One of my favorite baseball card sets is 1988 Score. The cards have crisp action shots. At the time, that was unusual—most sets featured a lot of static portrait shots, players staring blankly at the camera like they were getting their driver’s license renewed.
But Score’s 1988 set looked different because Score treated the photography like the star of the card. Lots of bold, action shots, and a printing/layout treatment that emphasized the photo. The design is clean: a colored border with a thin inner white frame around the photo. The set used six different border colors and a restrained nameplate/graphic treatment so the picture remained the focal point. The overall layout is bright but photo-centric.
The set has a fresher, more “photo-forward” feel than many of the other 1988 offerings. This was Score showing off.
Purple border, bold choice
Take Tom Herr’s card—#84 in the set. Full bleed purple border. How often did you see a purple border in cards before 1988? Answer: never. This is a bold card.
And the action? Tom Herr is jumping over a player in a double-play at Candlestick Park. Not just any player, either. The guy he’s leaping over appears to be Will Clark. If you’re talking about 1988 baseball, Will Clark is one of the big names—the Giants’ young superstar first baseman. To have Will Clark make a cameo appearance on someone else’s card is a fun surprise, like spotting a movie star in the background of your vacation photos.
The autograph that makes it personal
This particular card is signed by Tom Herr. Nicely signed at the bottom of the card. The autograph goes right over Will Clark, as if jumping over him wasn’t enough. Now Tom Herr is literally writing his name on top of him. The strong horizontal line in his first name goes in the same direction as Will Clark’s sliding body. That horizontal line also serves as an underline, highlighting Herr leaping over Clark.
And to top it all off, “John 3:16” is written as an inscription underneath the signature.
So much is going on in this card. I had to get it. The eBay seller made a low offer of $3.79 with free shipping. I jumped on it—much like Tom Herr jumped over Will Clark.
The detective work begins
But then the question hit me: What game does this play appear in?
There can’t be too many games in 1987 where this exact situation happened—Will Clark involved in a double play against the Cardinals at Candlestick Park. I went digging through Baseball Reference, and I narrowed it down to two games.
Option 1: Sunday, July 26, 1987
Giants vs. Cardinals
Giants win 5-2
Attendance: 41,256
A double play with Will Clark on first base happens in the bottom of the 3rd. Giants are behind 0-1.
José Uribe: Groundout: SS-2B/Forceout at 2B
Option 2: Wednesday, May 13, 1987
Cardinals vs. Giants
Cardinals 18-13 (1st place)
Giants 21-13 (2nd place, 0.5 games behind CIN)
Cardinals win 7-6
Attendance: 16,891
A double play with Will Clark on first base happens in the bottom of the 4th. Giants are behind 1-4.
Bob Melvin: Ground Ball Double Play: 3B-2B-1B, ends the inning.
The clue in the background
Look at the card again. The outfield in the background is empty of fans—just bare green seats stretching into the distance. That’s the tell.
The July 26th game had 41,256 fans. The May 13th game had 16,891 fans. At Candlestick Park, 16,891 people doesn’t fill much beyond the lower deck. Those upper outfield seats? Empty.
It must be the May 13, 1987 game.
What happened that day
And what a game it was.
Will Clark went 3-for-4 with 2 home runs:
Tom Herr went 2-for-5 with a double. He eventually crossed home after his double when Terry Pendleton hit a HR to give the Cardinals the go-ahead run they wouldn’t surrender.
So on May 13, 1987, Will Clark had one of those days where he almost singlehandedly beat you with his bat. But the Cardinals still won 7-6, and somewhere in the fourth inning, Tom Herr jumped over him to complete a double play.
Score’s photographer caught that moment. The card company chose that photo. Tom Herr signed it years later. A seller offered it for $3.79.
And now I know exactly when it happened.
“I am Will ‘The Thrill’ Clark. I am forever a Giant.”
Come on, Will, stop mincing words & just say what you think!!! LOL! 🤦♂️
https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/will-clark-sf-giants-analysts-message-19822038.php
NPBHUB
Matt Maldre
elsantosworld
sgt1372
Loose Muscle Dudes