Your Turn: What one baseball card is the worst ever?
This Jim Kavourias 2002 Bowman card just barely gets Chris Olds' nod as perhaps the worst single card ever for some rather-forced Photoshop work. What's yours?
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By Chris Olds | Baseball Editor
You may have seen the Your Turn page in nearly every issue of Beckett Baseball where we showcase stuff that is all about you. You can see your comments on hobby topics and get chances to win cool stuff in contests all on one page.
Here’s the next Your Turn question for the November issue:
What one single (real) card is, in your mind, the worst ever made — and why? (BASEBALL ONLY)
Please include your name and location with your comment below — we will only run items with that information. A selection of your answers will appear in the next issue along with our next batch of contests and giveaways found only in the magazine.
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My three leading candidates — though there would be others if given more time — are:
2002 Bowman Jim Kavourias — This gem (above) looks like his head was Photoshopped onto the body and the same image also is used onto the back. It’s more disturbing in-person than seen here, and it’s bugged me for nine-years-plus … my first — and only — thought was … they couldn’t just leave him out? (He was a fifth-round draft pick in 2000 and was out of baseball by 2005.)
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1983 Topps John Denny — One of the most-epically airbrushed (pre-Photoshop altering) cards of the 1980s, though there are countless examples of that back in the day and beyond. The clouds just add more to the greatness of this card, though.
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1982 Fleer Jack Morris — Not one of the best crops in baseball card history … in fact, it’s among the worst.
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If I had to pick just one? I’d go with the 2002 Bowman card — just barely over the Morris … but I want to hear YOUR picks for the worst single card ever made in a comment below.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Steve Uhlmann
Pittsburgh, PA
Jason Michaels 2007 Topps. The worst part about it is the head shot on the back is a picture of the back of his head. Take a look for yourself
http://bit.ly/reHsEd
http://bit.ly/qk4X0K
That mugshot on the back is pretty epic! (I’ve seen worse on the front…)
2008 Topps Kazuo Uzuki. Do I really have to explain why?
The Topps 1977 Rick Jones, #118. This card really confused me when I was nine years old because the 1977 Topps set did not include any other portrait prints. I thought he had died so they didn’t have a photo to print. I am still confused by what Topps did with this card.
http://www.deanscards.com/images/products/1977_topps/topps1977-118F.jpg
1973 Topps Reggie Jackson. As a kid, I could never find his face in that blur.
http://caimages.collectors.com/psaimages/2493/17127565/1973ToppsReggieJackson255.jpg
Are you kidding? The 1991 Score Dream Team Doug “Flaming Balls” Jones.
http://www.tribecards.net/2007/10/flaming-balls.html
Cmon guys … you have better ones out there than this!!!
I will admit I have never seen the 1977 Rick Jones before. (Not a fan of that set.)
How about a little Dirty Sanchez?
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/israel_sanchez_autograph.jpg
Big Bruins and Craig Janney fan growing up. This card always sat at the bottom of my Janney collection. Funny thing is the back pic is 100 times better
Baseball only on this one as it’s for Beckett Baseball magazine …
Topps 2005 Magglio Ordonez #375. Every time i see it it just freaks me out.
That ’82 Fleer Morris is hard to beat though
1984 Fleer Jay Johnstone
If you just saw the picture you would have no idea he was a baseball player.
http://www.checkoutmycards.com/Users/SteveSC/Cards/Baseball/1984/Fleer/495/Jay_Johnstone/1892821
1994 Stadium Club Orel Hershiser is pretty bad too. I know they call the minors being down on the farm, but I didn’t realize that they had to do actual farming work.
http://bapple2286.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/orel-94-tsc1.jpg
1976 Topps Traded Oscar Gamble. This was the first set I ever collected, and when the subject of bad cards comes up, this is still the first one I think of. The hair … the airbrushing … the card design … it’s just all bad.
http://www.baseballtoddsdugout.com/1976ToppsTradedGamble.jpg
Enough said 1989 Procards Keith Comstock, wow!!!
http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/1410868980/1/tumblr_laxbxmT04T1qbblrp
Thanks,
Zach
Most of these are classics, not duds. The Oscar Gamble is Hall of Fame caliber! Comstock, too …
I was thinking along the lines of the 1987 Topps Mike Laga card #321. The airbrushing on that one was terrible as the jersey was more pink than red, and I’ll have to check when I get home, but I could swear that the color of the cap was glowing.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
bdj610
I was thinking along the lines of the 1987 Topps Mike Laga card #321. The airbrushing on that one was terrible as the jersey was more pink than red, and I’ll have to check when I get home, but I could swear that the color of the cap was glowing.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Des Plaines, IL
bdj610
1992 bowman #98 Derek Lowe That shirt is terrible. in fact all the 92 bowman with the players in street clothes were bad.
Patrick Mortensen
Bloomingdale, NJ
My pick is from my first factory set I ever got as a kid. 1994 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice Cal Ripken Jr. He’s sitting in the dugout talking on his “Zack Morris” cell phone. The big gray brick w/ 8in. black antenna was state of the art back than, I guess, but now, GESH!
Even back then, I thought it was the worst card I have ever seen. NO action shot, No “bat in hand” pose, but sitting in the dugout talking on a phone? C’mon
http://smedcards.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/cal-ripken-1994-ud-collectors-choice/
Patrick Mortensen
Patrick Mortensen
Bloomingdale, NJ
My pick, is from the first factory set I got as a kid. 1994 UD Collector’s Choice: Cal Ripken Jr. He is sitting in the dugout talking on his “Zack Morris” Cell phone. A future HOF’er on the phone, What a Card! C’mon
http://smedcards.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/cal-ripken-1994-ud-collectors-choice/
Scott Hoppe from the 513
2010 Topps 206 #14 Joey Votto for some reason the artist made Joey look like he hadn’t had any sleep for weeks or was zombiefied.
1966 and 1967 Claude Raymond.
Watch under the belt :-)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-Topps-586-Claude-Raymond-NM-MT-/370538366492?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item5645cec61c
How about the ’75 Topps Billy Grabarkewitz – looks like the Cubs were drawing hats on with chalk during the season….maybe a cost cutting measure.
http://www.checkoutmycards.com/Cards/Baseball/1975/Topps,=1975+Topps+233+Billy+Grabarkewitz
That Jack Morris is hysterical, it gets my vote hands down. It’s bad on so many levels. There is nothing right about that pictures.
2006 Topps Tom Gordon #163– they airbrushed him into a Phillies uniform even though the team name still said Yankees.
Although I think its cool I never understood the picture.
1952 Topps Gus Zernial with all the balls attached to his bat!
1972 topps NOLAN RYAN
Is this a baseball card or an insert in the serial killers set. 1974 Topps Traded John Curtis.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Topps-BB-373T-John-Curtis-Cards-NM-/230434341422?pt=US_Baseball&hash=item35a6f5022e#ht_500wt_1361
Who thought this was a good picture to use??? 2009 Topps 206 Tommy Hanson RC
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=2009+topps+206+hanson&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1600&bih=707&tbm=isch&tbnid=b5BYc7kNDwCA7M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ioffer.com/si/atlanta%2Bbraves%3Fprice%3D2&docid=ctgOMFbHwd7q8M&w=582&h=827&ei=CMhcTrfUIJC3tgeZ9t3IAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=411&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=114&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&tx=79&ty=79
1981 topps #172 gary woods. there are alot of bad airbrushed helmets,jerseys,etc. out there, but when you add gary’s piercing peepers to the mix, that’s a scary card! got to be my pick for worst card ever! i also must give a shout out to the ugliest set ever produced, the 1986 topps set. what were they thinking!?
i’m not very good with posting websites or adding pics. so i will try it here, but for those without the set, just google 1981 topps gary woods / images to get an eyefull of my #1 pic!
There will be no shortage of candidates, but this one has to be up there:
2001 UD Gold Glove “Slugger’s Choice” batting glove card of Neifi Perez!
http://cardboardicons.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/2001sluggerschoiceneifiperez.jpg
The most home runs Perez hit in one season was 12 … in 1996. For his career he had 64 over 12 seasons. That’s an average of a tad over 5 per. Hardly a “Slugger.”
I would like to submit the 1991 Stadium Club Dave Stewart card. I get the whole “high end” concept of SC back in the day, but a baseball player in a tux? Especially one who wasn’t a bona fide superstar? Nolan, OK… he can get away with it… but Stewart? Was he walking down the street while they were doing Nolan’s photo shoot?
Linard Cherry
Atlanta, Ga
I would say 1991 bowman Jeff Bagwell RC. Clearly airbrushed and his hand is like 2 times as big as it should be. It could fit totally across Astros on the front of his jersey.
2011 Bowman Platinum Michael Pineda. I’m really not sure what to make of the picture they chose… but it cracks me up every time I see it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-Bowman-Platinum-Michael-Pineda-RC-Mariners-/270801901893
Jose Canseco, 1994 Upper Deck Collector’s Choice
Pic says it all.
http://www.baseballcardbust.com/2010/03/jose-canseco-1994-upper-deck-collectors.html
Aw, cmon! That Canseco is a gem!
Come on guys, I had a whole section about this in my book (cheap pop!).
First off, anything Comic Ball belongs at the top. That set stank up more card shops than sweaty dealer-worn jerseys.
Beyond that, how is there any doubt that the ’91 Dream Team Canseco card is not the worst full-out baseball card of all time?
I wish to amend my entry. The worst “baseball” card set is the “Tortoise & The Hare” card from 2009 Topps Tribute.
SRSLY, what is this doing in a $50/pack product?
That Tommy Hanson one had me laughing for a good while..
I’d have to go with Vern Ruhle’s 1983 Topps card where we’re given a way too close up shot of his severely acne scarred face.
http://images.checkoutmycards.com/zoom/fc5a2c50-c5f0-4853-823f-c8e401791255.jpg
Mike Moeller
Tacoma, WA
1978 Greg Minton #312 stands out to me, they must have painted over someone else’s face. The painted over teeth make him look like he could gnaw through a small tree. Plus the painted on glasses look like someone was defacing a subway poster. Then to top it off, Topps came back in 1979 rectifying it by using a picture of Greg Minton #84 with a huge dip in his front lip, nice work.
(Although at least half the set from 1981 Fleer could qualify.)
The Hanson is hilarious! Poor Vern Ruhle he could have used some horrible air-brushing since he didn’t have Proactive.
1987 Mika Laga
I bet the Card’s players busted on him.
take a look at 1977 topps Rick Jones…the entire pix is colored…including the face
I unlocked this card in the Topps million card giveaway
Topps is consistent with worst cards ever in their prospect sets. There is always a card with the wrong picture of the guy and sometimes even the wrong facsimile autograph. I can’t even count on my two hands the times I’ve asked guys to sign a card and they’ve told me “That’s not me”. Jonathan Schoop’s Bowman, Clayon Shunick’s Bowman, Brandon Roberts(Twins/Reds) Bowman, etc… If you can’t put the right person on the card, don’t put them in the set at all.
any card with the distorted pitcher’s arm angle are disgusting cards and really need to stop being made.
I have one more for you, and then I’ll go away.
2002 Topps Traded Jason Bay #T227. In an era of Photoshop, it’s nice to see that Topps will still airbrush cards at their leisure.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
Des Plaines, IL
bdj610
I have to agree with the 2009 Hanson !! Its like he’s the Jordan of baseball (forgetting to open his mouth)
I’d have to go with the 1978 Topps Greg Minton:
http://img.beckett.com/images/items_stock/185223/3813000/3813319/front.jpg
1991 Score Dream Team set. They all tie for worst and best of all-time simultaneously.
that 82 fleer jack morris!! Where is he ?
1966 Don Mossi-American Gothic
ANYTHING/ANYONE in the 2013 Panini Baseball set. Ugliest base cards possible. Were they TRYING to do that? Blows my mind. Weird secret of that set….(some of the inserts are SWEET!) especially considering you’ve got Trout, Harper etc while they’re young on some of those insert variations, but I won’t admit that last part on camera….
1951 Bowman Paul Richards. Bizarre caricature featuring a square head, giant ear, and elongated neck.
Bob Hamelin’s 1996 Pinnacle. There’s really no way any other card can rival how bad this is.