Buyback Franken-set: Crime Dog & Crew

Let's keep marching forward as far as my Buyback Franken-set is concerned, and evaluate another ten hopefuls today...

1991 Topps Traded #77T - Fred McGriff

A strong card in the lead-off spot for today's post, as I've always been a big fan of the under-rated Fred McGriff.  A really nice posed photograph, and a beautiful card all around.  Unfortunately, this one is from the 1991 Topps Traded set, since Fred was dealt from Toronto to San Diego in the infamous December of 1990 trade that sent Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter to Toronto.  Because of that fact...

...it's ineligible for the franken-set, which at this point covers cards number 1 through 792 only.  If I ever get around to doing a 132-card "Traded" franken-set, Fred will be a virtual lock for slot 77 in that one.

1978 Topps #443 - Darrel Chaney

Next up, a puzzled-looking Darrel Chaney courtesy of 1978 Topps.  An odd photo selection here, I guess it was too much to ask for Chaney to crack even a slight grin.

Already in slot 443 of the binder is another card featuring a less-than-excited subject, with manager John Felski's 1987 issue.

Not exactly a clash of the titans here, I'll go with the '78 over the '87, though.

1989 Topps #541 - Cecil Fielder

A nice 1989 Cecil Fielder here.  This one's pretty cool because Cecil did not actually play in Major League Baseball in 1989.  That was his infamous year off that he spent over in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers, honing the craft of hittin' dingers.

Standing between Cecil and the franken-set is this '75 Roger Metzger.  Decisions, decisions...

In the end I decided to go with Fielder, since he's a slugger who I have some boyhood memories of watching and appreciating.

1987 Topps #271 - Mike Brown

Boy, I should have sub-titled this post "Excited Subjects", I guess.  Mike Brown looks positively bored here.  Love the Mariners trident logo, but that's about all this card has going for it in my humble opinion.

Can it unseat '78 Randy Lerch for spot 271 in the binder?

No, it cannot.

1988 Topps #400 - Ozzie Smith All-Star

Now there's a brighter card!  Some nice bold red and yellow here on The Wizard's 1988 All-Star subset card.  I really liked Ozzie Smith a lot growing up, would love to welcome this buyback to the binder.  As with every card in today's post, Ozzie's potential slot already has an occupant...

Not a bad card here either, with the 1989 Alan Trammell All-Star card.  This particular section of the binder is littered with '80s/'90s All-Star subset cards, since Topps had them at roughly the same card numbers for a few years running there.  I actually like this 1989 design better than the '88s, but...

...in this case the subject was the deciding factor, as I've always been more a fan of Smith than of Trammell.  I appreciate both players, but forced to choose give me Ozzie!

This one was part of a completed page.  Here it is before, with Trammell at middle left...

...and here we have Smith subbed in.  Like I said, a lot of All-Star subset representation here.  I expect that to be the case permanently, and the four non-All-Star cards here are ultimately probably goners, and just don't know it yet.

1968 Topps #317 - Ron Brand

Oh boy, the atrocious blacked-out cap really ruins this one for me.  I can't imagine this beating out any card for inclusion in the binder, but for the sake of posterity let's see who Ron Brand is up against anyway...

Oh man!  Easiest decision of today's post, by far.  This 1960 Pumpsie Green RC is an absolute standout of the franken-set binder.

Brand is destroyed in a brutal match-up!

1970 Topps #6 - Grant Jackson

A nice Grant Jackson here, if a little washed out photo-wise.  It's a tall order to try to sneak your way onto the very first page of the franken-set binder, but that's what Grant will have to do here.  What card is he pitted against?

Now, I have to say that this is probably the easiest card on the first page for a contender to bump out.  That being said, I don't think the Jackson has any real advantages over it.  Being a Red Sox fan first and foremost...

...I'm going to leave Chuck Schilling in place.  Off to the rejected box with Jackson.

1990 Topps Traded #53T - Brad Komminsk

I picked this one up on COMC just because it was listed for pocket change, and because I love all things 1990 Topps.  The reality is though...

...that as a Traded card, it's every bit as ineligible as the Crime Dog card that led off today's proceedings.

1976 Topps #239 - John Curtis

Next up, John Curtis, who had a decent portion of his face stamped out by the buyback stamp here.  Generally speaking, I like the 1976 Topps design.  This particular photo is certainly at least a bit interesting as well (is that an umbrella in Curtis' back pocket?).  All in all, not a bad buyback.  Let's see the competition as far as the franken-set goes...

Ouch, that hurts.  This '59 Bob Trowbridge is from the first round of buybacks that I even consider eligible for the set, available as box-toppers from 2008 Topps Heritage.

Just can't bring myself to supplant the '59 with a '76 in this case.

1984 Topps #5 - Dave Righetti/Bob Forsch/Mike Warren Highlight

Last card for today is a cool one, a 1984 Topps Highlight card paying tribute to the three pitchers who hurled no-hitters the season prior.  I love cards like this that pay homage to a specific event or moment in time.  This one would actually have a decent shot at the binder...

...if it weren't for the fact that I already have this '78 Topps Pete Rose Record Breaker card in slot 5.  I'm more into Rose as a player than any of the three subjects on the competing card, and I like this actual card itself more as well.

Off to the rejected box with the no-hitters.  Certainly one of the cooler buybacks in that box though.  The first page of the binder is a tough nut to crack indeed.

Well, that's a wrap for this latest edition.  Unfortunately I didn't get any new numbers for the project out of today's contestants, but at least a few of the hopefuls battled their way in to strengthen the set overall.  At this late stage, I'll take that.

Until next time, thanks as always for stopping by!

Franken-set Progress: 672/792 (84%)
1990 Topps Buyback Set: 134/792 (16%)
"Rejected" Buybacks: 721
Total Buybacks in Collection: 1,527