Buyback Franken-set: You Know You Have Too Many Buybacks When...

After scaring everyone away with a soccer card yesterday, let's return to regular old baseball to start the week.  Here's ten more buybacks to be evaluated for the franken-set project...

1986 Topps #10 - Tony Gwynn

I'll lead off with the biggest name in today's grouping by a long shot, the great Tony Gwynn!  I enjoy this one quite a bit, as the '86 Topps set is one that has grown on me over the years.  It's always nice to welcome a new HOFer to the binder as well, but can I do that in this case?  Well, there's already a buyback in slot #10:

Hmm...one of the greatest pure hitters the game has ever seen vs. a hat-less '66 Cloninger.

Gwynn is in!

1979 Topps #436 - Hector Cruz

This next one is responsible for generating the title of today's post.  When I scanned in this '79 Topps Hector Cruz buyback I thought it looked familiar, and when I went to slide it into the binder I found out why:

Yup, I already had virtually the same buyback.  True, this one is from the 2015 Topps buyback program and today's batch comes courtesy of the 2017 "Rediscover Topps" promotion, but for all intents and purposes this is the same card.

Flip a coin really, but I couldn't see any sense in removing the one that was currently in the binder.

1986 Topps #736 - Glenn Wilson

Next up is another '86, featuring right-fielder Glenn Wilson of the Phillies.  Glenn was coming off of the best season of his career when this card was printed, as he drove in over 100 runs in 1985 and was named an All-Star for the only time.  Random fact about Wilson, he went deep twice against Randy Johnson in a game in September of 1988, the first two home runs Johnson would ever surrender!  At #736, Glenn makes the cut uncontested.

1988 Topps #483 - Rod Booker

Rod Booker's Major League career consisted of three seasons with the Cardinals followed by two with the Phillies.  He was primarily used as a pinch hitter/utility player and never appeared in even half of his team's games in any one of those seasons.  Without another #483 buyback though Rod makes the binder, at least for now.

1990 Topps #264 - Bryan Clutterbuck

Happy to land another new 1990 Topps buyback, though admittedly pitcher Bryan Clutterbuck is not the most exciting card from the set.  Bryan was with the Brewers' organization for close to ten seasons, but only cracked the big league roster for two of them, with 1989 being the last.  Sadly, he passed away last year at age 56 after a struggle with colon cancer.

This '79 Topps buyback of World Series champion Don Robinson is blocking Bryan's path to the binder.

For now it will stay that way.

1993 Topps #263 - Vince Horsman

Vince Horsman becomes just the second 1993 Topps buyback to make the binder, as I don't have another #263 buyback to pit him against.  Horsman is one of just a small handful of players from Nova Scotia to make it in Major League Baseball.

1971 Topps #256 - Tony Gonzalez

Next up is an unattractive 1971 Tony Gonzalez card.  That blacked out cap is just plain ugly.  I was actually relieved when I thumbed through the binder and found this buyback already sitting in slot 256:

So much more colorful and lively!

1985 Topps #477 - Bob Ojeda

Always nice to kill two birds with one stone and land a new Red Sox card via a buyback lot.  The timing on this one is funny too, since I featured a Bob Ojeda buyback in my last buyback post, and talked about how the Red Sox dealt him away after the 1985 season.  Unfortunately for Ojeda there are actually four guys blocking his entry to the set!

As much as I'd love to welcome a new Sox buyback to the binder I just don't have many of these multi-player rookies in buyback form.

Better luck next time Bob.

1985 Topps #695 - Rick Rhoden

Next we've got another '85, featuring one of the endless number of Pirates uniforms of the day.  I actually really like this card, it's just so colorful with all that yellow and a bright blue sky.  I wasn't aware of this, but Rick has actually become a successful golfer since stepping away from baseball.  This is my first #695 buyback so it makes the binder.

1970 Topps #347 - Russ Snyder

Last card for today, another bright and colorful one too.  Russ Snyder lasted 12 years in Major League Baseball, and is most remembered for his time with the Baltimore Orioles.  His steady glove in the outfield was a major contributing factor to their World Series championship in 1966.

This very green Royals team card is already in slot 347 of the binder though, and I enjoy this one quite a bit.

Russ loses out in a close one.

Four new numbers for the binder out of this group, plus the Tony Gwynn card really strengthened the second page.  Not bad!

Franken-set Progress:  409/792 (52%)
"Rejected" Buybacks:  199
Total Buybacks in Collection: 608