Average . 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Read our methodology. 1. He earned four varsity letters, two for college and two for the major leagues. 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. 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. He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # In 1981, the Boston Red Sox played 108 games during the regular season and won 59 of those games, losing 49. The 1990 American League Most Valuable Player, Henderson also was the lead-off hitter for two World Series championship teams, the 1989 Oakland Athletics and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. He won the American League MVP award with one of the best offensive seasons in league history, flirted with .400, and made his first World Series appearance. On September 26, 1981, Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan passed Sandy Koufax with a record fifth no-hitter on national television against Koufax's old team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. 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. In the tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Wilson stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third with his team trailing 5-4. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. Value: $300-325. Unfortunately, the strike-shortened season and growing tensions with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner got in the way. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded As a result, Topps created this monster 792-card checklist and loaded it with subsets to try and keep collector interestand collector eyeballsaway from Donruss and Fleer. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. Most Expensive Along with those of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg, the 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card is one of the most important and iconic baseball cards of the 1980's.. Sure, Gwynn was one of the greatest hitters who ever played with 8 batting titles to his name, but why are collectors willing to pay so much for this card . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Card Number: #595. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps On May 29th against the San Francisco Giants, Bench slid into second base, attempting to break up a double play but fractured his left ankle in the process. Yet, Bench's lousy injury luck was the real story. 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. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. The 1984 Topps Football set is THE landmark football card set of the 1980s. Had Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela's not been so dominant in 1981, dousing the baseball world in "Fernandomania," Seaver would have earned his fourth Cy Young as he finished runner-up. Ungraded & graded values for all '82 Topps Baseball Cards. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. Having earned the right to produce baseball cards in a court case with Topps, the 1981 Donruss set became the company's first baseball offering. 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. Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. . Bench was a complete catcher as he was dangerous with both the bat and glove and was a significant reason "The Big Red Machine" was so dominant throughout the 1970s. During his first year with the Angels, Jackson proved he still had plenty left in the tank and led the Majors with 39 home runs and finished sixth in the MVP vote. While Brett would undoubtedly be on this list anyway, this is an example of where a special season for a player can make his card stand out even more than it may have otherwise. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. #7. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. While George Brett lit up the AL in 1980, Mike Schmidt was doing the same in the NL and would take home his first of three career MVP Awards for his efforts. The 1982 season saw Henderson set a single-season best for stolen bases as he swiped a ridiculous 130 bases in total. 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. Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider the Rickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie.. And while its value pales in comparison to other big-name vintage rookies like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente, to . But rather than hanging them up after the season, Yastrzemski got to work. Read our methodology. 2022 Topps Heritage Baseball Most Valuable Cards and Checklist; These 10 GOATS . It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. Jackson found a groove in the team's ALDS victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .300 with a .933 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI. In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd return with New York holding a 2-1 advantage to try and help the team across the finish line. . This card is worth $45 but could go higher. Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, 17. The card from 1981 features three outstanding baseball players who were kings in their lanes. 1982 Donruss. $9.99. After a complete-game victory in Game 1, Ryan allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings in the deciding Game 5. Its one thing to have an expos future stars card signed by one of the 3 players, however, the value and rarity goes all the way up when you have the signatures of two players on one card. Premium: Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Murray appeared in his second All-Star Game that season and finished things off with a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote, one of six times he finished in the top five in his storied career. Over eighteen seasons in MLB, all with the Philadelphia Phillies, Schmidt won three MVPs, made twelve All-Star teams, won six Silver Sluggers, snagged ten Gold Gloves, and led the league in home runs eight times. Accolades aside, Schmidt felt his best accomplishment was in one of the few offensive categories in which he didn't pace the Majors: batting average. buy stuff after clicking links on our site An Enrique Romo Signed Baseball card that has been authenticated by a grading service is pretty hard to find. The course of Seaver's career would take a significant turn at the trading deadline in 1977, though, when he was involved in "the Midnight Massacre" that sent him to the Reds. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. He struggled in 1980 (by his terms) with a career-worst 3.64 ERA and a career-low ten wins. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. Grade: PSA 10. Murphy was often heralded as a five-tool superstar, but unfortunately, many felt his dominant play didn't last long enough to give him the type of resume worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. 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. 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. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. In 1981, the 6'5 monster recorded his second straight 1000-yard season and led all of football with 88 catches. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million By Zoe Sottile, . Its nice design and classic pose have helped make it one of the most recognizable cards in the hobby, not just from the 1980s. 1961 Topps Willie Mays All-Star (#579) Here is a case where card scarcity and an immortal of the game conspire to generate a value anomaly an All-Star card worth more than the base card of the same player. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. And unlike Brett, Schmidt followed up his 1980 MVP campaign with another one during the 1981 season. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the . Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! 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. Owchinko played baseball for Eastern Michigan University. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Fleer Baseball Cards. Brett's career batting average of .305 wasn't quite as good, but he did put up the better single-season effort when he batted. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 724 Lou Piniella. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. 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. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. While they both made their MLB debuts in 1961, Brock would retire after the 1979 season with 3,023 hits while Yaz would stick around until 1983 and finished with 3,419 hits. 3. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Fleer listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 721 Toby Harrah. Read our methodology. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Contact him at [emailprotected]. I absolutely love this card as it captures Rickey about to do what he did best: steal a base. Greatest Topps Baseball Cards of All-Time. During Dawson's first year with the Cubs in 1987, he would lead the league in home runs (49) and RBI (137) to win MVP honors, and the fans at Wrigley instantly fell in love with "the Hawk.". Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. 726 Rick Monday. For the longest time it seemed like Smith would not quite garner enough votes to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame. He was a two-sport star in baseball and basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so it wasn't too shocking that the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Utah Stars (ABA) and San Diego Padres (MLB) each drafted him. 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. 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. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Steven Thomas Avery is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. The current worth of this card is $195. His struggles didn't last long, though, and maybe it was seeing Mike Schmidt win back-to-back MVPs in 1980 and 1981 because, by the following year, Murphy's production skyrocketed as he'd go on to win back-to-back MVPs of his own in 1982 and 1983. On the field, Jackson had his worst offensive season since his sophomore campaign as he slashed a modest .237/.330/.428 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. At the time, two Major League Baseball clubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Toronto Blue Jays played in Canada, where . Reginald Martinez Jackson is a former American right fielder who spent the majority of his 21-year professional baseball career with the Kansas City and Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, and ended his career with a two-year stint for the California Angels. You love collecting baseball cards, right? He also had a flair for the big hit and helped Philadelphia to a 34-21 record in the first half to secure a playoff spot for the Phillies halfway through the season. In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. While it's not known for any iconic cards like some of the other sets of the era, the 1981 Donruss baseball card set is iconic itself for one reason: collectors now had an alternative choice to Topps for the first time in years. A right-hander, he threw and batted right-handed. Pate] #479. The card features Pete Rose. However, due to market conditions, values fluctuate. Over 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, Harold Baines appeared in six All-Star games, hit 384 home runs, tallied 1,628 RBI, and scored another 1,299 runs. 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. Wade Boggs is an American former baseball player who retired as a third baseman after 18 seasons of Major League Baseball. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,700. Price: $299.75 Grade: PSA 10. 8. No. Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. 204 Ron LeFlore / Rodney Scott Record Breaker - Expos. This Nolan Ryan card is another fantastic example of Topps capturing the style and vibe of the 1980s. It has been authenticated and graded a 10 by Beckett Authentication Services. Gary Carter, nicknamed Kid and The Kid, was a professional baseball player whose 19-year career in Major League Baseball was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. The NL Rookie of the Year Award was close, with Raines receiving 85 vote points to Valenzuela's 107, but the Expos and all of baseball knew that Raines was something special. He spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball the majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. 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. From there you can also add a Card to your collection or wishlist. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. Before Danny Ainge found success at the professional level in basketball as a player, coach and executive, he made his professional sports debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1979while he was still in college. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No.