The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. The 1981 season stands out for Eddie Murray in a unique way: somehow, it was the only season where he managed to lead the American League in home runs (22) and RBI (78). A remarkable all-around . If you look closely, though, you'll notice the images are just slightly different as you can see two of his teammates in the background on his MVP card versus one (plus the arm of another) on his base card. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. A right-hander, he threw and batted right-handed. Things screeched to a halt, though, when Jackson injured his calf running the bases in Game 2 of the ALCS against Oakland. PriceIt Game | 1981 Pete Rose Baseball Card. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. Despite missing the call to the Hall, Murphy was a hero to many kids who collected during his brilliant run in the 1980s, and today those kids are adult collectors with money to spare, keeping his cards in decent demand. You love collecting baseball cards, right? Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. 1981 Topps Traded Fernando Valenzuela, 16. There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history. When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . 6. . The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million By Zoe Sottile, . Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # In twin history, he is regarded as one the greatest contact hitters. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. The reverse of the card mentions that over the last nine seasons dating back to 1972, Brett (2) and Carew (6) had combined to win eight batting titles. When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. Rickey Henderson, an American retired professional baseball player who played his entire 24-year career in Major League Baseball, helped break the sports color barrier. The nerve! Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Rookie Card (1982 Topps - Card #21), $700 (Photo: Amazon.com) Here is another player who enjoyed a long MLB career, spending it all with the Baltimore Orioles starting in 1981. 1961 Topps Willie Mays All-Star (#579) Here is a case where card scarcity and an immortal of the game conspire to generate a value anomaly an All-Star card worth more than the base card of the same player. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). After tallying 138 wins and 2,416 strikeouts over eight seasons with the California Angles, Nolan Ryan signed a $4.5 million four-year deal with the Houston Astros during the 1979 offseason. 4. Many times, though, he'd fail to connect on those swings and would up earning himself a spot as the career leader in strikeouts with 2,597. However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. The 1981 O-Pee-Chee features the Canadian version of the 1981 Topps set, where it is uncommon to see French on an MLB card. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. The record-breaking card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. Even more impressive, his 1982 Topps issue wasn't his last card as he also made it into the 1983 Topps set. And, over the years, it's started to grow on collectors more and more after nostalgia for that era has increased and many collectors have a newfound appreciation for hobby history. #7. Grade. One of the most interesting things about Dave Winfield, and a sign of his incredible athletic ability, was that four professional teams across three different sports drafted him. The 1980 season turned out to be historic for George Brett as he won the only MVP of his legendary career and fell just short of batting .400 on the year with an eye-popping .390 average. 9 Roger Clemens #530. 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. . On September 26, 1981, Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan passed Sandy Koufax with a record fifth no-hitter on national television against Koufax's old team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Players include Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan & Mike Trout. 390 during the 1980 season. Brett's performance at the plate put him well above Milwaukee's Cecil Cooper and his own impressive .352 average to earn his second of three career batting titles. To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. And finally, we're down to none other than Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest baseball icons of the 1980s and the game's greatest speedster to ever play. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. 1 1980 Batting Leaders - George Brett / Bill Buckner 2 1980 Home Run Leaders - Reggie Jackson / Ben Oglivie / Mike Schmidt . However, the turf at Olympic Stadium didn't do Dawson any favors resulting in knee problems that would hamper his speed later in his career. Although the 1980 season would mark the first of a nine-year stint for Nolan Ryan with the Houston Astros, Topps still had to show him as a member of the California Angels because of the timing of their print run for their 1980 Topps set. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. 721 Toby Harrah. Jackson found a groove in the team's ALDS victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .300 with a .933 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Total Cards: 726. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. #8. 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 8. PSA 6. And, over the next twenty-two years, he would develop into one of the greatest players of his era with twelve All-Star selections, seven Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers to his name. That season was the first time batted .300 or better, crossed the 30 home run mark, scored 100 runs or more and drove in 100 or more RBI. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. $12.95. The 1961 Topps All-Star Mays falls in line with the others in the semi-high-number subset. He won the American League MVP award with one of the best offensive seasons in league history, flirted with .400, and made his first World Series appearance. They were the fourteenth and fifteenth players to achieve the incredible milestone. Fans and media began to take note of his incredible defensive talent, giving him the nickname "The Wizard.". Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. His struggles didn't last long, though, and maybe it was seeing Mike Schmidt win back-to-back MVPs in 1980 and 1981 because, by the following year, Murphy's production skyrocketed as he'd go on to win back-to-back MVPs of his own in 1982 and 1983. Keith was a baseball first baseman. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Before Danny Ainge found success at the professional level in basketball as a player, coach and executive, he made his professional sports debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1979while he was still in college. Read our methodology. Most Expensive, Bench was a complete catcher as he was dangerous with both the bat and glove and was a significant reason "The Big Red Machine" was so dominant throughout the 1970s. Grade: PSA 10. $68.95. 723 Bruce Bochte. Each 1-13/16" by 3-1/4" card featured a small full-color portrait of the player with his name printed below his image on the left side of the card. On his 1982 Topps card, Ripken is sandwiched between Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider as part of the "Future Stars" subset with the Baltimore Orioles. He also finished fourth in the NL with a .316 batting average, narrowly missing out on a Triple Crown. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996. However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. 1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. 6) 1981 Topps Traded Rollie Fingers (#761) This may be the most iconic 1981 baseball card of all, thanks to 1) Fingers signature mustache, 2) the old-school kneeling pose, 3) the Cy Young-MVP twofer Rollie pulled off in 1981, and the 1982 Topps Kmart set that immortalized the entire card in miniature. The card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. And while his offensive numbers dropped in 1981, Brett's star was still quite bright. Yet, Bench's lousy injury luck was the real story. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. In his first full season in the big leagues in 1981, Tim Haines batted .304 with 71 stolen bases in a strike-shortened seasonmaking an instant impression on fans with his ability to make players look foolish on the base paths. While it's not known for any iconic cards like some of the other sets of the era, the 1981 Donruss baseball card set is iconic itself for one reason: collectors now had an alternative choice to Topps for the first time in years. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . $260. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. During the first part of his career, Tom Seaver was absolutely dominant on the mound as he racked up 20-win seasons, Cy Young Awards, ERA Titles and Strikeout Titles like it was nothing. , Dodgers Future Star [Perconte, Scioscia, Valenzuela] #302, Expos Future Stars [T. Raines, R. Ramos, B. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. While Pete Rose set records elsewhere in the Phillies lineup, third baseman Mike Schmidt set the National League ablaze. Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. In his seventh season in the Majors, Yount broke out in a big way in 1980 as he led the league in doubles (49) while scoring 121 runs, driving in 87 RBI, and hitting 23 home runs to earn his first trip to the All-Star Game. And ever since his induction into the Hall of Fame, his 1981 Donruss rookie card has enjoyed a nice bump in value. 10 Bo Jackson #600. 3. 3. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. Read our methodology . Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . The three-time MVP would smash 548 home runs over his career as he led the league in that category an amazing 8 times. Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. And none of his Rookie Cards is bigger than . And the difference lies on the reverse of the card, as one version will point collectors to see card #251 for more Rose highlights while the other will direct them to see card #371 for more. Incredibly consistent and productive during his 21 years in the Big Leagues, Murray ended his Hall of Fame career with 3,255 hits, 504 home runs, 1,917 RBI and set the all-time record for sacrifice flies with 128. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. The card features famous baseball player Reggie Jackson and is worth $75. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco Cards; . After a decades-long stranglehold on the market, Topps lost a key court battle with Fleer that allowed other companies to produce sets of their own. And that's when his career started to take off as he made his first of seven career All-Star Games during the 1980 season and would finish twelfth in the MVP vote. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. Canadian baseball cards printed in the French language are uncommon, which shows on this baseball card as it is bi-lingual. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123. 1981 Topps Baseball Set Checklist. Roland Glen Fingers was an American right-handed relief pitcher who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Donruss wasted no time breaking into the hobby as they spent huge marketing dollars, targeted key dealers across the nation, and filled their checklist with some of the game's biggest names to grab collector attention. Rookie Cards. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. The player who played the most games at first base in major league history was Eddie Murray, who amassed 2,413-lifetime games at the position along with nearly 600 more as a designated hitter. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. Philadelphia fell in five games to the Montreal Expos in an entertaining National League Division Series. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $120. 1982 Donruss. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. Given how consistently great Murray was for so many years, it just seems unimaginable that he didn't lead in one of those two categories at least one other time. You'd think a third baseman with that kind of power wouldn't have had the best defensive skills but no, Schmidt was amazing on defense as well as he'd go on to win 10 Gold Gloves. The 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s. And they didn't know it at the time, but they also missed out on producing big-name rookie cards for Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines, and Kirk Gibson. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. Unlike Smith, Cal Ripken's chances at the Hall of Fame were never in doubt. Murray's first three seasons in the Majors were incredibly productive, but he kicked things up a notch in 1980 as he batted .300, belted 32 home runs, scored 100 runs and drove in another 116. Ungraded & graded values for all '82 Topps Baseball Cards. Even though the image is kind of ghostly (see his right shoulder) on this card, it's my favorite of his three cards in this set given its an action shot. Ozzie Smith was given the name Wizard of Oz After an amazing record for the most assists at shortstop thus establishing a new record in that era. Because of his career accomplishments and his overpowering style, Ryan remains one of the game's most popular players to ever play and you'll see his name in just about every set's log of key cards. But rather than hanging them up after the season, Yastrzemski got to work. Jackson green-lighted the eventual signing but expected Steinbrenner to offer him a new deal as well. Considered by many to be the best defensive shortstop of all time, Smith won an incredible thirteen Gold Gloves over nineteen seasons in Major League Baseball. Cincinnati finished the year with the best composite record in all of baseball but the nature of the strike-shortened season's playoff format bit them in the backside. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. The Atlanta Braves had used Dale Murphy at first base and catcher during his early years in the 1970s, but in 1980 they moved him to the outfield. 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson RC #482. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. Raines showed the world that Rickey Henderson wasn't the only guy who could light up the basepaths as he led the Majors with 71 stolen bases while slashing .304/.391.438. 0% February 20, 2023; Super Bowl Delivers . Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. Featured here is a rare rookie card from 1989 with an authenticated signature of Steve Avery. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd return with New York holding a 2-1 advantage to try and help the team across the finish line. Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. Only Tony Gwynn had come closer to batting .400 or better since Ted Williams last did it in 1941 when Gwynn batted .394 in 110 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season. He was the clear choice for National League MVP and also picked up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. The imagery on this card is some of the best on this list and in the set in general, as Topps perfectly captured Jackson taking a massive swing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. In a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. Despite the poor production, Jackson still earned a spot on the All-Star team for the eleventh time in his career. Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. In 1980, Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett graduated from All-Star to crossover superstar. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! On the field, Jackson had his worst offensive season since his sophomore campaign as he slashed a modest .237/.330/.428 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. Ryan went 1-1 in two starts with a 1.80 ERA in the team's five-game NLDS loss to the Dodgers, striking out 14 batters in 15 innings while walking just three. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. . They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. . Though it may be light on key rookie cards, this set is certainly not light on stars and Hall of Famers. I know the game is played differently these days but even if it weren't, I'd be stunned if anyone in the future ever meets or bests his 130 stolen bases in a season. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. One year removed from his Rookie of the Year-winning season, this Ripken card is still a hobby favorite because it shows the Orioles third baseman's timeless swing and a close-up of his youthful mug all on one important card. The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. Brett's career batting average of .305 wasn't quite as good, but he did put up the better single-season effort when he batted. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. Local card shops, department stores and gas stations-- to say boxes of these cards were everywhere might be the understatement of the decade. Jackson slumped out of the gates in 1981, prompting Steinbrenner to invoke a clause in his contract that forced him to undergo a full physical examination. . Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. He is ranked 33rd on the all-time list of career leaders for batting average among Major League Baseball players with at least 1,000 appearances at-bat. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card, 4. While they used to be a bit overlooked, it's nice to see the 1980 Topps baseball set getting more love in recent years. That means the card needs to be flawless. This card is among the most valuable cards from the set, with PSA 10 cards of this type collecting several thousand dollars at best. The current value of this baseball card is $199.99, it has the signature of Tim Raines. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. Over 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, Harold Baines appeared in six All-Star games, hit 384 home runs, tallied 1,628 RBI, and scored another 1,299 runs. Pate] #479. Value: $300-325. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. Houston went just 28-29 in the first half but won the NL West's second half at 33-20. And he struck fear into opposing pitchers at the plate, especially when Joe Morgan and Pete Rose got on base ahead of him, as he was an RBI machine, leading the league three times. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. Year sold: 2018. . Back to the point at hand. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. 1982 Topps Traded #98T: Everybody wants to make such a big fuss about a 2,632-game playing streak when the real awe lies with the steadiness of this card's value. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart.
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