The 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Dating Game (Episode 10)

Welcome back to The 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Dating Game, where we'll randomly select three eligible bachelors from the set and you, the reader, will choose which one wins that date with a special lady. How do we know they're bachelors? Why, it says so right on the back of their hockey cards, that's how!

Previous episodes are available here.

The big winner of episode 9 was Wayne Gretzky.

Now, let's start the 10th round and introduce the bachelors chosen by the randomizer! [APPLAUSE]

Bachelor number 1: Center from the Philadelphia Flyers, Ron Flockhart
Bachelor number 2: Center from the Buffalo Sabres, J.F. Sauve
Bachelor number 3: Left Wing/Right Wing from the Edmonton Oilers, Glenn Anderson

Can we have two Edmonton winners in a row? Let's find out a bit more about each bachelor first by viewing the back of their cards.

Well, after all the Gretzky-related excitement during the previous episode, it looks like our studio audience (and a couple of our bachelors) have gotten quiet. Still, we've got to choose a winner.

Who will it be?

Bachelor number 1: Ron Flockhart, a Cooperall-wearing man from British Columbia who put up 30 goals last year.

Bachelor number 2: French-speaking J.F. Sauve, who led the QMJHL in scoring for two straight years.

Bachelor number 3: Tennis player and former Olympian, Glenn Anderson.

Completed Set: 1991 Topps Baseball

The 1991 Topps baseball set holds some significance that should not be overlooked:

• It was the final year Topps used their traditional, thick card stock.

• It was the final year Topps sealed their cards in wax packs.

• It was the final year those wax packs came with a stick of bubble gum.

And as you can see on the top left of Nolan Ryan's card here, Topps was also celebrating 40 years of producing baseball cards.

That's a lot of history. But there's something else about Nolan's card that's important, too:

The action.

Over the previous couple of years, the newer baseball card brands (Upper Deck in particular) had been displaying very fine, creative photography on their cards. 1991 was the first year Topps seemed to step up their own game.

Just how much of a statement did they make?

Well, that Nolan Ryan card is the very first card of the set. How's that for an opener? 

Pretty good timing for a 40th anniversary, too.

And card #1 was just the start. Have a look at these examples.

And on top of those cards, now look at these.

And this!

These types of "staged" shots would become rather popular (if not a bit overdone) throughout the '90s. But at the beginning of the decade it was still a big departure from the norm. Topps was really going for it.

As for the overall design of the card, you can see it's somewhat simplistic. However, I think that's fine because it doesn't take away from the elements you really want to notice: the 40th anniversary logo at the top left and and the team name at the bottom right (which is done in each team's official wordmark). And of course, the imagery itself.

Before we get back to the gems of the set, though, let's note that Topps also maintained some traditional baseball card style in 1991.

I'm happy about this. 

You can imagine there may have been some pressure to go overboard with the fancier, more modern action shots in order to keep up with Score and Upper Deck and the premium brands. But every good complete set needs some posed shots, too—especially when you've got 792 cards to create. 

I mean, look at Rafael Palmeiro there. That's a baseball card. Tradition, I say! 

And speaking of tradition, here's a shot of the card back.

It's mostly what you'd expect with the full bio, stats, and "league leader in italics" style, but note the monthly scoreboard on the bottom. Clever little departure there. Tony Fernandez had a pretty good September/October.


Now let's continue with the stunners in this set.

First, move your eyes from left to right and watch as three infielders morph into one to complete a double play.

Now go from right to left and watch these three guys combine to wallop a baseball.

Finally, here are my four favorite cards in the entire set.

Dwight Evans has just laced a single into center field, and it's that magic moment right after contact and right before everyone in the crowd reacts. Seems like only Evans himself knows he's just gotten a hit.

Shane Mack has finally come to a stop, but the position he's in, the slide marks to the right of third base, and his still-tumbling helmet reveal just how fast he was running a few moments ago.

 

Within a second or two, Walt Weiss has stepped on second base, thrown the ball toward first, and leapt in the air to avoid the take-out slide of Joel Skinner. And he's still focused enough to watch the flight of the ball. A perfectly executed double play, perfectly caught by the Topps photographer, perfectly framed on the card. 

 

Carlton Fisk is a smart catcher. He knows it's Cecil Fielder (6'3", 230 lbs) barreling down at him. And although Fisk is a big boy himself (6'2", 223 lbs), he's got to be devoting at least part of his mental faculties to things like force, mass, and acceleration as the throw from the outfield heads toward him. Fortunately, it looks like Fielder's teammate is yelling at him to get down for a slide, which might feel a bit less awful to Fisk than a flat-out football-style collision.


Fantastic cards, right? And you can find plenty more on your own. 

Before this set, the last time Topps featured so many compelling action shots in a set was probably in 1973.

I'm very happy to have finally put this set together. Big thanks to Bo from Baseball Cards Come to Life! for helping me out with a big stack of them. 

And thanks for reading, as always.

You Wanted the Best and You Got It: The Hottest Band in the Land. . .

KISS!

A few months ago I picked up five cards from the 1978 Donruss KISS set.

Why?

I don't know. A trade partner had some available, and lately I've been discovering just how many non-sport cards Donruss churned out, going all the way back to the 1960s. Movies, TV shows, music acts, and the like. So I thought it would be fun to add a card of each band member to my small non-sport collection.

Paul Stanley

Back when I was a teenager, a couple of friends introduced me to the music of KISS with a mix tape. After giving it a listen, I got back to them and mentioned that some of the tunes were pretty cool. 

Before I knew it, one of these friends was asking me if I'd like to see the band perform. Nassau Coliseum, New York. Floor section. Front and center. Just a few rows away from the stage. (He had an aunt who worked in the industry.)

Sure, I was in.

Peter Criss

Well, it was a pretty exciting show. Those four musicians were simply made for live performances. Lights, flames, explosions, decibels. On top of all that, a few songs into the show I caught a guitar pick thrown into the crowd by Ace Frehley, which was pretty cool. (I still have it, look.)

And so I was bitten by the KISS bug for a little while.

Ace Frehley

Some of the card backs in this set feature a puzzle-piece photo, which when put together with the rest form a larger rectangular image of the entire band (6 cards down and 9 cards across!). Other card backs contain simple yet creative write-ups. Here's the back of Ace Frehley's card.

With all the merchandising KISS has done over the decades, none of us should be surprised that the band ended up on trading cards (series 1 and series 2!).

But back in their heyday, they sure played some catchy, rockin' music. And they penned what could be the best opening line of a rock song in history:

Get up, and get your grandma outta here!

Gene Simmons

Watch Gene sing it on The Midnight Special back in 1975.

Have any of you ever been bitten by the KISS bug? If so, what's your favorite song?

Neal and Nickelodeon

Today's custom card was inspired by a pro who played multiple positions for the same team, and features a young actor who played multiple characters on the same show.

First, here's the original card:

1959 Topps #427, Charlie Neal

And here are some hints for the look-alike:

He was a cast member of a well-loved sketch comedy series on Nickelodeon back in the 1990s.

The characters he portrayed were usually a little wacky in one way or another.

He and another character from that show would spin off a show of their own. Plus a movie.

And this next hint is going to give it away for some of you, but...

WELCOME TO GOOD BURGER, HOME OF THE GOOD BURGER, CAN I TAKE YOUR ORDER?

Okay, here's the custom:

I deliberated for a while on how to style the text on this custom. Should I go with the actor's full name on the top, Kel Mitchell, or his character's name from Good Burger, "Ed"? And if I went with Ed, would adding Mitchell's facsimile signature be inaccurate? Would it be better to leave it without a signature? (On that note, I wonder what Ed's signature would look like.)

Well, I tried placing the name "ed" at the top of the card, but it was just a little too odd-looking all by itself. And I figured adding the facsimile signature would be a respectful nod to the original card. So I went with Kel Mitchell as the player name and signature, with the team name as "Good Burger" and the position name to match the character he's portraying in the photo: "Ed the cashier".

Now let's talk about the ballplayer who inspired the custom card.

In eight total MLB seasons Charlie Neal collected 858 hits, including 113 doubles, 38 triples, and 87 home runs. He tallied 391 RBI and posted a .259 lifetime batting average. 

His best season came in 1959, when he put up a .287 batting average on 177 hits, including 11 triples, tying for most in the majors with Dodger teammate Wally Moon. He also led the majors in sacrifice bunts with a whopping 21. Best of all, though, he earned a World Series ring. And he really did earn it, going 10-for-27 (.370 avg) with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI in 6 games played.

And what a season, as he'd also be named an All-Star and take home the Gold Glove Award for N.L. second basemen.

Interesting note from later in his career: After the 1961 season he was traded to the New York Mets, and he'd appear in the starting lineup for their first-ever game. He went 3-for-4, driving home the first run in team history.

And what about Kel Mitchell?

That sketch comedy show mentioned at the top was, of course, All That. It featured Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, and a bunch of other wacky kids who'd go on to have successful acting careers. Then came Kenan & Kel and the Good Burger movie. On top of that, Kel's had a long, successful, and varied acting career, even playing the voice of a canine character named T-Bone on the animated show Clifford the Big Red Dog.

As for Kenan Thompson, you might know him best from Saturday Night Live, but he's had an equally varied and busy acting career. And to tie it back to sports, in the second and third Mighty Ducks films, a young Kenan played the character Russ Tyler (you'll know him best as the creator of the "knuckle puck").

Since Kenan also played a big role in Good Burger along with Kel, and because the two are still good friends to this day, I thought about doing a custom Good Burger card for Kenan as well. But I think I might wait to see if I can find a ballplayer look-alike for him. 

Besides, I thought of something even better. 

The 1959 Topps set contains some of the greatest multi-player cards ever made. "Hitting Kings" Ashburn and Mays, "Fence Busters" Aaron and Mathews, "Keystone Combo" Fox and Aparicio. And since Kel Mitchell's custom card is already based on the 1959 set, what better opportunity to get the two dudes on a card together?

Here's the second custom:

I used the Fox-Aparico "Keystone Combo" card as a base, and found a similar font for the text. I really like the way this one turned out—maybe even more than the Ed custom above.

Finally, here's a compilation of skits from All That. The "Okrah" bit that starts at the 1:38 mark shows Keenan and Kel at their goofy best.

Any fans of All That out there? Do you have a favorite character or skit? Share in the comment section. And thanks for reading, as always.

From the Favorites Box: Claude Lemieux, 1987-88 O-Pee-Chee #227

A series where I post some thoughts about favorite cards. Previous cards in the series are available here.

I know, I know, what a jerk, right? 

Many people remember Claude Lemieux this way, in large part from his actions in a playoff game against Detroit where he hit Kris Draper from behind, sending him face-first into the boards. Draper sustained numerous facial injuries as a result.

"Not the only dirty play from that guy", you might be saying. And you'd be right.

But hear me out.

Any good story needs heroes and villains, and Claude Lemieux, despite what most of us so readily remember, played both roles throughout his NHL career very well. That's quite rare, and I think you could even call it remarkable.

Consider these numbers:

1,215 games played
379 goals
407 assists
786 points
1,777 penalty minutes 
58 game-winning goals

Also consider that across his career he put up five 30-goal seasons, and came very close to four more (29, 27, and 27, and 26).

They're not exactly Hall of Fame numbers, but then there's also this:

Claude Lemieux's name appears on the Stanley Cup four times. He won it with Montreal as a rookie in 1985-86, with New Jersey in 1994-95, with Colorado in 1995-96, and with New Jersey again in 1999-00.

And he wasn't just along for the ride on any of those championship teams. In that rookie season with Montreal, for example, he scored 16 points in 20 playoff games, including 4 game-winning goals. In 1994-95 he led the entire league with 13 playoff goals, taking home the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP. And even in 1996-97, a season when his Colorado Avalanche lost in the semifinals to the Detroit Red Wings, Claude put up 13 goals to tie for the NHL lead, four of those again being game-winners.

Let's dive even a little deeper. Here are the ten players who've scored the most game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs throughout their careers:

Brett Hull: 24
Wayne Gretzky: 24
Joe Sakic: 19
Claude Lemieux: 19
Maurice Richard: 18
Mike Bossy: 17
Chris Drury: 17
Glenn Anderson: 17
Patrick Marleau: 16
Jaromir Jagr: 16

Did you catch the guy who's fourth from the top, with 19?

That number doesn't happen by accident. That's a coach putting a player out there when the team needs a goal, and when a championship is within reach. Just look at all the other names on that list, my goodness; every one a brilliant, clutch player. Now try being a guy with that ability while simultaneously playing a rough, sometimes over-the-edge game that makes you the cowboy in the black hat.

I don't think many players would want that role. I don't think many players are capable of even playing that role.

What's the point of all this?

To be clear, I'm not asking you to soften your stance on the guy. You can still hate him all you want.

But as you look at young Claude Lemieux on that rookie card and see his laser focus as he bears down on the goal—in pre-game warmups—just remember there's more to the picture. 

And for playing both the hero and villain better than just about anyone in the page-turning story that is professional hockey, 1987-88 O-Pee-Chee #227 has a spot in my box of favorite cards.

The Well-Traveled Envelope: One Year Later

A year ago, I sent out a particular trade package with the intention that the bubble mailer (and packing supplies within) be reused as many times as possible, giving it the chance to visit as many bloggers and collectors as possible.

Here's a list of bloggers who've received and sent out the envelope, at least to my knowledge, along with a link to their blog entry showing the cards they received and the cards they proceeded to send out to the next recipient. (Please add a note in the comment section if I missed your stop.)

4/11/19 (Oregon): Gavin from Baseball Card Breakdown

4/29/19 (Ontario, Canada): Angus from Dawg Day Cards

8/7/19 (Rhode Island): Shane from Shoebox Legends

8/14/19 (New Jersey): Chris from The Collector

8/22/19 (Ohio): Adam from Cardboard Clubhouse

1/24/20 (Illinois): Nick from Dime Boxes

Then Nick sent the envelope to Greg from Night Owl Cards (New York), and I believe Greg sent it on to the next collector, but that's where my trail stops.

Regardless, that makes eight collectors. Pretty cool! 

What's even more cool? Over this past year I've realized that many collectors already do make it a practice to reuse envelopes, as well as supplies like top loaders, team bags, and nine-pocket pages, when sending out cards. Nice going, everyone!

But what does that mean for this particular well-traveled envelope, especially with the current epidemic out there? 

The original idea was that I'd compile its travels at the one-year mark and see if it would be worth tracking for another year. It's understandable if some folks would rather hold off on receiving mail for a while, but for those who want to keep the cards moving, I'd say by all means, keep sending it around (safely), adding your info to the sheet (safely), and posting about it on your blogs (have you wiped down your keyboards and phones lately?). In your post, feel free to list the States or countries it's already visited.

Most importantly, keep making all your envelopes well traveled by reusing as much material as you can (safely). It's good for the environment and good for your wallet.

If you haven't yet received the well-traveled envelope but would like to participate, feel free to comment below. That might give the current envelope holder an idea of who to send it to.

So, where will the envelope visit next? How banged up has it gotten? What cards will it contain? Hopefully we'll have many more installments over this next calendar year.

Thanks for reading. (And participating!) And stay safe, wherever you might be.

Best Nine-Pocket Page from a Completed Set

Back in October, the Five-Tool Collector posted some attractive cards from his 1957 Topps baseball set build. He mentioned how the smaller size of the set lent itself to high quantities of star power on each binder page, and wrapped up a particular paragraph by saying, "For me there is nothing like flipping through a set and just seeing stars on top of stars."

I fully agree.

Interestingly, around that same time I was putting together a set of 1984-85 Topps hockey cards, and I too had one of those star-studded experiences. It happened as I turned to the sixth page, card numbers 46–54. Here they are: 

I think this might be the best nine-pocket page from any set in my collection. (Aside from the obvious pages that contain a bunch of all-star subset cards.) Here's why.

First, the players:

#46 John Ogrodnick – 928 NHL games played; 827 points; All-Star game; scored 100 points in a season; led the 1984-85 Detroit Red Wings in scoring (105 points) and the 1989-90 New York Rangers in scoring (74 points).

#47 Brad Park – Hall of Fame (1988); 1,113 NHL games played; 896 points; 9 All-Star games; member of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series.

#48 Greg Stefan – Nine-year NHL career; won 20 games in a season three times.

#49 Steve Yzerman – Hall of Fame (2008); three-time Stanley Cup winner; 1,514 NHL games played; 1,755 points; 9 All-Star games; Olympic Gold Medal (Canada 2002); Conn Smythe, Selke, Masterton, and Pearson trophy winner.

#50 Paul Coffey – Hall of Fame (2004); four-time Stanley Cup winner; 1,409 NHL games played; 1,531 points; 14 All-Star games; three-time Norris trophy winner.

#51 Wayne Gretzky – WAYNE GRETZKY.

#52 Jari Kurri – Hall of Fame (2001); five-time Stanley Cup winner; 1,251 NHL games played; 1,398 points; 9 All-Star games; Olympic Bronze Medal (Finland 1998); Lady Byng trophy winner.

#53 Bob Crawford – Seven-year NHL career; scored a career-best 36 goals in 1983-84.

#54 Ron Francis – Hall of Fame (2007); two-time Stanley Cup winner; 1,731 NHL games played; 1,798 points; 4 All-Star games; Lady Byng, Selke, and Clancy trophy winner; more career assists than any NHL player not named Wayne Gretzky.

To summarize, that's 6 out of 9 players in the Hall of Fame, 18 Stanley Cups, a few team captains, 7 out of 9 all-stars, and too many points, records, and awards to count.

Above all that, these nine players shake out well when it comes to icing a team by position:

Centers (3) – Gretzky, Yzerman, Francis (how's that for your top three centers??)

Left Wings (1) – Ogrodnick

Right Wings (2) – Kurri, Crawford

Defensemen (2) – Coffey, Park

Goalies (1) – Stefan

Yes. I do believe you could build a team around those nine players.

I also thought this would be a fun opportunity for all of you bloggers and collectors to flip through some binders you haven't flipped through in a long time and find some star-studded pages of your own.

So, what's the best nine-pocket page from a set in your collection? It can be any sport.

I hope you'll give it a try, and even share your findings!