Ozzie was always one of my favorite players to watch as a kid as his acrobatic defensive play left fans in awe time after time as he went on to collect 13 Gold Glove awards. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider the Rickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie. PriceIt Game | 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. This on-card autograph card is much rarer than the typically signed cards of this all-time great as it has been likely inscribed with an 81 HRC inscription commemorating this player being tied as the 1981 American League home run champion! 50. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. As a result, Topps created this monster 792-card checklist and loaded it with subsets to try and keep collector interestand collector eyeballsaway from Donruss and Fleer. Tim Raines first became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2008 but wasn't elected until 2017 when he received a convincing 86% of the vote. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10. Yastrzemski played two more seasons in Boston before retiring, making All-Star appearances at the age of 42 and 43 during the 1982 and 1983 seasons, respectively. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". . Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. The 1981 Topps Scratchoffs was a 108-card baseball set distributed on perforated three-card panels measuring 3-14" by 5-1/4". "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. Despite not being a Hall of Famer, Rose's legacy as one of the game's greatest hitters of all time keeps his cards in high demand throughout the hobby. Ozzie Smith's 1979 Topps rookie card is also one of the last great rookie cards of the vintage era, but his second-year card isn't a bad consolation prize either. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. Seaver was great in Cincinnati, but he just wasn'tas greatas he was with the Mets up to that point. 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. *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. Still, his popularity continues today, and his cards remain in high demand by kids now turned adults who grew up idolizing him. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . Regardless of its market value at any given point in time, the significance of this rookie card cannot be overstated as it's one of the most expensive cards from the 1980s. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. The previous record which he broke was 601 assists by a shortstop was done by Glenn Wright of the pirates. 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. 30 Wicked Nolan Ryan Baseball Card Investments In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions 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. Cards. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. Contents hide. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. PSA Price Guide for 1982 Donruss Baseball Card Values - Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA Authentication Services Services During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . Having earned the right to produce baseball cards in a court case with Topps, the 1981 Donruss set became the company's first baseball offering. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. Clocking in at 605 cards in total, this set made history when it first debuted. For example, his .693 OPS was the worst of his career by nearly 40 points (.721, 1961), and it was almost 150 points less than his career mark of .841. The wrist band, the glasses.and that awesome stache You just don't see that kind of stuff in today's game so this card perfectly captures the style of the era and that's the great thing about baseball cards in general. Ungraded & graded values for all '82 Topps Baseball Cards. His 94 runs scored and 111 RBI were also high marks for Jackson during his time in the Bronx, and by season's end, he would collect his first of two career Silver Slugger awards and finished second in MVP voting. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. With the first card in the checklist, Topps paid tribute to both Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski crossing the 3,000 career hits mark that would put them in exclusive baseball company forever. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. And some of those players appeared on multiple cards. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . The 2-time MVP, 19-time All-Star and record holder for most consecutive games played easily goes down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shortstops to play the game. Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most important and iconic baseball cards of the 1980's.. Sure, Gwynn was one of the greatest hitters who ever played with 8 batting titles to his name, but why are collectors willing to pay so much for this card . To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. A remarkable all-around . 15 Baseball Cards Now Worth A Fortune And 15 That Are - TheSportster At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions Tom Seaver came within a handful of votes of winning his fourth Cy Young on the 1981 season with an incredible pitching display that saw him lead the Majors in wins (14) and winning percentage (.875). When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card. In 390 plate appearances (338 at-bats), Yastrzemski posted a .246/.338/.355 slash line with a career-low seven home runs and 53 RBI. Smith continued his outstanding defensive work in 1981 by leading the National League in assists for the third straight year to pick up his second straight Gold Glove. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. Read our methodology. The first standalone Topps Traded set may belong to 1981, but the first card to really make the series a hobby burner belongs to 1982 and to Cal Ripken, Jr. . As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. Rookie Cards. Here we see Yaz staring off into the distance almost as if he's thinking back on his careeror maybe he's just watching a teammate take batting practice. Reggie was furious and blasted The Boss in the media. 726 cards. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying . He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. 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. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. Contact him at [emailprotected]. 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World 1981 Topps Kellen Winslow Rookie Card (#150) Winslow took the big-bodied, good-hands tight end model that Newsome brought to the fore and ran with it (after the catch!). Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. Wade Boggs is an American former baseball player who retired as a third baseman after 18 seasons of Major League Baseball. In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. Donruss Baseball Card Prices | PSA, BGS & Ungraded Prices - SportsCardsPro Ken Griffey Jr. 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Things screeched to a halt, though, when Jackson injured his calf running the bases in Game 2 of the ALCS against Oakland. 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. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. Read our methodology. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. 2. Growing up in Central Indiana surrounded by Cubs fans, I would hear about Dawson constantly as fans absolutely loved the guy, and rightly so. Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. Several of the game's biggest stars of the day appeared on two cards in this set, but I think Pete Rose was one of only two guys, along with Reggie Jackson, who appeared on three. The course of Seaver's career would take a significant turn at the trading deadline in 1977, though, when he was involved in "the Midnight Massacre" that sent him to the Reds. After nearly a decade-and-a-half as the standard for MLB catchers, Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench changed positions for the 1981 season. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. 726 Rick Monday. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card, 4. While some of the game's big names struggled with the split-season, Schmidt held things together all year to lead the Majors in home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS + (198), and total bases (228). 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But, for the 1982 season, Smith would never actually suit up for the Padres as he was traded to St. Louis for another highly-regarded shortstop in Garry Templeton. 10. Price. This Nolan Ryan card is another fantastic example of Topps capturing the style and vibe of the 1980s. 203 Bill Gullickson Record Breaker - Expos. $12.95. 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Not bad for an 11th round pick (#250 overall) in the 1975 MLB Draft. 1981 Topps. #10. . The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. For a guy who had his rookie card debut in the 1960 Topps set, it's impressive that Yaz played long enough to be featured in this set as well. 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. Gary Carter, nicknamed Kid and The Kid, was a professional baseball player whose 19-year career in Major League Baseball was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. For example, in November, 2018 you could find one in PSA 10 grade for around $100 but after he was voted into the Hall they started selling for north of $600 and continue to climb today. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. Murray appeared in his second All-Star Game that season and finished things off with a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote, one of six times he finished in the top five in his storied career. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. On our list is an ungraded card featuring the 1981 Boston Red Sox, it was probably signed by the manager for the team, it is currently worth $72. Reggie Jackson played five seasons as a member of the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981, and the 1980 season turned out to be his best in pinstripes. 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. But, hey, that's the kind of excitement that he brought to the game: you never knew if he were going to bury one over the fence or get sent right back to the dugout. | Compare vs. 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 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. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 1981 Topps He was a two-sport star in baseball and basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so it wasn't too shocking that the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Utah Stars (ABA) and San Diego Padres (MLB) each drafted him. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History - HISTORY Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. Top 20 Sports Cards of 2018 - Beckett News Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. Most Valuable Baseball Cards from the 1980s Price Guide & Values Oakland swept three straight from the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS but, the tables turned in the ALCS when the Yankees eliminated them in three. Enrique Romo Navarro is a former professional baseball relief pitcher. I remember several years ago you could find this card in a PSA 9 holder quite easily for $400 or so, which made it undervalued even back then. 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. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. The right card could make you rich. After all, Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time, whose records for runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) may very well never be broken. And he was still very much a respectable pitcher during his time in Cincinnati from 1977 to 1982 as he'd win around 15 games regularly, made . 1. The following season, Seaver was as sharp as ever as he finished with an incredible .875 winning percentage after going 14-2 on the mound. #7. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk This set marked the end of an era in which Topps was the only mainstream company with the MLB's blessing to print baseball cards. Rookie Cards: Options . Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. Rod Carew and George Brett were not only two of the greatest hitters of their era but of all time, so seeing them both on the same card is quite a treat. Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay; Bowman Chrome Cards; Wander Franco Cards; . 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World Ranking Every 1980-81 Topps Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Card Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. Henderson was also top-notch on defense as he brought home his first-and-only Gold Glove. Over his long and storied career, Henderson broke many records and helped transform the lead-off position. The NL Rookie of the Year Award was close, with Raines receiving 85 vote points to Valenzuela's 107, but the Expos and all of baseball knew that Raines was something special. 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 3. He also holds the schools record for most strikeouts in both a single season and total career strikeouts with 309 in 305 innings pitched. So for our purpose, the most expensive Nolan Ryan rookie card is the 1969 Topps RC which is valued at $20,000, give or take a thousand. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Baseball Cards. Read our methodology. The 1980 season would be Winfield's last with the Padres as the Yankees signed him to a ten-year, $23 million contract making him the game's highest-paid player at the time.