MLB Portrait Wristbands Are the Best Thing Ever

Those are amazing. Those are wristbands. Major League baseball wristbands with players faces and signatures on them. Starting at the top left: Carney Lansford, Harold Baines, Kal Daniels, Frank White, Jack Clark, Darryl Strawberry, Eric Davis, and Frank Thomas twice.

My whole world has just been flipped upside down. The late ’80s were amazing. I wasn’t in Jr. High yet, and I wasn’t spending every waking minute thinking about girls yet. Still a kid, about 10 years old, I was in the prime of my baseball fanhood. Pro ballplayers were my idols. I collected their cards, bought their posters, memorized their stats… I was obsessed. So somebody tell me how in the HELL I’ve never seen these amazing wristbands before?! These wristbands… the players actually wore them… pictures of themselves on their wrists. It’s amazing. I guess the company was called MIMS and it was a “Say No To Drugs” campaign. See below for all the photos/cards I could find with players rockin’ em. Focus on the wrists…posted in no particular order.

How ’bout a close up Barry? So we don’t overlook one of the great ironies of all-time?

“Barry Bonds, Say No To Drugs” Thanks for that.

Just because I know the Giants’ fans will bitch and moan about me not pointing out the same irony for Strawberry and his drug problems… I offer you this. No Mas made a t-shirt inspired by the wristband. Glorious. It is a bit weird that MLB obviously allowed the players to wear these bands, but they weren’t allowed to have their helmet logos?

It also looks like there were specific All-Star game variations made to these puppies.

See The Wizard’s wrist? There’s a star around his image. How hot is Scioscia, btw? Here’s another one with Darryl’s All-Star variation…hanging with The Hawk.

Here’s a close-up of San Diego’s own, Benito Santiago for an All-Star game.

How amazing are these wristbands? Does everybody else remember these? Am I the lone jackass in the dark on this one? How did I miss the boat on this? They’re so awesome, I feel like I was just cheated out of a portion of my youth. I want some of these wristbands. Who has more info on ’em? Who wants to sell me some?

Woah, stop the press. Just before I was about to post this, I found out that Brandon Phillips of the Reds is currently wearing some wristbands that look to be inspired by these late ’80s classics. Here’s a screengrab, a photo, and a close-up.

Is the other BP bringing it back? Looks to be so. This needs to take off. All players should do this. Hell, I should do this… make ’em for all the players… they’d sell like hotcakes. Fans eat this kinda stuff up. Boom, this BP becomes a thousandaire.

**update: Tony Gwynn rocking the wristband at the ’87 ASG**

-bp

[images found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here]

 

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