Upper Deck was going strong in 1994. The cards were high quality with bronze effects and even “electric diamond” in a parallel (whatever that means). And as always, the pictures were high quality as we had come to find in an Upper Deck product. But just because the quality of the card was great it didn’t mean that the subject matter was “normal.” This is the second of a three-part series to find some oddities from a $5 retail box from a flea market.
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The second installment of our look at 1994 Upper Deck is focused on cool. Maybe it’s the clothes (or lack thereof in some cases) or maybe it’s the hair. There was something that made these guys do whatever they were doing in these cards. And when is a baseball player not going for the ultimate in cool.
#1 – Call Me Maybe
That is quite he phone you go there Armando. I wonder who you’re talking to…
Agent…
Wife…
Father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate…
I don’t know who it is but is a SERIOUS conversation. Maybe it’s commissioner telling him that the league is outlawing mustaches. I think I would put that face on if that was it.
#2 – Flip Phone Bling
Geez, another brick of a phone. But this one flips. Flip action means it’s even cooler than Armando’s.
Manny is a bit happier so I wonder what he is having a conversation about. Maybe this is another conversation with the commish when he wanted to mandate that you had to cut off your sleeves between one and two inches of the sleeve seem.
#3 – The Rheal Deal
Rheal doesn’t need the purpose-built headbands. He is a multi-purpose kind of guy. I think in this case he might have torn some off of his tightie whities and made it into a nice Karate Kid-style headband. Mr. Miyagi would be so proud.
I feel like headbands need to make a comeback. You don’t see them as much in baseball. In basketball they made a comeback (although they seem to be going away a little again), but baseball not so much. I heard once that in the minors the Giants had their players wearing high sox to kind of change the culture and encourage more high socks. Maybe we can do the same with headbands.
#4 – Right Back Atchya
Kevin Roberson is IT. I – T It.
Do you think the photographer had to convince him to do it or do you think he just did it? I think he just did it. I think he just knows what looks good on a card.
I really wish this card had sound. I think you hear a good “ayyyyy” like the Fonz.
#5 – Don’t Eff with Grace
I wonder how Mark wants us to say this:
- SHUT up and play
- Shut UP and play
- Shut up AND play
- Shut up and PLAY
I think though the shirt has two areas of emphasis and that would be related to the shutting up and the playing. What does Mark to when he needs to communicate defensive strategies to his teammates? Oh, am I taking that too literally? Well why are you getting so serious if all you want me to do is play? Still too literal, huh?
#6 – Rock You Like A… Bat
Chuck Finley is a pitcher and a rock star.
If you don’t know, Finley was once married to actress Tawny Kitaen. Tawny Kitaen appeared in Whitesnake videos and was married to the band’s lead singer David Coverdale.
Finley and Kitaen divorced three days after Kitaen was charged with domestic violence after having beaten him with a stiletto heel.
Rock star.
#7 – Cool Hall Of Fame
This is the man they call Pudge. I just don’t see it. There are certainly plenty of other players (mostly pitchers) who I would think are worthy of the name. But after seeing this card I don’t think I want to use that nickname for the guy on the back of this card.
This is another of those “how do we get a guy to take off his shirt and where his jeans for the back of our card” situation. You know what I’m talking about. Everything about this screams 90’s: jeans, chain, watch, SUNGLASSES. I really don’t know how you get talked into this.
For a little forensic analysis, I would bet this was taken in Pudge’s home of Puerto Rico. I would be that it’s the San Felipe Del Morro Fortress or the Castillo de San Cristobal in San Juan. If I had to guess I would say the former. That means there were tourists seeing the photo shoot potentially too.
About 1994 Upper Deck Baseball Cards
1994 Upper Deck is a 550-card set that was issued in two series. There are a number of subsets with in that incuding: Star Rookies, Home Field Advantage, Top Prospects, etc. The way that Upper Deck released the cards was regional so different cards went to different parts of the country. The design for the card was supposed to be released as SP in the same year but Upper Deck released it as their normal release.
The players to highlight for the set (and how the cards are labeled) were:
- Star Rookies: Michael Jordan (baseball), Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado Cliff Floyd, Shawn Green, Manny Ramirez
- Diamond Debuts: Chan Ho Park
- Top Prospects: Billy Wagner, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter