We're done

Hey guess what? We're done with this set, and with this blog. The full 110-card set went by quickly, didn't it?

The good news is that I'm moving right along to my next set, the 1989 Topps Major League Debut set, and we're just getting started over at my new blog, Traded Sets.

See you on the other side!

#110T Orestes Destrade

We complete this set not with a bang, but with a whimper. Destrade was a well-regarded rookie at this time but disappeared from the big leagues after 1988. Disappeared until 1993, that is, when he got a shot with the first-year Marlins and posted a 20-HR season. He fell off considerably in 1994 and that was truly it for him. Destrade had spent 3 of those intervening years (1990-1992) in Japan, where he hit 42, 39, and 41 HR while playing 130 or fewer games each year (the season in Japan is shorter than in MLB.)

I don't see any particularly interesting words on the back, so here are some anagrams for Orestes Destrade:

Retreaded tosses
Dread sore testes
Rotted deer asses

#109T Darrin Jackson

It's a nice action shot of Jackson, but what I find truly interesting is the kneeling ball girl in the background. There's something you don't see every day on a baseball card.

Best phrase on the back is definitely "groin area."

#108T Melido Perez

This is a great action shot of Perez, but what exactly is sitting in the stands on the right? It looks like a huge cartoon giraffe.

There are a few choice words on the back including "supple," "ironies," and "charming."


The

#107T John Costello

Holy orgasm face! The one on the back ain't much better.

Best phrase on the back is clearly "gold-plated."



The

#106T Todd Burns

Here's another great photo showing the back of a player, made OK by the headshot on the back of the card.

Best word on the back is clearly "Oral." You just have to go read the card back now, eh?

#105T Roberto Alomar

Here's the first rubber bat we've seen in a while. On the front, we can also see a guy in a muscle shirt as well as a photographer.

On the back of the card, I feel fairly certain that the hat is airbrushed onto Alomar. It just doesn't look right, especially at the edge where his hair is under the brim of the cap.

Best word on the back is "smashing," used as an adjective and not a present participle.

I also note mention in the space of a couple of sentences of Sandy Alomar Sr., Sandy Alomar Jr., Nolan Ryan, and Tony Gwynn.

#104T Don August

This isn't even close to August's rookie card, as he had on Olympic card in the 1985 Topps set. (See here.)

Speaking of the Olympics, the best word on the back is "thrill."

#103T Craig Biggio

I love Craig Biggio. I mean, I love him as a player.

Pretty quietly, he put together a fantastic career. Start that he managed to stick with one franchise for 20 seasons. And check out these career milestones: 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, nearly 300 homers, and an OPS+ of 111.

In the photo on the front, it looks like Shea Stadium to me, but the Astros appear to be wearing home uniforms. Hmm. Biggio did play 3 games at Shea in 1988.

Check out the photo on the back, however. Look in the background. There's the back, ass, and legs of a young lady. Hmm. It seems fitting, then, that the best word on the back is "eye-popping."