Frankenset Page #49

It's been almost 2 weeks since I've written one of these frankenset posts which is a little odd. I've fallen into a cycle of posting 2 frankenset pages every 10 days or so, but I've spent the last number of posts focusing on other topics. 

The new Topps Total, 2019 Bowman, and a trip to my LCS have all been topics of discussion between now and the 48th frankenset page which I wrote about on April 13th.

In terms of Baseball news, the Red Sox have gradually improved since my previous frankenset post. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays last weekend, a series that saw top prospect Michael Chavis recalled and get his first hit. They also split their 4-game stretch with the Detroit Tigers. 

Mookie's been swinging a hot bat, Porcello and E-Rod pitched respectable games. Slowly but surely, they seem to be improving. Their upcoming series, against the Rays once again, will test Boston's consistency against their division rival.

However, the most significant piece of news came a couple of days ago when it was announced that the Toronto Blue Jays would finally be recalling Vladimir Guerrero Jr to the big leagues. The #1 prospect in all of Baseball, Vladdy Jr will make his MLB debut tonight at home against the Oakland Athletics.

It's always a big deal when a highly-rated prospect makes his MLB debut, but there's something different about Vladdy Jr. Because he's the son of a Hall of Famer, he has an extraordinary legacy to carry on.

Guerrero Jr's first game is also MLB's free game of the day so anyone can watch the game for free on MLB.com. If nothing else, I'll try to catch a glimpse of his much-awaited first MLB at-bat. As of now, he'll be batting 5th and playing 3rd base during his big league debut.

Now, for something that I haven't done in quite a while; a frankenset page. This is the 49th page of my binder, and it includes cards #433-441.

#433 1997 Topps Vladimir Guerrero

How fitting is this; the day of Vladimir Guerrero Jr's debut, the frankenset page I'm posting about features a card of his father from his days in Montreal. I promise this is a mere coincidence. 

Moreover, '97 was Guerrero's first full MLB season, a year that saw him finish 6th in the NL ROY voting with a .325 average, 11 homers, and 40 RBI in just over 300 at-bats. 

After receiving limited playing time as a rookie, Guerrero would be a perennial starting player for 3 teams for the rest of his Hall of Fame career.

#434 1998 Bowman International Parallel Esteban Yan

I truly don't know why so many of my frankenset pages include a card from 1998 Bowman. While the base cards are uninteresting, the International parallel cards are a little more appealing, featuring a map of where the player is initially from on the back.

Seeing those old Devil Rays uniforms remind me of how, in real life, the Tampa Bay Rays are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. As an homage to the past, they're wearing these late 90s Devil Rays uniforms during some of their 2019 home games, including last weekend against the Red Sox.

#435 1991 Topps Kevin Maas

Any card featuring the iconic New York Yankees' pinstripes has the potential to be great, especially when paired with a classic set design like 1991 Topps. Similar to many of the cards in my frankenset, it's not the player that matters. Rather, it's the design, uniform, and everything else that encompasses the card itself.

I hadn't heard of Kevin Maas before I put together this frankenset, and I don't think I've seen a card of his since. Still, if there's one thing that Baseball cards have proven, time and time again, it's that incredible cards can be made featuring players who aren't the brightest of superstars.

#436 1990 Topps Mel Hall

Here we have back-to-back New York Yankees cards as well as consecutive cards that feature the same uniform, the memorable pinstripes. Much like the 1991 Topps card of Kevin Maas, Mel Hall's 1990 Topps card makes proper use of the iconic uniform by pairing it with a blue border and a yellow team name and box.

#437 1990 Upper Deck Charlie Hayes

I vividly remember pulling a Topps Archives Fan Favorites autograph of Charlie Hayes back in 2016 out of a hobby pack of Archives from my LCS. The card is in the 1979 Topps design and features the red-striped Phillies jersey that Mike Schmidt helped make famous, especially when Philadelphia won the Fall Classic in 1990.

Hayes played for 7 teams over the course of his 14-year MLB career, including the Phillies, Yankees, and Giants, though he was arguably most successful during his 2 years with the Colorado Rockies. He even won a ring with the Yankees in '96.

#438 1983 Topps Dave LaPoint

This is probably my favorite card of the entire page, and this wasn't a hard decision to come to. Nothing for nothing, but it's challenging to pick a favorite card when the oldest one featured is from 1983. 

Thank goodness for the powder blue uniform and the stellar set design that is 1983 Topps. Otherwise, I'm not sure which one of these cards I'd pick as my #1 choice.

#439 2005 Donruss Team Heroes Carlos Delgado

Though I've never opened a pack or purchased more than a few dime cards from this product, I've always admired the Donruss Team Heroes set, especially the 2004 edition. That year, retired players were also included, so I was able to boost some of my player collections.

Whether modern or retired players are featured, this design always looks pretty sharp, and the chosen images compliment the simple style of the cards. I especially like Carlos Delgado's card, including the action shot and the black Florida Marlins jersey.

#440 2015 Topps Denard Span

I've always recognized Denard Span's 2015 Topps card as one of the greatest cards from the entire 700-card set. For any product, that's quite a bold statement, but it means, even more, when you take into account how many colorful and intriguing cards there are in 2015 Topps.

The bright red Nationals uniform is a perfect pairing to go alongside the red border at the bottom of the card. I'm also a huge fan of the action image that was chosen; the dirt on the ground in the photo appears to be "bleeding" onto the borders of the card.

I doubt that this detail was intentional, but, nevertheless, it's a very nice touch.

#441 1990 Fleer Alvaro Espinoza

Admittedly, I think I chose a few too many New York Yankees cards for my 49th frankenset page, especially considering that I'm a huge Red Sox fan. First Kevin Maas, then Mel Hall, and finally, Alvaro Espinoza's 1990 Fleer card to close out the page.

As far as the junk wax era goes, this is a pretty nice looking card. The red frame pairs well with the Yankees road uniform, maybe more so than it would've with the home pinstripes. 

My one critique, however, is there's a lot of blank space around the red frame that could've been used more effectively, but that's more of a criticism of the set rather than the card.

Within the next few hours, history will be made as Vladimir Guerrero Jr will make his MLB debut. Like I mentioned earlier, I'll try to watch, at the very least, his first at-bat. After all, things like this don't occur every day.