Wednesday, July 8, 2020

San Diego memories rekindled, thanks to 1998 Metal Universe

Like most card collectors, certain cards, like certain songs, evoke certain memories. One particular card set that evokes those memories (in a good way) is the1998 Metal Universe, a 220-card set from Fleer/Skybox.

What's particularly enjoyable, is that each card front has a different image featuring locations from that team's city, etched in foil. As for the nine-card San Diego Padres set, it doesn't disappoint. Each card features an image I remember, and often visited, from when we lived in San Diego.

I'll begin with the Tony Gwynn (#178) card (I apologize for the bad scans - the etched foil has a tendency to do that).



On the front, is the player's picture and etched city background, along with team name, player name, and a small mug shot. Gwynn's background, which doesn't appear to fit to scale with the player, looks like it's from Coronado Island, with Point Loma in the distance. The backs are fairly nice, with a nice shot of the player from the waist up, and last years, and MLB stats.


Next up are Ken Caminiti (#166)and Kevin Brown (#165). Caminiti's background features San Diego's mountains and hillside (perhaps around Julian) while Brown's image depicts the kelp beds off the California coast. One of those kelp beds is just off Point Loma, and they have a machine that harvests just a little off the top, which then goes on to be used for products such as ice cream and toothpaste.

Steve Finley's (#64) card is an aerial photo of the San Diego Bay and Coronado Bridge, taken from Coronado, with the Hotel Del Coronado in the foreground. Ruben Rivera's (#98) card features The Presidio, which was established in 1769 by Gaspar de Portola, becoming the first permanent European structure built within the State of California.

I have the Derrek Lee (#10) and Will Cunnane (#101) on order from COMC, so I'm not sure when I'll actually get it in hand. The only two remaining cards I'm missing are Joey Hamilton (17) (either farmland or Carlsbad's Flower Fields), and Trevor Hoffman (#197) (LaJolla).

And now, a bonus question, especially for those collectors out there with an interest in Japanese Baseball cards.

I recently bought this round Menko card off E-Bay. According to the seller, he believed it was a 1948 Bonzo Wakabayashi, but he didn't know from what set. 

Henry Tadashi "Bonzo" Wakabayashi, a Hawaiian, pitched Hosei University to two Tokyo Big Six University League Baseball Championships, played 16 seasons with Osaka, Hanshin and Mainichi in Japan, managed, and became the 17th player inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

It measures about 2-1/8 inch across. However, after digging through Engel's Guide, the closest I can find is from the JRM 19 set, but that set doesn't have the "2 of Hearts" in the top left corner. I figured that could possibly be a Tigers uniform he's wearing. Unfortunately, there's no Menko numbers, and it has a blank back.


The JRM 8 set also features red and green stripes (again there's no "2 of hearts,"), but it's the same type of drawing, but there's no listing for Bozo within any of the variations.

Any ideas as to who this is, or what set?

Thanks for the help.

Stay safe and healthy out there.



3 comments:

  1. Whoever invents a scanner that produces quality scans of 90's Metal cards would definitely earn my business. At least they're amazing looking in person.

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  2. I have a copy of that round menko too and I've never been able to figure out what set its from. I don't think it is Wakabayashi though, mainly based on the uniform. He played for the Tigers and Orions, but the hat he is wearing has a "D" on it and the lettering on the uniform doesn't seem to match either team (looks like it starts with an "F").

    Kind of a mystery to me. Cool looking card though, I like it.

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  3. I have resorted to taking photos of metalled cards that just won't scan. I have the 2000 Metal Universe card of Tony Gwynn. It was the #1 card in the set.

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