Sports by Brooks tips us to an article by
CNBC Sports Biz' Darren Rovell at
Slate where he profiles the popularity of 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey, Jr. card.
In the piece, Rovell talks about how the Griffey card was given the designation as the #1 card in the set.
Junior was chosen to be card No. 1 by an Upper Deck employee named Tom Geideman, a college student known for his keen eye for talent. Geideman earned his rep by consistently clueing in the founders of The Upper Deck, the card shop where the business was hatched, on which players would be future stars. Geideman took the task of naming the player for the first card very seriously.
More interesting though, is the creativity with which Geideman numbered the 1992 Upper Deck Set:
It’s probably the most thinking Geideman ever did compiling a checklist, save for the 1992 Upper Deck set when he assigned numbers that ended in 69 to players with porn-star-sounding names. (Dick Schofield at No. 269, Heathcliff Slocumb at No. 569, and Dickie Thon at No. 769.)
Genius.
If only Dick Drago were still alive in '92. (Was he?)
Wonder if Geidman is the brainchild behind the
World of Isaac's recent contest.
--
Dick DragoPitcher, Boston Red Sox
1981 Topps #647
Topps Fact: Home: Land O' Lakes, Florida
GMT Fact: Was disappointed to learn the Land O' Lakes butter Indian was merely the product of an artist's imagination...and his. Now he must break you.
Last week Topps put its proverbial foot on Upper Deck's throat. This week, SI takes a look at the story behind the card that became the Alpha and Omega of the sports card industry. 
I'm not sure what this is, where it came from or why I have it...
