Frankenset Page 21

After a game and a series that went back and forth between the 2 teams too many times to count, it ended exactly the way I wanted it to. Last night, the Boston Red Sox clinched the American League East division with a win over the New York Yankees.

The first 2 games of the series were pretty hard to watch. Hell, even the first half of game 3 made me doubtful. Eduardo Rodriguez walked 7, yes 7! Not to mention Heath Hembree gave up a grand slam after E-Rod walked the bases loaded. Nevertheless, the usual names like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts were able to carry Boston to an 11-6 victory.

With the AL East and Central locked up, I'm turning my attention to the other 4 divisions to see what will happen. The A's seem to be posing a threat to the Yankees for the #1 Wild Card spot and even the Astros for the division title. Meanwhile, the Braves seem like they have the NL East division within their grasp with their magic number being only 4.

As for the NL Central, the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals are still in contention for the top spot while the 2 who fall short will certainly be in Wild Card contention. The same can be said for the NL West regarding the Dodgers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks.

There are only about 10 games left in the MLB season. After next weekend, all eyes will be on the Wild Card teams, and the playoffs will officially be upon us. Since I likely won't be doing a frankenset post for another week or so, this is my last chance to talk about the playoff race before it becomes set in stone.

The 21st frankenset page features cards 181-189. It has a couple of the best cards we've seen in a while, so let's get it underway.

#181 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter Alex Wood

With endless colors and shades to choose from, I wonder why Topps chose such an unattractive shade of brown for Alex Wood's 2016 A&G card. I mean, the color can work in other instances, but I just don't think it belongs on a baseball card.

#182 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen Sam Dyson

While I'm still not a big fan of the 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen set, I will say they did a pretty great job in making rather simple cards stand out through colorful backgrounds and lots of small details. As you can tell, Sam Dyson's base card is a nice example of these features.

#183 2007 Fleer Ervin Santana

Santana looks a lot younger than 25 in this card from 2007 Fleer. To me, he looks more like a 20 or 21-year old prospect rather than a 25-year old pitcher who already had 2 full seasons under his belt prior to the 2007 season with the Angels.

#184 2016 Topps Stadium Club Byron Buxton

Though I haven't taken a close look at the 2016 Topps Stadium Club set in a while, I can say with a lot of certainties that this Byron Buxton card is easily one of my 3 favorite cards from the set, and that's saying quite a lot given the quality of Stadium Club, especially in 2016.

#185 1973 Topps Jim Wynn

The lone vintage card on the 21st frankenset page does an excellent job of representing the vintage era. It perfectly encapsulates everything that the 1970's were for baseball and baseball cards by showing an awesome image of Jim Wynn in what appears to be near the on-deck circle before a game.

#186 2004 Fleer Tradition Raul Mondesi

Earlier in the week, I talked about how big a fan I was of the Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Reds jerseys that took on this style in the early 2000's with the dark sleeves and slim stripes. I hope to see them brought back as throwbacks a little more often, even though a throwback to something that happened barely a decade ago is a bit much.

#187 2008 Upper Deck Goudey Marlon Byrd

If I could pick any Upper Deck product to be revived, I would have to consider Upper Deck Goudey more so than any other product due to the fact that there's never been another product quite like Goudey. The base set was a perfect size and blend of retired and current players and featured a colorful design every single year. From 2007-2009, it was fairly hard to beat Goudey.

#188 2001 Topps Fernando Tatis

Even with a set as simple as Topps Flagship, the landscape-style cards really allow for far more detailed and interesting photos to be used on cards. The Buxton from '16 Stadium Club and now the Fernando Tatis from 2001 Topps showcase photos that would not be able to work on a standard portrait-style card.

#189 1991 Fleer Mark Whiten

Closing out the 21st frankenset page is a card from a set that seems to be either loved or hated, 1991 Fleer. I personally like the set quite a bit as I find the yellow borders truly unique. I just hope there's not a card in this set with an all-gold Pirates uniform. I don't think my eyes could handle all that yellow on one card.