See Other Side for More Fun

In building my Frankenset, I made a rule fairly early on: the card had to qualify based on the front of the card alone. I wanted it to be apparent looking at the front of each card why it belonged in the set. I always thought this was a good decision, but wondered about those pesky card backs. Because there are some good ones out there. Where do they fit into the Frankenset world I have created? There must be a place for them somewhere.

Then it hit me. It happened a few weeks ago when I was looking at the gallery view on an early 90s Upper Deck set on TCDB. I was searching for card numbers that might fit my Frankenset, so I went to the gallery view to get a good look at the front of the cards. But right next to the front of the card is an image of the back. I noticed some really interesting ones and planned to go through some of my own that I already had to see what I could find. And what did I find? Plenty of material for ANOTHER Frankenset. A Frankenset just focused on the backs of the cards.

Now with two young children at home, I don't have much time for anything much less tracking and hunting down cards for another Frankenset, so I'm going to start slow. Here, I am going to feature some of the cards that inspired me to go down this path, in addition to some others I have found so far. Some of the cards fit the existing categories in my main Frankenset, but with card backs, you have more written material to work with, so there will be some new avenues to explore, which is exciting.

Two cards right off the bat that I really enjoyed were this Mickey Hatcher card and this Luis Polonia card where he is being harassed by, I am assuming, Lance Parrish's son. 

1991 Upper Deck #666, Mickey Hatcher

1992 Upper Deck #147, Luis Polonia

These are both fantastic. If you didn't catch it, Hatcher is experiencing a hot foot. The front of the Hatcher card also made it qualify for my regular Frankenset. Luckily I have two copies.

Another category I found was cards describing players in much too-glowing ways. I found this example fairly absurd:

2001 Topps #183, David Segui

Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Frank Thomas, Albert Pujols, David Segui. Umm...no. 

Then there was the flipside. Cards basically bashing the player's abilities in one way or another. 

1991 Score #153, Mickey Hatcher

There's Hatcher again. Ol' gray haired, bad kneed Mickey. At least some compliments followed.

Another fun one was Dave LaPoint ripping himself with a classic line.

1990 Score #357, Dave LaPoint

A body made for bowling. I can relate. 

A final category that I enjoy is random facts on the backs of cards.

1992 Topps #18, Greg Cadaret

Greg Cadaret enjoys Huey Lewis? Who doesn't?!

Another random fact comes from the 1991 Topps card of Mickey Tettleton, who I found out was nicknamed "Froot Loops" in researching a previous post. Now I know why.

1991 Topps #385, Mickey Tettleton

I'm looking forward to finding more of these diamonds in the rough, but it might take a while to put together a full set. I have probably about 200 so far, and don't have that many more cards to look through here at home. But like I said, I don't have time to work on it anyway! 

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!" 

My Favorite Frankenset Card by Page; Page 2 (Cards 10-18)

If you were here for the first installment of this series, welcome back. You must have enjoyed part one enough to return, so thanks! Page two of the Frankenset features card numbers 10 to 18. There are some great candidates:

• A guy with the first name Debs (named after early 20th Century American Socialist Eugene Debs),

• Nick Esasky not only with the Braves but with a mysterious mustache, and...

1990 Donruss Best NL #13, Nick Esasky

• David Cone looking like anything but a pitcher batting left-handed for the Mets.

1992 Stadium Club #17, David Cone

But when a card checks two Frankenset boxes, it becomes hard to beat. In this case, a picture of a guy bunting that makes you say "Why him?" and a wad of chew visible from the upper deck. I present to you another 1990 Donruss Best card, this one from the American League:

1990 Donruss Best AL #15, Mickey Tettleton

It is bewildering to me that you would ask Mickey Tettleton to bunt. Hopefully, he was just showing bunt. Perhaps only Frank Robinson knows (God rest his soul, as he passed in February of last year). Not sure about the technique displayed by ol' Fruit Loops either (apparently his nickname). Looks like his hand would get crushed. In any event, Tettleton is indeed in the bunt position, but you may have been distracted by this fact by the wad in Tettleton's left cheek. This card is just too much for me to handle. And it isn't the first time our Orange bird slugger appeared to be eating a golf ball on a baseball card.

1988 Donruss #103, Mickey Tettleton

In any event, this page goes to the Mickster.