The Great 2022 Fairfield Repack Whatever!

It's been a while since I last did a Fairfield Whatever, and I feel the need to do another. After all, they're a lot of fun to write!

Recently, I found myself back in the local Walgreens again. This time it wasn't to pick up prescriptions for Laura, but I needed to booster my anti-Covid levels. Been noticing that my 5G signal wasn't as strong lately. Plus, the microchips injected inside me are starting to conflict with fluorescent lighting and the TV remote, and spoons are no longer sticking to my chest. After I got the shot, I was wandering around the store during the mandatory "be careful and don't pass out" waiting period. I found a new stash of $5 Fairfield Re-Packs, in the toys aisle. Next to that battery operated, hand-held Pac-Man game that I still find intriguing, but too expensive to buy.

Instead, I spent roughly the same amount of money on six Fairfield Re-Pack boxes! Including one with different packaging. (Just to see if the newer box had a different sampling of worthless cardboard inside.) There's my story! Another "Whatever" salute to overproduced junk baseball cards, with some other new product mini-reviews sprinkled into all of that Fairfield. 

The Whatever concept is simple. It's a Top X list, ranking my favorite cards from whatever the subject is. However, there isn't a set amount of cards. The length of the countdown is entirely dependent on how many cards I feel like talking about. In the case if today's particular whatever, that would be a total of 76 cards.

So without further delay, here are the...

Wait, here's another delay! I started writing this in mid September of this year. (Well, I hope to finish writing this before 2023....) And I don't feel like re-writing stuff to reflect 40 days of changes, I just want to get this done.

Top 76 Cards from Six Fairfield Repack Boxes!

Starting with number 76...

#76 - 1989 Topps - Tony LaRussa

1989 Tony LaRussa was at his Oakland A's peak. The Athletics (and an earthquake) would sweep the San Francisco Giants, and win the World Series that year. It was also the year that I learned to loath Tony LaRussa. Oakland was the Twins prime rival between 1988 and 1992, as they seemed to foil Minnesota almost every time. He was a big reason that I had an Oakland Sucks t-shirt, in the Summer of 1989. Kinda wish I still had that shirt...

By 1995, the Twins were in the toilet, and Oakland was in a completely different division. 1995 was also his last year managing the Athletics, he'd move on to St. Louis for the 1996 season, running the Cardinals through the 2011 season. LaRussa was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014, and I figured that was it for Tony managing.

Until October, 2020...

Chicago White Sox ownership, perhaps feeling guilty for firing LaRussa way back in 1986, decided that a long retired 76 year old would be the best choice to lead the White Sox to greatness. Starting off on the right foot, LaRussa got his second DUI in February, 2020. The case was filed the day before his White Sox hiring. He did lead Chicago to the AL Central title in 2021, but they lost to the Houston Astros, 3-1. Fans in Chicago have seemingly soured on the now 77 year old LaRussa over the summer of 2022. Openly criticizing players and bizarre statements to the media haven't gone over too well. "Fire Tony" chants rang loudly in Comiskey Park (or whatever it's named today) when the Twins played there. 

LaRussa stepped away from the White Sox, in August, citing a worsening heart condition. I hope he's okay, but I also hope that he isn't coming back. Go home to Arizona. Retire. There's nothing left for you to prove. Stop pissing all over your legacy.

Still don't like him...

*So yeah, I wrote this in mid-September. Not tooo long before LaRussa announced that he was retiring due to his heart condition. And who are the White Sox looking at replacing LaRussa with?

Ozzie Guillen!

Come on Chicago, I'm embarrassed for you...

#75 - 1990 Bowman - Jose Cano

Hey! It's Robinson's father!

#74 - 1990 Donruss - Jim Dwyer

Former Expo and former Twin, was traded to the Expos in 1989, then traded back to Minnesota after the season. I wrote about Jim in my 1976 Montreal Expos / Jarry Parc story. Really liked him as the veteran pinch hitter/DH, for the 1988-1990 Twins.

#73 - 1991 Bowman - Henry Rodriguez

Bowman, as a set, was really floundering in 1991. During a period where nearly anything cardboard with a picture of a baseball player on it, would sell without a second thought, no one wanted Bowman. At all. The 1989 reboot was done terribly. 1990 was an improvement, but no one cared. 1991 was another step forward, but still no one cared. No one even cared about 1992 Bowman, at first. Packs sat on shelves, ignored for months, until everyone suddenly realized there was a whole lot less of it then in years past. 

This card would be part of the special "Gold Foil" subset. Meaning, a tiny amount of gold foil was added (see the tiny MVP logo in the corner?) to a few cards in the set. This would -in theory- make them more collectable. In 1991, the foil prospect cards were given a (pre-Photoshop) filter, making them look soft and cartooney. That ballpark behind Henry sure doesn't look like it exists on this planet.

Rodriguez would spend a few seasons in Montreal, between 1995 and 1997. His long home runs made him a fan favorite with Expos faithful desperate for anything to latch onto. Rodiriguez's home runs would lead to fans tossing O'Henry candy bars onto the field. Which of course meant Rodriguez would have to be traded from Montreal. After all, they actually had to pay him over $2 MILLION DOLLARS in 1997. Can't have that in Montreal now can we?

Off to the Cubs with you!

#72 - 1999 Topps - David Segui

Speaking of members of the 1997 Montreal Expos that were just making too much money... Segui was rewarded with a $1.5 million salary for 1997, his final season before reaching free agency. Seattle swooped in with a nice raise, for a solid player, but not a superstar.

#71 - 1985 Topps - Tony Scott

The Montreal Expos 71st round (!) pick in the 1969 MLB Draft! Scott played sparingly with the 1973-75 Expos, before a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals. He became an everyday player there, and moved into a more limited role with the Houston Astros in 1981. The Astros released Scott in June of 1984, and he signed withe Expos, a week later. Those 45 games Scott played for the Expos in 1984, were the last of his career. Apparently Topps couldn't have been bothered to send a photographer to any of those games. Opting instead to poorly draw an Expos uniform on top of poor Tony Scott. 

#70 - 1979 Topps - Bob Knepper

One of the Fairfield Re-Packs had a run of three consecutive 1979 Topps San Francisco Giants cards. I went with Knepper, because he had the lengthiest career. And I also remember his name from his controversial sexist remarks about women in baseball, in 1988. 

#69 - 1990 Donruss - Tom Magrann

I know nothing about Tom Magrann. But I love the old Comiskey Park scoreboard behind him. Donruss put in a little effort to obscure the advertising painted on, but I can recognize Coke in the red circle, with Winston cigarettes and Miller Lite beer underneath. 

That same Comiskey Park scoreboard, during the ballpark's demolition, spring 1991.

Thanks Googles!

For years, Winston was my brand of cigarette. I recently quit smoking, for the second time. The first quitting lasted from August 2017, until June of 2018. When I discovered that Minnesota is my biggest smoking trigger. Which brings us to today... With the exception of two packs in July, I've not smoked a cigarette since June 18th, 2022. But I still miss cigarettes A LOT, and cannot guarantee that I wont fall off that wagon again. 

Well, who's responsible for that?

#68 - 1985 Donruss - R.J. Reynolds

Not this guy!

R.J. Reynolds, the former Dodgers and Pirates outfielder, had nothing to do with the manufacture and selling of Winston brand cigarettes. That was R.J. Reynolds, the corporation. 

One more thing about yummy delicious cigarettes before I get back to the Fairfield Re-Pack Whatever. When I bought these six boxes of junk wax, cut with some slightly more interesting commons, I had to wait at the checkout for an elderly man in front of me. Who was buying cigarettes. I found this out when I heard him say:

"Can you get me a pack of Misty Menthol Green 100's?"

That's not the cigarettes that a man in his late 70's would buy for himself... 

Okay, they're for his wife or great granddaughter or something. Then he asks for, and tests out, several lighters. Now my imagination is running wild. I've decided that this man has lived his entire life as free and clear of any toxin he could possibly avoid. That all would pay off on this day, when he would suddenly take up smoking! But what brand would he choose? How about the sassy Super-Slim, named after a stripper, with a wave of Aqua Fresh toothpaste on the box!

He will soon be on his way to Flavor Country, on the wings of a glittery unicorn!

Oh, he's gone...

Guess it's my turn to pay for my stuff...

And in case you were wondering which tobacco company manufactures Misty brand cigarettes?

Well it's R.J. Reynolds, of course!

#67 - 2018 Panini Stars & Stripes Longevity - Gianluca Dalatri

Never heard of him...

#66 - 2001 Topps Heritage - Juan Guzman

Juan Guzman was a pretty good pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 1990's. Always remember him dominating the Twins when we played Toronto. He was eventually traded to the Baltimore Orioles, then Cincinnati Reds. Guzman signed a 2 year, $12 million contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, in early 2000. He was the starting pitcher on April 7, 2000, when the Devil Rays took on the Indians in battle of teams that will both lose their identities. Guzman pitched only an inning and two thirds. Giving up 8 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. He did manage 3 strikeouts, so it wasn't overly terrible... 

Except that it was. Guzman hurt his arm in that game and never played baseball again. Odd that Topps included him in their inaugural Heritage set, but I'm glad they did. This is my only Juan Guzman Tampa Bay Devil Rays card, I think. Don't know how many of them were even made...

#65 - 2008 Bowman - Jose Vidro

Longtime Expo/National masquerading as a Seattle Mariner.

#64 - 1980 Topps - Mike Sadek

That run of 1979 Topps San Francisco Giants cards, stretched into 1980 for Sadek and some others. This would be cool if I was a Giants fan. But I don't like the Giants...

#63 - 1994 Pro Cards - Carlos Subero

I do like obscure minor league cards of players I've never heard of. Usually get one or two in every Fairfield Repack. Subero signed with the Kansas City Royals in 1990, but never made the majors and retired as a player in 1997. Subero got into coaching and managing, working his way up to first base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2015. After serving in that role for five seasons, Subero was let go, and became the manager of the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO. 

So I learned more than just making a lame Subaru joke and moving on...

#62 - 1969 Topps - Bill McCool

McCool now holds the title of "Oldest Card I've Found in Fairfield", replacing that 1972 Topps High Number common, of a player whose name I can't remember. Was about 60/40 top bottom and left right, with soft -but not rounded- corners, but crease free. McCool has a rather nasty crease in the sky above him. 1969 was long before Topps had Photoshop to manipulate the images. Their method of dealing with traded players (or in 1969 Topps case, a four team Expansion) was to zoom in for head shots, or painting blobs on top of caps and jerseys. I don't have a whole lot of first year San Diego Padres cards, so that's pretty McCool...

#61 - 1988 Score - Terry Francona

When I started writing this story, the TV was airing the Twins game against Cleveland. Where they lost 4 out of 5, and all but officially fell out of the race... Laura and I were half paying attention to Dick Bremer babble about Cleveland's manger's old playing days. She asked what team Francona used to play for. I remember him with Montreal and Cleveland, but I knew he played somewhere else. Had no idea what team it was. I forgot about it shortly afterwards. The next day, Francona -the Cincinnati Red- was found in Fairfield.

#60 - 2013 Topps - Carter Capps

2013 Topps, the Sea Turtle set! 

Capps drew some controversy with his pitching delivery, which featured a lunge forward as he released the ball. The issue was raised that both of his feet were off the ground at the same time, constituting a jump. Which would be an illegal delivery. He threw 100+ MPH, and was a highly touted prospect, and had some quick success. Until blew out his arm. The human body just isn't built to endure that kind of stress. 

#59 - 2001 Topps Chrome - Felix Martinez

Sometimes a third string backup shortstop can catch a terrible case of Topps Pitcher Face...

ENHANCE!!!

Yeeesh...

Sorry Felix...

#58 - 2008 Topps Update - Aramis Ramirez - All Star

For personal reasons, 2008 Topps is one of my least liked Topps sets.

But this card brought back all the cold fuzzies.

#57 - 1991 Upper Deck - Sean Berry

Rookie card of a future Expos third baseman.

#56 - 2010 Topps - Alberto Callaspo - Black

Forgot about the Topps Black parallel they did for a few years. With as parallel happy as Topps is now, I'm surprised this one hasn't come back. Slap a gold foil serial number on it if you have to, but I'd pick up players I liked, if I found them.

Also don't remember where exactly these parallels came from... Possibly retail blasters and packs? 

Possibly from Target?

But this is Fairfield. The old black box art.

Also without a big time blow away hit.

Whatever...

#55 - 1991 Fleer - Gary Carter

Gary Carter does not look right in a Giants uniform.

Or a Dodgers jersey either.

#54 - 2010 Topps - Joe Nathan

With the Twins moving outdoors for the 2010 season, their old indoor HHH Metrodome uniforms just don’t look right under the sun. Of course this photo is from 2009 Spring Training, which was held outdoors, in Ft. Meyers, Florida, which would have happened anyway...

#53 - 2001 Fleer Tradition - Shannon Stewart

Nice card I didn’t have of a future Twins outfielder. 

#52 - 2020 Topps Heritage - Carlos Correa - ALCS Highlights

Tough to look at a postseason highlights card of a Houston Astro from this period, knowing where they stand in relation to the trash cans. It could be argued that at least Correa is noted for beating the Yankees on this card. Although I’m now pretty sure that I dislike the Yankees more than the Astros at this point.

#51 - 2018 Bowman - Ryan Helsley

Also on the day I bought these, I heard a story on MLB Radio that Helsley holds the mark for fastest pitch thrown in the Major Leagues in 2022, at a blazing 104 mph. Upon hearing about these radar gun numbers, I tend to be a little skeptical. But who am I to argue? I was still driving in my car when I heard that, and opened these boxes about an hour later. So the Helsley card stood out.

#50 - 2018 Bowman - Chris Archer

Chris Archer certainly isn’t throwing 104 mph… Hell, he can barely throw 4 innings anymore. Throwing consistent strikes is almost just as rare these days… But the Twins still trotted him out there every five days to absolutely kill our bullpen. Not sure why he wasn't just put IN the bullpen... 

Chris Archer, probably the most puzzling Twin of 2022.

#49 - 2020 Bowman - Cavan Biggio

Biggio’s Blue Jays stock sure seems to be dropping these days…

#48 - 1992 Score Rising Star - Kevin Ward

In the early 1990's, Score put out boxed sets of cards packaged with a magazine, with information about the featured players. Typically one set would be veterans and All Stars, the other being rookies and young stars. I never bought them back in the day, even though they were everywhere. 30 years later is a different story. I'd actually like to have copies of these sets. Just for all of the individual Twins and Expos cards I don't have, plus the other stars I collect. Not to mention that I'd probably enjoy reading the magazines today.

But I remember very little of Kevin Ward...

#47 - 1999 Upper Deck MVP - Jose Cruz Jr.

Never bought even one pack of Upper Deck MVP. This design reminds me of someone's idea of computer graphics, that has never seen any sort of computer graphics.

#46 - 1986 Leaf - Willie Wilson

I seem to get a Willie Wilson 1986 Donruss or 1986 Leaf card, every time I buy Fairfield Re-Packs.

#45 - 1986 Topps - Dwight Gooden - Record Breaker

Sadly, I doubt we'll ever see another phenom pitcher burst on to the scene like Gooden did in 1984 and 1985. Today's game simply wouldn't allow such stats to be put up. Innings and pitch limits will ensure these feats are not going to happen anymore.

Something to think about in regards to buying cards of pitching prospects.

#44 - 1992 Fleer - John Kruk

I like John Kruk.

#43 - 1988 Score - Reggie Jackson - Yankees

1988 marked the first year I was seriously buying packs of cards. Score put out their debut set that year, and I learned a lot from their informative card backs. Including the five card Reggie Jackson subset. Didn't make me a fan. I'd heard about him, but he was a bit before my time. My favorite Reggie Jackson moment comes from The Naked Gun. 

As far as I'm concerned, Queen Elizabeth didn't just die of natural causes, a few weeks ago. 

After 34 years, Mr. October finally accomplished his mission.

#42 - 2001 Ultra - Terrence Long - Gold

I didn't buy much for cards between 1998 and 2004, so finding parallels and stuff like this is always cool.

#41 - 1991 Fleer - Todd Hundley

Hundley was a big target during my Junk Wax Prospector days. Unfortunately, Hundley's desire to be the big time power hitter was the undoing of his career. By any chemical means necessary...

#40 - 1989 Donruss The Rookies - Joe Girardi

Girardi has become a baseball managing enigma. He is well respected in the game, but can’t keep a job. Wins Manager of the Year, but the Florida Marlins fire him the net year. (Blame that one on clueless Jeff Loria…) Girardi takes the New York Yankees managing job, and did last for a decade, but was shown the door when he couldn’t live up to the Yankees lofty standards. Then Girardi signs with the Philadelphia Phillies, and again doesn’t complete his contract before getting fired.

Not sure what the disconnect is, but Girardi seems like he knows his stuff...

#39 - 2001 Topps - Don Larsen - Golden Moment

Do like cards featuring historic events added into regular sets.

#38 - 1989 Upper Deck - Bill Wegman

1989 Upper Deck was the first baseball card set I ever collected by hand. Which I did from packs, singles and common boxes, before 1989 ended. The cards were amazing, looking like no other baseball cards that came before them. But anyone who collected in 1989 recognizes the significance this set had on the hobby. 

While the photos are very good for the most part, there are ones that you take a longer look at because something strikes you. Wegman is shown here in Milwaukee's road uniform of the mid-1980's. I'm pretty sure they stopped wearing powder blue pullovers in 1986. Not 1988, when photos for the set were largely taken. However, cast against these bright yellow seats, the powder blues look better than any Brewers road uniform would have. (Especially those mid-1990's navy blue and forest green atrocities...) But where are these bright yellow seats from?

#37 - 1995 Topps Traded - Jason Bates - ROY Contender

Playing in Colorado, I kind of expected Bates to become a bigger deal than he did. He was an acceptable role player for stretches of time, but never excelled when given a chance at starting. And the Rockies did give him multiple chances. 

#36 - 1988 Score - Matt Nokes

The cropping of this image was always appealing to me. Of the 1988 Matt Nokes card offerings, Score came out on top. With this artistic Tiger Stadium shot even besting 1988 Topps, with that nice All Star Rookie Cup logo in the corner. Nokes was a solid catcher over his 11 Major League seasons (which even included 10 games with the 1995 Colorado Rockies, I'd forgotten all about that).

The reason I care at all about Nokes, was he was a player whose cards were highly desired by this kid in my neighborhood, way back in 1988. Son of a Russian immigrant my dad worked with, he had a lot of trouble fitting in at school and died tragically about 25 years ago now. 

#35 - 1992 Hostess - Darryl Strawberry

Boy do I have a great Darryl Strawberry story in the works! 

And it will probably lose every reader I have!

Well, except for one...

#34 - 1990 Topps Traded - Ben McDonald

Now that I have a good 35 years of collecting perspective, I look at Ben McDonald as the mega-hyped college starting pitching high draft pick, that wasn't the big time flop he's been labeled. His career was definitely above average if you were to compare him to many years draft classes. Not a Hall of Famer, as some predicted, but a solid arm until his career was cut short by shoulder injury in 1997.

#33 - 1988 Fleer - Mike Schmidt

Card number 315 in the 1988 Fleer set... Just 2 numbers away from the only card I need to complete the 1988 Fleer set... Been trying to get that damn Bruce Ruffin (card #313) for nearly 25 years, and I still can't get one. 

Don't misunderstand. I know that I can hop on that new fangled internet thang and order me up a 1988 Fleer Bruce Ruffin, and have it delivered to my house less than a week later. I can't do that. It doesn't count. I have to pull that stupid Bruce Ruffin card from a pack. Now that was recently amended to pulling it from a Fairfield Repack, but ideally, it would come from a wax or cello pack of 1988 Fleer. 

Back in the Summer of 1998, I got the sudden urge to rip a couple of boxes of 1988 Fleer, and build a set. Always liked it. Seemed like a fun project to do. But my rule would be that cards used to complete this set could only from packs opened by me. June 1998 ebay sold me a full 36 pack (15 cards) wax box for $12 shipped, and a 24 pack (28 cards) cello box for $18 shipped. Ripped both of them and was short about 10 cards of the 660 card set. Boxed the partial set up and largely forgot about it. In the years since, I've picked up another 2 wax boxes and countless loose packs of 1988 Fleer. By 2005, I had filled all of the missing spaces but one. Bruce Ruffin.

The LCS had a wax box of 1988 Fleer come in a couple of years ago. Another 36 fifteen card packs will surely bring home the Ruffin!

NOPE!!!

To date, I have pulled 12 1988 Fleer Mark McGwire's, yet exactly ZERO Bruce Ruffin's...

I wont even eat Bran Muffins because the name sounds too similar!

#32 - 1993 Topps Gold - Scott Leius

With the ridiculous amount of 1993 Topps I've gone through over the years, I'm pretty sure this is the first 1993 Topps Gold Scott Leius I've come across.

#31 - 1989 Star - Keith Richardson

Always enjoy these Star Minor League cards. So simple, yet they work!

The newest of the Fairfield Collector's Edge repack box. 1 in 4 odds for a hit are long gone. Now it's 1 in 8, for an autograph of a failed mid-1990's prospect. Other recent advances in Fairfield Re-Packaging had seen a decrease in advertised loose cards from 100, to 80, to now not even listing how many are included. Does that mean that Junk Wax Era cards are becoming more scarce? I didn't see nearly as many 1990 Donruss in here than I usually do... Wouldn't surprise me to see a dramatic increase of 2020-2022 cards in future Fairfield Repacks, given the climate of the hobby today. 

#30 - 1990 Topps MLB Debut - Kevin Appier

Quality pitcher to draw from the set. Kinda wish this concept would come back.  

#29 - 1988 Donruss Baseballs Best - Tommy Herr

Sure! I need another copy of this card!

All late 1980's Twins fans want to remember Tom Herr's stint in Minnesota!

#28 - 1992 Stadium Club - Delino DeShields

Stadium Club was less gimmicky in the early years, but even the bloated 1992 set had some great photos.

#27 - 1993 Conlon Collection - Ivy Andrews

I really need to pick up some full sets of Conlon cards.

These great old photos and historical content just scream to be added to my collection. 

#26 - 1986 Topps Traded - Billy Jo Robidoux

I'll always pop for names that rhyme. Good ol' Billy Jo falls into the exclusive three syllable rhyming name club. Not only with his first and last name rhyming with each other, but his last name also rhymes with itself!

Billy Jo Robidoux is just fun to say. 

Here today, or any other day.

He should be in the Hall of Fame.

#25 - 1998 Topps - Jeff Reed

Speaking of players belonging to an exclusive club, Jeff Reed is one of only five players to appear in Major League games for the Twins, Expos and Rockies. Always like seeing cards from those five players: Scott Aldred, Jamey Carroll, Greg Colbrunn and Livan Hernandez are the others. (Bartolo Colon is still pitching... Come on Rockies, just give him an inning! I want a sixth player on this list!) Reed was a steady platoon/backup catcher for 17 seasons, between 1984 and 2000. His run with the Rockies lasted from 1996-1999. Which covered the first few years I was living in Colorado, watching the Rockies (lose) on TV, nearly every day.

#24 - 2004 Upper Deck USA Baseball - Graham Koonce

Koonce managed to get into 6 games for the 2003 Oakland Athletics. Going 1 for 8 with a double and 6 strikeouts. He was 28 years old, and it was his only major league action. Koonce was a 60th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 1993. He played in the minor leagues from 1994-2007, missing the 1997-1998 seasons. 

And I really liked these Upper Deck Team USA cards. 

#23 - 2009 Topps - Rickey Nolasco - Black

2009 Topps featured an underrated design. The more I look at this set, the more I like it. 

#22 - 2014 Topps Archives - Carlos Gonzalez

While CarGo will never be a Hall of Famer, his run with the Rockies, from 2009-2018 ranks as one of the best in team history. He was a consistently great player on some consistently not so great teams. 

#21 - 2012 Topps Pro Debut - Trevor May

I haven't seen a whole lot of Topps Pro Debut cards coming out of Fairfield Repacks. So drawing one of a future Minnesota Twins bullpen staple was a pleasant surprise. Shown here with the Clearwater Threshers, of the Advanced A Florida State League. May was property of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012, and was putting up some dominant numbers. Attracting the attention of the Twins, who traded former first round raft pick, Ben Revere to Philadelphia, for May and the mercurial Vance Worley.

This card was included in my 2012 Twins album. Didn't make a whole lot sense to banish it to the Phillies box on a technicality.

#20 - 2003 Topps - Bob Wickman

Appreciate that Topps made this a horizontal card when that picture really doesn't call for it. Wickman was a favorite of mine, dating back to the Junk Wax Prospector days. Then a young starting pitcher with the New York Yankees, Wickman put in a bunch of time with the Milwaukee Brewers and later the Atlanta Braves. I knew he had a long career, but didn't realize he pitched in 15 seasons, from 1992 through 2007. 

#19 - 1994 Topps - Sean Berry

Oh, there's Sean Berry again. This time as the Expos third baseman!

#18 - 1991 Topps - Jack McDowell

Judging from the late 1980's and early 1990's, I'm surprised Jack McDowell didn't end up a bigger deal. I hated when the Twins had to play the White Sox, because any McDowell matchup was an expected loss. But it seems like he was never the same after the 1995 trade to the New York Yankees. 

On a related note, card companies sure got a lot of mileage over that "Turn Back the Clock" game Comiskey Park hosted in September 1990. All five of them featured most of their White Sox cards having photos from that game. That game almost single-handedly made me a White Sox fan in 1990, because of the pictures from it. Although the novelty of it being "first" helped.

#17 - 2001 Topps - Brian Bohanon

Remember when the Colorado Rockies bought into the theory that his good half-season pitching out of the New York Mets bullpen, would translate into becoming an acceptable starting pitcher in Denver?

I do!

And it certainly wasn't pretty... 

#16 - 2021 Bowman - Jordan Walker

Pulling a card of a current top prospect is also something unexpected from a Fairfield Repack.

#15 - 1991 Fleer - Pedro Munoz

As a rookie left fielder, Munoz was a fairly decent contributor to the Twins 1991 World Championship season. An intriguing speed/power combo prospect, the Toronto Blue Jays shipped him to Minnesota at the July 1990 trading deadline, for John Candelaria. After down seasons in 1992 and 93, Munoz broke out as a 25 year old in 1994, posting an .857 OPS. Followed by an .827 OPS in 1995. Curiously (or typically) Minnesota chose not to re-sign Munoz, after the 1995 season. He opted for a one year deal with the Oakland Athletics, didn't fare very well and never played another professional baseball game. Done at age 27, despite showing some decent potential.

As far as this particular card, it's my favorite of Pedro Munoz's five 1991 base rookie cards. There's just too much awesome looking Comiskey Park going on to ignore!

#14 - 1991 Upper Deck - Jack Morris

Those 1991 Minnesota Twins absolutely do not win the World Series without Jack Morris.

#13 - 2000 Topps HD - Mark Grace

There's something about 2000 Topps HD Mark Grace cards that attract Fairfield Repacks. I pulled 2 of them out of these 6 boxes. Past Fairfield Repacks have given me two more of these particular Grace cards. Multiples of the same cards are very common with Fairfield. But multiples of cards from obscure sets like this are more of an anomaly.

#12 - 2004 Flair Greats - Jim Catfish Hunter

Before ultimately going bankrupt, Fleer put out a bunch of sets honoring legends and Hall of Famers. Some were really nice, some were rather ugly... 2004 Flair Greats falls well under the ugly scale.

#11 - 1994 ProCards - James Motte

I used to proudly wear a Fort Wayne Wizards hat, back in 1994. Then it was the Low A Midwest league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. James Motte never made the Major leagues, but I do remember his name from Twins prospect reports of that era. Not long into 1995, Doktor John stole my Ft. Wayne Wizards hat. 

I'd still like it back!

#10 - 1997 eX2000 - Deion Sanders

1997 eX2000 was a card set definitely before it's time.

#9 - 2018 Topps - Walker Buehler

Also a surprise to find a rookie card of a current superstar.

Even if he is injured and a starting pitcher.

#8 - 1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars - Manuel Berrios - True Blue

1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars is a fairly uncommon set to begin with, so finding commons in a repack isn't something you see very often. Getting a blue foil parallel card from the set is even more rare. Too bed it wasn't the 1998 Leaf Rookies & Stars J.D. Drew rookie card that I still REALLY want. Probably not going to find that one in a Fairfield Repack...

#7 - 1990 Upper Deck - Keith Hernandez

Always liked this Spring Training batting cage photo. Longtime St. Louis Cardinal and New York Met signed a two year free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians, before the 1990 season. But Hernandez didn't have much left in the tank, and played his last Major League Baseball game on July 24, 1990. Retiring with more than a year and a half on his contract, and about 3 months before this card was released in packs.. 

Now he sells hair coloring, just for old men!

#6 - 1994 Post - Roberto Alomar

Unlicensed Post Cereal cards from 1994 are probably the nicest looking of the 1990's Post offerings. I didn't but any Post cereals to get these cards in 1994. I was out of school and working graveyard shift at the greatest gas station of all time. (Tales of 99 Spillihp found here and here.) Boxes of Alpha Bits can't compare with fresh donuts, delivered nightly, by a creepy old guy in a molester van. 

"Where's your hamburger? Poo...."

I was going to do this earlier, but forgot about it. Each of the mini-boxed Fairfield Repacks contained an unopened wax pack. By the time I'd finished opening the 6 mini boxes, I had:

One 1992 Upper Deck pack, two 1991 Fleer Ultra packs and three 2021 Topps Opening Day packs.

The Upper Deck pack had nothing of interest. I keep hoping that one day I can defy all odds and pull the autographed Ted Williams card inside. Ted signed 5000 of them after all. Unfortunately, they were randomly placed inside the over 5,000,000,000,000,000,000 packs of 1992 Upper Deck, produced in 1992.

I didn't even get a David McCarty... 

The two 1991 Fleer Ultra packs also had nothing worthwhile in them.

Actually, I was happiest by the One-Per-Pack Logo Stickers. Even though I'll never be confused as a fan of either the Angels or Cardinals. I did like when the card companies would put stuff like this into packs. They gave you something official looking to place on homemade team box dividers. This practice seemingly ended for goo by 1993. But I'd absolutely love for 2023 Topps to include team logo stickers in packs. 

You know, I think that I need official Team Logo Stickers applied to the multiple sets of Monster Box Foamcore dividers, I made several years ago. Topps Opening Day would seem to be the best pack option to include an all new set of Team Logo Stickers.

2021 Topps Opening Day - Billy Williams & Jackie Robinson

That's not to say I'd want Team Logo Stickers replacing sweet cards like this out of the Opening Day line.

2021 Topps Opening Day - Xander Bogaerts - Blue Foil

Or especially these sweet blue foil parallels. Cards so nice I'll actually keep a Boston Red Sox shortstop I don't even like, because of how cool the card is!

Whatever...

So we've finally made it to the Top Five of this year's Fairfield Repack Top Whatever, with the number 5 most liked card...

#5 - 1982 Fleer - Mike Jorgensen

Sure do love 1982 Fleer, between the dark, out of focus and grainy photos, the bizarre cropping and just plain strange choices of pictures, 1982 Fleer is a set that's just fun to flip through. Thinking I need to free my complete set from it's cardboard home and place it in pages. Someday, I'd LOVE to rip a box of 1982 Fleer. Too bad they're inflated due to Cal Ripken Jr.'s rookie card.

One of my Fairfield Repack boxes had a small run of 1982 Fleer New York Mets (that will still be important later in this Whatever). While it's going to be hard to top a card with a parking lot full of late 1970's cars in the background, I think the set has enough in it to come up with an even better photograph to impress me...

Jorgensen garners bonus points from me for his years with the Montreal Expos. 

#4 - 1988 Donruss All Stars - Tony Fernandez

Clearly ranked way too high on the Whatever. Thinking I was overwhelmed by seeing the old, pre-Mt. Davis, configuration of the Oakland-Alameda County Colosseum, from the 1987 All Star Game. I really liked the look of Oakland's stadium before the entire outfield was demolished to build that giant pile of football stands. That didn't even get 25 years of use before the Raiders left. Again. Now will the Athletics follow the Raiders to Vegas? Probably... 

But not definitely.

#3 - 1996 Leaf Signature Series - Brian Williams - Autograph

Mr. Williams represents by 1 in 8 Repack hit. That's cool. I absolutely love 1996 Leaf Signature Series autographed cards. Looking at the hobby today, it's unbelievable that I looked at packs of this product back in 1996 as far too expensive to buy. They were $10 a piece! 

Coincidentally, the November 2022 Becketts ran a story about (then) Donruss putting this set together in 1996. I don't typically buy their monthly magazine anymore, unless there's something that interests me. Well, I would have been wanting this story even if I hadn't just pulled one of it's common signatures. I remember hearing bits and pieces of 1996 Leaf Signature Series origin story, but it's nice to have it written out and put together. Especially of interest is the story of the 5 rarest cards that were signed, but not returned to Donruss in time for pack inclusion, and how they've surfaced in the hobby at later dates. 

And that Kirby Puckett from this set is a holy grail card for me. 

I could care less if it was graded...

For something COMPLETELY different, here's the runner up for best card pulled from six Fairfield Repack boxes:

#2 - 1993 Conlon Collection - The Singing Umpire, William Byron

Okay, you got me.

I need to know more.

I'd never heard of this before. But that's awesome.

Not to mention that if you were the batter, and had the umpire sing a called third strike, he urge to clobber that smart-ass with a bat had to be overwhelming. Still, I'd love to see an umpire today pull this off. Too bad Joe West finally retired, he seems like the perfect candidate for a singing gimmick.

Maybe Angel Hernandez could give it a shot? Try and rehab that terrible public image?

Well, there's no need to rehab the card ranking number one in the Great 2022 Fairfield Repack Whatever...

There's very little that could ever top this one!

#1 - 1982 Fleer - Pete Falcone

Seriously, just wow... There is so much going on here.

A New York Mets pitcher opening packs of 1981 Fleer for his 1982 Fleer card.

The guy with his spinal cord about to burst out of his lower back, sitting next to him. 

Hideous shirts hanging next to his extra Mets jerseys, in his locker.

Extra jersey name plates under his glove, on the stool next to him, that aren't even his name. 

Sunglasses guy above his head...

I think this might be one of the single greatest baseball cards of all time!

If only there was something interesting on the concrete floor, next to his shoe...

Amazing job Fleer...

What a finale!

 

Dear Fine Folks at Fairfield,

I opened 6 of your Collector's Edge boxes and didn't pull one Autographed Superfractor! There was nothing in any of these boxes that I can resell to get my money back! I can't even grade any of this garbage!

Your product is a WASTE OF MONEY!!!

******

No, it was a hell of a lot of fun!

And...

Go Phillies!

That was one hell of an NLCS, now beat Houston!