The 1992 Score baseball card set is one of the most iconic and commonly collected issues in the modern era. While the design and photography captured a nostalgic classic baseball vibe that card fans enjoy to this day, the set is also notable for containing numerous errors, variations, and anomalies that make individual cards more unique and interesting to collectors. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the most significant production mistakes and quirks that occurred in the 1992 Score set.
One of the most famous errors is the Ken Griffey Jr. swapped photo card. Rather than featuring a photo of Griffey from his 1991 season with the Seattle Mariners, card #107 in the set mistakenly has the picture of Greg Olson, who was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Mariners prior to the 1992 season. Only a small number of Griffey cards were printed with Olson’s photo before the error was caught, making these one of the most valuable mistakes in the set with PSA 10 graded versions selling for over $10,000. This is considered the crown jewel for 1992 Score error card collectors.
Position players were not the only ones impacted by swapped photos. Card #126 depicting Montreal Expos pitcher Dennis Martinez incorrectly has the picture of fellow Expos pitcher Bryn Smith. Recognizing the swap makes attribution easy compared to more subtle errors. Even more rare is the Jeff Reardon card #130 that supposedly has the front image of another pitcher, though the identity has been difficult to definitively verify. Any Reardon card without the correct mustache poses an intriguing mystery.
Beyond swapped photos, some cards had anomalies with writing and numbers. Arguably the most conspicuous is Andy Van Slyke’s #141 which is missing the “Slyke” part of his last name on the front. More subtly, several players had incorrect or missing uniform numbers, like #118 Dave Martinez of the Expos listed as “53” despite wearing “30” that season. Fielding and batting stats were also sometimes printed in the wrong locations or with typos.
Variation exists in the team logo designs as well. The Cubs, Astros, and Giants logos on some cards resemble older, unused versions from previous seasons. The Reds logo is missing the familiar wishbone element on a small subset of cards. With no two copies being exactly alike, anomalies keep collectors hunting to complete subtle difference sets within the larger base issue.
Perhaps most intriguing are ghostly image inclusions or double exposures that seem to have occurred during the printing process. The best example is #144 Randy Johnson which appears to capture a ghost image of another unidentified player in the background. #64 Oil Can Boyd also has hints of another face layered behind his. Whether intentional creepy touches or factory errors doesn’t diminish the fascination factor for collectors.
Various printing errors caused other strange effects. Lineation or streaks appear on specific cards such as #119 Wally Joyner of the Angels, with an almost Rorschach-like ink run. The edges of some cards were cut or trimmed unevenly. Poor centering leaves the image noticeably off-center front-to-back on particular cards too. While such flaws hurt a card’s grade, they add character for error collectors.
The size and success of the 1992 Score set meant production runs had to go through multiple print facilities. This led to sometimes significant shifts in paper stock, coloring, texture and even construction between early and late printings. The card stock appears almost newsprint-thin for some and slick, stiff cardboard elsewhere. Such variations are much more numerous than would be expected from a single year issue and have kept researchers busy sorting the manufacturing timeline.
Of course, as one of the most produced modern sets of all time, the typical miscuts and odd shapes will also be found across 1992 Score. Cards cut square rather than the trademark ovoid shape pop up. Complete miscuts capturing parts of two or more cards fused together can still be unearthed with diligence too. Cut autographs and serial numbers are other predictable flaws seen set-wide.
While not errors per say, some intentionally odd 1992 Score cards stand out as quirks. The unnumbered “Diamond Kings” parallel issue cards feature different action shots of players. A Ted Williams “retired legends” insert set was also produced separately. And card #369 showcasing players from the 1992 U.S. Olympic baseball team represented an unusual licensed subset.
The manufacturing snafus, variations, anomalies and outright errors across the sprawling 1992 Score baseball card set continue to delight collectors some 30 years later. With such a massive printing, the set provides arguably the most opportunities for oddball discoveries and anomalies compared to any other modern baseball card year. With dedicated researchers and traders still sorting through the plentiful production runs several lifetimes later, new findings are unearthed regularly keeping fans engaged. Whether pristine gems or factory imperfections, fans of oddball issues find something special in every 92 Score card.
