Track your collection for free. By the time these Hall of Famers retired, Brett had three batting titles and Carew had an eye-popping seven. 10 Most Valuable 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor 1981 Topps. This card is worth $45 but could go higher. However, on December 9, 2018 he and Harold Baines were voted in by the Today's Game Era Committe. SportsCardsPro Index: 1982 Topps. 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. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 1981 Topps card list & price guide. Heres a rare rainbow foil card in mint condition by Risk Foil. Things weren't always rocky during Jackson's time in New York, though, as they did win back-to-back World Series titles in 1977 and 1978. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . And, if you look back at his stats for his rookie campaign in the 1982 season, there really was no reason he shouldn't have made the All-Star team that year, too. This is the rookie card for Bronco's QB great John Elway. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Hold on to it. There's a shot of the player in Celtics training gear, staring off-camera with his hands hidden behind the green border. In 665 at-bats for Toronto, Ainge batted .220, hit two home runs, scored 57 runs, drove in another 37 and stole 12 bases. The 1981 season stands out for Eddie Murray in a unique way: somehow, it was the only season where he managed to lead the American League in home runs (22) and RBI (78). Fans and media began to take note of his incredible defensive talent, giving him the nickname "The Wizard.". From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 season. At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. 1982 Donruss Baseball Cards - PSA Price Guide 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. But, I'm a big fan of this set regardless. Like his base card, his All-Star card is just as tough to find in PSA 10 condition and also carries a large price tag. 1961 Topps Baseball Cards - 16 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. Most Watched Baseball Cards. 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. Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. Now anchoring the back of the Brewers bullpen, Fingers won by a mere eleven points. 1. Even more impressive, his 1982 Topps issue wasn't his last card as he also made it into the 1983 Topps set. Most Expensive of All-Time. His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. 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. Rickey Henderson, an American retired professional baseball player who played his entire 24-year career in Major League Baseball, helped break the sports color barrier. 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. The nerve! 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. 1981 Pete Rose Baseball Card. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 10 Greatest Topps Baseball Cards To Buy Now In 2023 - Gold Card Auctions I know the game is played differently these days but even if it weren't, I'd be stunned if anyone in the future ever meets or bests his 130 stolen bases in a season. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards from the 1980s - Gold Card Auctions Roland Glen Fingers was an American right-handed relief pitcher who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. 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. 1981 Fleer Rickey Henderson #351, #574. Baseball Cards. 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. 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. Top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards - Thrillpack Cards To commemorate Brett's 1980 MVP Award, Donruss basically changed the borders from green to red on his base card and slapped the "MVP" logo at the bottom while removing the team name and position. Mickey Mantle card: The most expensive baseball card in history just On the right side were four rows of six . When graded gem mint 10 by PSA, the value has gone as high as $180,000. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. His .246 batting average and .355 slugging percentage were also career lows. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Read our methodology. However, what raised eyebrows was that the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 17th round of the NFL Draft despite having never played college football. For 15 seasons from 1982 to 1996, Smith was a key cog in the Cardinals lineup as he went on to win 11 more Gold Gloves and appear in 14 more All-Star Games. JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. 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. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. The previous record which he broke was 601 assists by a shortstop was done by Glenn Wright of the pirates. However, Schmidt led baseball in multiple offensive categories, including home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS+ (198), and total bases (228). The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. 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. This Nolan Ryan card is another fantastic example of Topps capturing the style and vibe of the 1980s. 202 Steve Carlton Record Breaker - Phillies. The Five Most Expensive Houston Astros Baseball Cards Value: $300-325. 2. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately, the strike-shortened season and growing tensions with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner got in the way. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. The record-breaking card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps. 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. Dale Murphy enjoyed a bit of a breakout year in 1980 as he hit 33 home runs, scored 98 runs, had 89 RBI and made his first of seven career All-Star teams. 10 Most Valuable 1980s Fleer Baseball Rookie Cards - Beckett News 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! 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. 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable Plus Bonus Listings! Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 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. Heres an amazing baseball card that in my opinion should be worth more than it currently is. At 41 years of age, it seemed time had finally caught up to Boston Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman Carl Yastrzemski in 1981. While the 1982 Topps baseball card set may not ever be known as the company's best-looking in terms of design, it did pack a lot of star power and two Hall of Fame rookie cards. 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. In 1981, Schmidt became the eighth player in MLB history to do just that. He struggled in 1980 (by his terms) with a career-worst 3.64 ERA and a career-low ten wins. Previous Article. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. 6 Rickey Henderson #180. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. 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.". Checklist Top. One of the most interesting things about Dave Winfield, and a sign of his incredible athletic ability, was that four professional teams across three different sports drafted him. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . 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. Cal Ripken Jr. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. In his seventh season in the Majors, Yount broke out in a big way in 1980 as he led the league in doubles (49) while scoring 121 runs, driving in 87 RBI, and hitting 23 home runs to earn his first trip to the All-Star Game. Brett was one of the finest hitters in baseball history, but I think what is most impressive was his longevity as a top hitter, having won a batting title in three different decades (1976, 1980, and 1990). 29 Surprisingly Cheap: 1985 Mark McGwire Topps. And that's when his career started to take off as he made his first of seven career All-Star Games during the 1980 season and would finish twelfth in the MVP vote. 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. 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. Star power: Robinson, a Hall of Famer, broke the MLB color barrier in 1947, becoming a social justice icon in the process. Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. This article breaks down the top 19 most valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, as well as how much each card is worth. Currently, this 1981 Topps card is worth $79. Smith felt more welcomed by the Cardinals ownership and management and settled in quite nicely to be one of the franchise's most beloved players in team history. . But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. In 1981, Donruss and Fleer gave Topps some much-needed competition. 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.". Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. Boston missed the playoffs by 1.5 games in the second-half AL East race. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: The 1981 American League MVP race came down to two men, Oakland Athletics left fielder Rickey Henderson and former As closer Rollie Fingers. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. 50 Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time | Stadium Talk At Eastern Michigan he had a 29-9 career win-loss record with a 2.15 ERA. In total, Henderson led the league in stolen bases . Later, his stretch from 1982 to 1987 was one of the most dominant in Major League Baseball as he was twice voted MVP, made six-straight All-Star teams while winning five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers. Most valuable baseball cards of the 1980s PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Estimated PSA 9 Value: $1,800. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto.