Buyback Franken-set: 900 and Counting!

Yes, the post title is completely accurate.  Today's batch of buybacks takes me to over 900 total buybacks since I began this project less than two years ago.  Let's see how this grouping fares...

1970 Topps #236 - Bob Veale

Getting us started today is strikeout specialist Bob Veale, who pitched for the Pirates and Red Sox during his big-league career.  During his stint in Pittsburgh, Veale was frequently near the top of the NL leader board in strikeouts, and once he actually topped the league (1964).  I like the pensive photograph on this 1970 card, but...

...Bob's got a tough match-up as the franken-set goes with this great example of the busy photographs 1973 Topps is known for.

At the end of the day I just couldn't oust that '73 from the binder.

1975 Topps #447 - Terry Crowley

Terry Crowley makes the binder by default, as #447 is a new number for my franken-set.  Crowley was a pinch-hitting specialist who won two World Series', one with the Orioles in 1970 and another with the Reds the year this card was printed up.

1975 Topps #354 - Dick Bosman

Dick Bosman here is also a new number for the binder at #354.  Getting two new numbers in a row feels significant given that I'm approaching 2/3 of the way done with the project.  Bosman's claim to fame is that he tossed a no-hitter against the powerhouse Oakland A's during the 1974 season.  It would've been a perfect game had it not been for his own throwing error in the fourth inning.  Ouch, I wonder if he still thinks back to that throw...

1975 Topps #408 - Clyde Wright

Holy God, this might be the most beat-up buyback I've encountered to date.  It cracks me up that Topps decided to stamp this one.  I guess it would give the binder some character, but there's already a #408 buyback blocking Clyde's path...

It's everyone's favorite outfielder, Joey Terdoslavich!  Looks like Joey's career may be done, he hasn't played in MLB in a couple of seasons now, though he did sign with the Pirates before the 2017 season just never made the roster.

I feel like I've welcomed plenty of '75 Topps cards to the binder of late, and the 2014 set isn't very well represented, so in the interest of variety Terdoslavich wins out.

1975 Topps #463 - World Series Game 3

Here's a cool one, I always enjoyed the World Series highlight subset in the vintage Topps releases.  Plus, you can't go wrong with HOFer Rollie Fingers and his trademark 'stache!  I'd assume this one is basically a lock at #463, but let's take a look...

Hmm...a bland Steve Comer rocking the powder blue get-up that I have a feeling the Rangers franchise would be happy to forget.

Easy call there.

1990 Topps #21 - Jeff Torborg

This one probably wouldn't excite most folks, but as a confessed lover of 1990 Topps I was happy to see it in my stack.  Will it make the franken-set though, or be slotted into my separate 1990 Topps buyback set?  Well, it's my first #21 buyback, so into the franken-set binder it goes, at least for now.

1990 Topps #271 - Chet Lemon

Here's another '90 to accompany it, outfielder Chet Lemon of the Tigers.  Chet was a 3x All-Star earlier in his career, and was a member of the Tigers team that won it all in 1984.  Not a bad buyback at all...

 ...but Randy Lerch has already been holding down slot 271 in the binder.

Lerch is going to stay, but only because I wanted to shuffle Lemon into the 1990 buyback set.

1985 Topps #370 - Bruce Sutter

Sweet, second HOFer in this post (if you count Rollie Fingers' appearance on that World Series card).  Sort of an odd photo of Bruce, who looks confused here posing at dusk.  Still, a HOFer is a HOFer, and I don't exactly have a plethora of '85 buybacks at this stage of the project either.

A good match-up for the franken-set binder, which is no surprise given that card numbers that are multiples of ten were usually assigned to the game's stars.

My prejudice against cap-less players definitely came into play here.

1990 Topps #764 - Tim Teufel

I don't recall this, and didn't watch much National League ball back in the day, but apparently Tim Teufel was known for his batting stance.  Dubbed the "Teufel shuffle", it consisted of Tim wiggling his buttocks before the pitch was delivered.  Okey-dokey.  As my first #764 buyback, Tim makes the cut for the franken-set binder.

1989 Topps #300 - Darryl Strawberry

Last buyback for today, and it's a good one.  Strawberry was the man in the late '80s, and the blue foil on this buyback goes nicely with the Mets' colors.  Strawberry, often a controversial figure, has been in the news most recently for admitting that he used to have sex during games.  Make what you will of that, I like this card anyway.

I already had this great Bo Jackson buyback in slot 300, two titans of their day slugging it out here for sure.

Luckily, having the dedicated 1990 Topps buyback set made this an easy call.  Bo heads over to that binder, and Darryl takes his spot in the franken-set proper.  Nice and tidy!

That was a fun round I have to say.  Four new numbers pushed me closer to 2/3 completion for the project overall, and the binder got some good upgrades as well in the form of a couple of guys who are enshrined in Cooperstown.

Still having a lot of fun with this project, and should be pushing past 1,000 total buybacks early in 2018 here.  Thanks for following along!

Franken-set Progress:  518/792 (65%)
"Rejected" Buybacks:  390
Total Buybacks in Collection: 908