Frankenset Page #65

Hopefully, I'll be able to get back into the habit of posting regularly over the weekend, since I've missed a few more posts than I would've liked so far this month. Thankfully, I have the reoccurring frankenset series that I can always count on when I need ideas.

This page, #65 in the binder of 74, showcases cards #577-585 and covers 3 decades of MLB history (the 1980s, 2000s, and 2010s). 

#577 1989 Fleer David Palmer

In addition to the mediocrity of the Boston Red Sox, one of the biggest shocks of the 2019 MLB season was how disappointing the Philadelphia Phillies were.

Despite having Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen (though he got injured), and J.T. Realmuto, they were eliminated from playoff contention by the Nationals, who clinched a Wild Card spot earlier this week.

If nothing else, at least Harper has 12 more chances to make the playoffs in Philadelphia.

#578 2015 Topps Ender Inciarte

One of the more underrated players on a formidable Braves team, Ender Inciarte arrived in Atlanta via the Arizona Diamondbacks as a part of the Dansby Swanson trade back in December of 2015. 

A career .286 hitter with 113 stolen bases, Inciarte has won a Gold Glove award in each of his seasons so far with the Braves (2016-2018). He's been limited to just 200 at-bats this year, so I don't believe he'll continue this streak.

#579 1988 Donruss Gary Lucas

After 1985, the quality of the Donruss base sets deteriorated as the "junk wax era" commenced. Though the '86 and '87 designs were average, 1988 Donruss is one of the most uninspired and bland sets of that era.

I suppose I chose this card because of the California Angels uniform because I don't know how else '88 Donruss would make it to my frankenset.

#580 2007 Topps Garret Anderson

Given how today's game has become centered around the home run, it seems like we're seeing fewer and fewer highlight reels of catches like the one on Garret Anderson's 2007 Topps card. There's less of an emphasis on defense, contact hitting, and almost every other stat category in favor of homers.

With that being said, I'm buying into this craze a little, and I'll be keeping an eye on Pete Alonso this weekend to see if he breaks Judge's single-season rookie home run record.

#581 2009 Upper Deck Alexei Ramirez

Speaking of highlight reels, I always remember, for some reason, seeing White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez make the SportsCenter top 10 plays list on a semi-regular basis. 

A career .270 hitter, Ramirez enjoyed success during his time in Chicago, including a 2008 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign when he was beaten out by Evan Longoria.

#582 1983 Topps Marshall Edwards

There have been plenty of 1983 Topps cards across my 65 frankenset pages thus far to the extent that anything I say about the set will likely be repetitive. So, I'll just reiterate how much I love these cards and move on.

#583 2016 Topps Didi Gregorius

As impressive as the Houston Astros are and as consistent as the Minnesota Twins have been, the New York Yankees should be the most feared team going into the postseason. 

After all, they're 102-56, and that's with Gio Urshela and Brian Tauchman starting far more frequently than superstars Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Didi Gregorius. 

I could dedicate a whole post to how many challenges this team has overcome, but, for now, I'll just wish the best of luck to whoever crosses their path in October.

#584 1983 Fleer Johnny Bench

I'm not sure how this Johnny Bench card ended up in the frankenset instead of the Bench PC, but I'm even more surprised to see 3rd base listed as his position on this 1983 Fleer card. 

I knew that Bench played other positions throughout his 17-year career, but I always assumed that catcher would be listed above all others.

#585 1984 Topps Dan Driessen

By the mid-1980s, few members of the Big Red Machine that won 2 World Championships in the 1970s remained in Cincinnati. Bench and Dan Driessen were among the players who stuck with the Reds, even after Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, and Tony Perez all moved on.

Top 5 Cards; Ryan Howard

Approximately a week and a half ago, former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was honored with a retirement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park, in front of the fans that cheered him on for over a decade. 

From 2006-2011, there were few hitters more feared in all of Major League Baseball than Howard. A 3-time All-Star, he was a vital part of the perennial championship contending Phillies team, especially the club that won it all back in 2008.

Unfortunately, the 2006 NL MVP began to falter after a successful 2011 season. He began to suffer injuries, causing his performance to fall drastically even when he was healthy. 

Even when the 2005 NL ROY award winner was healthy, like in 2014, his .223 average with 190 strikeouts proved that he was a shadow of his former self which is quite unfortunate given that he was on track for a Hall of Fame career.

After the Phillies declined his player option for the 2017 season, he had 2 unsuccessful minor league stints with the Braves and Rockies, though he'd never see major league action ever again. He ended his career a .258 hitter with 382 home runs.

A lot of the late-2000s and early-2010s superstars suffered the same fate as Howard. Guys like Brandon Phillips, C.J. Wilson, and Josh Hamilton simply couldn't keep up the momentum, and they ended up faltering. 

As someone who still collects and has respect for Ryan Howard, I pray that his final few seasons in the major's don't end up defining him as a person. Before the injuries became overly intense, Howard was one of the best players in the game, and the Phillies would not have won the 2008 World Series without their renowned slugger.

I don't find his cards in the dime bins all that often, but I have amassed a Ryan Howard PC of 61 total cards. Without further adieu, here are my 5 favorites.

#5 2015 Panini Prizm Red, White, & Blue Mojo Parallel

Just seeing this card gets me excited for the progress that I'm bound to make with the 2019 Panini Prizm project when I attend The National next week. With well over 20 parallels included in the set, the mission is definitely ambitious and, frankly, crazy.

However, I'm in love with the funky Prizm parallels, and I expect them to be available and relatively cheap at the show.

Though Howard was well past his prime in 2015, Panini still included him in the Prizm set. I'm not very familiar with the past Prizm Baseball products, but it appears that the parallels are fairly similar.

In the 2019 release, there are red, white, and blue as well as mojo refractors. However, the combination of the 2 makes this card worthy of the top 5.

#4 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter

Furthermore, seeing this simple yet stunning base card of Ryan Howard from 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter gets me excited about this year's A&G product, another set that I'm looking to track down at The National. This year, the non-sports cards include dogs, horses, and plants. Sign me up!

This card also demonstrates how much Allen & Ginter has changed since the inaugural set in 2006. Although the premise is virtually the same each year, the difference between the first set design and the 2018/2019 base cards is like night and day.

In some ways, I long for the older Topps Allen & Ginter sets, for the simple set designs were absolutely incredible. However, I love the direction that Topps is taking the set. Nonetheless, cards like the one above will forever be timeless.

#3 2010 Topps 2020

Unless I'm missing something, Topps hasn't produced a 3D insert set since the beginning of the 2010s with the 3D cards in Lineage as well as the 2020 insert. Though there aren't any Red Sox included in the 20-card set, there are a reasonable number of players that I collect, including Howard.

The insert set design, especially the stars in the background, fits perfectly with the 3D theme. On its own, the card is on the simple side, but the 3D cardstock allows the colors to pop and creates something incredibly unique, especially since we rarely see 3D cards anymore from any Baseball card company

#2 2011 Topps Lineage Stand-Ups

While I expect the original versions of these cards to be quite expensive, it would be awesome to find a vintage Stand-Ups insert for a reasonable price at The National this year. I don't want to get my hopes up, so I'll instead focus on the replicated insert from 2011 Topps Lineage, a set that recreated a ton of past Topps oddballs.

The yellow and green background holds true to the original cards, and the photo of Howard is expertly chosen. Apart from the batting helmet, the picture looks like something from the original 1964 set.

I'm rarely a fan of facsimile signatures, but they appeared on the original cards as well, so I suppose it's not too major of a deal.

#1 2016 Topps Archives Red Parallel

2016 marked the end of Howard's 13-year MLB career, all of which was spent with the Philadelphia Phillies. By that point, he was barely hanging around, for he hit .196 in his final MLB season. 

Don't get it twisted, Howard was a far better player throughout his career than he was in 2016. As far as I know, this is the last card of his that I ever pulled. I always enjoy when the color of a parallel or refractor matches the team's uniform, and this red parallel numbered 1/50 from 2016 Topps Archives, does exactly that.

I recall pulling this card during the summer of 2016 when Archives was first released. Now, roughly 3 years later, Howard was honored, deservingly so, with a retirement ceremony in front of the fans in Philadelphia.

He may not have ended his career on a high note, but I'll always collect cards of Ryan Howard.

2019 Predictions; NL East

In 2018, the American League East was arguably the toughest division in all of Baseball, featuring 3 teams with 90 or more wins and 2 with 100+. Now, in 2019, that title will likely go to the NL East where 4 of the 5 teams are destined for success this time around.

Last season, the Atlanta Braves, much to my surprise, ran away with the NL East division, finishing 90-72 and 8 games ahead of the Washington Nationals. The Phillies ended up in 3rd place after a dismal last few weeks of the season, including a 2-8 record in their final 10 games. The Mets were not too far behind Philadelphia, and the Marlins were in a league of their own with 98 losses.

Although they lost Bryce Harper to free agency, the Nationals boosted their already-strong rotation, making it one of the best in Baseball. Besides signing Patrick Corbin to a 6-year $140 million dollar deal, Washington didn't make too many significant moves this offseason.

The Mets, on the other hand, did the exact opposite as the Nationals by completing a blockbuster trade with the Mariners. After acquiring Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano from Seattle, the Mets are clearly ready to contend in the NL East. 

Even though they've established themselves as a legitimate threat, just wonder if the Mets have what it takes to contend with the Braves and Phillies.

In what has been the toughest division to predict thus far, the NL East's top teams proved challenging to rank. I'm definitely expecting a shake-up in this division in 2019, and I'm hoping to be more accurate than I was with the NL East last year.

1st Place; Philadelphia Phillies

Although they fell off the map towards the end of 2018, I have extremely high hopes for the Phillies in 2019. In addition to signing marquee free agent Bryce Harper to a mega contract worth $330 million dollars, the Phillies have all the pieces for a World Series run.

Beyond the stats he puts up, Harper's going to leave a significant impact on this Phillies team. I can definitely see him aiding in the development of Rhys Hoskins who struggled with his batting average in 2018. Jean Segura will also provide a veteran presence as one of the most underrated players in Baseball.

As far as the pitching goes, they have a former Cy Young award winner in Jake Arrieta and a young stud in Aaron Nola. They don't have the strongest pitching beyond those 2 starters, so hopefully, the new guys like Andrew McCutchen and J.T. Realmuto can help out.

Simply put, if this top-tier roster performs to the best of its abilities, the Phillies will make their way to the top of the NL East division.

2nd Place; Atlanta Braves

Rookie phenom Ronald Acuña Jr was unbelievable in 2018, earning the NL Rookie of the Year award and MVP votes. Up until the 2nd half, Ozzie Albies was also fantastic. However, will this young Braves team remain consistent after exceeding expectations in 2018?

Only time will tell, but resigning All-Star Nick Markakis was a huge step in the right direction for Atlanta. They have the foundation for a strong rotation that includes Julio Teheran and Sean Newcomb. They finished 8th in Baseball last season with a 3.75 ERA, so they definitely have a well-rounded team overall.

In a weaker division, I could see the Braves finishing 1st with over 90 wins. Although they have a strong chance of finishing 2019 with a higher win total than last season, I don't believe it's enough to beat out the Phillies.

3rd Place; New York Mets

Despite a historic performance that included a 1.70 ERA and 269 strikeouts, 2018 NL Cy Young award winner, Jacob DeGrom, managed just 10 wins in 2018. This was thanks to a Mets lineup that failed to provide even 3 runs for DeGrom most times that he pitched.

In an attempt to rectify that and provide a stronger closer to maintain DeGrom's win, the Mets completed the previously-mentioned blockbuster trade with the Mariners to acquire Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. 

Although Diaz is only 25 years of age, Cano is 36 years old, and that's something that worries me. Even though they have a few young hitters in place, New York can't depend on a 36-year old Cano as their primary means of offensive production. 

Alas, if that's their plan in 2019, they won't be able to contend with the Phillies and Braves for the top spot in this division.

4th Place; Washington Nationals

The Nationals may have one of the strongest rotations in Baseball, including Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin, but the departure of Bryce Harper is going to leave a void that's going to take time to fill. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Nationals and the Mets switched spots in the division if Juan Soto continues to develop as one of Baseball's best hitters. His unbelievable performance in 2018 established him as the building block for Washington's future. 

Along with Trea Turner, the Nationals have the young pieces necessary to manage without Bryce Harper. However, I don't see this team returning to the postseason as is, especially in the toughest division in Baseball

5th Place; Miami Marlins

Is this decision even debatable? I seriously doubt that any of the 4 talented teams in the NL East are going to finish below the Miami Marlins, a team that traded away their last star player, J.T. Realmuto, to the Phillies over the offseason.

Besides Starlin Castro, this team has virtually no experience, and it's going to be a few years before all the prospects they traded for are finally MLB-ready. Until then, it's going to be a series of difficult seasons for Miami, all while lacking a true franchise player.

For Derek Jeter's sake, I pray that the prospects Miami traded for develop the way their supposed to or better. Because, if not, all these years of mediocrity will have been for nothing.