04/25/24
December 17, 2008
Billy Ripken: I Wrote 'Fuck Face' On That Bat: Billy Ripken's 1989 Fleer baseball card once sold for more than $500 because of an obscenity written on the bat. He said at the time he was a victim of a prank, but has now admitted the truth - he marked the bat so he could find it for batting practice each day. "When people recognize me, I see the look on their face. They think of the card," he said. "I don't know if it happens daily, but, to this day, it still happens a couple of times a week."
Now I have to go through all my boxes of common cards to see if I have this one.
posted by mgdaddyo at 10:18 PM on December 17, 2008
We used to call Cal Jr., "Little Rip," so when Billy came up there was no further diminutive. After the "Fuck Face" card came out (and yeah, I still have mine) I felt kinda sorry for him -- his older brother's fuckin' amazing and his dad's third base coach, and here's Billy, we call him Fuck Face, muddling along in the shadows of giants -- but now that it turns out he self-identified as such, well damn.
posted by Hugh Janus at 12:14 AM on December 18, 2008
Wow, what a classy guy that Ripken!
posted by dander10 at 01:23 AM on December 18, 2008
"It's pretty goddamn lucky for Ripken that he didn't write "Sloppy Seconds" on the butt of that bat, or there'd be some discussion on this subject on internet sports blogs!"
Now that's just funny! He'd be out of a job too. Some people are just too damn sensitive...
posted by docshredder at 09:30 AM on December 18, 2008
Great stuff!! I still have this card too so I'm in luck.
posted by BornIcon at 10:38 AM on December 18, 2008
In 1988, I got Billy's autograph outside Memorial Stadium after a tough loss to the Twins. Billy had tripled and driven in a run from the 9 spot. Cal had gone 0-4. A small group formed, and some guy asked him where his brother was. I don't remember Billy's exact phrasing, but he sure did include at least one of the words inscribed on his infamous bat.
posted by cl at 01:33 PM on December 18, 2008
It's pretty goddamn lucky for Ripken that he didn't write "Sloppy Seconds" on the butt of that bat, or there'd be some discussion on this subject on internet sports blogs! Good thing. Also, thanks for a pretty funny post, rcade.