36 - CAL RIPKEN JR. COMMUNITY HEROES

 

The basics: This is Cal Ripken Jr.'s first card in 1993 Upper Deck. He appears twice more in the set ... and on a few inserts.

Card thoughts: Ripken is running his hands through what's left of his hair, he wouldn't hold onto it for much longer. Also that is some awesome eye black -- unless they are stickers and then it is not awesome (I tried to look up when eye-black stickers became a thing, but the internet was unhelpful).

Backs are important in '93 UD: Ripken was still a couple years away from setting the consecutive games played record at the time of this card. ... Anybody fighting the literacy battle is terrific in my eyes -- in my humble opinion, inability to read (or not reading) is apparent in the behavior I see almost every day today.

 

The cut-off "left page" on this card mentions Cal Eldred and whom I assume is Dennis Rasmussen but I still don't know what the reference is.

More from '93: Janet Jackson's fifth album, "Janet.," was released on this date 30 years ago. It's known for being Jackson's first album in which she wrote all the lyrics. Her first single, "That's The Way Love Goes," was No. 1 on this date as well.