Look inside the locker

I decided to open one of the packs that was sent to me by reader Jonathan quite awhile ago. It's been sitting waiting to be opened -- in a home that never leaves packs unopened -- for quite some time.

And when I suddenly realized that there are Dodgers inserts that I need from this set, well what am I doing? Let's get this thing opened!

The 1994 Studio set is slightly more appealing to me than previous versions of the set. Even though the back features trimmed down personal information when compared with earlier sets, the fronts are cool.

Lockers! The players are placed in front of their very own lockers!

From a fan's perspective this is quite awesome (from a sportswriter's perspective, it isn't so awesome, trust me). You get to see what's sitting in a major league player's locker!

For example the first card I pulled out of the pack, No. 101, Ken Griffey Jr. You get to see his various uniforms and caps. Very '90s there, Junior, with the teal. You get to see his taped-up bats. There are a couple of white boxes on a shelf above him that might contain baseballs (or, maybe baseball cards?). Down in the left corner looks like a pile of stuff, including some letters, maybe from fans?

I thought it would be interesting to see what I could find in the lockers of each of the players that I pulled from this pack.

One other thing before I continue. My guess is they didn't set up each player in front of their locker. The players' photos were probably taken separately and superimposed on a photo of their locker. Card photographers don't have quite that kind of clout.

 #117 - Jeff Kent, Mets (favorite singer: Garth Brooks)

I covered a couple of Kent's games when he was in the minors. Other than a few uniforms, all I see behind Kent is a plastic cup or container and, gee, that sure looks like an envelope you mail baseball cards in.

#121 - Harold Baines, Orioles (hobbies: golf and pool)

Nothing but uniforms behind Baines, except for some sort of denim thing off to the right. On some of these cards I notice the upper shelf has been cut off. Or maybe there is no upper shelf. But I'm automatically suspicious that they're leaving stuff out.

#126 - Rafael Palmeiro, Orioles (favorite singer: Faith Hill)

Like this guy. They have to be cropping stuff out with this guy. Just a uniform and pants. Yeah, sure, Raffy, that's everything in your locker.

#63 - Ryne Sandberg, Cubs (favorite TV show: Good Morning America)

That's more like it, an upper shelf to peer into -- like staring inside a neighbor's medicine cabinet. Aside from bats and a uniform, Sandberg appears to have various lotions and ointments on the upper shelf.

#49 - Turner Ward, Brewers (favorite group: Alabama)

Now that's a locker. Ward is currently a hitting coach and that just looks like a future coach's locker. All of his equipment just jammed into a tiny rectangular box.

#187 - Mike Macfarlane, Royals (favorite TV show: LA Law)

There appears to be some sort of lineup card behind Macfarlane's jersey. Up on the shelf is a Mizuno shoebox. Mizuno is a baseball equipment company.

#84 - Roberto Alomar, Blue Jays (favorite actor: Sylvester Stallone)

Nothing but baseball clothes. What's above your head, Roberto?

#159 - Roger Clemens, Red Sox (appeared in movie "Cobb," about Hall of Famer Ty Cobb)

That looks very neat, although the sizeable caps they wore back then sure blocks out a lot. At least Clemens' nameplate is showing.

#40 - Fred McGriff, Braves (favorite food: lasagna)

I see a lot of baseball clothes.

#140 - Pete Incaviglia, Phillies (favorite movie: Uncle Buck)

This is the most interesting locker for me. First, if you don't know how to spell his name, it's not only there on the jersey but also on the name plate. Second, does that say "The Ghetto" behind him, and if so, what's that mean? Finally, there are three pictures or photographs of little kids positioned behind the name plate. Maybe his kids?

#5 - Troy Neel, Athletics (nothing of nonbaseball interest on the back of his card)

Ho-hum locker. If only the top part wasn't cropped out.

The 1994 Studio set was a little bit special, not only because of the lockers but because it was issued in fewer quantities than previous Studio sets.

The inserts are still a little tricky. Even with all the '90s Piazza inserts I've accumulated over the years, I still need the ones from the Editor's Choice and Silver/Gold Stars inserts.

But a great pack nevertheless: Griffey, Baines, Sandberg, Clemens, McGriff, Palmeiro, Alomar. That's a lot of star power.