Frankenset Page #61

My apologies for posting so late the last 2 nights. I've been pretty busy as of late, but I wanted to keep up with the blog since I missed so many days in July and August.

During the times when I'm busy, I choose either a top 5 cards post or a frankenset page for a quick yet interesting post. One of the many benefits to having these continuous series is that if I'm low on ideas or time, I still have options for my posts.

Today's frankenset page is #61 in the 74-page series, featuring cards #541-549.

#541 2016 Topps James Shields

I'm indifferent towards James Shields at best, and I cannot stand the 2016 Topps Flagship design. With that being said, I'm all about the actual card when it comes to this frankenset, and I must admit that I like this Series 2 card quite a bit.

Nonetheless, it still baffles me that the Padres were able to trade James Shields in June of 2016 for a couple prospects, one of them being Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Just think, if the White Sox still had Tatis, they would've appealed more to Manny Machado, meaning they could have an infield of Fernando Tatis Jr, Machado, Eloy Jimenez, and Jose Abreu.

#542 1992 Fleer Ultra Kim Batiste

This 1992 Fleer Ultra card is simple enough, but it's not a poor choice for the frankenset either. There are a lot of spaces in the binder filled by cards from this set, so I'm guessing that it was rather challenging for me to find a better card for #542.

When I finalize my 2nd frankenset for the next continuous series, I'll do my best to ensure that sets don't appear as frequently as cards from '92 Fleer Ultra seem to.

#543 1990 Topps Nelson Liriano

Some of the color combinations in 1990 Topps, like the card above, are effective and help compliment the image. Others, like green and yellow or green and red, are far too distracting and simply don't look great on cardboard.

As a whole, 1990 Topps is very hit or miss as it pertains to the base cards. Some of them look great and give off a 1975 Topps vibe, but others are so mediocre that it's hard to be a huge fan of this set.

#544 1983 Topps Larry Whisenton

Aside from some cards in my Bo Jackson and Salvador Perez player collections, this might be the bluest Baseball card that I've ever seen in my life. Virtually everything, from the background to the banner and even both photos, features a gorgeous light blue color.

My favorite part of this card would have to be Whisenton's uniform in the large picture. I don't recall the Braves wearing this as a throwback jersey recently which is definitely a shame.

#545 1988 Score Jack Morris

Although I was pleased when Jack Morris was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I've come to question the committee's decision. His 2,478 strikeouts across 3,824 innings pitched isn't the greatest ratio, but I'm more concerned about his 3.90 career ERA.

I realize that some of his years with the Tigers as well as his sole season with the Twins were terrific, but his career stats simply don't seem HOF worthy to me, particularly his 6.19 ERA in '93.

#546 1970 Topps Ron Reed

 Over the last few days, I've seen collectors pull some monster hits out of 2019 Topps Heritage High Number, ranging from Rod Carew and Nolan Ryan autographs to black chrome refractors of Fernando Tatis Jr and Pete Alonso.

Unfortunately for me, I've never had much luck with Heritage High #. Aside from the major rookies, the checklist is usually awful. I like to think that I keep up with Baseball, so it's frustrating to pull so many cards of guys I don't know.

With products like Chrome, Optic, Archives, and Chronicles out as I speak, I think I'll learn my lesson and stay away from Heritage High Number this year.

#547 1992 Sporting News Conlon Collection Bob Johnson

Almost a decade after we found the box at the card show for $15, I still consider the 1992 Sporting News Conlon Collection purchase one of the greatest bargains that we've ever found. 

The photography is absolutely gorgeous, and the card backs feature a ton of a text which tells you a lot about early and mid-20th-century Baseball. Most of the players in this set aren't well known, so I absolutely love the insight that this product gives to what the game was like roughly a century ago.

#548 1990 Fleer Eddie Williams

I really like the layout of the 3rd and final row of this particular frankenset page. I didn't plan it this way, but the 1990 Fleer card looks nice between the 2 black and white Conlon Collection cards on either side.

By and large, I'm not a huge fan of the 1990 Fleer set, but the angle of this photograph is interesting, and it's a nice fit with the Sporting News cards as well.

#549 1992 Sporting News Conlon Collection Ed Reulbach

Out of all the records and accomplishments in Baseball history, those achieved by pitchers are the least likely to be broken. Cy Young's 511 wins will most certainly not be topped, for starters simply don't pitch as much as they used to.

Furthermore, it's rare to see a pitcher have 1 shutout, but 2 on the same day? There's virtually no chance that will ever happen again.