Billy Ripken
In 1989, Billy Ripken's Fleer card showed him holding a bat with the expletive fuck face written in plain view on the knob of the bat. Fleer subsequently rushed to correct the error, and in its haste, released versions in which the text was scrawled over with a marker, whited out with correction fluid, and also airbrushed. On the final, corrected version, Fleer obscured the offensive words with a black box (this was the version included in all factory sets). Both the original card and many of the corrected versions have become collector's items as a result. There are at least ten different variations of this card. As of February 2009 the white out version has a book value of $120, but has been sold in mint condition on eBay for asking prices as high as $1,200.
Years later, Ripken admitted to having written the expletive on the bat; however, he claimed he did it to distinguish it as a batting practice bat, and did not intend to use it for the card.
Some collectors list the card as the "Rick Face" card. The script on the bat appears to make the word fuck look similar to Rick.
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Famous quotes containing the word billy:
““How old is she, Billy boy, Billy boy?
How old is she, charming Billy?”
Past six, past seven,
Past twenty and eleven,
She’s a young thing, and cannot leave her mother.””
—Unknown. Billy Boy (l. 21–25)