Valued reader Zach left a comment on yesterday's blog entry requesting the zesty green border of 1991 Donruss Series 2, which solved my daily dilemma of which card to post. The base cards in this set are enough of an eyesore, with their neon Trapper Keeper stripes and splotches in the margins, but the MVP subset cranks it to 11. The goofy clip art baseballs in the background of the photo are reminiscent of Donruss' 1987 set, and the bold yellow "MVP" wordmark on top, complete with rainbow gradient drop shadow, complete the sensory overload.
As for Gregg Olson: with all due respect to the Otter, the fact that Donruss tabbed him as the most valuable player for the Orioles in the just-concluded 1990 season is emblematic of the team's tumble to fifth place in the East. The Birds' sophomore closer was very good, with a 2.42 ERA, 37 saves, and 74 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. But if the standout player on your club is only on the field for the equivalent of eight-plus games, there are probably some everyday players who didn't meet expectations.
This is beautiful - just what I needed to break out of the dreary winter funk. This set might be the first I ever opened packs from in my life. The tubular '80s carryover color blotches can lift me up any day.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'd become immune to the visuals of this set but it hadn't really registered with me until now that the 'stripes' encroaching from one side don't match those on the other side.
ReplyDeleteZach - Glad to help!
ReplyDeleteBob - Yeah, in that way it's quite a departure from Donruss' typical designs throughout the previous decade.