My First Frankenset: The Top Cards - Honorable Mentions

I never had a clear plan for how to reveal my long-ago finished Frankenset. I've shown bits and pieces of it on the blog, and had some of the pages uploaded, but recently decided to finish it - in the sense of getting all the pages loaded to my Frankenset page. I suppose part of the reason it has taken me so long is that the set is 800 cards. So that's pretty big. But also, I've had other card projects that have pulled me away. 

Feel free to check out the link above to see all the cards in the set (89 pages!). I plan to reveal my top 10 favorite cards from my Frankenset. But first, I will show the honorable mentions, cards that just missed the cut for the top 10. 

1993 Upper Deck #124 - Andy Van Slyke

Choosing this image for a card of a prominent All-Star player of the early 90s is a bit puzzling. But I'm can't say I'm displeased that they chose it.

1994 Topps #180 - George Brett

You may be aware that Nolan Ryan's last season was 1993, and he had some fantastic cards toward the end of his career. But so did George Brett, whose final season was also 1993. This one is my favorite of Brett's late-career cards. 

1996 Score #126 - Benito Santiago

If I'm not mistaken, I think Schottzie is the most famous (infamous?) dog in baseball history. You don't see very many dogs on baseball cards, though there are some. Marge Schott was the Reds owner, and she often had Schottzie on the field. When he would do his business, she did not pick up after him. Obviously, this irked a lot of people. Also, incidentally, I believe this card features Schottzie 2. 

1970 Topps #252 - Lowell Palmer

Lowell Palmer had a 5-18 win/loss record over five MLB seasons. This legendary card ensures Mr. Palmer has not been forgotten, at least by the card collecting community.

1973 Topps #273 - Chris Speier

This card was voted the best of Dime Boxes second Frankenset. And for good reason. It's just a great card.

1992 Score #311 - Jeff Reed

I don't typically find joy in other people's pain but for some reason, this card makes me chuckle pretty much every time I see it.

1973 Topps #542 - Pat Corrales

Another legendary card from 1973 Topps. A painful collision with Fergie Jenkins. Written about many times, this card was a Cardboard Appreciation selection by Night Owl.

I plan to feature a countdown of cards 10 to 6 in my next post, then finish up with the top 5. Do you have any favorites among today's group? Thanks for stopping by.

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!