Some players -- like the now-immortal Keith Comstock -- pose for them on purpose. Some are semi-tragic mistakes. Others, well, we just don't know.

What we do know: From bat-handle obscenities to boa constrictors and mascot photo bombs, these are 10 of the funniest and most memorable baseball cards ever.

Billy Ripken 1989 Fleer

With perhaps the most famous error card ever produced, Billy Ripken is known to this day as much for the bat handle pictured in his 1989 Fleer card as he is for his career with the Baltimore Orioles or his famous sibling. The words F--- Face were inscribed on Ripken's bat, a mistake that the former infielder has said stems from that being what he wrote on his practice bats to easily distinguish them from his game bats. Fleer issued corrections of the card without the explicit word, including a highly popular white-out edition.

Cal Ripken 1994 Upper Deck

While his brother Billy's card claim to fame came courtesy of a Magic Marker and a bat handle, Cal's came via the telephone. While the 1990s Zack Morris-era cell phone looks hilarious today, it was the cool new technology of the time -- and Ripken appears to grasp the importance of taking a mobile call from whomever it is he is talking to when his Upper Deck card was snapped.

Mickey Hatcher 1986 Fleer

There was no question that a Mickey Hatcher giant glove card would make this list, with the tougher choice being which Mickey Hatcher giant glove card deserved a spot here. In addition to the 1986 Fleer version pictured, Upper Deck released a 1991 version with Hatcher toting a giant glove over his shoulder.

Jay Johnstone 1984 Fleer

Harry Caray was known for being both a Cub Fan and Bud Man, but it was journeyman backstop Jay Johnstone who had the sense of style to rock a Budweiser umbrella for his 1984 Fleer card. It turns out that the umbrella was actually a form of a hat called a "Brockabrella," with Lou Brock as a spokesman, to keep someone dry while still having their hands free.

Glenn Hubbard 1984 Fleer

Ignore for a moment the giant snake draped over Glenn Hubbard's shoulders in his 1984 Fleer card and you still have a pretty amazing shot featuring a Phillie Phanatic photobomb and some other 1980s mascots appearing in the background. Now, back to that giant snake over Hubbard's shoulders. Yes, that is a boa constrictor -- and a reptile that became part of a card famous enough to have its own bobblehead.

Bip Roberts 1996 Score

The beauty of the Bip Roberts sombrero card comes in the mystery of the Bip Roberts sombrero card. Most players in a card on this list at least give a tell that they know they are in on a joke of some kind, but not Bip. Yes, he is sporting the sombrero -- but that look in his eyes is all serious game day.

Oscar Gamble 1976 Topps traded

A card made to commemorate Oscar Gamble's trade from the Cleveland Indians to the New York Yankees became an iconic symbol of the baseball era that encompassed the outfielder's career. Sporting a large Afro that his hat simply couldn't contain and an elite mustache and announced by the headline "Yankees take Gamble on Oscar" (get it, Gamble ... ), he became a cult baseball hero because of this card alone.

Oscar Azocar 1993 Topps

Oscar Azocar hit only .226 with five home runs over three major league seasons with the Yankees and San Diego Padres, but take one look at this card and there's no doubt that love for his bat was not the reason. In fact, he managed to produce multiple entertaining baseball cards during his short big league career.

Chuck Finley 1994 Upper Deck

During his 17-year major league career, Chuck Finley made five All-Star teams, won 200 games and rocked out guitar-style on a baseball bat at least once.

Rex Hudler 1996 Upper Deck

Rex Hudler is another one of those players with multiple cards that could have earned a spot on this list. But we're giving extra credit for his 1996 Upper Deck issue being one of the rare cards with an entertaining picture on the back -- as evidenced by this shot of him milking a cow in full Angels uniform.

Keith Comstock played on four major league clubs as a journeyman reliever, but his professional career is most often remembered for one thing: a ball to the crotch. Thirty years ago -- in what otherwise would have been a forgotten minor league set -- Comstock appeared on one of the most memorable baseball cards ever made. Here's the story of how it came together, in his words.

When I was a kid, being on a major league baseball card was a top-of-the-checklist kind of thing. It was like a life's dream. You'd keep the superstars, and you'd put the other guys in your bicycle spokes. With the career I had, I was the guy you put in the spokes.

I was drafted in 1976, and it took me eight years to reach the majors. I was traded or released so many times, it was hard to keep count. In 1983, the Oakland A's sold me to the Detroit Tigers for $100 and a bag of balls. I had to deliver the balls. For much of my career, I'd get moved to another team and my wife would pack up the Chevy Vega with our kids and they'd follow me. One time, it took my wife three days to reach my next assignment. On the day she arrived, I found out I'd been demoted.

By the late 1980s, I'd been up and down a few times -- with Minnesota, San Francisco and San Diego. I never had a major league baseball card of myself, until 1988. That's when the Topps card company produced my first real card, like the ones I collected when I was a boy. I'm throwing a pitch in the photo. I was so happy when I saw the card, really humbled. When I got that first card, I didn't keep it. I sent it to my mom. It was like validation for everything that I'd gone through, like here was proof I was a major leaguer. The cool part of that 1988 card is it became a sought-after error card within the Topps set. There was something wrong with the coloring of the "Padres," so I got a little notoriety for that. I couldn't wait to show up in another set.

***

I was demoted again. The same year I got my first Topps card, I was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas, playing for the Stars. I was 32 years old and it was sometime in the late spring when the minor league card photographer showed up. By then, I was just barely hanging onto the game.

I had so many minor league cards of myself that I was getting bored with them. Plus, it was kind of a downer. You didn't want to be in a minor league set. You wanted to have a big league card. And, honestly, another minor league card was a reminder of how my career was going.

There was absolutely zero creativity with minor league cards. You should see my old ones. There was the balance position, where the photographer tells you to raise your leg, like you're ready to throw. There was the one where you extend your throwing hand, like you've just released a pitch. There's the one where you're standing with a ball and glove, doing nothing. Like I said, zero creativity. I'd done so many of those that I was sick of it. So was everyone else.

The photographer who showed up that day was shooting for the 1989 ProCards set, so we were doing this for next year's cards. He had his hat backward, like you might expect from a photographer. While that guy was setting up for the shoot, my teammates started talking about how they wanted to sabotage their own cards.

One by one, they stepped up and posed. Right-handed batters tried to hold the bat like a lefty; left-handed pitchers wore right-handed gloves. They tried everything. The photographer caught every one of them. He had a sheet, or something, that had our numbers and lefty-righty stuff on it. He was really, really strict. He wasn't having any of it.

Finally, it was my turn. The photographer asked me what I wanted to do, expecting I'd do one of the basic poses. I thought about it for a second, and then it came to me: "I want it to look like a comebacker hit me in the nuts," I said. The photographer didn't like that. "Sorry, man," the guy said to me. "I'm under strict rules. I can't take that picture." I pleaded with him, but the photographer wouldn't budge.

***

I was a veteran on the Stars. Because I'd been to the majors, even for a little while, that was a big thing in the clubhouse. Guys looked up to me because I'd made it, even if it was just for a little while. I did what they dreamed of doing, and that earned me respect.

We had a deep team in Vegas, and we ripped through just about everyone in the Pacific Coast League that year. Sandy Alomar was a kid on the team. I think his brother, Roberto Alomar, was there when we did the shoot. There was Jerald Clark, Joey Cora, Bip Roberts and Shane Mack. Bruce Bochy was our backup catcher. My buddy Kevin Towers was there. There was this guy on the team, another pitcher. His name was Todd Simmons. He was the prankster. He heard my rejected plan for my baseball card, but he loved the idea. He knew it had to be done, and he started egging me on.

"Todd told me, 'You're the veteran,' and said I needed to tell the guys in the clubhouse that they shouldn't sign their card contracts unless this photographer allowed me to get a ball to the crotch." Keith Comstock on the conversation that helped make his baseball card a reality

Understand this: When I got my card idea rejected, not everyone had taken their photos. The photographer got all the regular guys done first, and the potential stars would be shot last. No idea who came up with that, but it worked to my advantage. All those guys were still in the clubhouse, 30 minutes from heading to the field.

Todd said I needed to tell the young guys what I wanted to do. You had to sign a contract to do the baseball card, which covered a bunch of stuff and said you agreed that your photo would show up in the set. Todd told me, "You're the veteran," and said I needed to tell the guys in the clubhouse that they shouldn't sign their card contracts unless this photographer allowed me to get a ball to the crotch. So many of those guys were future major leaguers, and it was pretty obvious the card company needed them in the set.

So I did it. I went to the clubhouse, told the guys my idea about the ball and said they shouldn't sign their contracts unless I got this picture taken. They didn't hesitate. It wasn't like some movie moment, though. I didn't mandate anything from them. I wasn't Mel Gibson in "Braveheart." There was no chanting or cheering. Like I said, these guys were 30 minutes from leaving the clubhouse. They were like, "Go ahead." I'm sure they didn't really care.

***

I went to the dugout, got some really sticky baseball tape and tried to stick it to the ball and then to my pants' crotch. The ball was too heavy. It kept falling off. I tried to circle the tape around my quad, but the tape blocked out the ball's seams. I went up and down the dugout, looking for anything that was strong enough to hold a ball.

Then I found the Super Glue. Back in the day, we pitchers used it to cover our blisters. The trainer had the glue in his little kit, so I grabbed it. I didn't want to ruin my game pants, so Todd ran to the clubhouse and got a pair of old ones. I squeezed the Super Glue tube over half the ball. I doused it. I put on the pants, pressed the glued-up ball to them, then tried to let go.

The ball was stuck to my hand. I tried to pull it off, but the ball was about to peel off my pants. I moved my hand and the pants moved. I thought, I am not taking this photo with my hand on my crotch. Someone grabbed a tongue depressor from the trainer's kit and slowly started to pry my fingers off the ball. It took a while, but my hand finally got free. Now I just had to get the photographer.

I walked up with the ball stuck to my pants, and the guy was like, "No-no-no." I was expecting that. I told him that I had a clubhouse full of players who weren't going to sign their card contracts unless I got a ball in the nuts. I looked as serious as possible. The photographer stared at me for a second, trying to figure out if I really meant it. "Son of a bitch," he finally said. "Go ahead."

He gave me one shot. I could feel the ball starting to fall off. "Take the picture! Take the picture!" I yelled. I threw up my hands and closed my eyes. That was it.

***

The guys couldn't believe I pulled it off. I had no idea what the card was going to look like. We won the Pacific Coast League championship that year, then we went into the offseason. I forgot about the card for a bit, but then 1989 rolled around. I couldn't wait to see what the card company did with that photo.

We got the little set of team cards delivered to the clubhouse one day, and we opened them. Sure enough, there I was, taking one to the nuts. The guys thought it was hilarious. I signed the card for any teammate who wanted it. I even signed one for Steve Smith, our manager. That was a great day.

When I finally got a chance to show the card to my wife, I was pretty pleased with myself. I pulled it out. You know what she said? "Why are your eyes closed? That's the best you could do?" She didn't even notice the baseball glued to my crotch. I pointed the ball out to her, thinking it was super funny. She just rolled her eyes. That's all I got, an eye roll.

ProCards must not have been too upset about what I did. Sometime after the set's release, I got an 8-by-10 in the mail from the company. There I am: pinstripe Stars jersey, hat on, eyes closed, mouth open. I framed the photo and for years it hung at my house in Arizona, in a place that I call my Wall of Shame.

I played parts of six seasons in the major leagues, for four teams. I threw my last major league pitch in 1991. I was 35. I got right into coaching, and today I'm the rehab pitching coordinator for the Texas Rangers. I've got three kids and six grandkids. They've all seen that baseball card. Two of my grandsons are 10 and 12. Their mom showed them the card awhile back, and they loved it. Thirty years later and there's Grandpa, getting hit in the nuts.

I love this game, and I have fun with it. It's hard not to when people recognize me from that card. I've had so many conversations with people about it. You're the guy with the ball to the crotch. Fans bring the card to the field and want me to sign it. We have a laugh and then talk baseball. At the end of the day, to a lot of people, this is how I'm remembered as a player. At least I'm remembered.

Heptathlete announced for the long jump and 150m at the street athletics meet in Stockton-on-Tees

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is set to compete at the Great North CityGames in Stockton-on-Tees on September 7 as she continues her preparations for the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

The heptathlete has been announced for both the long jump and 150m at the street athletics meet, which takes place in Tees Valley for the first time after having spent a decade on the NewcastleGateshead Quayside.

“I can’t wait to compete at Great North CityGames next month,” said Johnson-Thompson who impressed at the recent Müller Grand Prix with her best long jump mark since 2015 as she soared out to 6.85m in Birmingham. Four years ago was also the last time the Commonwealth heptathlon champion competed at a CityGames event, when she raced in the 200m hurdles in Manchester.

“I love street athletics meetings and especially when it’s in a location we’ve never been to before.

“Hopefully there’ll be a big crowd there and we can maybe inspire some future Olympians.”

Cllr Bob Cook, leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: “Our High Street will be transformed for the Great North CityGames and I’m delighted Katarina will be joining us for the celebrations.

“This will be an unmissable event, showcasing the best local, national and international athletes and drawing huge crowds to our town centre.”

With a range of events on offer, from 100m sprints to the one-mile distance, and including pole-vault and long jump in a specially-constructed multi sports arena on Stockton-on-Tees High Street, the Great North CityGames kicks off a weekend of first-class sporting action which includes the Simplyhealth Junior and Mini Great North Run, the Simplyhealth Great North 5k, the Simplyhealth Great Tees 10K and finishes with the world-famous Simplyhealth Great North Run on Sunday.

The athletics action starts at 1pm, and is free to spectate with no ticket required. For more information visit greatcitygames.org

Entries are still open for the Simplyhealth Great Tees 10K, which takes place before the Great North CityGames begin on Saturday September 7. To enter, visit greatrun.org/tees10k

Ireland have refused to offer injured fly-half Joey Carbery any guarantees over World Cup selection.

An ankle injury means the Munster fly-half faces a race against time to be fit for Ireland's campaign which starts against Scotland on 22 September.

"We'll make an assessment a little bit closer," said Ireland skills coach Richie Murphy.

"We're very happy with where he's at but whether there's a spot for him or not will depend on other players."

Murphy added: "Opportunities will go to the likes of Jack (Carty) and Ross (Byrne) as well as Johnny (Sexton) getting game-time over the next few weeks."

Asked if Ireland would take an injured player to Japan in their final 31-man World Cup squad, Murphy replied: "We have left that quite open at the moment and we have conversations in and around the make-up of the squad.

"Joey is doing really, really well. Obviously, the time-frame around his injury has been well-stated.

"He's exactly where the medics would expect him to be at the moment.

"He's definitely trying to get back for that first Scotland game, but it's a case of how we manage that and also manage the squad."

Backs trio miss training on Tuesday

Ireland saw off Italy 29-10 in their opening World Cup warm-up match in Dublin, but face a serious hike in intensity against Eddie Jones' England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Accomplished backline trio Sexton, Robbie Henshaw and Keith Earls all missed training at Ireland's training camp in Portugal on Tuesday but Murphy remained unconcerned.

"Robbie Henshaw, Johnny (Sexton) sat it out with a bit of soreness, Keith Earls also sat it out," said Murphy.

"There's no real fears about them. It's just about managing them and getting their work-load right for possibly involvement this week and, if not, the following week."

It has been the cause of a degree of controversy but Wales have at last reached number one in World Rugby's rankings.

It might have confused a few, including New Zealand coach Steve Hansen, and could prove a fleeting accolade with Ireland possibly toppling Wales with a victory over England this weekend.

It has been a rapid rise from February 2018 when Wales lost against Ireland in Dublin and dropped to seventh in the world rankings.

Eighteen months, a Grand Slam and 15 wins in 16 matches later, Wales are top of the pile with world champions All Blacks knocked off their perch for the first time in almost a decade.

BBC Sport Wales examines how Warren Gatland's side turned things around.

Six Nations success

Wales started the 2018 Six Nations with an emphatic victory against Scotland before away defeats against Ireland and England.

With no silverware to play for, Gatland made a bold call by making 10 changes for the visit of Italy, including a debut for flanker James Davies.

The option paid off with the much-changed side running in five tries in the 38-14 win, including two for George North.

Gatland made a further seven changes for France's arrival, knowing success would seal second place behind Grand Slam winners Ireland.

A Liam Williams try and three Leigh Halfpenny penalties gave Wales a 14-13 victory. The hosts dogged defence held firm for victory in a game that was far from a classic.

Successful summer

Most of Wales' 2017 British and Irish Lions were given a summer off for a Test South Africa and two-test trip to Argentina.

North and Ross Moriarty were the only original 2017 Lions selections included in Wales' 31-man party.

Cory Hill and Ellis Jenkins were co-captains, while Cardiff Blues scrum-half Tomos Williams was the only uncapped player.

Wales' second string beat a South Africa shadow side including seven new caps 22-20 in Washington DC. Victory was sealed with a late charge down by replacement hooker Ryan Elias.

In Argentina, Wales' young guns produced and beat the Pumas 23-10 in the first Test in San Juan.

Flanker James Davies scored his first international try, while North also crossed and Rhys Patchell kicked 10 points.

A 2-0 series win was secured by a 30-12 win in Santa Fe with Patchell notching up another 20 points in a composed performance, while wing Josh Adams produced a superb solo try.

The only negative was a late red card for number eight Ross Moriarty, sent off for a prolonged headlock on Pumas outside-half Nicolas Sanchez.

Unbeaten in November

Wales welcomed back their first-choice players for the November programme but had been rocked by the summer retirement of record captain Sam Warburton, while Lions number eight Taulupe Faletau was injured.

The visit of Scotland to Cardiff in November was unusual, but Wales claimed the inaugural Doddie Weir Cup.

The 20-11 win was based on tries from North and centre Jonathan Davies, playing his first Test for almost a year, and complemented by 11 points from Leigh Halfpenny's boot.

Next was attempting to halt Wales' Wallabies hoodoo. Gatland's side had not defeated Australia in 10 years with a losing sequence of 13 defeats.

This stranglehold was finally broken as Wales replacement Biggar's late penalty settled a nerve-shredding 9-6 win.

After kicking two penalties, Halfpenny was forced off the field following a dangerous challenge from Samu Kerevi that was to sideline the full-back for four months through concussion.

Biggar, who was starting his super-sub stint with Gareth Anscombe starting regularly at 10 in the winning Gatland reign, stepped up to slot the successful kick.

The Northampton fly-half was named man of the match in the next victory over Tonga as Wales won 74-24. Biggar was one of 14 changes that also included Liam Williams, who scored two tries on his 50th cap.

Just the Springboks stood in the way of the first-ever autumn unbeaten sequence and Wales achieved this feat with a 20-11 win.

Wales led 14-3 at half-time following tries for prop Tomas Francis and Liam Williams before Biggar again came off the bench to kick two late penalties.

The game ended on a devastating note as back rower and man of the match Ellis Jenkins left the field on a stretcher with a serious knee injury that has ruled the Cardiff Blues skipper out of the World Cup.

Grand Slam glory

Wales achieved their third Grand Slam under Gatland in 11 years and became the nation's most successful side by prolonging the winning sequence to 14.

The class of 2019 won games in a variety of different ways and showed remarkable fortitude on and off the field over a glorious seven-week period.

Everything started on a frenetic Friday night in Paris where Wales found themselves trailing 16-0 at half-time before launching a record comeback.

Wales were unrecognisable in the second half as North scored two tries and scrum-half Tomos Williams also crossed, while Biggar came off the bench to see out the victory.

From Paris to Rome and a much-changed Wales side equalled their record run of 11 successive Test wins with an unconvincing 26-15 victory over Italy.

Tries from Josh Adams and Owen Watkin, plus 14 points from Biggar, sealed victory.

So Wales knew victory over England in Cardiff would represent a 12th straight win and break a record winning sequence set in 1910 - and Gatland's side delivered with a stirring second half.

England led 10-3 at the interval but Wales came battling back with tries from Cory Hill and Josh Adams as replacement Biggar took control in the closing stages in a 21-13 win.

Celebrations were short lived as Welsh rugby politics took over with a proposed merger between regional sides Ospreys and Scarlets dominated the build-up to the game in Scotland.

Wales ignored the off-the-field controversy with a battling 18-11 away win against Scotland with tries from Adams and Jonathan Davies to set up a Six Nations day of destiny with Ireland.

A tough contest was expected against the defending champions, but Wales steamrollered their opponents 25-7 in the Cardiff rain.

After Hadleigh Parkes' early try, Anscombe kicked 20 points as Wales saved their most comprehensive display of the tournament for the finale.

Wales were never spectacular in attack but were clinical at crucial times.

It was their remorseless defence and remarkable resilience under pressure which clinched the title, led by inspirational leader Alun Wyn Jones who was named Six Nations player of the tournament.

Number one

Wales reached August 2019 knowing they would have opportunities to be ranked as the best side on the planet with their first chance coming in the opening World Cup warm-up against England at Twickenham.

But after Australia had opened the door with a thumping victory over New Zealand, Wales stuttered to a 33-19 defeat, bringing the 14-match unbeaten run to an end and Anscombe was also ruled out of the World Cup with a serious knee injury.

Six days later, and despite the All Blacks hammering the Wallabies in Auckland, Gatland's side did not fluff their lines in a hard-fought 13-6 win with North again crossing the tryline.

It was a 15th win in 16 matches and took Gatland's side to the top of the world rankings. How long they stay there, and most importantly, whether they will be top after the World Cup final in Japan on 2 November remains to be seen.

Before... and after