wax &#8211; Hardball Retro

https://www.beckett.com/search/?term=1987+topps&year_start=1987

References and Resources

Beckett, Dr. James, Rich Klein and Grant Sandground. Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles. Dallas, TX: Beckett Publications, 1997. Print.

Beckett.com (requires subscription to view prices):

https://www.tcdb.com/Gallery.cfm/sid/117/1987-Topps

Miller, Sam. “Happy 59th! Or is it 58th? Cracking the mystery of Don Mattingly’s birthday”, ESPN.com. April 29, 2020. Accessed June 26, 2022. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29043681/cracking-birthday-mystery-don-mattingly-1987-topps-baseball-card

Trading Card Database – Photo Gallery

About the Authors

Derek Bain is a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

Tom Corby – Cousins with Derek, I am a history teacher at New Egypt High School. I have three kids, Addison, Jaclyn, and Mason and I’m happy that I get to coach them in their sports as well. In my spare time I enjoy reading, anything beach related, and fishing when time allows.

Derek’s Books

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League Teams)”, published in July 2020, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League Teams)”, published in April 2022, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

Hardball Architects examines the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set (American League and National League). All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here.

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

The 1986 Topps Baseball Card Set

Derek Bain — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 20:28:34 +0000

Derek’s (Re)collections

It’s possible that the Topps’ brass were in denial but their competition made significant strides in the first half of the Eighties while the “leader of the pack” seemed to stagnate in terms of design and innovation. Looking back at my allocation of funds towards the various offerings in 1986, Topps would end up a distant third in my collection due to an uninspiring layout and a lack of prospects. Although the company still held a major advantage with the standard 792-card set versus 660 for Donruss and Fleer, talented players on the cusp of big league greatness would have to wait until the Traded Sets were released after the regular season before debuting on a Topps card. Collectors seeking Jose Canseco, Fred McGriff and Andres Galarraga rookie cards were sorely disappointed.

Corby Corner

Coming off of what I believed to be their best set of the 80’s up to that point, Topps hit 1986 with a loud thud. The design of the card itself was extremely lacking, especially when juxtaposed with that year’s Donruss. The lettering was, I would guess, supposed to be new-age but it completely missed the mark. I have no idea why they made the team name so large as it drowned out the player’s name which was hidden well below. In addition, the card itself featured a weak structure as I felt it was very difficult to keep cards in their best possible condition.

As for the players themselves, the second year player cards are what carried this set, if any actually did. Topps didn’t include a rookie card for Jose Canseco within the ‘86 set and thus kids didn’t buy packs in search of the one pearl in the rookie ocean.

Overall I grade this year as Topps’ worst, and I believe Topps felt the same as their 1987 set veered towards their past successes rather than gamble again.

Features

A black border with large team nicknames consumes the header of each card. The remaining border is white and the player names are displayed along the bottom of the card. The player’s primary position is enclosed in a colored circle towards the lower left corner while the Topps logo is posted in the upper right. The photography features a good balance of close-up portraits and action shots. Card backs are standard Topps layout with the ‘86 set utilizing black ink on a dark red background. Subsets include the “Pete Rose Years” (cards #2-7) which depict every regular-issue Pete Rose card from 1963 to 1985 along with Rose-related trivia for each season. There are 26 entries in the “Team Leader” series (one per team) with expanded white borders surrounding one of the team’s best ballplayers. Seven “‘85 Record Breaker” (cards #201-207) and five “Turn Back the Clock” (cards #401-405) were among the newly introduced subsets while the All-Star starting lineups from the previous campaign took their usual position in the lineup (cards #701-722). Topps debuted a sixteen-card subset of star players on the bottom of wax boxes depicting four cards per box. The 1986 traded set consisted of rookie sensations such as Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Will Clark, Andres Galarraga, Pete Incaviglia, Bo Jackson, Wally Joyner and Kevin Mitchell. Tiffany regular and traded sets were produced for the third consecutive year, boasting a glossy finish and easy-to-read card backs at a premium price tag. The 22-card Glossy All-Stars were available as rack pack inserts while the Glossy Send-Ins required the collector to redeem “special offer” cards from wax packs. The Topps/O-Pee-Chee Stickers returned with a reduction from 376 to 315 stickers along with the collector’s album. Bronze, silver and aluminum editions of the 12-card Gallery of Champions entered their third year of production while the plastic, oversized 3-D cards were distributed one per pack for the second successive season. A set of 120 Pete Rose cards was also produced by Topps as the company also saturated the market with products including a set of 24 “Tattoos” printed on transfer sheets. Rounding out the portfolio for ‘86, the 60-card Super set featured replicas of cards from the standard series measuring nearly 5” x 7”.

The subset values according to the 1997 edition of the Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles are as follows: Traded $12, Glossy All-Stars $5, Glossy Send-Ins $12.50, 3-D $12, Gallery of Champions $75, Mini Leaders $4, Stickers $15, Rose $12.50, Super $14, Tattoos $15, Tiffany $150, Traded Tiffany $50.

1986 Topps Traded

1986 Topps Baseball Champion Superstars

1986 Topps Kay-Bee Young Superstars of Baseball

1986 Topps Quaker Granola

1986 Topps 3-D Baseball Stars

1986 Topps Gallery of Champions

1986 Topps Glossy All-Stars

1986 Topps Glossy Send-Ins

1986 Topps Major League Leaders Minis

1986 O-Pee-Chee Stickers

1986 Topps Super

1986 Topps Tattoos

One-and-Dones

The players listed below made their lone appearance on a regular-issue baseball card in the 1986 Topps set.

Brian Snyder (#174) – A seventh-round selection by Seattle in the June 1979 Amateur Draft, the left-hander crafted a 2.03 ERA through six starting assignments for the Alexandria Mariners (A). Snyder struggled mightily with his control as a starter for the San Jose Missions (A) in ‘80 as he furnished an ERA of 5.67 along with an unsightly WHIP of 1.819. Shifted into a relief role the following year, Snyder rebounded to post career-bests in ERA (1.48) and WHIP (1.060) albeit in only 27 outings. The portsider toiled for the Salt Lake City Gulls (AAA) for the next three years where he generated a composite 5.48 ERA and a hideous 1.811 WHIP! Seattle ended their affiliation with Salt Lake City at the end of ‘84 and Snyder was assigned to the Calgary Cannons at the end of Spring Training in the subsequent season. The minor league veteran acquitted himself well in both a starting and relief capacity, earning a call to the big leagues in May 1985. He squared off against the World Champs in his MLB debut on May 25, 1985, drawing a start against Detroit right-hander Walt Terrell. Snyder scattered seven hits, struck out seven and surprisingly did not yield a walk in 4 ⅔ innings while allowing only one earned run. He departed with the score knotted at 1-1, but the Tigers prevailed 3-2 on the strength of a two-run blast by Chet Lemon in the seventh frame off reliever Karl Best. He started five more contests over the next month but failed to escape the fifth inning in any of them as his ERA ballooned to 6.46. Snyder notched his lone MLB save when he retired the only batter he faced, Cecil Cooper, in a 5-3 victory over the Brew Crew on July 6, 1985. One week later, he collected his only win as a Major Leaguer in a wild 6-5 affair against the Red Sox. Down by three runs entering the top of the ninth, Boston rallied to tie the game as Roy Thomas, Ed Vande Berg and Edwin Nunez were unable to shut the door. Snyder finally got the Mariners out of the jam when he retired the lone batter that he faced, Steve Lyons, on a pop fly to shortstop. Ivan Calderon doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth versus Bob Stanley. “Steamer” issued an intentional pass to Jim Presley, bringing Bob Kearney to the dish. The backstop dropped a bunt down the first base line towards Bill Buckner, whose errant throw allowed Calderon to trot home with the winning run. Snyder’s final outing with the M’s came on July 30, 1985, when he yielded one run in two innings of relief against Minnesota. Seattle released him in November 1985 and he inked a deal with San Diego one month later. Control issues continued to plague the lefty over the next two years with the Las Vegas Stars (AAA) as he carried a 1.589 WHIP while laboring in long relief. Snyder hooked up with Oakland as a minor league free agent in October 1987 and appeared in 54 contests for the Tacoma Tigers (AAA) in ‘88, posting a 2.63 ERA and lowering his WHIP to 1.350. Arguably his finest season in terms of statistics followed in 1989 when Snyder fashioned a 6-0 record along with a 2.13 ERA, 1.208 WHIP and 12 saves for Tacoma. This earned him another cup of coffee in mid-June. However he pitched poorly in a couple of relief outings with the Athletics. Snyder was summoned to the mound by Oakland skipper Tony La Russa to pitch in his first big league game in nearly four years in the thirteenth inning against Toronto on June 22, 1989. The southpaw served up a two-run bomb to Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff. He retired the next two hitters (Ernie Whitt and Manuel Lee) but the Blue Jays prevailed, 4-2. His final MLB appearance came five days later versus the Twins. Snyder poured gasoline on the fire. Minnesota already tallied four in the frame to take a 7-4 lead. Gene Larkin greeted the left-hander with the two-base hit to deep center field to plate a pair of baserunners. Kent Hrbek coaxed a walk to load the bases and then Wally Backman, batting for Jim Dwyer, drew a base on balls to force in another run. Snyder departed as La Russa signaled for the right-hander Jim Corsi. In his final professional season, Snyder latched on with the Richmond Braves where he provided veteran leadership and anchored the bullpen with 12 saves and a 2.48 ERA in 46 games.

Tim Tolman (#272) – A twelfth round draft pick by the Astros in June 1978, Tim Tolman played in parts of seven MLB seasons (five with Houston, two with Detroit) but never amassed more than 63 plate appearances in any given year. The first baseman and corner outfielder reported to the Astros’ rookie league affiliate in the Gulf Coast League where he batted .344 in 39 games and earned a prompt promotion to Daytona Beach (A). During his first full season (1979) Tolman supplied a .289 BA and drew 74 walks. Assigned to Houston’s double-A ball club in Columbus, Georgia and primarily playing first base, Tolman drilled a career-high 37 two-base hits. He set personal-bests with a slash line of .322/.426/.501 for the Tucson Toros (AAA) in 1981 to merit his first cup of coffee. Pinch-hitting for Houston reliever Bobby Sprowl with the ‘Stros behind 9-0, Tolman strolled to the plate to face veteran knuckleballer Phil Niekro on September 9, 1981. Successive hits by Harry Spilman and Mike Ivie threatened “Knucksie’s” potential for a shutout but he induced a force play at second on an Alan Ashby grounder. Craig Reynolds’ shallow fly out to right field failed to advance Spilman so Tolman entered the batter’s box with runners on first and third with two out in the ninth. He managed to make contact with the flutterball but Rafael Ramirez scooped it up and flipped to Glenn Hubbard covering second to force Ashby for the final out. Eight days later, Niekro’s brother Joe was pitching a gem for Houston when skipper Bill Virdon summoned Tolman from the bench. Entering the contest as a defensive substitute for left fielder Jose Cruz in the seventh with his club ahead 9-0, he led off the eighth against Padres’ reliever Mike Armstrong and lined out to Gene Richards in left field. Tolman rode the pine for two weeks before appearing in his next game on October 3, 1981. Two games remained in the regular season and a victory would clinch the second-half division title for Houston in the strike-shortened campaign. Bob Welch outdueled Joe Niekro in the early frames and the Dodgers tacked on four runs against Astros’ reliever Gordie Pladson. With Los Angeles ahead 7-1 after six innings, Virdon began to empty his bench and Tolman was called upon to square off against Steve Howe. He lofted a fly ball to right where Derrel Thomas camped under it and made the catch. The ‘Stros mounted a mini-rally later in the inning and scratched a run across on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kiko Garcia. Dodgers’ manager Tommy Lasorda left Howe in the game and Tolman’s turn in the batting order came up in the eighth after Scott Loucks delivered a two-out infield hit. Tolman delivered a sharp single to right field and Loucks had to play it safe, stopping at second base. Alas, the pair were stranded when Harry Spilman popped up to second baseman Steve Sax to retire the side. Los Angeles won the game 7-2 but Houston clinched the National League West when Atlanta defeated Cincinnati. This allowed Virdon to bench his regulars for the final regular season matchup against the Dodgers and Tolman was one of the beneficiaries. Playing left field and batting sixth in his first MLB starting assignment, the rookie went hitless in four at-bats against Burt Hooton and a pair of relievers. Tolman earned a late August recall after posting a .302 BA with career-highs in home runs (15) and runs scored (93) for Tucson. He appeared in eight games off the bench before his name was penciled into the lineup against the Reds on September 25, 1982. Hitting third in the order and playing first base, Tolman capitalized on the opportunity with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI as the Astros prevailed 3-1. Nearly one week later with his club opposing the Reds at home, Tolman blasted a deep fly ball into the left field seats for his first big league home run off southpaw Bob Shirley. Utilized chiefly as a pinch-hitter in 1983, Tolman spent practically the entire campaign as a spare part for the ‘Stros as he registered 63 plate appearances spread across 43 contests. Rusty from limited work, a 1-for-15 slump dropped his batting average from .286 at the end of May to .143 on September 21. Once Houston was eliminated from the playoff race, Tolman finally garnered some steady work and batted .286 (6-21) over the final week to raise his BA to .196. He hit a pair of pinch-hit home runs during the year. On May 1, 1983 he went deep for a two-run blast off Sid Monge in an 11-3 loss to the Phillies. Against the Cubs on May 31, 1983, Tolman connected on a solo shot off Craig Lefferts to tie the score at 9-9. Phil Garner plated three baserunners with a two-base knock several batters later as Houston topped Chicago 12-10. Back with the Toros for the majority of the ‘84 season, Tolman laced 27 doubles and hit .292. Despite spending two months with the Astros he tallied only three hits in 17 trips to the plate for a .176 BA. Relegated to the tail-end of the roster during his big league stints and unable to gain any momentum due to erratic playing time allotted by manager Bob Lillis, Tolman stumbled out of the gate again in ‘85 as he went hitless in his first 19 at-bats. However he briefly found his mojo in September, swatting a three-run pinch-hit blast off Cubs’ reliever Ron Meredith on September 4, 1985 to give the ‘Stros an 8-6 lead. Entering a contest two weeks later as part of a double switch in the eighth inning, Tolman crushed a John Franco offering for a three-run shot to break a 5-5 tie. The round-tripper was his last as a Major Leaguer. Released by Houston in the off-season, he signed on with Detroit in February 1986. He tallied typical Tolman totals for the Nashville Sounds (AAA), hitting .298 with 23 two-base knocks, 11 circuit clouts and 71 RBI to merit a September recall to Motown. He appeared in 16 games and batted .176 (6-for-34) as the Tigers dropped out of the pennant race and recorded his only successful MLB stolen base attempt against Jimmy Key and the Blue Jays on September 16, 1986. Detroit ended their Triple-A affiliation with Nashville in favor of the Toledo Mud Hens and Tolman set a career-high with a .522 SLG which earned him one last call to the big leagues in July 1987. He got into nine contests and displayed a keen batting eye, posting an OBP of .429 in spite of an .083 BA (1-12). His lone safety and final MLB base hit was a double against Ray Searage of the White Sox on August 12, 1987. Tolman entered his last MLB game four days later as the Tigers battled the Royals. The game was tied at 4-4 in the seventh inning when Alan Trammell laced a double to right, scoring Lou Whitaker with the go-ahead run and advancing Bill Madlock to third. Lefty Jerry Don Gleaton remained on the mound for Kansas City, so Tigers’ skipper Sparky Anderson elected to send Tolman up to the plate, batting for Matt Nokes. Royals’ manager Billy Gardner signaled to his catcher to issue an intentional walk to the .083 hitter, loading the bases to set up a potential double play. The move immediately backfired as Darrell Evans drew a walk to force in a run. Gardner called upon John Davis to limit the damage but he yielded three unearned runs (Madlock had reached base on an error by Gleaton). Two innings later in his final MLB plate appearance, Tolman coaxed a one-out walk against Steve Farr and increased Detroit’s advantage to 10-5 on a single to center field off the bat of Jim Morrison. He played two more years with the Mets and Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliates (Tidewater and Syracuse, respectively) before hanging up his spikes at age 33.

Mark Brown (#451) – A right-hander chosen by Baltimore in the sixth round of the June 1980 Amateur Draft, Brown received cups of coffee with the Orioles and the Twins in the mid-Eighties. He split the summer of 1980 between Bluefield (Rookie) and Miami (A) where he compiled an ERA of 3.81 in 16 games (11 starts). Brown pitched almost exclusively in a long relief role for both of the Orioles’ A-ball affiliates in ‘81, fashioning a 3.04 ERA in 27 outings. He earned a pair of promotions during the 1982 campaign, working his way up from Hagerstown (A) through Charlotte (AA) along with a brief stint with Rochester (AAA). Brown established personal-bests in wins (9), ERA (2.25) and innings pitched (100). Despite appearing in only 19 contests during the ‘83 season for the Rochester Red Wings, the righty prevailed in 6 of 7 decisions and tallied 5 saves with a 3.54 ERA and a WHIP of 1.144. Brown struggled to control the strike zone while pitching for the Orioles’ triple-A squad again in ‘84 but nevertheless earned a promotion to Baltimore in early August. He made his big league debut in relief of Mike Flanagan in the fifth inning on August 9, 1984. Cleveland scored three in the previous frame to knot the score at 4-4. Julio Franco greeted Brown with a single and scampered home on a two-base knock off the bat of Andre Thornton for the go-ahead run. Brown settled in and got Pat Tabler on a fly ball to center field and Chris Bando on a fly to right, but Thornton tagged up and safely reached third. Cal Ripken Jr. booted Carmelo Castillo’s grounder, giving an insurance run to the Indians. Brown was tagged with the loss as the Tribe triumphed, 7-5. Four scoreless frames spanning back-to-back outings on August 15 and 16 lowered his ERA from 9.00 to 1.80. Brown notched his first MLB strikeout when he whiffed Bill Almon in the ninth inning of the August 16 matchup. He sat idle for twelve days before O’s skipper Joe Altobelli summoned him in the second inning on August 28, 1984 to replace Scott McGregor. The veteran left-hander suffered a broken ring finger when Angels’ left fielder Brian Downing drilled a comebacker to the mound in the opening frame. The Halos scratched three runs off Brown in the next three innings. Mike C. Brown led off the second with a two-bagger and later scored on a fielder’s choice. Juan Beniquez and Bobby Grich coaxed a couple of walks in the third inning. Fred Lynn plated Beniquez with a base hit and Grich added a tally on a 4-3 double play off the bat of Doug DeCinces. Brown retired the bottom of the order before yielding to Tom Underwood in the fifth as California held on for a 4-2 victory. In the doghouse for another two weeks before Altobelli called upon him again, Brown entered a contest on September 11, 1984 with the O’s trailing the Tigers by four runs in the fifth. He was cruising along until the seventh inning when Darrell Evans and Larry Herndon delivered back-to-back jacks. The Yankees scored a pair of runs to break a 4-4 tie versus Brown and the Orioles on September 25, 1984 to tag him with his second MLB loss but he fashioned two scoreless frames in Baltimore’s final matchup of the year and got credit for his first victory when Wayne Gross singled home John Shelby and Cal Ripken, Jr. to snap a 3-3 deadlock against Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd. Brown reported to Spring Training with the Orioles in February 1985 but he was flipped to the Twins in exchange for Brad Havens just before the teams broke camp. Assigned to the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA) he crafted a 2.94 ERA and notched 5 saves in 26 outings. Brown made six appearances for Minnesota in July and early August, allowing at least one run in all but one contest. In the second game of a doubleheader on July 7, 1985 at Yankee Stadium, Brown was summoned to pitch the middle innings after Rick Lysander and Pete Filson faltered to leave the Twins with a 7-2 deficit after four frames. Brown poured gasoline on the fire, yielding three singles along with a pair of walks as the Bronx Bombers extended their lead to 10-2 after five innings. New York continued their hit barrage with three more base knocks in the sixth. One run scored but Tom Brunansky ended the inning when he fired a bullet from right field to nail Dave Winfield at the plate. In the home half of the seventh, Andre Robertson delivered a one-out single and Billy Sample reached on a Greg Gagne error. Ken Griffey blasted his second home run of the game to put the icing on the cake as the Yankees went on to claim victory, 14-2. Brown redeemed himself with 2 ⅓ scoreless innings at home versus New York two weeks later. He matched his personal best with four innings pitched during a 12-3 loss to the Mariners on July 31, 1985 and permitted only one run to lower his ERA to 6.75. His final MLB outing came eleven days later at the Metrodome. The Angels had a comfortable 7-0 advantage when Twins’ skipper Ray Miller strolled to the mound and signalled for Brown, his fourth pitcher of the day. Brian Downing greeted him with a bases-clearing triple. He got the final out of the frame and worked around a Rod Carew single to keep the Halos off the scoreboard in the eighth. Brown was still on the mound in the top of the ninth when Reggie Jackson drew a base on balls and Bobby Grich followed with a base knock. Dick Schofield plated both baserunners with a one-out triple. Brown retired speedster Gary Pettis on a grounder to shortstop to register his final MLB out. The beating he absorbed against the Yankees skewed his final 1985 MLB stats: 6.89 ERA, 1.787 WHIP. Excluding that outing yields a more respectable 4.26 ERA. Brown’s career (MLB) totals include a 1-2 record in 15 games (all in relief) with a 5.12 ERA and a WHIP of 1.474. Returning to the Baltimore organization after starting twice and relieving once for Toledo in ‘86, Brown made 27 relief appearances for the Charlotte O’s (AA) and fashioned an ERA of 3.97.

Glen Cook (#502) – Cook appeared on the Rangers’ radar after crafting an ERA of 3.67 while striking out a batter per inning at three different levels during his third minor league campaign (1983). The right-hander, a 24th round draft pick in June 1981, failed to distinguish himself in a starting or relief capacity in his first two seasons on the farm. He spent the entire ‘84 campaign and the first half of ‘85 with the Oklahoma City 89ers (AAA) where he supplied 9 wins per year along with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.182 WHIP. Texas recalled Cook in late June 1985 to fill the fifth slot in the starting rotation. He scattered 5 hits across 6 ⅓ scoreless frames to prevail in his MLB debut against the Twins on June 23, 1985. Facing the Halos one week later he served up a three-run gopher ball to Ruppert Jones and yielded 5 runs on 10 hits through 6 innings yet emerged victorious in a 10-5 rout. Cook twirled 6 innings of 2-run ball in his third start but came away with a no-decision when Lance Parrish took former teammate Dave Rozema deep for a two-run blast in the seventh inning as Detroit triumphed, 4-3. Cook was absolutely roasted in his final half-dozen big league outings (5 starts) as his ERA rose from 3.44 to 9.45. The Yankees scorched him twice in July, combining for 5 round-trippers and 15 earned runs in 10 innings (13.50 ERA). Optioned to the minors after a loss to Toronto on August 2, 1985 left him with a 2-3 record along with an ERA of 7.68, Cook was among the organization’s September call-ups. He rewarded the club with a disastrous relief outing against the Angels on September 15, 1985 in which he retired only one of the nine batters he faced (a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of backstop Bob Boone). Cook sat unused in the Rangers’ bullpen for 17 days before manager Bobby Valentine summoned him to pitch the last 3 frames versus Oakland on October 2, 1985. The Athletics had a comfortable 8-1 and Cook, in his final MLB appearance, fanned the flames when he served up a two-run dinger to Mike Heath in the seventh. He hurled a scoreless eighth but the A’s tagged him for 4 runs in the top of the ninth including Steve Kiefer’s three-run wallop. Texas trailed 14-1 when Cook whiffed Rob Picciolo for his final MLB out. Back with the 89ers for the next two years, he fared poorly in a starting role during the ‘86 season as he posted a record of 8-9 with a 6.04 ERA and a 1.725 WHIP. Bullpen work yielded better results as Cook produced a pair of wins, four saves and a 4.53 ERA across 31 games. Per his Baseball-reference.com page, Cook resurfaced in 1990 with Acereros de Monclova (Mexican League) but there are no accompanying statistics.

Jeff Barkley (#567) – Barkley fared well in his professional debut with the Batavia Trojans (A-) after Cleveland chose him in the thirteenth round of the June 1982 Amateur Draft. Starting all but one of his fifteen outings, Barkley notched 5 wins and fashioned a 4.08 ERA along with a WHIP of 1.273. Moved to the bullpen in the subsequent campaign, he quickly ascended the organizational ladder and tallied 24 relief appearances apiece for the Waterloo Indians (A) and the Charleston Charlies (AAA) where he whiffed 11 batters per 9 innings while adding 8 wins and 12 saves to his resumé. The Tribe ended their agreement with Charleston after the ‘83 campaign and Barkley was assigned to the Maine Guides for the subsequent season where he continued to flourish, crafting an ERA of 2.85 and tallying 11 saves through 54 games. He was among the September call-ups for Cleveland and he made his MLB debut in relief against Oakland on September 16, 1984. The Indians led 5-4 in the seventh inning and the Athletics had runners on first and second with two outs. Barkley relieved Tom Waddell and struck out Mike Davis to end the threat. Chris Bando tagged a two-run dinger to extend the Indians’ advantage to 7-4. Barkley got Mickey Tettleton on a pop-up to first base leading off the eighth but he yielded a double to Steve Kiefer and issued a free pass to Tony Phillips. Ernie Camacho pitched the final 1 ⅔ innings to secure the save. Five days later he was summoned in long relief during a 7-3 loss to the Twins. Don Schulze failed to retire a batter and yielded five runs in the opening frame so manager Pat Corrales called upon Steve Farr along with Barkley to hold down the fort. Farr pitched four innings of one-run ball and Barkley retired the first half-dozen hitters he faced before allowing back-to-back hits and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kent Hrbek. He sat unused for a week before facing Minnesota again on September 28, 1984. Cleveland triumphed in a wild contest, 11-10 after trailing 10-0 after three innings! The Twins led 2-0 in the second when Barkley relieved Jerry Ujdur with no outs and the bases loaded. He whiffed Kirby Puckett but Ron Washington singled to drive home a pair of runners. Mickey Hatcher and Kent Hrbek delivered back-to-back two-base hits to plate three more Twins and put a swift end to Barkley’s outing. The Indians farmed Barkley out to begin the ‘85 campaign but he earned a promotion towards the end of May as the team languished in last place with a 15-25 record. Summoned in long relief with the Tribe trailing the Jays 3-0 in the third inning on May 24, 1985, he immediately served up a three-run gopher ball to Ernie Whitt. Barkley recovered to hurl 6 ⅔ innings while striking out 5 batters in his longest MLB outing. His ERA dropped to 2.25 after retiring all four Brewers that he faced in his next appearance. California’s Ron Romanick fashioned a four-hit shutout in Cleveland on June 20, 1985 but Barkley delivered his finest performance in the big leagues. Working in relief of Don Schulze and Jamie Easterly, the right-hander held the Halos hitless in 5 ⅓ innings, allowing only a base on balls to Rod Carew while posting five strikeouts. He suffered three losses and a pair of blown saves through his last four appearances in June, yielding 8 earned runs in 5 innings to bloat his ERA from a respectable 3.52 to 5.46. Barkley fared better as the calendar flipped to July, notching his first and only MLB save with 2 ⅔ innings of hitless ball in relief of Vern Ruhle in a 5-2 victory versus the Twins on July 1, 1985. Through his first four outings in the month, Barkley scattered a pair of hits over seven scoreless frames to lower his ERA by more than one run (5.46 to 4.37) before the pendulum swung in the other direction. Kansas City cuffed him around a bit on July 18, 1985 commencing a four game span in which he permitted 11 safeties and 7 earned runs in 6 innings. Barkley’s last big league outing came on July 26, 1985 during another lopsided loss to the Royals. He relieved Ramon Romero with Kansas City leading by a score of 4-1 after Darryl Motley led off the sixth with a circuit clout. Steve Balboni greeted Barkley with a big fly of his own. In the subsequent frame Hal McRae went yard for a two-run blast. However Barkley extracted a bit of sweet revenge by striking out Motley and Balboni to end the inning. Unbeknownst to him at the time, they were the final outs of his MLB career. He returned to Maine to finish out the ‘85 season where his overall totals included 13 saves in 24 games with an ERA of 1.62. Cleveland released him at the end of Spring Training in 1986 and he spent the year as a journeyman reliever pitching at the Triple-A level for three organizations (Texas, San Diego and Philadelphia).

Did You Know?

Topps included one or more “firsts” about some of the players on the bottom section of the card backs. In addition, the majority of the card backs also contained trivia in a “Talkin’ Baseball” box. The “Talkin’ Baseball” facts in most cases pertained to a fun fact about the player’s current team but was not specific to the player depicted on the card.

Errors

The 1986 Topps set does not contain any significant error variations.

Rookie Cards

Jose Canseco, Benito Santiago, Paul O’Neill, Cecil Fielder, Lenny Dykstra, Ozzie Guillen, Kal Daniels and Vince Coleman highlight the list of players making their cardboard debuts in the ’86 Topps set.

Price Guide (Then and Now)

The “Beckett Baseball Card Monthly Price Guide” (November 1986 edition) lists the 1986 Topps Baseball complete set at $21. Dwight Gooden’s regular issue card ranked as the highest individual value at $2.50 followed closely by Vince Coleman’s first regular issue Topps card at $2.25.

Please add a comment below if you would like to share any memories from collecting the 1986 Topps baseball card set or your experiences with card collecting in general!

Articles in the Series

https://www.beckett.com/search/?term=1986+topps&year_start=1986

References and Resources

Beckett, Dr. James, Rich Klein and Grant Sandground. Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles. Dallas, TX: Beckett Publications, 1997. Print.

Beckett.com (requires subscription to view prices):

https://www.tcdb.com/ViewSet.cfm/sid/110/1986-Topps

Trading Card Database – Photo Gallery

About the Authors

Derek Bain is a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

Derek’s Books

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League Teams)”, published in July 2020, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League Teams)”, published in April 2022, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

The 1985 Topps Baseball Card Set

Derek Bain — Fri, 21 May 2021 12:54:41 +0000

Derek’s (Re)collections

Topps came through again with another stellar effort in ‘85. Consistently delivering the largest checklist of the “Big 3” (Topps sets numbered 792 in those days), the inclusion of the 1984 Olympic baseball team along with a bumper crop of rookies took this set to the next level. My one slight criticism of this set is a recurring theme but particularly in the 1985 Topps series I was not a fan of the color scheme utilized on the card backs. The results were not crisp and easy to read (compare the card backs below for Kiko Garcia (1985 Topps) and Paul Mirabella (1983 Topps). I admired the layout on the front of the 1985 Topps series – the full player photo, the skewed team name and logo were appealing to the eye and allowed the collector to easily sort by team name (my preferred method at the time). Opening the packs I would first remove the stick of bubble gum and set it aside in a pile to be chewed later. While it would have resulted in a higher price per pack, I wished that the gum had been individually wrapped to prevent the inevitable staining of the cards that it was wedged between. Alternatively the gum could have been placed at the top of the pack and separated by one of the insert / giveaway cards that you were encouraged to collect in order to send away for the Glossy subsets.

Kiko Garcia – 1985 Topps Card Back

Paul Mirabella – 1983 Topps Card Back

Corby Corner

I’m not sure why but the 1985 Topps set was my favorite of all-time. Aside from being the most well-known company, I really believe Topps saw the competition coming from within the industry and knew they needed to up their game. The previous series (‘83 and ‘84) introduced the head shot in the bottom left corner as a new angle but it didn’t really add much. In ‘85 Topps selected the bold, in-your-face pictures of the players as well as the team name stamped across the bottom. Doc Gooden’s card comes to mind.

In addition, as Donruss implemented the rated rookies, Topps countered with the 1984 Olympic team which, of course, included the 1987 shock to the baseball world, Mark McGwire. Along with Doc and McGwire’s rookies, Clemens, Puckett, Hershiser and Eric Davis graced the set for the first time. I found “Eric the Red” to be the one with the most potential and stocked up on his cards, though sadly the cardboard of his card might have been stronger than his body. Overall, Topps maintained it’s stance as the industry leader in 1985, but on the horizon was what I believe to be the worst card of my early collecting – the 1986 Topps card.

Features

The standard Topps baseball card set from 1982-1992 consisted of 792 cards. The 1985 series commences with a 10-card Record Breaker subset with Dwight Gooden (#3, “Most Rookie Strikeouts”) and Nolan Ryan (#7, “Most Career Strikeouts”) topping the list. A 13-card subset (#131-143) highlights fathers and sons who played in the Major Leagues. Former #1 draft picks including Darryl Strawberry, Harold Baines and Bob Horner are featured in a 12-card series (#271-282). One of the most popular subsets (#389-404) depicted 15 members of the 1984 Olympic baseball squad along with head coach Rod Dedeaux. American and National League All-Stars from the previous campaign are featured on cards 701 through 722. Topps reverted to a single player photo on the card front with the bottom section containing the team name, team logo, player name and primary position. The back of the cards are similar to prior efforts with the player name and biographical data spanning the top, single season and career totals covering the mid-section while the bottom is devoted to notes and/or trivia. The color scheme on the card backs (red on gray with a green border) makes the information difficult to read.

Vince “Vincent Van-Go” Coleman and Mickey “Froot Loops” Tettleton along with Chris Brown, Mariano Duncan and Ozzie Guillen debuted in the 1985 Topps Traded Set. The mail-in offer for Glossy Send-Ins allowed collectors to send away for portions of a 40 card subset with the superstars of the mid-1980’s including Cal Ripken Jr., Don Mattingly, Tony Gwynn and Dwight Gooden. Glossy All-Stars commemorated the 1984 Mid-Summer Classic with a 22 card set. Topps came out with a set of 30 3-D cards that were oversized (4 ¼” x 5 ⅞”).

The 1985 Topps Stickers set numbered 376 in size and measured 2 ⅛” x 3”. The silver and bronze “Gallery of Champions” offered 12 replicas from the standard 1985 Topps set with dimensions of 1 ¼” x 1 ¾” highlighted by Dwight Gooden, Tony Gwynn, Don Mattingly and Ryne Sandberg. Topps again issued the Tiffany and Tiffany Traded sets exclusively through hobby dealers. The Tiffany cards typically fetch four to six times the amount of the standard sets. The Rub Downs returned in ‘85 encompassing 112 ballplayers on 32 transfer sheets. The oversized (4 ⅞” x 6 ⅞”) Topps Super cards expanded from 30 to 60 cards in ‘85. Identical to the standard series cards in appearance, this set includes the usual suspects.

The subset values according to the 1997 edition of the Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles are as follows: Tiffany $225, Traded $15, Traded Tiffany $50, Glossy All-Stars $5, Glossy Send-Ins $10, 3-D $15, Gallery of Champions $350, Stickers $15, Minis $2000, Super $10, Rub Downs $10.

1985 Topps Traded

1985 O-Pee-Chee

1985 Topps Circle K

1985 Topps 3-D

1985 Topps Rub Downs

1985 Topps Stickers

One-and-Dones

The players listed below made their lone appearance on a regular-issue baseball card in the 1985 Topps set.

Keefe Cato (#367) – Selected by the Reds in the second round of the June 1979 Amateur Draft, Cato reported to the Billings Mustangs (Rookie) squad where he overmatched the opposition. Starting 11 contests for the squad he fashioned a record of 9-1 with a 1.33 ERA, 0.716 WHIP and 10.3 SO/9. Cato posted similar statistics (6-3, 1.70) for the Tampa Tarpons (A) in the first half of the 1980 campaign to merit a promotion to Double-A ball. He struggled over the next season and a half at Waterbury (AA) with a composite 4.29 ERA and a WHIP of 1.449. The right-hander bounced back in ‘82, supplying an 8-4 mark with an ERA of 3.19 in the high minors. Cincinnati promoted Cato to the big leagues and he made his MLB debut against the Dodgers on June 13, 1983. Trailing 5-1 to Fernando Valenzuela and the Los Angeles crew, manager Russ Nixon signaled to the ‘pen and Cato twirled a scoreless frame in the top of the ninth. He whiffed Valenzuela for his first MLB strikeout. He received credit for a victory the following evening when he pitched 2 ⅓ innings of hitless ball in relief of Bruce Berenyi. Dann Bilardello drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning against Padres left-hander Gary Lucas. Cato whiffed Sixto Lezcano and Luis Salazar before Nixon summoned southpaw Bill Scherrer to face Ruppert Jones. Scherrer struck out Jones to seal the win for the Redlegs. Cato’s stint with the big club was short-lived and he delivered a composite ERA of 3.45 between Waterbury (AA) and Indianapolis (AAA) in 25 games (13 starts). Demoted to the Wichita Aeros (AA) to begin the ‘84 campaign, Cato worked primarily as a reliever where he compiled a record of 8-9 with an ERA of 4.19. He was recalled twice by the parent club and dazzled the Reds’ faithful during his first outing of the season. In a 12-1 laugher against San Diego on June 7, 1984, Cato rapped a pair of singles off Friars’ reliever Floyd Chiffer to register his first MLB hits. He singled to load the bases in the eighth and came around to score on Brad Gulden’s three-run triple. In the ninth inning he added an RBI to his stat sheet when his single to center field knocked in Dave “Cobra” Parker. Capping the effort, Cato hurled 3 ⅔ scoreless innings allowing only one hit (a single by Tim Flannery with two outs in the ninth) to notch his first career save. Graig Nettles launched a round-tripper against him in his next appearance but he rebounded with two innings of two-hit, no run ball versus Houston on June 12, 1984. Nevertheless the Reds sent him back to the minors but recalled him a month later. Cato’s ERA sat at 1.35 when he warmed up in the bullpen on July 13, 1984. He entered the contest against the Expos in the seventh inning and immediately yielded a double to Derrel Thomas and a walk to Doug Flynn. After whiffing opposing pitcher Bob James, Cato escaped the threat when Eric Davis caught a fly ball off the bat of Tim Raines and doubled Thomas off second base in a play that was scored CF-2B-P! Montreal led 3-2 in the eighth when Pete Rose singled and Andre Dawson homered. A walk to Gary Carter and subsequent two-base hit by Tim Wallach sent Cato to the showers. Suffering from a case of gopheritis, Cato yielded long balls in 4 consecutive appearances and his overall numbers for July 1984 are dreadful: 9 IP, 17 H, 4 BB, 13 ER. His final MLB outing came against San Diego on July 26, 1984 where he gave up 3 runs in ⅔ of an inning. Tony Gwynn ripped a double to right field and skipper Vern Rapp jogged to the mound and signaled for John Franco. Cincinnati shipped Cato to the Padres for southpaw Darren Burroughs in October 1984. He spent the ‘85 campaign with the Las Vegas Stars where he compiled a 7-10 record with an ERA of 5.28 in 44 appearances (10 starts). Cato posted similar numbers (7-10, 5.06) while splitting his final professional season between the Memphis Chicks (AA) and Omaha Royals (AAA).

Jeff Cornell (#514) – Kansas City chose Cornell in the eighth round of the June 1978 Amateur Draft. After appearing in 7 contests as a reliever for the Royals’ Rookie League affiliate, he was promoted to the Jacksonville Suns (AA) where he spent the next 4 campaigns. Cornell worked chiefly out of the bullpen until 1981 when he started 26 games. He compiled a record of 22-29 with a 3.52 ERA and a WHIP of 1.431 for the Suns. Traded to the Giants for Dennis Littlejohn in February 1982, Cornell split the season between the Shreveport Captains (AA) and the Phoenix Giants (AAA) where he fashioned a composite 3.38 ERA with 16 saves. Back in his element as a reliever, Cornell excelled in ‘83 as he notched 18 saves with a 3.30 ERA against Pacific Coast League competition. Waiting patiently to be recalled to the Majors, he returned to Phoenix to begin the ‘84 season. San Francisco brought Cornell up to the big leagues two months later and he pitched a scoreless inning in his debut on June 2, 1984. Entering the contest in the sixth inning with the Giants behind by two runs, he relieved Jeff D. Robinson and struck out the first batter he faced (Garry Templeton). The Padres exacted revenge on the following day, stringing 5 singles and intentional walk together with two outs in the seventh inning to tag Cornell with the loss in the first game of a doubleheader. Toiling in relief of Scott Garrelts against the Dodgers on June 13, 1984, he was credited with the victory when San Francisco rallied for 7 runs in the fifth frame. Six days later Cornell lowered his ERA to 4.70 but took the loss when third baseman Joel Youngblood’s fielding error led to 4 unearned runs resulting from a Brad Komminsk grand slam. The second game of a double-dip versus the Pirates on July 13, 1984 lasted 18 innings and Cornell figured in the outcome. He took the mound in the bottom of the eighteenth after Frank Williams shut down the Buccos with 6 scoreless frames. Lee Mazzilli led off with a single and moved to second base on a balk. Lee Lacy’s sacrifice bunt advanced “Maz” to third. Giants’ skipper Frank Robinson ordered intentional walks for Bill Madlock and Tony Pena, loading the bases for Jason Thompson. Pittsburgh’s first-sacker delivered a walk-off single. In his final five outings for San Fran, Cornell was battered for 11 earned runs in 9 ⅓ innings to raise his ERA from 4.66 to 6.10. Overall he posted a 1.904 WHIP through 38.1 innings to warrant a return trip to Phoenix. The Giants released him at the end of April 1985 and the Cubs picked him up on a minor league deal. Cornell composed a 3.46 ERA while winning 8 games and saving 5 for the Pittsfield Cubs (AA). He walked away from professional ball after spending the ‘86 campaign in Iowa where he furnished an ERA of 5.69 and a WHIP of 1.682.

All of the remaining players in the 1985 Topps set appeared on at least one other regular-issue baseball card with the exception of four amateur athletes depicted in the USA Olympic subset:

Sid Akins – (#3, Texas Rangers, June 1984) – Akins compiled a 3.14 ERA working mainly as a relief pitcher in the minor leagues for the Rangers, Braves and Cardinals’ organizations. He played pro ball for five seasons (1985-89) and reached Triple-A as a member of the Richmond Braves in 1988.

Flavio Alfaro – (#4, Atlanta Braves, June 1984) – Alfaro pilfered 29 bags but hit only .193 for the Durham Bulls (A) during his lone season in professional ball (1985).

Bob Caffrey – (#1, Montreal Expos, June 1984) – Caffrey recorded a .234 BA through five campaigns in the Expos’ farm system. The catcher / first base prospect established personal bests with 29 two-base hits, 20 big-flies and 72 ribbies while splitting the ‘87 season between Burlington (A) and West Palm Beach (A).

John Hoover – (#1, Baltimore Orioles, June 1984) – Hoover’s professional debut consisted of five appearances (4 starts) with the Rochester Red Wings (AAA) at the tail end of the 1984 season. Assigned to the Charlotte O’s (AA) for the following campaign, he started 37 contests and compiled a 10-20 record with a 5.23 ERA before Baltimore demoted him to class-A ball in the spring of ‘86. Hoover crafted a 9-8 mark with an ERA of 4.56 for Charlotte in 1987 and then received a change of scenery when the Orioles shipped him to the Expos with two other prospects in exchange for Jay Tibbs in February 1988. He achieved a single-season high 10 victories in 28 starts for the Jacksonville Expos (AA). Montreal released Hoover at the end of Spring Training in ‘89 and he inked a minor league deal with Texas one month later. He enjoyed his finest campaign with 9 wins, an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.224 for the Tulsa Drillers (AA). The Rangers rewarded Hoover with a cup of coffee in May 1990. Making his big league debut on May 23, 1990 with Texas trailing Detroit 4-1 in the eighth inning, he yielded back-to-back singles to Mike Heath and pinch-hitter Matt Nokes. Jamie Moyer relieved Hoover and allowed Heath to score later in the frame on a sacrifice fly. His second and final big league appearance occurred on May 25, 1990 against his original organization, the Orioles. Kevin Brown was tagged for 7 runs (4 earned) in 4 ⅓ innings so manager Bobby Valentine summoned Hoover from the bullpen. Rene Gonzales greeted Hoover with a squeeze bunt to plate Randy Milligan. He retired five of the next six Baltimore batsmen before the floodgates opened in the top of the seventh. Four base hits and three walks resulted in five tallies as the O’s extended their lead to 12-1. Hoover rebounded to retire 7 of the final 8 batters he faced.

Did You Know?

Topps included interesting facts about some of the players on the bottom section of the card backs.

Don Baylor (#70) – “Don once worked as salesman for Brooks Robinson’s Sporting Goods Store.”

Willie Upshaw (#75) – “His cousins, Gene & Marv Upshaw, played in NFL.”

Rich Hebner (#124) – “Rich is employed as a grave digger in the off-season.”

Al Oliver (#130) – “Has largest collection of men’s cologne in baseball.”

Ron Gardenhire (#144) – “During the season, Ron travels with a Baseball Encyclopedia to obtain autographs of players.”

Steve Yeager (#148) – “Steve’s uncle, Air Force Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, became the first man to break the sound barrier, October 14, 1947.”

Reggie Jackson (#200) – “He owns a collection of rare and antique automobiles.”

Art Howe (#204) – “Art was working as a computer programmer when a friend urged him to attend tryout camp in 1971.”

Chili Davis (#245) – “Chili is big leagues’ first Jamaican-born player.”

Rod Carew (#300) – “Has photographic and dark room equipment in his home.”

Dave Schmidt (#313) – “His confidence on the mound has been expressed on his license plates which read ‘Tuf-2-Hit’.”

Doug Sisk (#315) – “Was considered for the 1976 Olympic Rifle Team.”

Britt Burns (#338) – “Had incredible high school career ERA of 0.12.”

Steve Garvey (#450) – “Steve was once Dodgers’ spring training batboy.”

Pete Ladd (#471) – “Spent two years as a probation and parole officer at Cumberland County Jail, Portland, Maine.”

Rick Dempsey (#521) – “Rick has performed his famous ‘Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime’ act twice in Boston during rain delays.”

Joe Lefebvre (#531) – “Joe is the owner and operator of a florist shop.”

Bob Clark (#553) – “Bob works as an embalmer during the off-season.”

Bill Madlock (#560) – “Bill has over 30 antique clocks in his collection which he began in 1978. He also collects antique furniture and automobiles.”

Al Bumbry (#726) – “He served 11 months in Viet Nam as a platoon leader, earning a Bronze Star.”

Errors

The 1985 Topps set does not contain any significant error variations.

Rookie Cards

Mark McGwire (Olympic card), Kirby Puckett, Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Orel Hershiser, Eric Davis and Bret Saberhagen highlight the roster of players making their cardboard debuts in the ’85 Topps set.

Price Guide (Then and Now)

The “Beckett Baseball Card Monthly Price Guide” (November 1985 edition) lists the 1985 Topps Baseball complete set for $22. Dwight Gooden (#620, $5) was the only individual card to list above one dollar. Mark McGwire’s rookie card (#420, graded PSA 8) currently sells in the $25-$40 range while Kirby Puckett (#536) frequently sells for $25.

Please add a comment below if you would like to share any memories from collecting the 1985 Topps baseball card set or your experiences with card collecting in general!

Articles in the Series

https://www.beckett.com/search/?term=1985+topps&year_start=1985

References and Resources

Beckett, Dr. James, Rich Klein and Grant Sandground. Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles. Dallas, TX: Beckett Publications, 1997. Print.

Beckett.com (requires subscription to view prices):

https://www.tcdb.com/ViewSet.cfm/sid/103/1985-Topps

Trading Card Database – Photo Gallery

About the Authors

Derek Bain is a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

Derek’s Books

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League Teams)”, published in July 2020, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League Teams)”, published in April 2022, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)”, published in July 2020, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Hardball Architects examines the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set (American League and National League). All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives.

The 1984 Topps Baseball Card Set

Derek Bain — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:39:52 +0000

Derek’s (Re)collections

As I remember it, my collecting days began with the purchase of a few packs of bubble gum cards at the Little League snack shack. Although I focused a lot of my attention on the 1984 Fleer and Topps cards (as the ‘84 Donruss packs proved to be elusive), I also set aside some of my allowance towards the Sticker series. Topps had the advantage over their competition – they were able to include bubble gum while Fleer and Donruss had to offer alternatives (stickers and puzzles, respectively). Looking back, I remember tearing through a box of ‘84 Topps and ending up with nearly a dozen Kelly Paris rookie cards! I soon realized packs of cards were available at our local supermarket, delicatessen, pharmacy and other local establishments. Within a year I was subscribing to the Beckett Baseball Monthly magazine, a coin and stamp dealer in the downtown area quickly became known as the hot spot for collectors and I started asking my parents and relatives to drive me to baseball card shows throughout our state. I was captivated by the numbers on the backs of the cards and enhanced my math skills by calculating batting and earned run averages.

Corby Corner

The 1984 Topps set, to me, was the weakest of the 1984 lot. Now don’t get me wrong, I still collected them like every other company that year, but there was something about them that did not hold up against the Fleer and Donruss cards that year. I obtained the Mattingly rookie so I had one of each, and we in the Northeast had Strawberry’s rookie that year kids pined for, but I truly believe that Topps realized that they needed to step up their game after this year, and in 1985, I believe they did. In fact, I would argue that the 1985 Topps card was their sharpest of the decade.

Favorite Cards

Tom: Don Mattingly (#8) – What I considered my first big purchase.

Derek: Kelly Paris (#113) – I pulled a Kelly Paris out of every other pack of ’84 Topps.

Features

The standard Topps baseball card set from 1982-1992 consisted of 792 cards. The 1984 series kicks off with a half-dozen “1983 Highlight” cards consisting of Steve Carlton (300 career wins, All-Time strikeout king), Rickey Henderson (third time with 100+ stolen bases), Dan Quisenberry (sets the single-season record for saves), Nolan Ryan / Steve Carlton / Gaylord Perry (surpass Walter Johnson’s strikeout record), Dave Righetti / Bob Forsch / Mike Warren (no-hitters) and Johnny Bench / Gaylord Perry / Carl Yastrzemski (retirements). The layout for the player cards encompasses the team name in large font down the left side, two player photos (a larger image on the right with a small, face-only inset picture in the bottom left corner). The player name and primary position is denoted in the bottom right corner and the Topps logo sits above the large photo in the upper right with a white border surrounding the card fronts. The backs include each player’s biographical information and team logo across the upper third. The mid-section contains the season statistics and career totals in dark blue while the lower third features single-game highlights from the ‘83 campaign.

Team checklist cards depict the 1983 batting and earned run average leaders for each franchise on the front. Eight “League Leader cards” numbered 131 through 138 contain two or more images displaying the top-ranked batters and pitchers in the following categories: batting average, home runs, runs batted in, stolen bases, victories, strikeouts, earned run average and saves. The top 10 players in each league / category are enumerated on the flip side. The National and American League All-Stars are featured in a 22-card subset (#386 through #407). The All-Star card backs denote each player’s marital status, interests along with miscellaneous personal information. The “Active Career Leaders” for the American and National Leagues in nine categories are depicted on card # 701 through 718. The cards have a vertical orientation with the leader centered in a slightly larger image while a headshot of those placing second and third appear on the left and right, respectively.

The 1984 Topps Traded set included Dwight Gooden but curiously omitted Roger Clemens and Kirby Puckett. The Glossy Send-Ins set of 40 cards returned after debuting in 1983. Collectors had to amass 25 bonus runs from game cards inserted into wax packs, and then mail them to Topps in order to receive 5 of the 40 Glossy cards. An alternate Glossy subset, All-Stars, received distribution through Rak-Paks and consisted of the starting nine for each squad along with the managers and team captains (Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski). A 33-card set distributed in packs of 4 cards through Ralston Purina cereal boxes, Topps Cereal featured the superstar players from the ‘83 campaign.

Reappearing in the Topps’ portfolio following a two-year absence, the Super cards (set of 30) measured 4 7/8″ x 6 7/8″ and utilized the identical photograph from the regular ‘84 Topps series. The Tiffany and Traded Tiffany series, offered from 1984 and 1991, mirrored the standard-issue set except that the cards were glossy and printed on white stock. Generally the individual prices are listed at 6 to 10 times the regular version for star players and 4 to 8 times for rookies. Miniature 12 card sets of bronze and silver cards made a brief appearance in 1984 and 1985 as the Gallery of Champions. Measuring 1 ¼” x 1 ¾” the GoC cards replicated the appearance of the standard issue cards and ranged from $10 for bronze edition of Rollie Fingers to $175 for Nolan Ryan with the silver versions worth an estimated 2 ½ times the value of their bronze counterparts.

Panini produced the Topps and O-Pee-Chee sticker sets which consisted of 386 stickers that were designed to be placed into a corresponding “Sticker Yearbook” album available through retail outlets and dealers. This series was in production from 1981 to 1990. The Rub Downs series allowed the collector to transfer images to other surfaces through the application of pressure over the back of the card. The 1984 Rub Downs set consisted of 32 cards depicting 3 or 4 players each.

The subset values according to the 1997 edition of the Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles are as follows: Tiffany $200, Traded $50, Traded Tiffany $75, Glossy All-Stars $5, Glossy Send-Ins $12.50, Cereal $12.50, Gallery of Champions $450, Stickers $15, Sticker Boxes $6, Super $10, Rub Downs $8, Pewter Bonuses $800.

1984 Topps Traded – Dwight Gooden

1984 Topps Traded – Bret Saberhagen

1984 Topps Stickers – Julio Franco

1984 Topps Stickers – Willie Wilson

1984 Topps Cereal – Gary Carter

1984 Topps Rub Downs –
Chris Chambliss, Dwight Evans,
Julio Franco

1984 Topps Super – Reggie Jackson

One-and-Dones

The players listed below made their lone appearance on a regular-issue baseball card in the 1984 Topps set.

Leo Hernandez (#71) – Hernandez honed his skills as a Dodgers’ farmhand from 1978 to 1981 subsequent to signing with L.A. as an amateur free agent. He rapped 34 doubles, blasted 25 round-trippers and knocked in 91 runs for San Antonio (AA) in ’81. Traded to the Orioles for Jose Morales in April 1982, Hernandez earned a September call-up following a campaign in which he batted .303 and slugged .570 with 34 big-flies, 119 ribbies and 20 stolen bases across three Minor League affiliates. Hitless in a pair of late-September ’82 at-bats, the third baseman locked down the starting job for Baltimore in the following spring. He launched his first MLB home run of Ed Glynn off the Indians on April 9, 1983. Hernandez started every game in April and May until falling into a platoon with Aurelio Rodriguez. The O’s purchased the contract of Todd Cruz from the Mariners on June 30, 1983 and Hernandez was demoted to the Rochester Red Wings (AAA). Setting the International League ablaze with a .343 BA and a .547 SLG, Hernandez was left behind as the O’s marched to a World Series title in ’83 and he remained a fixture on the Red Wings’ roster until Baltimore recalled him in September 1985. Hernandez was dealt to the Yankees as the “player to be named later” in a December 1985 transaction which sent him along with outfielder Gary Roenicke to the Bronx Bombers in return for Rich Bordi and Rex “Wonder Dog” Hudler. Hernandez spent the 1986 campaign with the Columbus Clippers (AAA) where he drilled 35 two-baggers to merit his final call to the big leagues. The Yankees began the month in third place, 7.5 games behind the Red Sox. Joining his teammates on the West Coast for a game in Oakland on September 1, Manager Lou Piniella inserted Hernandez into the starting lineup, batting sixth and playing third base. Hernandez rewarded his skipper with a pair of knocks including a solo shot to left field off Bill Krueger. In his final MLB at-bat on October 2, 1986, Hernandez hammered a three-run double off Bruce Hurst at Fenway Park to break a 1-1 tie en route to a 6-1 victory. Following a brief stint in the Brewers’ farm system with the El Paso Diablos (AA) in ’87, Hernandez left the States and played in the Mexican League through 1991. Manning the hot corner for the Algodoneros de Union Laguna in ’88, he slashed .345/.422/.624 with career-highs in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs (36) and RBI (123).

George Bjorkman (#116) – The Cardinals chose Bjorkman in the fourth round of the June 1978 Amateur Draft. San Francisco selected him off the St. Louis roster in the December 1980 Rule 5 Draft but returned him at the end of Spring Training in April 1981. Bjorkman responded with his best season to date, blasting 28 long balls for the Springfield Redbirds (AAA) and surpassing his home run output from the previous three campaigns by 5. The backstop repeated triple-A in ’82 and regressed to a .208 BA with 14 dingers. St. Louis GM Joe McDonald shipped Bjorkman to the ‘Stros in March 1983 for minor league hurler Geoff Meadows. He spent the majority of the first half of the campaign with the Columbus Astros (AA) where he swatted 21 two-base knocks and 12 big-flies. Recalled to the big leagues at the All-Star Break, the catcher made his MLB debut on July 10, 1983 and greeted reliever Jesse Orosco with a bases-loaded single to left field to break a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning for his first base hit in the Majors. Bjorkman remained on the Houston roster through the balance of the season, starting 25 games while sharing the catching chores with Alan Ashby, Luis Pujols and John Mizerock. In his third career game as a Major Leaguer, Bjorkman drove in 5 runs and launched his first four-bagger, a bomb to deep left off Bryn Smith. Eight days later he tagged another Expos’ right-hander, Bill Gullickson, for his second career dinger. Facing the Reds’ Jeff Russell on October 2, 1983 in his final big-league at-bat, Bjorkman delivered an RBI single to plate the deciding run in a 3-2 Houston victory. In March 1984, Houston and Montreal agreed upon an exchange of journeyman catchers with Bjorkman heading north of the border for Tom Wieghaus (0-11 in 8 career MLB contests). Over the next two years, Bjorkman hit .256 with 6 dingers with the Indianapolis Indians (AAA) and .242 with 5 wallops for the Rochester Red Wings (AAA) before wrapping up his professional baseball career after the ’85 season.

Darryl Cias (#159) – A sixth round pick by Baltimore in the June 1975 Amateur Draft, Cias faced adversity early in his minor league career when the O’s released him after a year and a half after hitting .207 for Bluefield (Rookie) and Miami (A). Boston picked him up in November 1976 but ended up dropping him at the end of Spring Training and he did not play pro ball at all in ’77. Primarily a third baseman with the Orioles, Cias almost exclusively played behind the dish for the balance of his career. Cias signed with the independent Salem Senators (Northwest) in ‘78 and registered a .293 BA with 18 doubles. Oakland purchased his contract in February 1979 and Cias impressed his new employers with a .301 BA for Medford (A-) and Modesto (A). Gradually climbing the organizational ladder, Cias reached Tacoma (AAA) in ’81 subsequent to posting a .314 BA at West Haven (AA). He batted at a .316 clip in only 117 at-bats during the 1982 campaign but remained at Triple-A until Mike Heath suffered an injury in the middle of April 1983 and missed the next month of the season. A’s skipper Steve Boros inserted Cias into the starting lineup on April 27, 1983 and he squared off against his former club, the Orioles. He doubled in the bottom of the seventh inning off Sammy Stewart to collect his first MLB base hit but the Athletics lost 6-0. Cias played sporadically through mid-June when Oakland optioned him to Triple-A. He received a return trip to Oakland in spite of a .136 BA during his time with the Tacoma Tigers. His final MLB appearance on September 24, 1983 was a triumphant one. Entering the match as a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth, Cias led off the top of the tenth inning against starting pitcher Jim Clancy with the score knotted at 1-1 and promptly slapped a single to right field. He moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tony Phillips and came around to score the winning run on a single to center off the bat of Rickey Henderson. Spending nearly three months with the A’s, Cias compiled a .333 BA (6-for-18) and appeared in only 19 games. Oakland did not renew his contract and he found work with the Rangers, hitting .273 in 27 contests for the Tulsa Drillers (AA) in ’84. After a year away from pro ball, Cias played his final season with more than a dozen former big leaguers on the independent San Jose Bees including Steve Howe, Steve McCatty and Mike Norris and the next man on our list, Lorenzo Gray.

Lorenzo Gray (#163) – Splitting his time between the corner infield and outfield positions, Gray averaged 25 stolen bases per year and scored at least 90 runs over three campaigns from 1978 to 1982. The White Sox selected Gray in the eighth round pick in the June 1976 draft. In the midst of slashing .358/.410/.547 for the Edmonton Trappers (AAA) in ’82, Gray got the call to the big leagues and made his MLB debut on July 8, 1982. With the Pale Hose trailing the Motor City Kitties 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Tigers’ starter Dan Petry issued a base on balls to Vance Law. Sox skipper Tony La Russa sent Gray into the contest as a pinch-runner and replaced Aurelio Rodriguez with pinch-hitter deluxe, Jerry Hairston. Petry’s pitch was pummeled to deep right and Gray notched his first run as Hairston’s homer whipped the home crowd into a frenzy. On the following day, facing Blue Jays’ right-hander Luis Leal, Gray picked up his first hit when he led off the fifth inning with a single to left field. He was optioned to Triple-A later that week but played in 14 September games with the Sox and recorded a .286 BA in 28 at-bats. Vance Law scuffled at the dish during the first month of the ’83 campaign and Gray received the majority of the playing time at the hot corner in May, starting 20 of 21 games from May 2 through May 26. He belted his lone Major League round-tripper off Doug Bird in the third frame of a 12-4 laugher against Boston on May 24, 1983. La Russa pulled the trigger and swapped Law back into the lineup three days later and benched Gray when his batting average slipped to .194. Strictly an afterthought at this point, he appeared in 14 contests over the next two months as a defensive replacement or pinch-hitter. Unable to scratch out any safeties in 6 at-bats during that timeframe, Gray found himself optioned to the Denver Bears (AAA). The Pale Hose coasted to victory in the American League Western Division while Gray headed home after salvaging his season in the Rocky Mountains with a .331 BA. Released by Chicago in January 1984, the third sacker pressed on with Cleveland’s Triple-A squad, belting 16 long balls for the Maine Guides (AAA). Acquired by the Yankees prior to the ’85 campaign, Gray faltered as a part-timer as he clubbed only one homer in 147 at-bats for the Columbus Clippers (AAA). In his final pro season (1986) he batted .274 with 17 two-base hits for the San Jose Bees.

Jamie Nelson (#166) – Taken in the eighth round of the 1978 MLB January Draft-Regular Phase by the New York Mets, Nelson reported to the Wausau Mets (A) where he batted .267 with 13 doubles in 202 at-bats as an 18-year-old. Playing for the unaffiliated Bakersfield Outlaws (A) in 1979, the backstop established career-bests with 20 doubles, 12 taters and 65 RBI. The Mets released Nelson in April 1981 after he was limited to a .231 BA in 65 at-bats at Lynchburg (A) in ’80 but Seattle signed him a week later. He played exclusively for the Lynn Sailors (AA) in ’81 and ’82 hitting a composite .279 with 15 jacks. Promoted to the Salt Lake City Gulls (AAA) to begin the 1983 campaign, Nelson supplied a .247 BA with 6 dingers when he received a call to the big leagues in mid-July to replace Orlando Mercado. Manager Del Crandall penciled Nelson into the starting lineup on July 21, 1983 and he responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning off Red Sox lefty Bob Ojeda for his first MLB hit. He started 35 games in a time-share behind the plate with Rick Sweet down the stretch and ended the year with a .219 BA in 96 at-bats. The Brewers selected Nelson in the December 1983 Rule 5 Draft and he spent the next season with the Vancouver Canadians (AAA), batting .276 and drawing 60 walks while striking out only 33 times. The Cubs purchased his contract in December 1984 but returned him to the Brew Crew prior to the start of the ’85 season “after elbow problems limited his play with the Cubs” (Flaherty 27). Nelson appeared in only 7 games for Vancouver and he missed the entire campaign in 1986. The Royals inked him to a minor league pact in November 1986 and he posted a .289 BA with 8 clouts for the Memphis Chicks (AA). Over the next three years Nelson bounced around the upper minors playing for the Double-A and Triple-A affiliates of the Yankees, Angels and Twins. He came out of retirement briefly in ’94 to slash .387/.459/.504 in 119 at-bats for the Mobile Baysharks (Independent) of the Texas-Louisiana League.

Kevin Hagen (#337) – St. Louis nabbed Hagen in the 4th round of the January 1980 Amateur Draft (Regular Phase). In his first professional campaign he prevailed in 14 contests and furnished an ERA of 3.97 for Gastonia (A). Hagen pitched for the Arkansas Travelers (AA) in back-to-back seasons (1981-82), improving his ERA from 3.98 to 3.61 and lowering his WHIP from 1.503 to 1.323. A member of the Louisville Redbirds’ (AAA) rotation through June 1983, Hagen was promoted to the Majors and made his debut on June 4, 1983 in Atlanta. Relieving Doug Bair to begin the bottom of the eighth with the Cardinals trailing 6-4, he induced a ground ball to shortstop Mike Ramsey off the bat of Bob Horner to record his first out. Chris Chambliss ripped a double to center field that was misplayed by Willie McGee, allowing the Braves’ first-sacker to advance to third. Bruce Sutter entered the contest and held the Braves at bay when he retired Terry Harper (lineout) and Bruce Benedict (flyball to left). Hagen notched his first MLB victory with a scoreless inning of relief work on June 15, 1983 against Philadelphia. The Cards were behind 6-3 against Steve Carlton in the eighth. Hagen yielded a leadoff hit to Joe Lefebvre but escaped when Lefebvre was caught stealing, Ivan de Jesus hit a harmless fly ball to center and Carlton lined out to the his opposite number. The Redbirds battled back with 4 singles off “Lefty” to knot the score at 6-6. Al Holland poured gasoline on the fire with a walk to Ozzie Smith followed by David Green’s tie-breaking base knock. “The Wizard” got caught in a run-down for the final out in the eighth but Sutter came on to notch the save. Hagen entered the rotation five days later and prevailed with seven strong innings of 1-run ball against the Mets which lowered his ERA to 2.38. Unfortunately he compiled a 7.38 ERA and failed to make it to the fifth inning in his next 3 starts. Manager Whitey Herzog and the Cardinals’ front office had seen enough and optioned Hagen to Triple-A. He crafted 10-9 records with nearly identical ERA’s pitching for Louisville over the next two years and made four relief appearances with St. Louis in September 1984. Hagen logged two scoreless innings on September 25, 1984 to pick up a win in relief of Dave LaPoint. Four days later in his final big-league outing, he whiffed Henry Cotto and allowed a double to Ryne Sandberg before yielding to Andy Hassler. Thad Bosley got the best of Hassler in a lefty-lefty matchup, lacing a single to drive in Sandberg. The run bumped Hagen’s ERA to a respectable 2.45 for the season and closed the books on his MLB career totals: 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.719 WHIP. He fashioned a career-best 3.28 ERA in ’86 for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate, the Maine Guides. Pitching primarily for the Tucson Toros (AAA) in ’87 and ’88, Hagen’s WHIP rose to 1.567. He hung up his spikes after allowing 7 tallies in 4 1/3 innings for the Oklahoma City 89ers (AAA) in 1989.

Chris Nyman (#382) – The Nyman brothers, Nyls and Chris, were drafted by the White Sox in 1972 and 1973 respectively. Nyls ascended quickly to the Majors and played in parts of four seasons with the Pale Hose (1974-77), batting .226 in 106 games as Chicago’s primary left fielder in ’75. Chris elected not to sign with the Sox initially but he inked a deal as an amateur free agent four years later. He batted .300 with the Appleton Foxes (A) in the summer of ’77. Slumping to .212 as a sophomore, Nyman rebounded to hit .278 with 25 doubles, 21 dingers and a .512 SLG in 1979 for the Knoxville Sox (AA) and the Iowa Oaks (AAA). The first baseman added stolen bases to his repertoire while repeating Triple-A over the next 3 seasons as he pilfered 29 bags and averaged .298 BA with 24 two-baggers and 83 runs. Dominating the Pacific Coast League while slashing .335/.416/.508 in ’82, Nyman finally achieved big-league status when Chicago called him up at the end of July when Tom Paciorek landed on the injured list. ChiSox skipper Tony La Russa penciled Nyman into the starting lineup on July 28, 1982. Facing Orioles’ left-hander Scott McGregor, he whiffed in his first at-bat and then singled to left field leading off the top of the fifth inning. Batting at a .143 clip (3-for-21), Nyman returned to Edmonton (AAA) when Paciorek was activated but he made it back to the Majors at the end of August and managed a pair of 2-hit games against the Twins in the final series to lift his batting average to .246. The White Sox shifted their Triple-A affiliate to Denver where Nyman produced personal-bests with 23 big-flies and a .573 SLG. In three stints with the Sox as a pinch-hitter and part-time first baseman, he hit .286 and tallied 12 runs in 21 games and only 28 at-bats. With Chicago trailing Kansas City 3-1 in the seventh inning on June 2, 1983, Nyman belted his first MLB home run off Larry Gura to tie the game. He clubbed a Tim Conroy offering to deep left in a September 28, 1983 match at Oakland for his final big-league hit. Nyman played overseas in 1984-85, launching 55 blasts in a 2 year period for the Nankai Hawks (Japan Pacific League). His pro career ended after appearing in 71 contests with the Buffalo Bison (AAA) and the Nashville Sounds (AAA) in ’86.

Greg Bargar (#474) – Bargar logged a 6.34 ERA in 33 games for the Expos and Cardinals spanning parts of three seasons from 1983 to 1986, all but 4 in a relief capacity. A third-round selection by Montreal in the June 1980 Amateur Draft, he bypassed the lower rungs of the minor league ladder and made his professional debut with Memphis (AA). Bargar struggled with control issues, posting a composite 5.23 ERA with a WHIP of 1.612 while walking 5 batters per 9 innings from 1980 to 1982. His 8 starts at Double-A at the beginning of the ’83 campaign signified progress as the right-hander crafted a 3.05 ERA with a WHIP of 1.339. Promoted to the Wichita Aeros (AAA) he exhibited further growth, lowering his BB/9 to 3.9 which was enough to warrant his first call to the Majors. Bargar enjoyed a stellar debut on July 17, 1983 in Atlanta where he pitched 7 shutout innings to notch his first MLB win. He scattered 5 hits and 3 walks as the Expos prevailed, 3-1. He got knocked around in his next start and then survived solo shots by Eddie Milner, Dann Bilardello and Cesar Cedeno to claim a 6-3 victory over the Reds on July 27, 1983. However this failed to prevent him from earning a return pass to Triple-A where he spent the month of August. Back with the ‘Spos to finish the season, Bargar toiled through 5 1/3 innings in a mop-up role, yielding 8 runs to raise his ERA to 6.75 in 20 innings. Montreal kept Bargar on retainer with the Indianapolis Indians (AAA) in ’84 and ’85. He was lit up in 3 late-season appearances for the Expos in 1984 (7.88 ERA in 8 IP) after recording personal-bests with 29 starts and 180 1/3 innings in Triple-A. In the subsequent season Bargar slumped to 5-17 with an ERA of 4.65 and St. Louis purchased his contract in February 1986. Pitching solely in relief, Bargar managed to work in 22 contests for the Cardinals in ’86 including 17 in the first half of the year where he compiled a record of 0-2 with a 5.60 ERA. In his final MLB appearance on October 2, 1986, Bargar pitched a scoreless ninth frame in a 5-1 loss to the Pirates and whiffed the last batter he faced, Benny Distefano. Over his final 3 minor league campaigns (1986-88) with the Louisville Redbirds (AAA), Bargar furnished a 17-13 mark with 4.84 ERA in 60 games (30 starts).

Dan Morogiello (#682) – Atlanta chose Morogiello in the third round of the June 1976 Amateur Draft. He maintained a 3.27 ERA covering 13 starts for Kingsport (Rookie) and Greenwood (A). Control problems played a role in the Braves’ decision to have Morogiello repeat both levels in the upper minors over the next 4 years in spite of a composite 3.67 ERA during that timeframe. After starting 126 consecutive games since he inked his first pact with Atlanta, Morogiello was demoted to Savannah (AA) and converted to a reliever. The southpaw faltered badly working out of the pen in ’81 and the Braves dealt him to the Cards for Donnie Moore in February 1982. He made a career-high 57 relief appearances for Louisville (AAA) but his peripherals did not improve considerably. Granted free agency in October 1982, Morogiello signed one month later with the Orioles. He spent a substantial amount of time on the Baltimore roster with the eventual 1983 World Champions, making his MLB debut in relief of Dennis Martinez on May 20, 1983. He retired the first 4 Blue Jays that he faced including back-to-back strikeouts of Ernie Whitt and Lloyd Moseby. The portsider notched his lone Major League save with two scoreless frames against the Athletics on July 11, 1983. In a game on September 18, 1983, the Brew Crew battered veteran right-hander Jim Palmer for 6 runs in 1 1/3 innings. Morogiello entered the contest and proceeded to hold “Harvey’s Wallbangers” at bay, yielding 5 hits and no runs in 6 2/3 innings. Baltimore came back to win the match 10-9 aided by an Eddie Murray grand slam and a game-winning single by John Stefero. Four days later in his last big-league outing, Morogiello relieved Sammy Stewart in the bottom of the tenth inning. Detroit had runners on first and second with one out. He induced Lynn Jones to loft a harmless foul pop-up to Murray, but Lou Whitaker laced a single to center field to drive home Enos Cabell for a 5-4 Tigers’ triumph. Overall the lefty fashioned a 2.39 ERA and his lowest WHIP in pro ball (1.301) spanning 37 2/3 innings for the O’s in ‘83. Back in the minors, Morogiello crafted a 3.07 ERA in the face of more wildness (1.535 WHIP). He returned to his original franchise for his swan song in ’85 and prevailed in all 6 decisions for Richmond (AAA).

Did You Know?

Topps included interesting facts about some of the players on the bottom section of the card backs. These are mostly in the form of highlights and/or “dateline” entries.

Don Sutton (#35) – “Recorded 3000th strikeout in complete game win, June 24, 1983.”

Kirk Gibson (#65) – “June 14, 1983: Hit 540-ft. homer. It was 14th ball ever hit over rightfield roof at Tiger Stadium.”

Bob Forsch (#75) – “Pitched the second no-hitter of his career with brilliant 3-0 gem vs. Expos, September 26, 1983.”

Reggie Jackson (#100) – “Reggie smashed a 2-out, 2-strike, 9th-inning 3-run homer giving Angels a 7-6 come-from-behind victory at Toronto, June 18, 1983.”

Rickey Henderson (#230) – “**Dateline** Sep. 13, 1983 – Became 1st player in history to achieve 100-or-more stolen bases in 3 seasons.”

John Butcher (#299) – “**Dateline** Aug. 16, 1983 – Retired the final 19 batters he faced in brilliant one-hit shutout vs. Baltimore Orioles.”

Chuck Rainey (#334) – “**Dateline** Aug. 24, 1983 – Lost no-hit bid with 2 outs in 9th inning finishing with brilliant one-hit shutout.”

Charlie Hudson (#432) – “Pitched 8 ⅓ innings of no-hit ball in 10-3 complete game win vs. Astros, July 20, 1983.”

George Brett (#500) – “George went 4-for-5 with 3 homers and 7 RBI’s in Royals 8-7 decision at Detroit, April 20, 1983.”

Dan Ford (#530) – “Belted 3 homers in 4-2 win at Seattle.”

Milt Wilcox (#588) – “Lost his perfect-hit bid with 2 outs in 9th inning but finished with masterful one-hit shutout at Comiskey Park, April 15, 1983.”

Dave Righetti (#635) – “Became 1st southpaw ever to pitch no-hitter at Yankee Stadium in gem vs. Red Sox, 7-4-83.”

Fred Lynn (#680) – “Belted the 1st grand slammer in All-Star Game history and was selected game’s MVP, 7-6-83.”

Errors

There are no significant “error” cards in the 1984 Topps baseball set.

Rookie Cards

Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, Andy Van Slyke, Tony Phillips and Marty Barrett highlight the list of players making their cardboard debuts in the ’84 Topps set.

Price Guide (Then and Now)

In the inaugural volume of the “Beckett Baseball Card Monthly Price Guide” (November 1984), the 1984 Topps Baseball complete set listed for $14. Individual cards listing for at least one dollar included Don Mattingly (# 8, $3) and Darryl Strawberry (# 182, $1.75). The Mattingly card (graded at PSA 8) currently sells in the $30 range.

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Articles in the Series

https://www.beckett.com/search/?term=1984+topps&year_start=1984

References and Resources

Beckett, Dr. James, Rich Klein and Grant Sandground. Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles. Dallas, TX: Beckett Publications, 1997. Print.

Beckett.com (requires subscription to view prices):

Flaherty, Tom. “Healthy Brewers Have High Hopes.” The Sporting News. April 8, 1985. p27.