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!

The Moment You've Been Waiting For: The Frankenset Recap (Page 72: Cards 641 to 649)

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. I'll also occasionally share miscellaneous information about the set in its entirety. So here's your first one of those, a list of the top 10 categories featured most often in the set (half points if more than one category was represented on the card). 

The random number generator chose page 72 to kick things off, cards 641 to 649. Enjoy! 

1991 Score #641, Dave Anderson

Swing and a miss. How embarrassing.

1991 Upper Deck #642, Kent Mercker

Wonder if this fan got Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, and Avery, too?

1984 Topps #643, Mike Brown

It's all about the shades.

1986 Topps #644, Mark Gubicza

GUBICZA looks like something you'd see on an eye chart. So maybe it's fitting this card is so blurry.

1991 Upper Deck #645, Alex Fernandez

This card is all about Ozzie Guillen's two hats. And the fact that the backwards one says "You Can't Touch This." 1990 was prime Hammer Time after all.

1979 Topps #646, Rick Sweet

Sweet mustache.

1992 Donruss #647, Jim Campanis Jr.

Jim Jr. never made the majors. His dad reached MLB, but didn't make much of a splash there. The most famous family member was grandfather Al, who only played 7 MLB games, but was the longtime General Manager of the Dodgers. 

2002 Upper Deck #648, Tino Martinez

Tino had two somewhat productive years in St. Louis, but his time with the Yankees and Mariners is more notable. 

1989 Donruss #649, Rod Nichols

Maybe Rod needed better glasses. He went 1-7 in 1988 with a 5.06 ERA. He somehow had three complete games, however.

Do you have a favorite from this page? I'm torn between the Rick Sweet mustache and the Ozzie MC Hammer hat. 

Thanks for reading!

An Unexpected PWE: Everyone's Dream

I recently received a PWE from Brendan, better known as Elliptical Man over at A View from the Third Floor. When I saw the envelope, I didn't think I had won a recent giveaway or anything, so I was intrigued. So, what was inside? It didn't take me long to see they were all candidates for my Frankenset, but if there was any doubt, Brendan included a little checklist guide to what he sent.

Eighteen cards in total made their way from beautiful San Diego to the less picturesque Fargo in a 70 cent envelope. Some were cards I already had in my Frankenset, but some were new to me, so I will need to see if they might find a home in the set. 

Dave Stewart the cameraman. Chuck Finley hugging a runner. The Gary Pettis is a great find. He missed the bunt! Hadn't noticed this one before. Some great glasses/sunglasses shots, too. Do you know the guy in the middle? Scroll down for the answer. And Steve Carlton with the White Sox? Just doesn't look right.

Chris Bosio signing some autos. Why is 40-something Carlton Fisk bunting? Tim Raines bunting - makes more sense. Pitcher running the bases. Two legendary nicknames. Love a good bubble gum card. And then you have the Rollie Fingers mustache battling the Justin Turner beard (sorry it's sideways). 

I appreciate Brendan going through my list and finding some awesome cards to fit my Frankenset categories. He's a loyal reader of the blog, too, so I owe him a double thanks! 

The man in the middle on page one was the one and only Jay Buhner. If you got it wrong, you owe me one Ken Phelps card.

Bo Knows Frankensets

As I've alluded to in recent posts, I am very close to completing my Frankenset. Being in the final stages, I've identified my final steps toward completion.

1) Wait for my recently acquired smelly cards to de-stinkify so I can go through the ones I set aside as Frankenset candidates. Hoping I don't have to wait more than another week. I might have to do a fresh batch of baking soda in each box. Stay tuned.

2) File some of my recent acquisitions in their respective slots. (More on this in a moment.)

3) Compile a listing of the cards in Excel (this is mostly complete).

4) Fill in the blank slots with checklist cards (this will probably take the longest of any of the steps). If anyone has created a custom checklist before, I would appreciate tips in the comments below.

After I complete the set, I'll have to decide how to unveil it. I have been posting just my top three cards from each page a page at a time for a few months now, but might go back to the beginning and show each page card by card. Or I might pick a random page to show each time. We'll see. 

I've made great strides in the last couple months on the Frankenset due in large part to Card Barrel, which has a fantastic supply of inexpensive cards from random sets and years for me to choose from. Those people are undoubtedly puzzled each time I place an order, wondering why in the world I would choose the cards I do. 

Sometimes, there are some great Frankenset candidates in the vintage era, and that's where I've sought out other help. Specifically, Bo from Baseball Cards Come to Life and I recently swung a trade for some mostly vintage cards that I would have had to pay way too much for on Card Barrel. Instead, I was able to take advantage of Bo's extensive trade list to nab some great cards for my final push. Behold the beauty:

1976 Topps #639, Fred Kendall; 1981 Topps #541, Steve Swisher

Leading off with a couple "lesser knowns." Both men had more famous sons become major leaguers, Jason and Nick respectively. Bonus points for the Swisher beard. 

1976 Topps #363 Dave Collins; 1972 Topps #284 Ike Brown; 1979 Topps #31 Tom House 

Some solid 70s glasses with some notable facial hair sprinkled in.

1974 Topps #382 Bob Moose

This card checks so many Frankenset boxes. Hair, mustache, facial expression, name. Phenomenal.

1994 Pinnacle #490, Chris Sabo

In a Frankenset where "glasses" is a category, it would be a crime to exclude Chris Sabo's goggles. Bonus points for appearing with the Orioles, for whom he played only 68 games.

1973 Topps #483, Dal Maxvill

A guy named "Dal." I had no idea what that was short for, and I didn't even have to go to baseball-reference.com for assistance. The back of the card has his full name: Charles Dallan Maxvill.

1973 Topps #530 Jim Kaat

An AL pitcher at the plate in a set from the year the DH debuted. Unbeatable. 

So there are nine more fantastic cards for the Frankenset. Bo is a pleasure to trade with and he makes it even easier with his trade list and want lists. Thanks Bo!

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!

Goals and Milestones - Frankenset and Vintage Cubs Set Additions

 I've been a less frequent poster recently due to general busyness, but also because I have been focusing on a couple of my collections. The first is my Frankenset, which has become kind of a painful slog. I'm now trying to find cards to fit specific slots in the set, which is a lot of work. By some extensive trial and error, I have finally found a good way to find cards to fit a particular number. I go on COMC and type in the card number in the search box. Then I sort oldest to newest, click the category of Baseball, and scan through the pictures. Previously, I had started looking for some of the higher number sets, since the 661 to 792 range is where I have the most gaps to fill. But going set by set to see if there were cards to fit my particular needs was too much work. 

1984 Topps #754 Kent Tekulve, part of the Frankenset

So far, this new method is working much better, but I'm just ready to be done with it at this point. I want to be done so I can sit back and enjoy what I put together, then can casually replace cards as I find upgrades. I'm wondering if I can ever truly be done with the set, though, because there always might be a better card out there to fit a particular slot. It would be kind of cool to just have it be a fluid process, but there are a couple problems with that in my mind. First, I wanted to create checklists in part to fill in some of the card numbers I was missing. So I'd have to finalize the set at some point in order to do that. Second, I try not to repeat certain card themes. For example, no more than one card showing Kent Tekulve's awesome sunglasses, even if there are 10 out there. If I find another awesome one and forget that I had one in the set already, I would end up breaking the rule.

1988 Donruss #535, Kent Tekulve
This card got the boot from the Frankenset
 due to qualifying under the same criteria 
as the 1984 Topps Tekulve seen above.

I'm leaning toward setting a final goal of 780ish cards and filling in the rest with custom checklists, even if some of the slots could still use upgrades. Then down the road, maybe as I collect the upgrades, I could do a mass update to the set all at once every year or something. We'll see. 

The other collection I have been working on is my Cubs binder. I'm now up to over 790 different Cubs players for my all-time Cubs team.

The first set of cards came from a trade with Bo at Baseball Cards Come to Life, 

The next set of cards came in two separate acquisitions. I didn't own any 1956 Topps cards before the two you see below. I also recently traded with Matt at Diamond Jesters as part of his time travel trade program. I sent him a couple 1955 Bowman duplicates I had and got these 1957 Cubs in return.

I really like the backs of the 1956 Topps. Really detailed and unique. 

At this point, all Cubs players from the 80s and 90s are almost completely covered. My focus lately has been on the 60s and early 70s, since it's easier to find the exact cards I need without trying to track guys down in a million different sets. Take a look here if you think you can help me out. I have vintage cards from these years to trade in return for Cubs players. I also need cards of guys from the 2000s and 2010s, but that list is much more haphazard because of all the random places you have to look to see if the player was ever pictured on a card in a Cubs uniform.

As far as goals, I would say I hope to complete the Frankenset by the end of the year and think I might stop at 1,000 different Cubs cards. But that might take a while. 

Thanks for stopping by!

The Best of the Rest: Challenges of Building a Frankenset

When I first learned about the concept of a Frankenset, I was excited. I had been setting aside unique cards for quite some time, and now I had a way to meaningfully organize them. Hunting for cards to fit the holes in your set is a fun pursuit, too. It's like hunting for cards in a regular set, but there's an added dimension because you have to find a card to fit the slot first. 

That's the stage I'm at with my Frankenset. I'm still hoping to fill 792 slots, and not surprisingly, most of the cards I need are in the 700s. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely I suppose. I figure I can make some custom checklist cards to fill 6 or 7 slots eventually if I can't find anything that fits some of those higher numbers. Lately, I've been scouring Trading Card Database and looking at sets that go above 660 in the hopes of filling some of those numbers. I'm about 50 to 75 cards short right now, but honing in on a wish list to get me closer. I'll post that soon when I have it organized, so if you can help, I'd be glad to swing a trade or two.

But this post is going to take a different angle on my Frankenset. For every card with #738 you find, there might be 2 or 3 or 4 cards with #135 that you'd like to put in your set.

But you can only pick one. That leads to some tough decisions. And cards that are more than worthy of finding their way into the set are suddenly on the outside looking in. This post is dedicated to some of those cards. 

The following pairs are cards with the same number. The card on the right made it into the Frankenset, and the card on the left was relegated to the "Best of the Rest" section at the back of the binder. I picked some of my favorite second place finishers to display, so hope you enjoy them. 

#219: 1983 Topps Mike Armstrong vs. 1994 Collector's Choice Jose Offerman

The Mike Armstrong card is an all-timer. Serial killer look paired with serial killer glasses. But I like the Offerman card. Apparently, the runner tried to break up a double play not by sliding, but by running straight into Offerman while the second baseman decided to get uncomfortably close to the play for some reason. Plus, it's the Silver Signature version!

#157: 1992 Donruss Triple Play Greg Harris vs. 1983 Donruss Goose Gossage

The glove on the head makes me want to choose Harris. The glasses make me want to go with Gossage (though Harris's are fantastic, too). The tiebreaker here is star power. I'm going with the Hall of Famer.

#274: 1995 Score Darren Lewis vs. 1982 Fleer Jack Morris

Darren Lewis appears to be trying to break up a double play here. But picture him for a moment on a waterslide... Works, doesn't it? 

There's just too much to like with the Jack Morris card, though. The odd shadow or possibly UFO surrounding his hat. The chain link fence. And of course, the off-center photo cutting off Black Jack's entire right arm. 1982 Fleer delivers again.

#586: 1993 Donruss Joe Oliver vs. 1975 Topps Tim McCarverI might be willing to change my mind on this one. I really like Oliver biting the dust (Is he mid-air?), but McCarver just doesn't look right with the Red Sox. He only played 22 games with them. So, for now at least, I'm going with Joe Buck's old sidekick in the booth.

#36: 1992 Topps Scott Ruffcorn vs. 1985 Topps Fred Breining

Here we have what I can only assume is a senior picture vs. Fred Breining, who as I pointed out in a previous post, looks like Jerry Seinfeld when he wore those big glasses in an episode of Seinfeld. Going with Jer--- I mean Fred, on this one.

#4: 1992 Classic Best Scott Sharts vs. 1997 Score Rockies Team Edition Ellis Burks

The juvenile humor is so tempting here (I assume you know what a "shart" is), but I decided to be an adult and pick the fun Ellis Burks glove-on-head card.

#128: 1991 Pacific Senior League Baseball Razor Shines vs. 1969 Topps Tommie Aaron

An all-time great name vs. an all-time great "lesser known." I like the Aaron card better, so going with Tommie.

 

#387) 1992 Stadium Club Ruben Sierra vs. 2002 Upper Deck Al Leiter 

A top vs. bottom matchup this time. The Sierra is such a unique card, but I love the angle on the Al-Leiter card a lot. And bonus points because the ball is still in the frame, too. Going with Mr. Leiter here.

Well there you have it. Let me know your thoughts. Favorite card of the bunch? Want to make a case for one of the second place finishers? Put your comments below!

The Return of Beer League Softball: My Favorite Frankenset Card by Page; Page 9 (Cards 82-90)

We haven't been deprived of all sporting options here in Fargo this summer. I am fairly certain slow pitch softball leagues are in action here, but it's probably been close to a decade since I played so I can't say for certain. I do know, however, that since early this month, we've had the rare sight of minor league baseball here. The American Association, home to our Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks, is an independent minor league, so it was not impacted by the cancellation of the MILB season. There are only six teams in action this season (vs. the usual 12), and games are happening in just three cities, Fargo being one of them. The other two cities are Franklin, WI, a suburb of Milwaukee, and Sioux Falls, SD. The goal was to play in areas where COVID cases haven't been as prevalent. 

The #1 card today looks like it came straight out of a slow pitch game, so that's what prompted me to give an update on our unique baseball situation here. Now let's jump into the countdown:

3) 2017 Panini Chronicles #83, Bartolo Colon

Colon made pit stops in Atlanta and Minnesota in 2017 before finishing his major league career with the Rangers in 2018. Big Sexy put together a 5 and 6 record with the Twins, a 5.18 ERA, and 0.3 WAR over 15 starts in Minnesota. An underwhelming card, but there aren't many out there showing Colon with Minnesota. I think this set would have benefitted from looking into a newspaper theme of some sort. I think that has worked well on other cards. 

2) 1991 Classic Best #90, Mickey Rivers Jr.

The lesser-known Rivers topped out as a member of the Class A+ Winter Haven Red Sox, the team he is featured with on this card. Can you see the "W" and the "H" on the hat? Not sure if they are big enough, so thought I would point them out. Anyway, 1991 was the younger Rivers' last year in organized baseball. He hit .208 for Winter Haven over 71 games.

1) 1992 Donruss #86, Pete O'Brien

This is a sneaky-cool card in my opinion. It looks like it's straight out of a custom-made set put together by the Seattle Beer League Softball Association. You've got the spring training or practice jersey or whatever that is, then there's the mullet, and when you add the glasses it just fits so well together, doesn't it? I can just see Pete and his teammates cracking Budweisers in the parking lot after the game. 

With page 9 of the Frankenset in the books, it's time to look at the top categories for the cards we've seen so far:

Category
Lesser Known:	4.5
Odd Team:	4
Glasses:	3.5
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
Why is he bunting?:	0.5
Chew:	0.5
Funny Name/Nickname:	0.5
Hair:	0.5

What was your favorite card from page 9? Thanks for stopping by!

Role-Reversal: My Favorite Frankenset Card by Page; Page 6 (Cards 55-63)

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 Frankenset. Let's jump right in.

3) 1981 Topps #62, Joe Pettini

This card is a beautiful convergence of the 1970s and 1980s.

2) 1992 Donruss Triple Play #63, Rickey Henderson

The 1992 Donruss Triple Play set has some great Frankenset material. The makers of the set clearly were trying to be a little bit off the wall in an attempt to cater to a young audience. I'm a little torn about what I think about their approach, but I think I'm ok with it. One of the main reasons why is the fact that this was the middle of the overproduction era and this was kind of a fringe set, so why not do something a little different. I mean, you had both Upper Deck and Leaf in 1992 basically copy their 1991 design, and none of the other card makers really did anything too exciting in my opinion that year. So Triple Play's strange pictures and odd subsets work for me in that context. 

On page five of the Frankenset, we saw an entry from the Triple Play set, and now have another. It's a bit puzzling, though, to use an odd photo for a player of the caliber of Rickey Henderson. For Pat Kelly, sure. But Rickey had just broken the career stolen base record the season prior, so you'd think there would have been an opportunity there.

1) 1994 Score #61, Jose Canseco

The scene was Fenway Park, May 29, 1993. With shadows overtaking the field and the Rangers desperately behind in their game against the Red Sox, slugger Jose Canseco asks his manager Kevin Kennedy for a chance to pitch. In his first and only major league pitching appearance, Canseco pitches the 8th inning, allowing three hits, three runs, and three walks as the Rangers fall 15 to 1. 

This game was just three days after what was perhaps Canseco's most famous (or infamous) highlight. On May 26, Carlos Martinez of the Indians hit a deep fly ball to right field that Canseco misplayed. The ball hit him on the top of the head and bounced over the fence for a home run. It was quite a stretch of three days for Mr. Canseco. 

Remarkably, after the pitching appearance on the 29th, Canseco began having elbow trouble and would have Tommy John surgery six weeks later. He missed the remainder of the 1993 season. 

In fact, as I learned from the back of this card and confirmed with some additional research, Jose's career was considered to be in jeopardy as a result of the injury. Of course, he made it back to have several more solid seasons in MLB.

Here's a look at Jose Canseco's mound performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iufXBbwtUk

Which of these was your favorite from page six?