Random Ray - 1997 Fleer Ultra

I am actually posting a copy of the Gold Medallion parallel. Nothing special, still a really easy card to come across. Plus, it's Ray Lankford. Go to a card show and you can probably find this card for a quarter. Maybe fifty cents if the card show is in St. Louis.  

Here is the front of the card.  

I love the 1997 Cardinals cards with pictures taken inside of Busch Stadium.

Busch Stadium had astroturf for all of my childhood. I say it like it's bad. The astroturf was great for the 1980s Cardinals teams, who were speed oriented. I never liked seeing the stuff on Cardinals baseball cards, but still liked the overall appearance of Busch Stadium.

Even though it was a cookie-cutter, concrete bowl, it was instantly recognizable. The Busch Beer blue walls, red seats, and arches around the top of the stadium made it a little bit better than places like Three Rivers, Riverfront, and The Vet.  

In an attempt to class the place up a bit, the Cardinals ripped up astroturf at the end of the 1995 season and replaced it with grass. The team was also sold to its current owner, so the Busch Beer blue walls were all painted green.  

Throw in a ridiculously large scoreboard in place of the majority of upper deck outfield seats and the place looked completely different for the 1996 season. I was always a little disappointed that the Anheuser-Busch eagle on the left-field scoreboard was replaced by an advertisement from the same company.  

It's next to Highway 40 (Interstate 64 if you're not from St. Louis) now. 

The green around the stadium was crisp. 

That green grass and green paint really popped on baseball cards, especially with the white and red Cardinals home uniforms. There were a few 1996 Cardinals cards with the new grass and paint scheme in the background, but 1997 had a lot of Cardinals baseball cards with photos inside of Busch Stadium. 

The 1997 Fleer Ultra Ray Lankford is one of the better updated Busch Stadium pictures from that year. You cannot even see the green paint on the card, just the grass and what is probably a Budweiser sign on the outfield wall. Still a great photograph when you put it all together.   

Back of the card.  

Yes, there are stats, but what about the color and sepia photos in the background. Those are quality. Almost makes me want to say forget the stats, just bring me more photographs of Ray.