Junk Wax Prospector - Archi Cianfrocco - Montreal Expos

Better know an Expo edition!

In early 1992, I was looking at Montreal Expos box scores in the daily newspaper. I would often see a player listed as: “Cnffrco” or “C’nf’o” if space was very limited. Sometimes listed as a pinch hitter, the mystery man was usually playing first or third base. 

Took a while, but I finally read a game recap mentioning this player by first and last name; Archi Cianfrocco. 

This was weeks after I first saw his poorly abbreviated name in a newspaper. There was no MLB Network in 1992. Beyond the daily newspapers (and USA Today's Baseball Weekly) you only had whatever MLB coverage ESPN was willing to air on a given day, for coverage of out of market games. It's also fair to say the Montreal Expos probably ranked 26th out of the (then) 26 MLB teams, in terms of who was deemed worthy of ESPN's air time. 

Being an Expos fan in Minnesota was difficult. No interleague play in the early 1990's, so the National League Expos would never play the American League Twins. In order to see an Expos game on TV, I had to wait for them to play either the Braves or the Cubs, because those games would get broadcast nationwide on basic cable. I missed both ends of a Braves/Expos series in May of 1992. A few weeks later, in mid-June, I was able to catch a Cubs games against Montreal, on SuperStation WGN. 

With Steve Stone and Harry Carry!

Harry Carry (in the bright yellow sweater), leading the Wrigley Field crowd in “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, during the 7th inning stretch, August 14, 1992.

Harry was well known to start the game at around 90% percent sober. That ratio would fall at a pace coinciding with how the Cubs were doing that day. My first game watching Archi Cianfrocco play on TV, I heard his first name pronounced -not only correctly- but also: Arcee, Arky, Hardee, Acksir and a bunch of slurring laughter as Carry made an Ar-Ar-Ar-Ar sound while laughing, until Steve distracted him with something shiny.

As for Harry Carry trying to pronounce Cianfrocco... Phonetically, it would be "see-ann-FROCK-oh", but that didn't register with Harry. Steve tried to correct him in the early innings, but Harry would just verbally wander off or laugh about something he found funny. I'll let your imagination run wild on how Harry Carry (at various stages of intoxication) said our Expos hero's surname.

Cubs games were fun on TV back then, but you couldn't watch too much Harry Carry before your brain melts. 

Anyways... Thanks to Harry Carry's commentary during the Cubs/Expos game, I had a new favorite Montreal Expo!

(Who didn't have any Major League Cards yet...)

That seems like a good enough intro. 

I think it was early July 1992, when the first MLB cards of Archi Cianfrocco hit the market. Card companies were releasing their Series 2 and "Premium" sets, during the summer. This was their first shot at all the new rookies, that debut early on in the 1992 season.

Without further delay, here are the Top 20 Archi Cianfrocco cards, Expos only. These will be revealed using my patented "Whatever" method. Ranked by the ultra-scientific formula of: How much I like them. Dispute that!

Top 20 Archi Cianfrocco Montreal Expos cards

#20 - 1993 Topps

I also have the 1993 Topps Gold parallel, but I wasn't going to scan it. If I did, it would just bump the base card to #21. Had it been scanned, an Archi Cianfrocco 1993 Topps Gold parallel would shoot all the way up to #20 on this particular Whatever. 

I don't like 1993 Topps.

It would take a really significantly awful card to ever finish below nearly any 1993 Topps card.

Extra-attentive readers may notice this photo was taken in San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium. 

Foreshadowing!

#19 - 1993 Score

1993 Score isn't that much better than 1993 Topps.

That's a pretty lazy design, but the photos are a lot better than Topps effort that year.

#18 - 1993 O Pee Chee

Conversely, I really like 1993 O Pee Chee as a set. Even without any tweaks, this design would have been a better choice for Topps' 1993 base set. Back in 2007 and 2008, I went through a phase where I was going to put this set together, and bought several boxes off ebay. I never finished it, think I'm 12 cards short, and still have it (incomplete) in the same binder as my 1993 Topps Finest set. Which is complete.

#17 - 1993 Fleer

Wow, 1993 was a really bland year for baseball card design...

Fleer in particular was on a bad streak of card designs, and 1993's effort is as boring as you could possibly get. They'd redeem themselves in 1994, with beautiful and minimal design, that is still one of my all time favorites. 

We will not speak of 1995 Fleer.

#16 - 1992 Leaf

Let's get away from 1993 for one spot, and look at what I consider Cianfrocco's worst 1992 card. It's not bad by any means (it's no 1993 Topps...), but 1992 Leaf was pretty bland. Especially after their classic 1990 design. Or the 1991 design that few liked, but I really did...

Alright, now let's go back to 1993.

Archi Cianfrocco opens the 1993 season on the Expos bench. Ex-KC Royals prospect Sean Berry runs away with the third base job, and Cianfrocco didn't establish himself at first base. Which ended up being manned by the three headed monster of Frank Bolick, John Vander Wal and (future Twin and Rockie) Greg Colbrunn. Cianfrocco found himself optioned to the AAA Ottawa Lynx, on April 20, 1993, playing only 12 games for the 1993 Montreal Expos. He gets into 50 games with the Lynx, and is hitting fairly well, until he's no longer on the roster. 

On June 24th, 1993, I was reading the newspaper before going to dispense gas at the 99 Spillihp. I read the Montreal Expos had traded Archi Cianfrocco to the San Diego Padres, for relief pitcher Tim Scott. the night before. 

1994 Donruss - Tim Scott

Scott pitched very well for parts of four seasons with Montreal, so it's safe to call this a good trade for the Expos. 

But I liked Archi more...

The same day I learned of the Archi Cianfrocco for Tim Scott trade, during that night's Twins game, the radio announcers mentioned the Padres had just traded star third baseman, Gary Sheffield, to the expansion Florida Marlins (for future Hall of Famer, Trevor Hoffman). Well, now trading for the Expos third baseman make a lot more sense. To continue the trend of sending superstars to help another team win a World Series, the Padres traded first basemen Fred McGriff to Atlanta, less than a month later. This made Cianfrocco's infield versatility more valuable. 

For the Padres...

Cianfrocco was a fan favorite in San Diego, he even had two separate fan clubs while playing with the Padres. One could find representatives of Archi’s Army or the CianfrocCrew, in the stands of Jack Murphy Stadium. However, I am not a Padres fan. So all Padres cards are disqualified from this Whatever. Yet, there are two Cianfrocco Padres cards that deserve an honorable mention.

And I’ll get to those later...

#15 - 1993 Pinnacle

About 15 years ago, I called it quits on putting the 1993 Pinnacle set together. I was still about 30 cards short. A few years after that, I picked up a hobby box of both series for cheap. Ripping both boxes only added 8 more cards (when I looked back on an old handwritten checklist), had I kept the sets intact. That would have probably irritated me into giving up on the set if I was still trying. However, I did add 3 more Derek Jeter Draft Pick cards to the collection! 

I do like the 1993 Pinnacle set, and this card would rank higher if they'd chosen a better photo.

1993 was actually Cianfrocco’s career high in home runs, with 12. 

One was slugged as an Expo, with the remaining 11 coming with the Padres.

#14 - 1993 Stadium Club

Topps found a picture from a minute or so after the Cianfrocco at Jack Murphy Stadium, that was used in their base set. So why does this rank six cards higher? I'm not that big a fan of 1993 Stadium Club, but it's a lot better than 1993 Topps. The lack of a border raises the score a bit as well.

The Padres didn’t re-sign Cianfrocco after the 1998 season. He was even left off San Diego’s postseason roster, when the Padres made it all the way to the World Series. To then be sacrificially slaughtered by the destructive machine known as the 1998 New York Yankees. 

He signed with the Seibu Lions of the Japan Pacific League, for the 1999 season, making his Japan League debut on April 3, 1999. It didn’t go well... Cianfrocco appeared in only 15 games. He made 47 plate appearances, and got only 7 hits. No doubles or triples, but he did hit 2 Home Runs, driving in 5. He walked 4 times, but struck out in 14 of his at-bats. Leading to a composite slash line of: .163 / .234 / .302. Cianfrocco’s last game in Japan came on April 25, 1999.

I couldn’t find out if his season ended early because of injury or ineffectiveness. 

#13 - 1993 Donruss

Donruss went with a nice fielding shot for Cianfrocco's 1993 card. As I mentioned, Cianfrocco didn't get much of a shot at a wide open first base job for Montreal. So it's kind of an ironic shot. But it was taken in 1992. This set was printed and distributed long before Archi Cianfrocco stepped on a Major League ballfield in 1993.

#12 - 1992 Donruss The Rookies

While not better by a lot, Cianfrocco's 1992 Donruss The Rookies card ranks higher, just because I've always been such a mark for that "The Rookies" logo. For 1992, Donruss decided their season ending "The Rookies" box sets, now needed to be their own stand alone set. Swelling in size from 56 cards to 132, it was bloated and a perfect representation of the Junk Wax Era. Although the 1 in 8 packs, Phenoms insert set was nicely done.

Back in late 1992 / early 1993, I didn't view Archi Cianfrocco as any sort of investment type player, unlike most of the Junk Wax Prospector series. He was a player on my favorite team, that didn't have any cards out for a while, when I really wanted to buy them. Not for future value, just because he's an Expo! And Harry Carry absolutely cannot pronounce his name!

Cianfrocco had a very productive 1991 season, spent with the AA Harrisburg Senators. In 124 games, he amassed 507 plate appearances, and got 144 hits. With 21 doubles, 10 triples and 9 Home Runs, with 77 RBI. His AA slash line was .316 / .378 / .465. Numbers that are decent, but do not suggest superstar potential. More like a versatile role player, which he ended up being for parts of 7 seasons in the Major Leagues. 

#11 - 1993 Ultra

Fleer liked the design of 1992 Ultra so much they decided to plagiarize it for 1993. Shifting the name block over and changing the marble pattern from green to brown. Not a good color choice, they could have done this much better if they really needed to replicate the design for a second year. 

Before we hit the Top 10 of this particular Whatever, I think we need an honorable mention. 

During his Major League career, Archi Cianfrocco played 236 games at first base, 184 games at third base, 24 at second, 31 at shortstop, 8 games as a left fielder and 17 games as a right fielder. Cianfrocco never played an inning in center field, but he did appear in exactly one major league game as a catcher.

Which was immortalized on his 1997 Upper Deck base card.

1997 Upper Deck still ranks as one of my all time favorite sets. Upper Deck chose to date each of the photos used in the set. If this Cianfrocco photo was placed any other card, you’d have no context as to when or why a player listed as an infielder/outfielder, is decked out in catcher’s gear. This adds a lot of historical value to a simple card set.

I’ve already covered my favorite 1997 Upper Deck card, with a photo taken during a significant game that I attended personally. 

And if anyone has the Glenallen Hill card (#495) from this set, it’s the last one I need to complete my set. Which does include both the Series 1 and 2 30 card mail-in sets.

Whatever...

#10 - 1993 Upper Deck

This photo was obviously taken at Wrigley Field, during a Cubs game. With no way of finding out for certain, I’ve always wondered if this photo was taken during that Cubs/Expos game I watched. Looking at this picture, I can almost hear an inebriated Harry Carry calling: “Quick throw over to Cryanfloppa at first…”

#9 - 1992 Upper Deck

Cianfrocco’s first Upper Deck card was just him blowing a bubble in the dugout.

A dugout that I don’t believe is in Wrigley.

#8 - 1992 Upper Deck Scouting Report

Upper Deck even featured Cianfrocco in an insert set! Upper Deck Scouting Report was a 25 card set inserted at a rate of 1 card per High Number Jumbo Pack. This picture, also from Wrigley Field in 1992, could have also been from that first Cubs Expos game, that I watched. 

“Sweeping tag by Zeemocoughffo and the runner is safe!”

#7 - 1992 Leaf Black Gold

Black Gold was a much nicer (1 per pack) parallel than the base 1992 Leaf was. Swap out that lame gold baseball and lines in the lower right corner, with the team logo, and you’ve got what should have been the base 1992 Leaf set.

While I could only find official record of Cianfrocco playing with the Padres and Expos (plus the partial 1999 season with the Seibu Lions of the Japan Professional League), I still remembered seeing something about him playing with the Angels.

Sure enough! After that season in Japan failed to revive his career, he signed a Minor League deal with the Angels, and was invited to spring training, Thanks to the Googles, here's Archi Cianfrocco's 2000 Angels Spring Training Photo. Sporting those hideous Disney Angels uniforms.

#6 - 1992 Ultra All Rookie Team

Cianfrocco’s first insert card came in 1992 Fleer Ultra Series 2. I remember buying it as a single at a card show. Pretty sure I paid $2 for it, and was happy to do so. This wasn’t my first Cianfrocco card, but it was one of the first. I can say that confidently, because it was purchased the same day as the first.

Archi Cianfrocco attended high school and played baseball at the Rome Free Academy (Rome, NY). He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round (259th overall), of the 1986 MLB Amateur Draft, but chose not to sign with Pittsburgh. His 1986 season was spent playing at Onondaga Community College, before transferring to Purdue University. The next year, Cianfrocco was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 5th round (122nd overall), of the 1987 MLB Amateur Draft. He chose to sign with the Expos, and started his professional career in the summer of 1987.

#5 - 1992 Topps Traded

Topps went very Montreal Expos heavy in their 1992 Topps Traded box set. I think the Expos were represented on 10 of the 132 cards in the set. Not that I’m complaining, I may have even bought an extra set or two of 1992 Topps Traded, just to bulk up on those Expos cards. (Of course the Team USA subset, featuring Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek, among others, likely contributed to this decision…)

Archi Cianfrocco’s rookie season with the 1992 Montreal Expos, totaled 86 games in the big leagues. Over 247 plate appearances, he slapped 56 hits, with 5 doubles, 2 triples and 6 Home Runs, Amongst them. He scored 25 runs and drove in 30. Only walking 11 times, versus 66 strikeouts wasn’t a great showing for plate discipline. Though he finished is rookie year with an acceptable .241 / .276 / .358 slash line.

#4 - 1992 Pinnacle

Cianfrocco’s rookie cards seemed to feature a lot of overbite. And it can be debated over which company showed a better dental protrusion. I considered 1992 Leaf for a while, but in the end, I could not deny the teeth of 1992 Pinnacle. 

Now I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, or if there was something far greater in the teeth, but a few years after these sets were produced, the parent company of Pinnacle purchased the parent company of Leaf. The new trading card conglomerate filed for bankruptcy and went out of business, about three years later, during Cianfrocco’s last active season as a Major Leaguer. 

Sometimes you run out of new and interesting things to write about while doing these.

And you just have to stretch.

Whatever…

Good god those Angels uniforms are awful...

I couldn't find any statistics for how Cianfrocco performed during his 2000 Spring Training run with the Angels. He obviously didn't make the team. He also chose to walk away from baseball, rather than accept an assignment in AAA.

#3 - 1992 Bowman

1992 Bowman is one of my all time favorite sets. This Archi Cianfrocco card is my second favorite Expos card in the set, behind future Hall of Famer Gary Carter. Who wrapped up his excellent career with a final season in Montreal, for 1992. This may be nothing more than speculation on my part, but I think Archi Cianfrocco really missed Gary Carter’s veteran presence. His Expos totals for the 1993 season: Only 12 games played, with 17 plate appearances. Just 4 hits, with one of them being a home run (his only 1993 Expos RBI) and another being a double. He hit a total of .235 / .235 / .416, then was optioned to the AAA Ottawa Lynx.

#2 - 1992 Stadium Club

1991 Stadium Club was a landmark set. Near perfection the hobby hadn’t seen before, and it was a runaway success. So what does Topps do to follow it up? Make it 33% larger and fill it with role players. 1991’s gorgeous set was a tidy 600 cards over 2 series. Of course Topps had to go all in for 1992, making the cards less attractive and adding 300 more of them. I had to wait until late September, but 1992 Stadium Club finally printed an Archi Cianfrocco card for the Series 3 release.

At least they chose a pretty cool picture to use.

I do love batting cage shots!

Before we get to the Number One Archi Cianfrocco Montreal Expos card in my collection, I have to recognize one final Archi Cianfrocco San Diego Padres card…

1996 Leaf Signature

An underrated $3 purchase from Unfriendly’s Dickish Collectables in Denver, about 10 years ago. While I wish someone would have printed a certified autograph of Cianfrocco as an Expo, I wasn’t about to turn this down. And even though there’s no denying this is a San Diego Padres card, front and back, it is still stored amongst the Montreal Expos Top Loadered cards. Archi Cianfrocco belongs with the Expos in my mind, so that’s where his autograph stays! 

Looking at just his San Diego numbers, from 1993-1998, he played in a total of 402 games. In that time, he made 1133 plate appearances, scored 108 runs, off 248 hits, 53 were doubles, 5 triples and 27 Home Runs. He drove in 154 runs, stole 13 bases, drew 69 walks and struck out an acceptable 289 times. His Padres slash line translates to a decent .241 / .296 / .382.

You know when you invest a lot of time reading someone’s Top (Whatever) List and you get to the number one position, and it’s -at best- a big let down?

#1 - 1992 Ultra

There’s no big ticket item to put at number one, so we’re going with the very first Archi Cianfrocco card I ever bought. This one set me back a whole dollar, at a July 1992 card show held in a local Ice arena, of a Minneapolis suburb I cannot remember. This show stands out in my mind, not only for picking this card up, but I also sold a sizable stack of Kirby Puckett junk wax singles to a table. That cash was used for some Ken Griffey Jr. and Archi Cianfrocco cards I wanted. 

So there you go.

Disappointing finish!

Archi Cianfrocco can now take his rightful place amongst some the previous Junk Wax Prospector luminaries, such as Chuck Knoblauch, David McCarty, Todd Van Poppel, Kevin Mmahat, David Nied, Ugueth Urbina and others.

Now I’m going to go do something else!