Contact him at [emailprotected]. 1989 Donruss The Rookies Ken Griffey Jr. #3. And finally, we're down to none other than Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest baseball icons of the 1980s and the game's greatest speedster to ever play. 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. Houston went just 28-29 in the first half but won the NL West's second half at 33-20. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. 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. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. His career was far from over at that point, but Schmidt's play showed the baseball world that they were already witnessing the greatest third baseman of all-time in the making. Even though the image is kind of ghostly (see his right shoulder) on this card, it's my favorite of his three cards in this set given its an action shot. And some of those players appeared on multiple cards. Inc. Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. 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. Plus Bonus Listings! To be fair, though, his innings pitched totals in Houston weren't as steep as those during his time in California, and his 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 1987 was the highest mark of his career. Featured here is a 1981 Topps Coca Cola baseball card signed by Aurelio Lopez. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Lee Smith was one of the greatest relief pitchers to ever step on the mound and is currently a distant number three on the all-time saves list with 478 behind Mariano Rivera (652) and Trevor Hoffman (601). The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. 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! Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. By the time these Hall of Famers retired, Brett had three batting titles and Carew had an eye-popping seven. With the 22-year-old star setting the table, the As earned a playoff spot with a 37-23 first-half record and finished with the American Leagues best overall record at 64-45. 2017-18 Panini National Treasures Donovan Mitchell RC Auto Patch /99. The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. . 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. Total Cards: 726. Reggie was furious and blasted The Boss in the media. 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. 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. When collectors think back to the junk wax era, one of the first sets to jump into minds is 1987 Topps Baseball. Read our methodology. 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. 10 Bo Jackson #600. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Wilson was incredibly speedy and was the Mets' career stolen base leader before Jose Reyes eventually broke his record many years later. Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 12. Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. And they delivered a great set with many stars and Hall of Famersand one of the biggest rookie cards of the 1980s. That season set the tone for a reputation that Dawson would carve out as a player with an incredible mix of speed and power as he was seemingly always a lock for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases throughout his time in Montreal. However, his relationship with the San Diego Padres ownership continued to sour and by season's end, both were looking to move on from each other. However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. As his time with the Yankees had come to a close, Jackson packed his bag and headed back to the West Coast, signing to play for the California Angels. 726 Rick Monday. 1982 Donruss. Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. Considered by many to be the best defensive shortstop of all time, Smith won an incredible thirteen Gold Gloves over nineteen seasons in Major League Baseball. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). The card is currently worth $189.99. 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. Brett's performance at the plate put him well above Milwaukee's Cecil Cooper and his own impressive .352 average to earn his second of three career batting titles. That means the card needs to be flawless. It didn't matter, though, as the Reds missed out on the playoffs and a rejuvenated Tom Seaver was denied one last hurrah in October. Although this one isn't worth as much as it might . 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. And while Rose hit no home runs in 1981 and drove in just 33, he was a fantastic table-setter for the Phillies. During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. After fifteen-straight All-Star appearances from 1965-79, Yastrzemski was left out of the Midsummer Classic for the second year in a row in 1981. $9.99. - http://bit.ly/W. He spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. For his regular-season efforts, Rose earned the only Silver Slugger Award of his career, his 15th All-Star selection, and a tenth-place finish on the NL MVP ballot. This was limited to only 504 serial-numbered porcelain cards made and it has already been authenticated by Global Authentics (GAI). List by Card #, You own: 0 / 865 items While this is considered one of his rookie cards, it doesn't command quite the price premium as his 1982 Topps Tradedrookie card which can sell for north of $5,000 in top condition. Henderson was also top-notch on defense as he brought home his first-and-only Gold Glove. He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. Within the set were also several different subsets, including: The colorful design and decent photography give this set an overall great look and feel, with many cards having fantastic eye appeal. Cheapest, Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. A right-hander, he threw and batted right-handed. 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. 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. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. PSA 6. All told, Bench played in just 52 of Cincinnati's 108 games. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. The season was noted for the change in playoff format, which created the first-ever Divisional Series with a qualification variant that existed only for that season; and the players strike, which truncated the regular season. Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261. That just shows you what kind of effect being a Hall of Famer can have on baseball card prices. If you do the math on those 2,416 strikeouts he accumulated during his time with the Angels, that meant he averaged302 strikeouts per season, a mark many pitchers would be lucky to reach even once during their careers. 1. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . 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. Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. Jackson slumped out of the gates in 1981, prompting Steinbrenner to invoke a clause in his contract that forced him to undergo a full physical examination. It was the only time in his career where he batted .300, and he also led the league in home runs with 41 round-trippers. . Coming off a 1980 season in which he finished runner-up for the AL MVP award, New York Yankees right fielder Reggie Jackson looked to keep the momentum going in 1981. The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". Jackson green-lighted the eventual signing but expected Steinbrenner to offer him a new deal as well. 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. Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Many times, though, he'd fail to connect on those swings and would up earning himself a spot as the career leader in strikeouts with 2,597. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. 1981 Topps #347 Harold Baines Rookie Card. Baseball; Sets; 1981; Overview; 1981 Topps. Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, 17. The 1980 season turned out to be historic for George Brett as he won the only MVP of his legendary career and fell just short of batting .400 on the year with an eye-popping .390 average. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. And the difference lies on the reverse of the card, as one version will point collectors to see card #251 for more Rose highlights while the other will direct them to see card #371 for more. The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . Jackson's time in New York wasn't exactly smooth as he occasionally clashed with teammates, manager Billy Martin and owner George Steinbrenner, contributing to an environment that earned the team the nickname "The Bronx Zoo.". You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. 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. Baseball Cards. He won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. #7. An Enrique Romo Signed Baseball card that has been authenticated by a grading service is pretty hard to find. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. 10. I absolutely love this card as it captures Rickey about to do what he did best: steal a base. Things weren't all rosy for Smith, however, as his relationship with Padres owner Ray Kroc and his wife Joan became publicly sour. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. 6. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 1981 Topps Project 70 Card Wade Boggs by Efdot FOIL, 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, Tim Raines & Ramos Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, Rod Carew Autographed 1981 Topps Squirt Card, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Donruss Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable Joe Montana Cards Worth Thousands, 29 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List, 1. Part of the explanation is that Yount was quietly consistent and playing in small-market Milwaukee certainly didn't help. Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. 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. 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. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $120. And unlike Brett, Schmidt followed up his 1980 MVP campaign with another one during the 1981 season. These are the result of decades of collecting and dealing for many companies, dealers, and collectors across America. The 1977 AL Rookie of the Year, Eddie Murray made his cardboard debut in the 1978 Topps set, making his rookie card one of the most iconic of the 1970s. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. After the 1986 season, Dawson left Montreal as a free agent for the Chicago Cubs, where he would become their everyday right fielder on a much more knee-friendly grass field. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads about 1981 Topps Baseball Cards.When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brav. Given how consistently great Murray was for so many years, it just seems unimaginable that he didn't lead in one of those two categories at least one other time. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 4. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. The continued adoption of Sabermetrics no doubt helped push him across the finish line and into Cooperstown. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. One thing I always found a bit strange about Yount's career was that he was a two-time MVP but appeared in just three All-Star games, the lowest amount of any Hall of Famer since the game's inception. Read our methodology. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals would slam the door on any hopes that Jackson and the Yankees had for a World Series ring when they swept them in the 1980 ALCS. His .758 OPS marked the first time he'd dropped under .817 since 1968. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. 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!). While eligible for induction, Murphy peaked at 23% of the vote in 2000, falling well short of the 75% needed for entry. Premium: But, you'll remember that by 1982, Topps was no longer the only major company producing baseball cards as both Donruss and Fleer had joined the scene the year prior. . The problem was that the 33-year-old Bench simply wasn't healthy. Ken Griffey Jr. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Previous Article. 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 9. Murphy struggled a bit during the 1981 split season as his batting average fell to a paltry .247 and his slugging percentage plunged to .390 from .510 the year before. 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 two All-Star teams and even finished second in the Cy Young vote for the 1981 season. 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. The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. With ten Gold Gloves to show for it, Bench was a monster on defense with a rifle for an arm and an ability to throw out would-be base stealers with extreme precision. In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. Rookie Card (1982 Topps - Card #21), $700 (Photo: Amazon.com) Here is another player who enjoyed a long MLB career, spending it all with the Baltimore Orioles starting in 1981. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. Yes, the checklist is quite messy at times with the errors and variations. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 1981 Topps Kirk Gibson RC #315. . Raines showed the world that Rickey Henderson wasn't the only guy who could light up the basepaths as he led the Majors with 71 stolen bases while slashing .304/.391.438. Interestingly, Ryan's highest single-season strikeout total in nine years with the Houston Astros was only 270 in 1987, a year in which he also led the NL with a 2.76 ERA. 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Murray was one of the greatest first basemen to ever play the game but his cards seem to be a bit overlooked at times.