Frankenset Page #48

Even though the 2019 MLB season is barely 2 weeks old, there have, undoubtedly, been some significant surprises thus far. 

Certain teams and players have risen to the occasion and exceeded expectations. On the other hand, teams like the Red Sox and Cubs have underproduced, resulting in very poor records for my 2 favorite teams.

The Rays and Mariners, arguably the 2 best teams in Baseball, have eclipsed the 10 win mark. Seattle seems to be hitting home runs every single day while Tampa Bay's pitching has been among the best in the game. 

Although I haven't followed other teams all that closely, I'm impressed with how Tim Beckham and Dan Vogelbach have been performing through the first 16 games. 

At the same time, the Red Sox have struggled since Opening Day, losing every series that they've played so far. After falling to the Orioles a few minutes ago, Boston has fallen to 5-10. 

Thankfully, there's a chance for the Sox to win their first series of the year with a win over the Orioles tomorrow. I mentioned yesterday that I'll be attending tomorrow's game where David Price is scheduled to start for the Red Sox.

Anyways, it's been a while since I've done one of these frankenset posts, so I'll be showing off the cards from page #48 today as I continue to make my way through the set. This particular page showcases cards 424-432.

#424 1991 Topps Calvin Schiraldi

One of the most underrated Flagship sets ever produced, Topps did an excellent job with 1991 Topps in the 2016 Topps Archives set. While I'm on the topic of the Archives set, Beckett and Cardboard Connection recently announced that 1958, 1975, and 1993 Topps will be included in this year's product. 

I'm not a huge fan of the 1993 Topps set, but '58 and '75 are among my favorite Topps base set designs. Even though we'll be seeing a lot more of 1975 Topps in 2024 Topps Heritage, but it's hard to get tired of that colorful design. 

#425 1998 Bowman Ruben Rivera

Back-to-back Padres cards are kicking off the 48th frankenset page, and in real-time, San Diego is off to an impressive start. Led by their new franchise player, Manny Machado, the Padres rose to 1st place in the NL West for the first time in years. 

They're a pretty harmless team, so seeing them win doesn't affect me all too much. With that being said, I'd rather see the Rockies take home the NL West division title.

#426 2007 Topps Jeff Francoeur 

While I see what Topps was going for with their 2007 Flagship set, the final product isn't really a standout. I've always advocated for black bordered Baseball cards but pairing that color with silver foil isn't too strong of a choice. 

I ranked this Topps Flagship set at #3 for the 2000s decade, for the other base designs from this decade were even more underwhelming.

#427 1994 Fleer Reggie Sanders

I definitely chose to include this card in the frankenset because of the picture, for the base set is one of the most minimal designs that I've ever seen. Regardless, this Reggie Sanders card features a very underrated Cincinnati Reds uniform that the Reds continued to wear up through most of the 2000s decade.

#428 2003 Topps Ricky Ledee

Card #428, my 2nd favorite card of the entire frankenset page, features not only 1 throwback uniform, but 2 retro style jerseys worn by the Braves and the Phillies respectively. Atlanta's uniform in the background pays homage to the 70s/80s while the powder blue Philadelphia jersey was made famous when the Phillies won the Fall Classic in 1980.

#429 1988 Score Juan Castillo

While this uniform was by no means a throwback in 1988, it's always interesting to see old-school uniforms on Baseball cards that have since been retired. The Brewers were one of a few teams to wear pinstriped jerseys throughout the 1980s, a uniform that Milwaukee brings back every now and again for their regular season games.

#430 1973 Topps Vida Blue

In addition to being head and shoulders above all the other cards on this page, Vida Blue's 1973 Topps card represents everything that I love about the '73 Topps set. Although I'm not too fond of the base design whatsoever, I'm hoping that Topps will pay homage to this set when it's featured in 2022 Topps Heritage by focusing primarily on outstanding photography.

#431 2000 Fleer Tradition Quinton McCracken

A set that's rather reminiscent of the 1954 Topps base design, 2000 Fleer Tradition is one of the coolest sets in this brand's abbreviated history. Both the colorful backgrounds and the 2 different images give this set an old-timey feel, a theme that I believe Fleer was going for when crafting this set.

#432 1992 Fleer Ultra Henry Cotto

Last up, here's yet another card from the 1992 Fleer Ultra set, featuring a poorly-timed snapshot. For a set that appears to specialize in top-notch photography, at least for its time, I'd expect something more than the blurry-ish image that Fleer selected for card #432 in their 1992 Ultra set.