwise interesting to share. I've been combing through a variety of binders and boxes recently looking for cards that I call "favorites." These aren't necessarily cards that fit any specific category, but are generally just cards that I enjoy. It's a fun exercise, as I am discovering cards that I hadn't appreciated before. 

In going this direction, I recently ended up going through my Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace cards. I had kind of done this last spring and planned to write a post about it, but never got around to it. But I figured the time should be now. After all, I have a pretty healthy collection to choose from for each player. Today's post will take you through some of my favorite Ryne Sandberg cards. Lists of favorites are always fun, in my opinion, because everyone has a slightly different taste and experience with a given group of cards. That is certainly true for my Ryno collection. I think they naturally fit into a few different categories, so I grouped them:

Early Acquisitions

I'll start with a few cards that I enjoy because I've had a copy for about as long as I can remember:

1994 Topps - Measures of Greatness #602

I'm pretty sure I first got a copy of this card in a pack the same year it came out. That didn't happen very often as a kid.

1989 Donruss #105

1989 Donruss packs and boxes used to be quite plentiful and quite cheap. So I opened a lot of them. I always enjoyed the simple nature of this card. So much so that I keep every copy I can get my hands on.

1992 Topps All-Star #387

I remember getting the 1992 All-Star subset from K-Mart as a kid. Loved the league leader stats on the back.

Ryno the Athlete

Cards that display Ryno's athleticism. Ryno was a three sport athlete in high school (football, basketball, and baseball) and early in his career was a formidable stolen base threat. 

1990 Upper Deck #324

1993 Upper Deck #175

1991 Fleer #431

I'm as surprised as you are that a 1991 Fleer card made this list. But it's really unique, as it shows him batting during the 1990 All-Star Game Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field. Ryno won the event, and also hit a career high and National League-leading 40 home runs in 1990.

The Rookies

1983 Topps #83

I really like the simple, clean look of this card. 

1983 Fleer #507

Love the uniform and the Ryno's follow through on this card.

I could swear I once had a copy of the 1983 Donruss rookie. If I did, I have no idea what happened to it. I'll have to get around to snatching up a copy sometime soon. 

Card Design Favorites

1993 Triple Play "Nicknames" #3

I've always loved this nickname.

1994 Collector's Choice CL #335

I like the simple close-up picture on this card and have always enjoyed the look of the Collectors Choice cards.

1997 Collector's Choice #66

Another Collectors Choice card, which I like for its design and as a bonus, it shows Ryno signing for fans. 

1993 Donruss Spirit of the Game #SG14

I really like how this card shows snapshots of Ryno fielding a ball, and it uses both sides of the card to do so. It's superior to multiple exposure renditions, in my opinion.

1993 Donruss Diamond Kings #DK2

The 1992 and 1993 Diamond Kings are some of my favorite cards of all time.

Maybe you were a Sandberg fan or maybe you weren't, but what's your favorite Sandberg card of this group? (Or, if you are a Sandberg aficionado, maybe you can think of one not shown that you like best). 

Thanks for reading!

Did that dog just pee on the field? - The Frankenset Recap (Page 14: Cards 119 to 127)

A couple of weeks ago, I revealed that my Frankenset was complete. I thought it would be fun to share the set page by page on this blog, and also provide some random commentary along 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'm revealing the players depicted most often in the Frankenset:

Player / Number of Appearances:

Jose Rijo - 5
Tom Glavine - 5
Jose Canseco - 5
Greg Maddux - 5
Dwight Gooden - 5
Steve Carlton - 4
Hideo Nomo - 4
19 Players - 3

Today, we'll look at page 14, cards 119 to 127.

1992 Leaf #119, Julio Franco

Come on, Julio, it's not the helmet's fault.

1992 Donruss #120, Carlos Baerga

Is Albert Belle is coming after him with a bat? I'd like to think so. 

1991 Score #121, Oddibe McDowell

MLB Limbo Champion, 1990.

1980 Topps #122, Dave Rosello

The Rosello 'Fro

1995 Collector's Choice #123, Randy Johnson

A 6'10" American League pitcher in the pre-interleague era tossing his bat at the ball. The definition of card perfection.

1993 Upper Deck #124, Andy Van Slyke

Upper Deck recognized Van Slyke's All-Star season in 1992 by showing him in the aftermath of being hit by a pitch. No idea why.

1992 Upper Deck Minors #125, Mark Anthony

I need to know, yeah, I need to know why Mark Anthony is making a fish lips face in this photo.

1996 Score #126, Benito Santiago

I'm sure Reds owner Marge Schott's St. Bernard (Schottzie) was a nice dog, but Marge wasn't and most people didn't like her. So the dog wasn't nearly as popular as he could have been. I read a biography of Schott and of the players said they hated the dog because Marge would let it just poop anywhere and not pick up after it. That sentiment is confirmed in this AP article from 1995, which provides more entertaining info on the dog saga.

1989 Fleer #127, Frank Viola

If Frank's face stayed like that, I hope he consulted a doctor.

Do you have a favorite from the page? I'd have to go with Randy Johnson #1, Van Slyke #2, and the Schottzie cameo at #3. If it wasn't Marge Schott's dog, that card would have shot up to #1. 

Thanks for reading!

Tebow Time, Bubble Gum, and a Sucker: My Favorite Frankenset Card by Page; Page 9 (Cards 91-99)

It's time for another installment of my favorite Frankenset card (by page), where I show off my Frankenset by giving you my top three favorite cards from each page of the set. Let's jump right in.

3) 2019 Bowman Draft #92, Tim Tebow

I think 2020 would have been Tebow's last best shot at taking a few at-bats late in the season at the major league level, but the minor league season was canceled. Not sure he had much of a chance to begin with, but it's probably not going to happen now. Still, what he has done at the minor league level is really impressive after not playing since high school. 

2) 2016 Stadium Club #96, Adam Eaton

Not quite a Bevacqua-level bubble, but quite impressive for an in-action photo. 

1) 1993 Upper Deck #99, Mark Portugal

This is the quintessential Frankenset card. Signing autos. The glasses. The STRAP on the glasses! The sucker in the mouth. Golden.

With page nine now in the books, here are the Frankenset standings. For this post, we have an "Wrong Sport" with the Tebow, a "Gum" card with the Eaton, and a combination "Glasses" and "Signing Autos" card with the Portugal. The Portugal fits into more than one category, so it will be split into half points. After nine pages, here's what we've seen:

Category
Lesser Known:	4.5
Odd Team:	4
Glasses:	4
Mustache:	3
Pitcher Hitting:	3
Field Action - Awkward:	2
Equipment Oddity:	1
Facial Expression - In Action:	1
Field Action Fail:	1
Pitcher Running Bases:	1
Position Player Pitching:	1
Gum:	1
Wrong Sport:	1
Why is he bunting?:	0.5
Chew:	0.5
Funny Name/Nickname:	0.5
Hair:	0.5
Signing Autographs:	0.5

What is your favorite card from page nine?

Thanks for reading!