It has been authenticated and graded a 10 by Beckett Authentication Services. Reggie Jackson was one of the game's greatest power hitters and was known for taking huge rips at the ball on his way to racking up 563 career home runs. 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. 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. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. The Boston Celtics drafted Ainge in the 1981 NBA Draft and bought his contract from the Blue Jays and the rest was history. The 1961 Topps All-Star Mays falls in line with the others in the semi-high-number subset. Baines also won a Silver Slugger in 1989 and led the American League in slugging percentage (.541) in 1984. Total Cards: 726. 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. Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). 207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker - Padres. 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. In 196 plate appearances (178 at-bats), he slashed .309/.369/.489 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. Several of the game's biggest stars of the day appeared on two cards in this set, but I think Pete Rose was one of only two guys, along with Reggie Jackson, who appeared on three. Rose hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI and a run scored in the losing effort. In 390 plate appearances (338 at-bats), Yastrzemski posted a .246/.338/.355 slash line with a career-low seven home runs and 53 RBI. Average ungraded base card value (excludes parallels) for 1981 Topps Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. 1982 Donruss. 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. #10. This Nolan Ryan card is another fantastic example of Topps capturing the style and vibe of the 1980s. 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 a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. 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. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Tim Raines first became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2008 but wasn't elected until 2017 when he received a convincing 86% of the vote. 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. 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. Because of his career accomplishments and his overpowering style, Ryan remains one of the game's most popular players to ever play and you'll see his name in just about every set's log of key cards. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Grade: PSA 10. Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10. He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. Rod Carew Autographed 1981 Topps Squirt Card, 19. In his first full season in the big leagues in 1981, Tim Haines batted .304 with 71 stolen bases in a strike-shortened seasonmaking an instant impression on fans with his ability to make players look foolish on the base paths. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Ultimately, the Padres and Cardinals would complete a multi-player trade before the 1982 season that sent Templeton to San Diego and Smith to St. Louis, where he would play the next fifteen years and become a Cardinals icon. Fans and media began to take note of his incredible defensive talent, giving him the nickname "The Wizard.". 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 . (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! List; Gallery; Gallery - 6 Cards per Page; Gallery - 8 Cards per Page; Gallery - 9 Cards per Page; An Enrique Romo Signed Baseball card that has been authenticated by a grading service is pretty hard to find. However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Pate] #479. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Here is a quick rundown of those most valuable 1982 Topps baseball cards, based on recent sales for copies graded PSA 9 and presented in numerical order. 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. As their everyday first baseman, that put Rose on the opposite corner of the field as Phillies icon Mike Schmidt at third. 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. Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 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. Boggs reached 3,000 hits during his career and became the 23rd player to do so. 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. The 2-time MVP, 19-time All-Star and record holder for most consecutive games played easily goes down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shortstops to play the game. #7. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 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. 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. In the process, Schmidt led the league and set career highs in home runs (48), RBI (121) and total bases (342). 723 Bruce Bochte. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. Ken Griffey Jr. Houston went just 28-29 in the first half but won the NL West's second half at 33-20. 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. He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. George Riley Autographed 1981 Topps Rookie Card, 14. 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.". Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. The record-breaking card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps. 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. 1981 Topps Gary Carter Autograph Card, 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World, 19 Most Valuable 1976 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Most Valuable 1988 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Rarest and Most Valuable Quarters Worth Money, 24 Rarest and Most Valuable State Quarters Worth Money, 25 Rare 50 Dollar Bills: Value And Price Chart, 26 Rarest And Most Valuable Pennies Worth Money, 15 Rarest and Most Valuable Sacagawea Coins Worth Money, Rarest and Most Valuable Charizard Pokemon Cards, 29 Most Valuable Shaq Rookie Cards Ever Sold, 29 Most Valuable Frank Thomas Cards Youd Find On eBay, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Topps Baseball Cards, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Leaf Baseball Cards in the World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Cards Worth Money, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Skybox Basketball Cards For Collectors. Read our methodology. There's no questioning the significance of 1980 Topps baseball cards in hobby history. 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. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Set Links - Overview - Checklist - Teams - Errors / Variations - Hall of Famers - Rookies . Premium: It was featured by the Boston Celtics in the 2 times NBA championship (1984 and 1986), NBA champion 2008 executive, NBA executive of the year 2008 is also a serial numbered card. The nerve! At 41 years of age, it seemed time had finally caught up to Boston Red Sox designated hitter/first baseman Carl Yastrzemski in 1981. His standard base card (#574) is first and the card honoring his breaking of Ty Cobb's American League stolen base record (#351) follows. He was even the first player to collect 100 hits from both sides of the plate. 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). Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Getting hands on a card like this is pretty difficult. If you look closely, though, you'll notice the images are just slightly different as you can see two of his teammates in the background on his MVP card versus one (plus the arm of another) on his base card. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. - http://bit.ly/W. Like the 1981 Fleer and Topps sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. 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. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. We don't know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Unfortunately, they failed to make the playoffs during his first year in Philadelphia, but things changed for the better as the Phillies outlasted George Brett and the Kansas City Royals in six games to win the 1980 World Series. 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). Read our methodology. Known as the Man of Steal, he is widely considered to have been baseballs greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner. Roberto Ramos in the middle who was an amazing catcher during his prime and the beloved Bobby Pate who commanded respect in the outfield. This card is worth $45 but could go higher. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. Raw: $20 PSA 9: $100 PSA 10: $900 One of the most popular players of his era, Vladimir Guerrero was the No. In 379 plate appearances (347 at-bats), Brett slashed .314/.364/.484 with 24 home runs and 118 RBI to make his sixth-straight All-Star Game and finish 27th in the AL MVP race. 1. While this set may be slightly overlooked in the history of the hobby, it still delivers a great checklist. Schmidt was, arguably, the game's best player for the second-straight season. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. One of the most beloved New York Mets in franchise history, Mookie Wilson finished seventh in the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year race and went on to a very successful career until he retired in 1991. In the teams first game back following the players strike, the 40-year-old recorded hit number 3,631, passing Stan Musial as the National Leagues all-time hits leader. 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. | Compare vs. But he is more famous for the accusations of gambling that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the sport in 1989. 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. And they didn't know it at the time, but they also missed out on producing big-name rookie cards for Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines, and Kirk Gibson. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. It was also the first Topps set to feature a monster 792-card checklist. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. The 1984 Topps Football set is THE landmark football card set of the 1980s. 3. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . 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. Previous Article. 1981 Topps Traded Expos Tim Raines Card, 4. Rookie Cards. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. Right around that same time, the relationship between the St. Louis Cardinals and their shortstop, Garry Templeton, wasn't going well either. You love collecting baseball cards, right? He is the younger brother of Vicente Romo, who also pitched in the majors. His .758 OPS marked the first time he'd dropped under .817 since 1968. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. Reggie Jackson played five seasons as a member of the New York Yankees from 1977 to 1981, and the 1980 season turned out to be his best in pinstripes. Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $2,000. For a guy who had his rookie card debut in the 1960 Topps set, it's impressive that Yaz played long enough to be featured in this set as well. 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs. Checklist Top. $12.95. And none of his Rookie Cards is bigger than . Value: $300-325. 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.