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 first of a three-part series to find some oddities from a $5 retail box from a flea market.
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The first installment of our look at 1994 Upper Deck looks at what I found to be baseball failure. These are cards that will be around for a while (barring being thrown in a raging inferno possibly), so why are we taking pictures of people failing. There’s got to be some better pictures for a card than these.
#1 – Breaking Up a… Nope
Stan Javier looks like is all-in for breaking up this double play. Obviously back in those days the MLB wasn’t protecting the fielders as much and a slide over or around the bag wasn’t looked at the same way it is today. So kudos to Stan for doing his job.
Ultimately, he’s out though and that’s a fail (probably more of the hitters fail). Is the hitter out at first?… Probably. I guess you could consider it a success and Stan is doing the little things. It’s just hard to get around the fact that we are documenting making an out.
#2 – Scurred to Bunt
I know Chuck Carr is not scared to bunt, but it sure looks like he’d rather be someplace else. I know he’s moving to first, but it sure look like he doesn’t want to be near the plate.
The way the ball is placed and the way the catcher is going after it, it sure doesn’t look like Chuck hit it. Maybe he did, it just doesn’t seem like it’s a very successful play.
Again, you could look at this as a great documentation of someone doing the little things. Chuck is potentially giving himself up for the team. But he’s probably making an out.
#3 – Not Where You Want To End Up
Look there are 9 dudes in the field and there are potentially three more running around the bases. There’s a good chance that someone’s head is going to run into someone’s junk on a play. Luckily for Carlos, it’s the back of his head.
I know I wouldn’t want this to be my baseball card. I especially wouldn’t want it if I had slide feet first instead of head first. Yikes!
#4 – I Can Catch, I Really Can
Rickey runs the bases. Rickey ain’t getting’ caught.
No matter what Alex Cora (and the catcher) thought they could do, even if they caught that ball, they weren’t getting Rickey. But now let’s add to the fact that Alex is dropping the ball. Why are we showing someone dropping the ball?
Thank God for Alex’s sake that this was the back of his card. I mean his head could be in someone’s junk on the front. Right Carlos?
#5 – The Worm
Jay Bell loves to dance. He was a little late to the B-Boy party though. Jay learned how to do the worm and he tried to put it to use no matter where he was. In this case, he was trying to start a “worming the bases” craze.
OK, none of that is true but I have to do something to help ol’ Jay out. This is obviously not the greatest slide. And with no fielder in the shot I have no idea why he is sliding in the first place.
#6 – Ouch!
Andujar Cedeno is not having his best moment on the baseball field. He’s going to leave with a bit of a bruise on his bum. Someone get him some ice.
#7 – Home? Field Advantage
Can you figure out what’s wrong with these cards?
Yeah, yeah, you’re going to tell me that the Albert Belle card has no date in the Upper Deck logo. Whatever, that’s not what I am talking about.
Since when do teams where road grays at home? How are these home field advantage cards when we know they were playing away from home in these shots? We have to have some pictures with these guys in white unis, right?
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