Buyback Franken-set: Back to Earth for Brett?

Let's get to the second group of buybacks I received recently from my friend and reader of the blog Brett.  In the last round nearly a week ago Brett went 6-for-10 on new numbers and impressively completed two new pages, but can his luck hold up?

Let's find out...

1989 Topps #704 - Carlos Quintana

Coming out strong with a card that checks two boxes for me; new number for the franken-set and a new Red Sox buyback!  Carlos looks kind of stupefied if I'm being brutally honest, not exactly his finest moment captured on cardboard here.  Doesn't matter to me, a new number is a new number, and even if this one gets bounced someday it'll be a cool card for my Red Sox collection.

1984 Topps #444 - Steve Renko

Next up, Steve Renko with what I think qualifies as a small crowd in the background there.  This is actually a "sunset card", Renko began his career all the way back in 1969 and pitched his final Major League Baseball inning in 1983.  A nice enough card, but...

...rough match-up for the franken-set binder with this fantastic Cal Ripken Sr. tip-of-the-cap buyback I got a while back from Dimebox Nick.

Good news for Steve is he has plenty of other Topps releases, having had a lengthy career, so maybe he'll get another crack at the binder with some other buyback in the future.

1985 Topps #442 - Ken Forsch

Speaking of tip-of-the-cap buybacks!  2x All-Star Ken Forsch is most known for no-hitting the Braves in April of 1979.  I have no clue what's going on in the background there since it's a bit blurry, but it certainly doesn't look the photo was taken in a baseball park.

Another pitcher buyback already sits in slot 442 of the binder.  I just love the classic '70s dugout backdrop on this one.

Alan Foster retains his spot!

1990 Topps #552 - Mike Smith

A new '90 Topps buyback, score!  I've already got a separate 1990 Topps buyback set binder going, and once I get through these next couple of buyback franken-set trade packages I'm going to start tallying those as a separate category at the end of these posts.  This one goes into the franken-set binder though, as it's my first #552 buyback.

1990 Topps #702 - Tony Phillips

Tony Phillips, however, is not a new number at 702.  I could either slide this one into the 1990 Topps buyback binder, or...

...I could oust Tim Pugh to make room for Tony in the franken-set binder proper.

Going with the former, one card closer to a 1990 Topps buyback set!  I'm not even 100% sure that this is an achievable goal but it'll be fun taking a crack at it anyway.

1989 Topps #705 - Terry Kennedy

Next up, a nice shot of catcher Terry Kennedy poised for a play at the plate courtesy of 1989 Topps.  Kennedy was actually a 4x All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award during his career, which I didn't realize until receiving this card and typing up this post.  Pretty cool, but there's an Orioles buyback already in slot 705 that's a bit more interesting to this Boston Red Sox fan:

Yup, Dewey Evans in an O's uniform!  This just looks so strange to me that I kind of like having it in the binder.  I think I received this one from CommishBob of The Five Tool Collector blog, if memory serves.

Gotta stick with Dwight for now.

1990 Topps #647 - Rex Hudler

Brett seriously hooked me up with 1990 buybacks in this delivery, this is the third in this evening's post alone.  Rex apparently earned the nickname "Bug Eater" after eating a large June Bug on a dare from teammates during his time in St. Louis.  What can I say?  Every buyback franken-set post is a learning experience!

Already had this interesting '77 Topps Expos team card in pocket 647.

Into the 1990 Topps buyback binder with Rex.

1988 Topps #748 - Reid Nichols

I was surprised by the next couple of cards, both are high numbers that I felt would likely be new numbers for the set, however neither was.  Reid Nichols, who didn't appear in an MLB game in 1988 or any year after, is vying for spot 748 but...

...I've already got this '87 Mike Flanagan in that slot.

I like the Flanagan better in this case.

1989 Topps #772 - Ron Oester

Then we have Ron Oester, at the even higher number of 772.  In order for the Reds' second baseman of the '80s to make the binder...

...he'll have to dislodge this 1991 Kent Mercker.  This one's from earlier in Kent's career when he was still being used almost exclusively out of the 'pen by the Braves.

Don't have a strong opinion either way on this one, so I'm sticking with the Mercker.

1990 Topps #687 - Tim Birtsas

Last card for tonight, yet another 1990 Topps buyback!  Reds buybacks from 1990 are especially appreciated given that they won the World Series that year against the powerhouse Oakland A's.  Birtsas' career was in decline by that point, and he didn't pitch in the NLCS or World Series but hey, he's got a ring.

This one's a new number, which makes three in tonight's batch.  Not only that but the 1990 Topps buyback binder was strengthened a bit as well.  All in all, another great round from Brett, with more still to come!

Franken-set Progress:  581/792 (72%)
"Rejected" Buybacks:  487
Total Buybacks in Collection:  1,068