Frankenset Page #55

The 55th page of the frankenset, truth be told, is one of my personal favorite pages from the entire 74-page binder. It incorporates virtually all of the different cards that I chose to include throughout the entire set and combines them into 1 spectacular page.

Showcasing cards #487-495, this is the final page before we reach card #500 in the frankenset. At this point, we're roughly 3/4 of the way through the frankenset. As I've mentioned before, I'm practically done with my 2nd frankenset which I'll begin posting as soon as the first one is completed.

As I mentioned, this page is one of my favorites from the entire frankenset, so I don't want to talk too much beforehand. Thus, let's begin with card #487 on frankenset page #55.

#487 1990 Upper Deck Pascual Perez

I know that I constantly rave about the Montreal Expos' powder blue uniforms, but I'm starting to believe that the red and blue jerseys above merit just as much, if not more, recognition. 

The pants are the same color as the powder blue jerseys made popular in the 80s by guys like Andre Dawson, but the redshirt is something unique to the 1990s. Although I still prefer the "traditional" jerseys from the 70s and 80s, I admire how the uniform above embodies the Expos logo, to a certain extent. 

As I've mentioned beforehand, I'm a huge fan of all things Montreal Expos, and I only wish that these fabulous jerseys were featured more often in Baseball card products.

#488 1976 SSPC Alvin Dark

Although he wasn't nearly as beloved as Oakland Athletics' manager Dick Williams, Alvin Dark led the A's to back-to-back 90+ win seasons from 1974-1975. This run included a World Series championship in 1974 despite how unpopular he was with many of the A's' players.

Nonetheless, Dark looks pretty content in the photo of him above from 1976 SSPC. However, he didn't actually manage Oakland in '76; he lost his job after the 98-win A's fell to the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 ALCS. 

He'd go onto manage the Padres for around 100 games in 1977 before getting fired by San Diego. Thus, Dark's managerial career which saw him win a World Series and 2 pennants came to an end. 

#489 1969 Topps Clete Boyer

Each of the first 3 cards on this page is either from a vintage Baseball card set or showcases colorful throwback uniforms. While Clete Boyer's 1969 Topps card doesn't feature a bright and bold jersey, it represents the 1969 Topps set very well.

There aren't that many flashy cards in the 1969 Topps set. The photographs, like the design, are quite simple, and that can turn a lot of collectors away from the set.

While I, personally, don't really care for the '69 Topps design, I understand what Topps was attempting, and I applaud them for their effort. I just believe there are way better options as far as 1960s Flagship sets are concerned. 

#490 1987 Topps Dale Murphy

Out of all the cards that I've seen from the 1987 Topps set, Dale Murphy's will definitely go down as one of my favorites, primarily because of how well the photograph compliments the wood-bordered set design. 

Unlike the minimal design that is 1969 Topps, the '87 set features wood borders, something that Topps has only done twice in regards to their Flagship set. As a result, the colorful jerseys that I typically adore aren't necessarily as effective in a set like 1987 Topps.

In the case of Dale Murphy's card, everything seems to come together naturally. The navy blue uniform works extraordinarily well with the wood borders and, as a small boost, the Montreal Expos dugout is shown in the background.

#491 2018 Topps Andrew Heaney

Even though Andrew Heaney's 2018 Topps Flagship card may not be as flashy as some of the other cards on this page, I still appreciate how it slightly departs from the traditional photo of a pitcher.

Usually, the same image of a pitcher during his windup makes it onto a Topps Flagship card; the angle is often to the side and the pitcher has either just thrown or is about to throw the ball.

Granted, Heaney's card is far from groundbreaking, but it deviates slightly from what we've grown to expect from a modern Topps Flagship card of a pitcher. For that reason, I chose this card for spot #491.

#492 1974 Topps Mike Rogodzinski

If I had to choose just 1 card to summarize 1970s Baseball, it would either be Reggie Jackson's 1975 Topps card or Mike Rogodzinski's 1974 Topps card above. Ultimately, I'd likely decide on the former, but the "busy" one above would give Jackson a run for his money.

Truth be told, it's cards like this that are motivating me to start collecting the 1974 Topps set once I complete '79. Everything about it, from the uniform to the sunglasses, screams the 1970s, and I love every single aspect of it.

#492 2007 Topps Greg Norton

In most instances, the 2007 Topps design just doesn't work; the foil text is often challenging to read, the colored squares are highly unnecessary, and the facsimile signature doesn't belong on cards from the 2000s.

I'm not exactly sure if Topps was trying to pay homage to 1971 Topps when creating the '07 design or if they wanted to try something new and create a set with black borders in the 21st century. 

All I know is that 2007 Topps is a disappointment, but it ranks high as far as products from the 2000s are concerned given how mediocre most of the Flagship designs were.

#493 1995 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Ozzie Guillen

Judging solely from Guillen's cap, I notice that the White Sox are commemorating some team with their uniforms that made an appearance in the 1995 Upper Deck Collector's Choice set. However, I can't identify the club, so if anyone could let me know, I'd greatly appreciate it.

In addition to the unfamiliar uniform, there's another element to this card of which I'm very fond of; the photographer timed this action photo incredibly well and ended up with a fabulous shot of Guillen making a play at shortstop.

In fact, it's cards like this from Collector's Choice and the Upper Deck base set that allowed them to, in some ways, create better cards than Topps did for a few years in the 1990s.

#1984 Topps Rollie Fingers

Last but not least, a beautiful card of a Hall of Fame pitcher to end what has been a sensational frankenset page. As if there weren't enough old school uniforms on this page already, here comes Rollie Fingers and his powder blue Brewers jersey to end page #55 on a high note.

I've praised the 1984 Topps design multiple times before on the blog, and Fingers' card is one of the most iconic cards from the product as well. There's, undoubtedly, some tough competition on this page, but I'd have to rank Fingers' card as one of my favorites.

His, along with Pascual Perez and, of course, Mike Rogodzinski, share the honors of the greatest card from this action-packed 55th frankenset page.