You can generally categorize the funniest looking baseball cards into categories. You have your "guys with strange props" like Glenn Hubbard's snake, (which recently got its own bobblehead), Mickey Hatcher's giant glove, Bip Roberts' sombrero, Doug Drabek's furry hat and Jay Johnstone's umbrella hat (Fleer always seemed willing to push the envelope). Rex Hudler … [Read more...] about The Story Behind Keith Comstock’s Nutty 1989 Minor League Card
1989 Fleer Billy Ripken
‘For Keeps’ Podcast Tackles 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken Saga
For those who grew up around 30 years ago, it remains a childhood icon. For everyone else, it’s still one of the hobby’s most recognizable cards. The 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken F***Face turned into a national story and offered some measure of immortality to Cal’s brother. In his latest ‘For Keeps’ podcast focused on all types of collectibles, David Peterkovsky chatted with Jon … [Read more...] about ‘For Keeps’ Podcast Tackles 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken Saga
Infamous Billy Ripken Card Gets G-Rated Bobblehead
It was the baseball card that created a national stir—not that any of the newspapers that wrote about it could actually write what was written on the bottom of Billy Ripken’s bat 29 years ago. The Fleer card that began emerging from those pinstriped gray wax packs in early 1989 included two words written in felt-tip marker. One word was “Face” and the one above it … [Read more...] about Infamous Billy Ripken Card Gets G-Rated Bobblehead
Obscene Gestures on Baseball Cards Present Before Billy
Perhaps the most famous obscenity to ever appear on a baseball card was part of the original release of the 1989 Fleer set in which a four-letter word was noted on Billy Ripken's bat. This card, deemed the "Rick-Face" version by Dr. James Beckett in 1989, featured a very young Billy in just . It was not, however, the first time such words or gestures appeared on a baseball … [Read more...] about Obscene Gestures on Baseball Cards Present Before Billy
Ramblings: Recalling Billy Ripken FF Card Mania
One of the enduring mysteries of the over-production era of the card collecting hobby is how did a card with an easily observable obscenity on the bat get past so many people who were supposed to ensure such language would not appear on a card. Unlike the 1964 Topps Ray Sadecki card in which the card was cropped in such a way the word “ass” appeared in the background, the early … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Recalling Billy Ripken FF Card Mania
Collectors Still Chasing the Truth About Ripken Card
Donovan Ryan was a kid in 1989, hooked by the scandalous controversy over the obscenity on the bottom of Bill Ripken's bat in the now-famous 1989 Fleer card. It was definitely a word not to be used at the dinner table and for millions of kids his age, it only fueled an interest in baseball cards that had been gaining steam for a couple of years. Early on, the card was … [Read more...] about Collectors Still Chasing the Truth About Ripken Card