The Collector: Frankenset Sunday - We'll never be Royals

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Frankenset Sunday - We'll never be Royals

This week's Frankenset Sunday post concerns the Kansas City Royals.

I'm going to post a Sports Illustrated cover with each of these, assuming there is one for every MLB team.

The Royals entered the MLB in 1969, their All-Time team doesn't have a lot of star power, and their back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015 occurred while I was shifting my collecting focus from hockey back to baseball. Also they don't have a large national following.

Perhaps this explains why I'm one John Mayberry card away from completing the Royals team set. Here's the Royals All-Time team to date:

Did you know Kevin Appier was traded straight-up for Mo Vaughn? I remember the Royals trading Appier to the A's but I forgot all about that Angels-Mets swap. This Jeff Montgomery Firemen insert was part of my trade with TCDB user colonel98801.

I actually had a John Mayberry Royals card but I traded it, and it was a multi-player card anyhow. The Heritage Ned Yost is one of nine 2013 Topps Heritage Royals I acquired in a Nachos Grande trade stack. The 1986 Topps Hal McRae matches a Bret Saberhagen I have and I wondered if every Royals player in that set had their photo taken at the exact same spot at Yankee Stadium. Turns out only those two and Mike Jones were posed in the same place.

Saberhagen and Salvador Perez are guys I semi-collect so there were a fair amount of options. The only other Frank White card I have is PSA-graded so I had to go with 1990 Fleer. Patek needs an upgrade, and one is on the way. The open third base slot will be filled with a George Brett card -- which George Brett card is up to you.

"Mr. Royal" has had some fantastic cards. If I had one of these I'd slot it right into the binder and ask my readers to vote on Bret Saberhagen or Alex Gordon instead. But I don't, so..