Frankenset Page #72

I originally foresaw myself completing the 74-page frankenset series by the end of November, but it appears as if the series, which has been around since March of 2018, will continue into the very beginning of December before I wrap it up.

Page #72 is the 3rd to last of 74 unique pages included within this frankenset. Since I've been averaging about one of these a week, the series won't wrap up until the first few days of December.

Encompassing cards #640-648, page 72 spans just 3 decades of Baseball history (the 1970s, 80s, and 2010s). Let's begin the page, starting with another stellar combo card from the 1980s.

#640 1984 Fleer Bench & Yaz

1983 saw the careers of Baseball superstars, including Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski, come to an end. Combining for 32 All-Star game selections and 3 MVP awards, these 2 Hall of Famers were some of the game's brightest stars throughout their respective careers.

Fleer, a company that never shied away from making combo cards, produced one to highlight Bench & Yaz in their 1984 set. If you've seen my past few pages, you know how much I love cards like these.

#641 1988 Donruss Stan Musial

During the late 1980s, Donruss would feature puzzle pieces in each of their packs that would combine to form 1 cohesive puzzle that emulated a card in the set.

That card was always a specialty card of a Hall of Famer, and in the case of the 1988 set, that player was Stan Musial. Other subjects included Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron.

While I admire the idea of recognizing the game's greats, there must've been a better way for Donruss to do this rather than placing puzzle pieces into packs that didn't have much to do with the actual set.

#642 2015 Topps Alex Wood

Alex Wood hasn't faired too well since the Dodgers-Reds trade that sent him along with Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati last winter. In his first season with the Reds, the 2017 All-Star posted a 5.80 ERA in just 35 innings pitched.

Currently, the 28-year old is a free agent, and while he's coming off injuries and a poor 2019 season, there are a plethora of teams that could benefit from adding a respectable starter to their rotation.

#643 1988 Donruss Keith Hughes

It's not ideal for there to be 2 cards from the 1988 Donruss set on 1 page, but at least Keith Hughes' uniform is pretty interesting to look at. Otherwise, this card wouldn't have a whole lot to show for itself.

#644 1982 Fleer Rollie Fingers

Fleer has been the MVP of frankenset page #72 thus far. First, we had the '84 combo card of Bench and Yaz. Now, a highlights card commemorating Rollie Fingers' 1981 season.

Even though the photo quality of 1982 Fleer leaves a lot to be desired, this set has delivered some amazing cards for my frankenset, including a Big Red Machine combo card of Driessen, Concepcion, and Foster.

#645 2016 Topps Danny Santana

The major award winners were announced well over a week ago, but I haven't really deemed it necessary to discuss them on the blog. There weren't any huge surprises, though I was pleased to see Rocco Baldelli take home the AL Manager of the Year.

Granted, the Twins faired pretty poorly in the playoffs, but their 100-win season came as a shock to Baseball fans everywhere, including myself, for I didn't even predict they would make the postseason.

#646 1983 Topps Jim Essian

I'm not 100% sure, but the chain-link fence in the background of Jim Essian's 1983 Topps card leads me to believe that this photograph is from Spring Training.

Even without that part of the background, this card still has a whole lot going on. From the pink and yellow borders to the 2 different shades of blue being worn by the Mariners players, it's no wonder why '83 Topps is one of my favorite Flagship sets.

#647 1976 Topps Ramon Hernandez

The above 1976 Topps card of Ramon Hernandez isn't in the best condition which is likely why the card is apart of my frankenset instead of my '76 Topps Flagship binder.

Speaking of that set, I'm down to just 39 cards needed to finish it up. Ideally, I'd track down the remaining cards during COMC's Black Friday sale and have the set completed within the next week or so.

#648 1987 Topps Barry Larkin

Barry Larkin's 1987 Topps card is the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of the 12-time All-Star. Everything about it, from the wood borders to the Reds' away jersey, is practically engraved in my mind.

I've been collecting Larkin for quite some time now, but for whatever reason, he has yet to even reach silver tier status. Even though he's a Hall of Famer, Larkin doesn't seem to get much love from modern-day card companies. Either that or I never seem to come across any of them.