In their inaugural baseball card set, Score really did it right. I think these bright green borders might have been the best of the six colors they used; they really pop, and nothing says baseball like green. Each card back had a full-color headshot and paragraphs full of biographical details about the player, giving you insight that you just didn't get from the other cards out there. And some of these photos are fantastic.Here we see power-hitting outfielder Mike Young during a road game, most likely on AstroTurf (Toronto? Minnesota?), running the bases. Though he's contorted in sort of an odd and ungraceful position, you still get the impression that he's turning on the afterburners because his batting helmet has been left behind. It's shades of Willie Mays, who reportedly wore his cap one size too big so that it would fly loose while he was on the move and make it look like he was even faster than he actually was. After I read about that, I used to knock my own hat loose when I played kickball at recess in middle school. Considering my lack of coordination, I probably should have paid more attention to the intricacies of the game.
This card is already great because of the sort of midair moment that some of my fellow bloggers appreciate so greatly. But it's made even better because while Mike Young's attention is fixed off-camera and on the next base (and possibly his base coach), his helmet is facing the camera, straight ahead. It's almost as if one of the ghosts of the diamond has inhabited the inanimate piece of equipment and has begun to slide into the upcoming base.
Can you think of any other cards that capture a disembodied batting helmet? How about a regular cap? For some reason, I imagine the latter is more prevalent.
5 comments:
It's interesting how different people's opinions are. While I totally respect the fact that you like these green Score cards, I absolutely hate them. I hated them when I first collected the set, and I hate them now, and the reason is that the green always clashed with the green grass or green turf in the photo, and this card is a great example. I feel that they should have picked a lighter OR darker green that was further away from the green in the photos in order to prevent clashing.
Andy, I can see how that would bother you. I never really liked 1994 Topps, but a lot of people did. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.
I like the '88 Score set in general but my favorite baseball card set of all-time is probably 1999 Topps. 1994 Topps had an annoying design in my opinion. I also love 1993 Topps, but '99 is king in my book.
I think a lot of it plays into what stage of collecting you were into at the time - i.e., your first cards as a kid, just getting back into collecting as a teen/young adult. My favorites are 78 and 80 Topps, but I also really like the red speckled 90 Donruss that a lot of people hate.
That's gotta be the HHH Metrodome...You can see the folded football seats in the background...
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