Virtual Frankenset: Page 1

Yeah, that's right. I'm joining the Cool Kids Club and making a Frankenset. There are already 500 other bloggers doing this in one form or another, but this one will be the best because, well, it's all Reds, baby. Some of you non-Reds people may disagree with this sentiment, but whatever. You're dealing with the best 75-win baseball squad of all-time this season, so kiss my grits.

I'm calling it a 'virtual' Frankenset because it won't exist in an album, as that would require either breaking up team sets or acquiring doubles. And I hate doubles. The qualifications to make the Frankenset are as follows:

1) Be arbitrarily chosen by Red Cardboard based on coolness and
2) See 1

Boom.

1986 Topps #1 Pete Rose. Not quite his farewell player card, but '86 was Petey's last year and of course getting the one-spot in a Topps release is a nice honor.

1948 Bowman #2 Ewell Blackwell. Six-time All-Star, Reds Hall of Famer, old, old set. I like.

1989 Kmart Dream Team #3 Chris Sabo. Sabo is my boy. My family shopped at Kmart often when I was a kid. They had an Icee machine.

1994 Fleer Ultra Strikeout Kings #4 Jose Rijo. Fleer was killing it with the inserts in the mid-90's.

1941 Play Ball #5 Frank McCormick. Another Reds Hall of Famer from a friggin' sweet vintage set. Frankie was the NL MVP in 1940, for the curious.

1952 Bowman #6 Virgil Stallcup. Just a really good-lookin' card. You know when I bought my first '52 Bowman I thought I got hustled due to the size. No, I was not a child. This was 3 years ago. I had seen many pics of the set, just never knew they were so small.

2001 Stadium Club #7 Barry Larkin. Like there was ever any doubt Larkin was safe. Get up off the dirt, White Sox chump.

1992 Rembrandt Ultra Pro #8 Hal Morris. I just had to. Look at that thing.

2011 Gypsy Queen Sticky Fingers #9 Brandon Phillips. I really, really like this set.

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Go Reds.