Baseball is America’s pastime, known for its rich history, legendary players, and thrilling games. But beyond the fierce competition and dramatic moments, there’s another side to the sport: a lighter, fun-loving side. Baseball has a long tradition of pranks and jokes, with players, coaches, and even mascots getting in on the act. These lighthearted moments bring us weird and funny baseball cards.
This post is filled with April Fools, jokes, zany moments and the most memorably weird and funny baseball cards ever made.
13. 1986 Fleer Mickey Hatcher #396 (“Big Glove”)
The 1986 Fleer set was forgettable, exception for this card of Mickey Hatcher wearing a comically-large glove. According to CBS, it happened very simply – a Mizuno glove representative brought the comically-large glove to Spring Training, and Fleer photographers captured the moment Hatcher tried it on. He took ownership of the glove a short time later and used it for comic relief with fans, although never in a game (rules are rules). He even appeared on his 1991 Upper Deck #666 baseball card carrying the glove around, so the joke continued.
Twenty-two years later, Yasiel Puig appeared on his 2013 Topps Update card with a large glove of his own – this one an Akadema model.
12. 1993 Upper Deck Mike Perez #204 (“Deja Vu”)
Now, this card would be pedestrian, but in 1993, it had collectors doing a double-take. The card shows pitcher Mike Perez, getting ready to autograph the card he’s on. What?
This is a weird baseball card for several reasons. First, there is no documented story about how it happened, but there was clearly planning involved. Secondly, as with many of the athletes on this list, the choice of athlete raises questions. Why Mike Perez? He was a reliever who had a few good years across an eight-year career, but this set had 840 cards. Perez is the only one to get the Inception treatment.
11. 1993 Donruss Joe Oliver #586 (“Falling Over”)
It’s hard to pin down why Donruss chose this photo of Joe Oliver for the 1993 set, but everyone agrees on one thing: “Who did Joe Oliver upset at Donruss?”
Depending on your sense of humor, someone falling over isn’t that funny. But this card is unique and captures the imagination because there are so many unanswered questions. Why this photo, out of the thousands of photos that are taken of players every year? As far as we know, nobody has ever explained it, but we hope he at least got awarded first base for his troubles.
10. 1984 Fleer Jay Johnstone #495 (“Umbrella Hat”)
Johnstone’s 1984 Fleer card shows him wearing an umbrella hat seemingly made out of Budweiser labels. But the umbrella hat is actually a “Brockabrella,” an invention made for Lou Brock while he was Budweiser’s spokesperson in the 1970s.
According to Johnstone, he didn’t know his photo was being taken. Afterwards, he said that Budweiser began sending him free cases of beer as a thank you for the free publicity from the impromptu shot, and the Brockabrella, which could have been lost to history, is now immortalized on this 1984 Fleer card.
9. 1996 Pinnacle Bob Hamelin #289 (“Photo Day”)
Bob Hamelin burst onto the scene and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1994, but then promptly lost the magic. His 1996 Pinnacle card shows a photo of Hamelin during photo day in Spring Training, hamming it up with his name card.
According to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, the card was poorly received by fans and the media; Slate called it “the worst baseball card of all time.” What seems to offend them is similar to the unanswered questions with Joe Oliver’s card in 1993 – Why? Goofy photos can be funny, but they still tell a story. This card, in contrast, is oddly cropped and doesn’t make any sense. It’s especially true for a player who is more interesting than what he’s been given here. Regardless, this is a weird baseball card that divides fans.
8. 1952 Topps Gus Zernial #31 (“OK Six”)
There’s a lot to unpack with the oldest card on our list. The card features Gus Zernial posing with a bat that has six baseballs stuck onto it, and he’s giving the “OK” sign with his other hand.
What the card doesn’t mention is that Zernial hit six home runs in three consecutive games in 1951, and this card is celebrating that fact. This was one of the first modern baseball card sets, which is important for two reasons:
- This is one of the first concept baseball cards
- Card companies couldn’t yet design at a scale that would allow them to create headlines or graphics to celebrate an event. Photography was the easiest way to do it.
While fans in 1952 may have been taken aback by this card, it became an important part of the evolution of mass-produced baseball cards.
7. 1993 Topps Stadium Club Oscar Azocar #257 (“Bat Hug”)
Hitters love their bats, but Oscar Azocar takes it to the next level. His 1993 Stadium Club card shows him hugging his bat in a portrait-style photo. On at least two other funny baseball cards (1991 Topps and 1992 Mother’s Cookies), Azocar has done some bat gymnastics by balancing a ball between his bats.
From the National Baseball Hall of Fame: “There was much more to Azocar than pure numbers. He loved to smile…. Azocar simply loved playing baseball, along with the experience of being around the ballpark.”
A few years later, Rex Hudler got in trouble with his mother (seriously, per MLB.com) for hugging a dugout pole on his 1995 Topps Stadium Club #51.
6. 1999 Topps Chrome Brian Hunter #274 (“Base Stealing”)
Some of the funniest baseball cards are those that would be so normal, but for one choice. In this 462-card set, someone decided to hand Brian Hunter a robber’s mask and take a photo of his “stealing” bases (get it?). This is one of those funny baseball cards because you can picture collectors opening a pack, flipping through the cards, and then finding this. Also, the composition and use of the chrome coloring is perfect.
Hunter was a prolific base stealer – he led the league twice, with 74 stolen bases in 1997 and 44 in 1999. He finished his career with 260 stolen bases over a 10-year career. No word on whether he put the bases back when he was done with them.
5. 1984 Fleer Glenn Hubbard #182 (“Snake Card”)
There was something in the water on Photo Day for the 1984 Fleer set, because Glenn Hubbard has the most famous card in the set. He’s holding a large snake and he seems pretty happy about it. Adding some intrigue, the Phillie Phanatic is in the background, so this was part of a Braves road trip.
Said Hubbard: “They had a guy with a snake. I grabbed the guy and I grabbed the photographer and said, ‘Can I get my picture taken with the snake?’ Well, unbeknownst to me, the photographer was a freelance photographer for Fleer, a start-up company, and they just wanted some unique cards. That’s how it came about.”
Hubbard initially didn;t like the card and refused to autograph it, but his stance has softened lately. He was even immortalized with a bobblehead from Lexington Legends, holding the snake (obviously).
4. 1989 ProCards Keith Comstock #14 (“Drilled with the Ball”)
1989 was the pinnacle of potty humor on baseball cards. ProCards isn’t a major release, but it became famous when the company printed a “blooper” card of pitcher Keith Comstock. During the photoshoot, Comstock apparently requested a more interesting pose than the typical baseball card action shot. The result? A photo of him getting drilled in the groin with a baseball.
His facial expression is hilarious and the potty humor appealed to many. The card is still popular on the secondary market. It sells for around $10 ungraded, with graded versions for sale at around $100.
3. 1976 Topps Kurt Bevacqua #564 (“Bubble Gum Blowing Champ”)
This card shows third baseman Kurt Bevacqua blowing a massive bubble in the Joe Garagiola “Bazooka Bubble Gum Blowing Championship.” According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, this was a real competition among teams. There was drama about how to measure the bubbles, and two teams sat out the competition because they were on losing streaks, but there were actual champions crowned.
Ultimately, Kurt Bevacqua won with an 18.25-inch bubble. He won $1,000 for himself, $1,000 for a charity of his choice, and a full case of Bazooka bubble gum. The card immortalizes his win, showing his bubble and the calipers used to measure it.
Ken Griffey Jr. duplicated this feat on his 1995 Pinnacle card. He’s depicted blowing a huge bubble in front of his locker (and looking shocked while doing it).
2. 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken #616 (“F— Face”)
Depending on your tastes, this may or may not be funny. The 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken card is the stuff of legend – we even wrote a whole article about it. As the story goes, Ripken “accidentally” posed for a photo with an obscenity written on the knob of his bat. Then, Fleer “accidentally” never noticed until the card was printed and distributed. From that point, the company made several attempts to obscure the word, with varying degrees of success and rarity.
Ultimately, Ripken said he was not involved in the controversy, but he thinks it was intentional on Fleer’s part. Either way, if your humor leans towards the crude and rude, this is the funniest card on the list.
1. 2014 Topps Allen & Ginter Daniel Nava Oddity Relics #AGOR-01 (“Beard Shavings”)
Allen & Ginter is known for producing odd cards alongside their typical baseball offerings. You can get cards of bald eagles, unicorns and a “Bigfoot” autograph. But the Daniel Nava relic in the 2014 set is on another level. The card is serial numbered out of 25 copies and each one contains some of Nava’s playoff beard clippings.
According to Beckett, the clippings are real, and one auction listing sold for $400.
Funny Baseball Cards – The Conclusion
It’s been said that baseball is a sport for kids. Through a 162 game season, with each game taking a few hours, it’s inevitable that teammates will have some light moments together.
Baseball cards aren’t just about showcasing batting averages and dazzling fastballs. Sometimes, they capture those unexpected mid-game bloopers, the strangely staged photo ops, or the downright bizarre promotional inclusions. From players with props to bubble gum blowing champions, the world of baseball cards offers a treasure trove of funny and weird moments immortalized in cardboard.
We hope you enjoyed some of the most side-splitting, head-scratching, funny baseball cards ever printed – a collection guaranteed to bring a smile (or a raised eyebrow) to any fan’s face.
