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.

The Lesser Knowns: 1973 Topps Edition

As I have been working on my 1973 Topps set, I've had the urge to share some of my thoughts on the set. I recently showed off five cards in the set with "hidden" Hall of Famers. Today's theme will be an intersection of my collection of the "lesser knowns" and the 1973 Topps set. 

Put simply, a "lesser known" is a baseball player who reminds you of a more famous person. I categorize these players into a few groups:

• Players with a more famous baseball player in the family.
• Players sharing the same name with a more famous baseball player.
• Players sharing the same name with a more famous athlete in a different sport.
• Players sharing the same name with another more famous person.

Here are some the "lesser knowns" from the 1973 Topps set:

Card #41 - Tom Walker

Tom had a modest six-year career in MLB, while his son Neil played 12 seasons and won a Silver Slugger Award. 

Card #43 - Randy Moffitt

The name Randy Moffitt might not immediately strike you as a lesser known until I tell you that tennis legend Billie Jean King's maiden name was Moffitt. She is Randy's sister. 

Card #221 - Fred Kendall

Fred Kendall did spend 12 years in MLB, which is an impressive feat, but his son Jason was a three time All-Star during his 15 years in the majors. With Fred also being a catcher, though, he probably deserves some credit for his son's success. 

Card #351 - Jimmy Stewart

More notable is the actor with the same name, known for many popular films including, It's a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, the original Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I feel like they kind of look alike, at least a little bit.

Card #358 - Jim Nettles

Jim's brother Graig played 22 seasons in MLB and made 6 All-Star teams. Graig is the only "better known" who also has a card in the 1973 set (#498):

Card #437 - John Kennedy

MLB's John Kennedy started his career in the majors in 1962, just a year after the more famous John Kennedy took the office of the U.S. presidency.

Card #444 - Ken Brett

Ken played a very respectable 14 years in MLB but is overshadowed by one of the all-time greats. His brother is Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett. 

Card #557 - Bernie Williams

Bernard "Bernie" Williams played sparingly during a short four years in MLB. Bernabe "Bernie" Williams spent 16 seasons with the New York Yankees, amassing four World Series rings while making the All-Star team five times. 

Lesser knowns are ultimately relative to a single person's perspective. With that in mind, I'll tell you that I considered the following players, but decided to pass on including them as they had MLB careers ranging from respectable to very good:

#39 Dave Roberts

#108 Bill Russell

#133 Dave Roberts

#176 Chuck Taylor

Did I miss anyone? Let me know in the comments. And if you're interested in seeing more lesser known players that are a part of my mini collection, click here.