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Define the design (90 & 91U)

Here we go with another "Define the Design" segment. To recap, I am looking for a descriptive title for each of the major baseball card sets produced by Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer, Donruss, etc.

Some card designs are easy to describe. Others are difficult. I started with the 1968 Topps design, because it's a relatively well-known design, and I had heard various descriptions for it. Once I read through the comments, though, it became obvious that the '68 Topps cards should be called the "burlap set." And that is what I have called it in the sidebar under the "Define the Design" heading.

I'm really looking for feedback on this. As we come up with a name for each set, I will add it to the sidebar. For some of these sets, I have an idea for what the design should be called. But I am perfectly willing to let the majority rule, as in the '68 Topps set. If the majority rules and it makes sense, then that's what I'll call the set. Or if one person comes up with a perfect description, then that's what I'll call the set.

I mentioned earlier that for some of these "Define the Design" posts, I'd like to throw in a contest. This will be one of those posts. The person who comes up with the winning design name (to be determined by me) FIRST, wins some cards. I will mention what the cards are later in the post.

So here we go. I want to describe two card sets this time. And it's a toughy, because it's Upper Deck. UD is minimalist when it comes to design. The less design, the better, says UD.

The first set I'd like to name is the 1990 Upper Deck set. It was the second offering from UD. To differentiate itself from its debut 1989 set, it scrapped the baseline running up the side of the card and went with a simple green-and-gold strip across the top of each card. The position is in a tiny 3-D gray block in the corner, and UD retained the team logo enclosed in a circle.

I can't come up with any description other than "the green-and-gold racing stripe set". That's not very descriptive. But I don't know what else I would say if someone asked me to characterize the 1990 Upper Deck set. Any ideas?

I'd also like to name the 1991 Upper Deck set design. There is not a lot separating it from the 1990 set (UD's sameness is a gripe of mine, as you know). There is a green-and-beige combination that may represent the grass and dirt of a ballfield. And there is the home plate in the right corner with a team logo (hmmm, looks a little like 2009 Topps). Combine those elements and I come up with "the ballfield set." But I don't know if that's quite accurate either.

So that's why I need your help. Tell me what you would name these two sets, based on their designs. The person that I believe comes up with the most accurate description first wins all of the 1990 and 1991 Upper Deck cards that I own.

Now, don't get excited. Combined that comes out to like 60 cards. And there won't be any Dodgers unless I have doubles of them. And there may be two winners -- one with the best description of the 1990 set and one with the best description of the '91 set. So you may have to split the cards with someone else.

Bummer, huh?

But, come on, focus on the free cards! And if you provide the best description for both sets then you get both groups of cards! And to sweeten things, for the one or two winners I will also send along 10 cards of 2009 Upper Deck, just so you can take these things off my hands.

If nobody wins, or if I rule my description better than everyone, we'll just have to wait for the next "Define the Design." But I'm thinking positive. Someone's going to come up with something spot-on. I just know it.

I'm all ears.

Comments

madding said…
I'm not very good at naming things. I usually settle for a "first word that comes to mind" stream-of-consciousness time of thing. I'd probably have to call '90 the Plain set and '91 the Basepath set. I like both of those designs less and less as time goes on, though I am generally a fan of the inaugural set. '93 blows them all away, though. I could never get used to the landscape-oriented stats.
David Wishinsky said…
The 1990 is the KISS set (Keep it simple stupid).

The 1991 is the "Score from Second" as the card makes the 2nd Base to Home Plate part of the Diamond
gcrl said…
i always liked to think that ud had a 4-year plan that was reflected in the card design. 89 was home to first, 90 is first to second (that is second base in the upper left corner), and 91 would be second to third with third to home coming in 92. but then they realized how boring it looked and combined the last two years into the 91 design.
my vote for the 90 set would be the 'bunt him over' set and 91 would be the 'drive him in' set.
dayf said…
1990 Upper Deck:
The most boringest boring bore of boredom set that ever bored a board on a bored board.

AKA: Bizarro 1990 Topps

1991 Upper Deck:

Slidin' into home, baby.

If you even think about sending me even one card from one of these sets ever I will hunt you down and bury you under the massive pile of doubles I have from them. I am deadly serious about this.
night owl said…
Well as tempting as you make it sound, I'll avoid death by '91 Upper Deck and say, someone has probably beaten you to one answer, and the other one is probably unanswerable (because Upper Deck HATES design).