30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Friday, June 14, 2013

I Want My MTV!

It's been at least ten years, since I watched anything on MTV.  But when I was a kid, I'd watch music videos for hours.

Over time, MTV evolved into anything but music television.  In the early 90's, MTV paired athletes and musicians for an annual game of softball.  Since this was during the peak of cardboard collecting, MTV produced a trading card set to promote their 1992 Rock n' Jock game.

So if you're a fan of promotional cards, 90's oddballs, or even the rhymes of MC Hammer... then this set is for you:


1992 MTV Rock n' Jock #1

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Stanley Burrell who worked as a batboy for the Oakland Athletics.  Eventually he grew up, changed his name to MC Hammer, and turned into a hip hop/pop icon.

By 1992, he had just wrapped up two successful albums in back to back years and was on top of the music world... which is exactly why MTV chose him to be in this set.


1992 MTV Rock n' Jock #2

The Big Hurt had just finished his second season in the big leagues.  And oh what a season it was.  At just 23 years old, he hit .318, had 32 home runs, scored 104 runs, drove in 109 runs, led the league in walks & on base percentage, and was third in MVP voting.


1992 MTV Rock n' Jock #3

And rounding out the three card promotional set was The Kid.  At the time, Griffey was arguably the hottest player in the hobby.  Three years after his MLB debut, he was only 21 years old and already a two-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

Eventually... Hammer's popularity would fade, but Griffey and Thomas would end up slugging it out for several more years.



Ironically... two decades later, it's The Hammer that's still performing and both The Big Hurt and The Kid who have hung up their cleats, while waiting to be enshrined at Cooperstown.

As for the 1992 MTV Rock n' Jock set... (IMHO) it's truly an awesome set that has stood the test of time.  If you're interested, they're readily available on eBay for around $8.

Happy Friday and sayonara!

8 comments:

The Card Hobbyist said...

Sweet, I used to love those Rock n Jock games back in the day. Youtube is the new MTV.

Commishbob said...

I used to work for a guy who had a TV in the office tuned to MTV all day, droning in the background. I don't think I watched the softball game but I think it was MTV that had a celeb basketball game with the 'Homeboys' vs the 'Awayboys' or some such foolishness. And the baskets moved up and down maybe.

If they showed that video for a-ha's Take on Me once they showed it a billion times. Also showed a lot of Wham and Boy George. 80s music left a lot to be desired.

Greg Zakwin said...

That Hammer card is pretty dope, actually.

Fuji said...

And they've been making YouTuber cards for years.

Fuji said...

I think they played basketball as part of the Rock n Jock series... not 100% sure though. But I love the Take on Me video... then again, I love comics.

Fuji said...

Hell yeah... that's why he's 2 Legit 2 Quit

jacobmrley said...

I have never seen these before. This is why I love card blogs, I continue to find things I don't have. I will have to grab these just for Hammer and The Big Hurt.

Zippy Zappy said...

Come to think about it I think J had a MC Hammer card from that Yo MTV Raps trading card set.