March Madness in the Wax Pack

5 angry baseball cards to make your blood boil (or at least a little warm)

Over in the world of college basketball, March Madness has broken out all over the land.

But hoops has nothing on baseball when it comes to angry cardboard.

So here, for your viewing pleasure, are five of the maddest baseball cards around…

1973 Topps John Ellis (#656)

On-field conflict doesn’t get much more contentious than a manager jawing in an umpire’s face.

Unless, maybe, it’s a catcher jawing in an umpire’s face.

Ellis plays the part to perfection on this now-ancient 1973 Topps card, even if his generic, made-for-under-protector jersey looks more like a pajama top.

1981 Topps Al Williams (#569)

Williams has a fascinating — even frigtening — life story, and it’s amazing he ever made it to the majors at all.

I didn’t know that as a kid when I pulled this card, like a thousand times, though. All I knew was that Williams looked ticked. And he sorta looked ticked at me.

It made enough of an impression that I’ve written about this card before (surprise!). You can read that more tome-ish volume right here, if you like.

1984 Fleer Dave Kingman (#590)

Kong doesn’t look fully enraged here, but he’s certainly not exactly amused by whatever shenanigans you have going on there behind your computer screen, either.

Lucky thing for you, you’re not a baseball.

Or a reporter (maybe — hard to say from here).

Still, a rat-in-a-box is not out of the question.

1985 Topps Eddie Murray (#700)

As with the Kingman above, this Murray card isn’t outwardly furious.

But Steady Eddie is definitely not too enthused by whatever is happening off to his right.

He’s perturbed, at least. Maybe disappointed. Possibly even on the verge of taking action.

The “Ring of Fire” mustache-sideburns-hair combo adds to the effect.

Really, though, finding a smiling Eddie Murray baseball card would be the outlier.

1989 Topps Mike LaCoss (#417)

LaCoss is probably just concentrating here, getting his game face ready for a 1989 season that would culminate in his only World Series appearance.

Probably.

But that spiked right eyebrow and that furrowed forehead and that blazing gaze just might hold a bit of madness anger.

And then there’s this — that forkball grip held up high, right in front of his face, but jutting forward toward some unseen viewer?

Yeah, that’s a convenient proxy for another well-known gesture, if you ask me.

1972 Billy Martin would have approved.

—

This is just a small sampling, of course. I’m sure you could proffer any number of angry baseball cards, and I invite you to do so.

Come at me.

Show me your best mad-face cardboard.

And then, go enjoy March Madness if that’s your bag. And if not, enjoy the rest of Spring Training. It’s almost over, after all, gone for another year.

It’s almost enough to make a fella sorta mad.

Thanks for reading.

—Adam