Ranking 50 Years Worth Of Topps #330 Cards #51 - #41

In honor of my 50th birthday, I'm ranking all 51 Topps base cards numbered #330 since 1975. Why #330? Because my birthday was on 03/30. Why 51 cards when I've turned 50? Because that's how math works, and as my father-in-law likes to say, I didn't turn 50, I started my 51st year of existence!

 

Today we count down starting with the worst #330 in the history of Topps base sets (since 1975 - get with the theme here!) and through the next 10 on the list. Rankings are purely subjective to my whim.

 

Just to give you an idea of how I did this, I gathered images of all 51 cards together, grabbed the ones I'd pick if this were merely a Top 10, and put them aside. I then grabbed the next 10 best, and so on and so forth. 5 groups of cards, and for each of them I ordered the lot as I saw fit. It was much easier to do 5 Top-10 (or 11 in today's case) lists then one giant 50 card list.

#51 - 2003 (Juan Rivera/Marcus Thames)

 

It would be easy to say that this card came in last because of my particular team bias, and you'd be right to a point. There are other Yankee cards in this list ranked much higher though. This is just a boring card, although I was surprised to find out each of these guys had solid careers that lasted at least decade at the Major League level.

 

#50 - 1995 (Randy Myers)

 

The only thing this card really has going for it is that it's a candidate for Johnny's Saturday Shadow Shots posts. (FYI - I see a playground slide).

 

#49 - 1988 (Ed Whitson)

 

I'm pretty sure that how my arms looked when I tried to throw a ball as a kid. The difference between me and Whitson is my baseball landed two feet in front of me.

 

#48 - 1982 (Rick Wise)

 

If this image wasn't so grainy I might like it more. I do appreciate players wearing glasses...

 

#47 - 1997 (Pat Hentgen)

 

The borders of the 1997 set clashed with so many card photos. That sharp blue jersey doesn't look good surrounded by red.

 

#46 - 1983 (Buddy Bell)

 

Have the Rangers brought back this uniform recently? They should. Baseball needs more racing stripes.

 

#45 - 2015 (Brian Duensing)

 

The color scheme works a lot better here than with Hentgen. His contortions look like he's going to lose a couple of buttons on that jersey.

 

#44 - 1994 (Charles Nagy)

 

I went back and forth between Duensing and Nagy, but gave Nagy the edge because he from the era of Cleveland baseball where I see the uniform and think of the movie "Major League."

 

#43 - 2025 (Jake Burger)

 

The newest #330 isn't horrible, it just gives me the same disinterested look that Burger seems to have...

 

#42 - 1989 (Eric Davis)

 

I surprised myself with having Davis this low in the countdown. I thought this card would be higher.

 

#41 - 2017 (Doug Fister)

 

I like being able to clearly see the grip on a ball when a pitcher is throwing, but the angle makes his arm look oddly elongated.

 

Eleven cards down, forty to go! Tune in tomorrow for the next group of ten!