Anatomy of the Perfect Baseball Card

I recently finished a book called The Church of Baseball: The Making of Bull Durham, by Ron Shelton. Shelton was the screenwriter and director of the cult classic. It's a highly entertaining and informative book, and I can't recommend it enough. Anyway, speaking of the Durham Bulls, today we're revisiting a post I published back in 2014.

Cards from the early 1990s are often maligned by us collectors- and for good reason. The designs were terrible more times than not and the print runs…well, they were higher than our national debt. That being said, there are some gems out there and, believe it or not, they might just be solid investments (if you care about such a thing- I certainly don’t want to pay top dollar for something that I can get for pennies on the dollar later on, but I digress).

From the day he was drafted I put a lot of stock into Chipper Jones. Not necessarily monetarily (although that would eventually happen in cardboard)- but hope. He was going to be the savior of a sorry franchise and, as time would tell, he turned out to be pretty good.

When I re-entered the hobby in 1991, I began collecting his cards- both the major league releases as well as his minor league cards. I think it’s safe to say that at one time I had most of his minor league issues, with the exception of the 1992 Durham Bulls team issued set. 

One card I’ve really wanted to get is the 1992 Classic Best Durham Bulls team set #1 card. I recently picked up not only this card, but the entire team set, for $8.50 on the ‘Bay. It’s quite simply one of the most perfect cards you will find. Let’s take a look, shall we?

The Pose

You have the classic pose of a hitter waiting to unleash his baseball fury- he will destroy the ball and crush the hopes of his opponent. Only this photo is taken down the right field line and not with him in the batter's box. Look at that face: it exudes focus and determination. He will make it to the majors.

The Setting

Durham Athletic Park, former home to the Durham Bulls. There’s nothing like minor league parks, and most can’t hold a candle to the one made popular from the movie named after the Durham, North Carolina team. I get tired of advertising infiltrating itself into every aspect of our lives- but I will never tire of advertising on the outfield fences of minor league parks.

The Innocent Bystander

Gotta love it when players or coaches find their way, unintentionally, onto cards like this. We call this a photobomb in today’s vernacular. Has anyone started a mini collection of cards featuring these innocent bystanders?

The Uniform

While goofy names and logos have been the style du jour for minor league baseball the past twenty years now, the Durham Bulls have maintained the classic look. I had one of these burnt orange caps a number of years ago and am seriously thinking of getting another one.