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Card back countdown: #35 - 2008 Upper Deck Documentary


I feel a little guilty putting this set in the countdown, knowing what we know about the failings of Upper Deck Documentary.

But the majority of those problem have to do with the front of the card. Namely, the photo of the player, or the blurb on the bottom, or both, does not properly reflect the game that the card is featuring.

For instance, this is a photo of Austin Kearns of the Nationals (I think. Documentary won't tell us). The blurb mentions how the Nationals' bats were too much for the Cubs.


On the back you see no mention of Kearns at all. Just something about Willie Harris.

But let's not let the card front bring down the card back.

What I like about the back of the card is that it's probably the closest I've seen to a set featuring every team's games in boxscore-like form. Who doesn't love boxscores? They are one of the most awesome things on this planet.


Right there on the back, you have a linescore of the game, the date of the game, a short write-up, reflecting that team's performance, and an up-to-date look at the division standings from that team's perspective (this card actually features Joe Mauer on the front).

I love it. One of these days there needs to be a set that features full boxscores on the back. I don't know how you devise that or if  there's ever been that kind of set already, but if not, it needs to happen. Get our greatest minds on this project now. If you're trying to figure out how to clone an emu or whatever, stop what you're doing and figure out how to get a full boxscore on the back of a card.


For obvious reasons, this set wasn't popular with collectors, and even though I would love to have the whole 162-game set for the Dodgers (yes, I know the card fronts are yawn-inducing), I seriously doubt that I'll get there.

But if I do, I think I'll display all of the cards with the backs facing front, to reflect the entire Dodgers season. That would be so cool.

Best of the set:

I don't have very many of these cards, so I don't feel comfortable putting a "best one" out there, knowing that there is probably some great Dodger game reflected on a card that I don't have yet. So I'll hold off on that for now.

(previous card back countdown selections):

50. 1978 SSPC Yankee Yearbook
49. 1993 Score
48. 1999 Skybox Thunder
47. 2000 Upper Deck
46. 1999 Skybox Premium
45. 1953 Johnston Cookies Braves
44. 1995 Topps
43. 1997 Fleer
42. 1992 Pinnacle
41. 1989 Bowman
40. 1977 Kellogg's
39. 2004 Topps
38. 2004 Topps Total
37. 1992 Topps
36. 1992 Donruss

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hey, I need that Twins game #129! I can swap some Dodgers Documentary for that, if you're interested?

The Documentary set is a guilty pleasure for me, regardless of the complete ignorance of the front of the cards.
AdamE said…
It is a guilty pleasure for me too. I like getting them in trades. I always contemplate buying them in pack form because I think there are 162 Red Sox I can get that can't be too hard. But than reality hits and I realize that EVERY team has 162 cards that I might get. Actually I am less likely to get a Red Sox out of Documentary than anything else because there is an even amount of each team but in a normal set of cards there are usually more Red Sox than most other teams.

I actually think the back should have been higher on your list. not quite Top 10 but a solid Top 15.
Anonymous said…
Not quite, Adam -- I collect the visiting team games, too, so that's TWICE the odds. Also, if you pick the packs up for $1 at Dollar Tree, and knowing that trading them to other team collectors when you don't get what you want (and chances are they don't have the card(s)), well, that's win-win to me.
TheBrooklynMet said…
Hey, if you have some of these you'd be willing to trade there are a couple on my want list. Let me know if you have any! http://clearcutcards.blogspot.com/p/want-list.html
deal said…
yep it is definitely the fronts that are the problem. I would consider collecting for the backs, but it would still be a low priority.
night owl said…
Wow, interest in trading for Documentary cards! Who knew?

I have very few of these cards that aren't Dodgers, so all I can guarantee right now is that I'll send the Mauer card to mmmrhubarb. I'll have to look at the other 7 cards I have and see if it's anything TheBrooklynMet wants.
gcrl said…
The photo was taken in the metrodome. Just another disconnect for documentary.