For years I laughed at these baseball card frames, mainly because they are typically pretty expensive ($40 without a discount) and always had such garbage junk wax cards inside demonstrating how the frame worked. I wonder if they left the plastic cases blank if more people would be interested. Or better yet, get reprints of some of the most famous cards ever issued to inspire the collector inside everyone.
Also, you might notice that I have ditched the plastic cases that came with the frame because the cards have a tendency to slip around. As an alternative I have substituted vintage-size toploaders instead and although they move around a little more in the frame, the cards are much easier to switch out which I plan to do often. This isn't a finished piece but will change over time.
A 50 percent Michael's coupon brought this frame into my life this Christmas as a present to myself and I decided to make it a Decatur, Illinois-area focused piece of art.
Top row is Bill Madlock who graduated from Eisenhower High School here in the Soy City. It features his 1974 Topps rookie and some other favorites including a 1977 Topps cloth and his shared 1977 batting leaders card with George Brett.
Row two is St. Teresa graduate Del Unser who has a great rookie card in 1969 Topps and has some fun Canadian issued cards from his days with the Expos from 1976-1978.
Row three is Chuck Dressen who probably had the most memorable career of any athlete from Decatur. Dressen was a member of the Chicago Bears when they were still located in Decatur before the team moved to Chicago and he went on to manage the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1951-1953.
Row four includes Decatur-area players Walter Beck, Hobie Landrith, Roe Skidmore, and Brett Robinson, who didn't make it to the majors but had some great minor league cards while in the Cubs organization. Roe Skidmore is one of 10 players that has a perfect 1.000 career batting average after recording a hit in his one at-bat in a game during the 1970 season.
