1989 Fleer – Billy Ripken (Error #1)

Description

The 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken #616 card is one of the most famous error cards in sports collectibles history. After realizing that an explicit profanity (“F–k Face”) was written on the knob of Ripken’s bat, Fleer scrambled to cover it up, creating a vast checklist of distinct variations. This variation is error #1:

This is the original, untouched printing that slipped into early retail packs. It features the explicit phrase clearly written in black marker on the bottom knob of the bat. Ripken later admitted he wrote it himself to identify his personal batting practice bats.