MY DALE MURPHY COLLECTION

Looking for any Murphy items NOT listed below!

Where Were You In '74?

Dale Bryan Murphy, born on March 12, 1956, in Portland, Oregon, quickly blossomed into a baseball prodigy throughout the 60's and 70's.

Drafted 5th overall in the '74 draft by the Braves, he honed his trade for several years playing for Braves farm teams in Kingsport, Tennessee...Greenwood, South Carolina...Savannah, Georgia...and Richmond, Virginia.

Enlisting in the Army in December of '73, I spent the cold, winter months of January, February, and March of '74, far from home at Fort Jackson, South Carolina...preparing for the possibility of going overseas to Vietnam. Years later, in 1978, Dale finally got called up to the big show - and the rest is Braves legend.

He was one of baseball’s top players during the 1980s, and probably the single greatest reason why my mom became a Braves fanatic. Well into her 50's, she settled into her favorite chair one rainy afternoon in the late 70's, and while working on a puzzle, got sucked into the TBS universe that was Atlanta Braves baseball. As the years passed, my folks would also travel to Jackson to watch their Mets farm club, but it was their trips to Atlanta they loved the most...and Mama absolutely LOVED Dale Murphy.

Not long before she passed in 2002, Teri and I took her to Atlanta one final time - a place she loved, even after the old field had been updated. Dale Murphy was long gone from Atlanta by then...as was the domination of pitching staff Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz...but she still loved her team...and passed that fever on to me.

Known as perhaps the nicest guy in baseball, the two-time National League MVP remains one of the most beloved figures in Braves history. Murphy ranked second in home runs and third in RBIs among all MLB players during the 1980s. He earned seven All-Star selections, captured five Gold Glove Awards and won consecutive MVP Awards in 1982 and ’83.

Here's a look at the top 10 moments of his career:

1. First MVP
Braves fans old enough to have experienced the 1982 season likely have fond memories of turning on TBS on a nightly basis to see Atlanta make an unexpected run toward a National League West title. A club that had struggled throughout the late 1970s was now catching the attention of the nation via the power of cable. Murphy became the star attraction, as he belted 36 homers and collected an NL-best 109 RBIs. His success for the division champs earned him the first of two consecutive NL MVP Awards.

2. Second MVP
Murphy was even better in 1983, as he hit 36 homers, for the second straight year, and led the NL in both RBIs (121) and OPS (.933). The Braves fell short in their bid to repeat as division champions. But Murphy won a second straight MVP Award. He remains the only player in Braves history to win multiple MVP Awards.

3. The streak
Murphy’s march toward his first MVP Award began as the Braves won their first 13 games of the 1982 season. The talented outfielder belted four homers and produced a 1.017 OPS within this span that electrified Atlanta. His third homer of the season was a two-run homer off Nolan Ryan that propelled the Braves to a 5-0 win over the Astros on April 11.

4. Three-homer game
Murphy provided a glimpse of his great potential when he tallied a career-best three home runs during a 6-4 win over the Giants on May 18, 1979, in Atlanta. Murphy homered twice off Vida Blue within the first three innings and then added another off Tom Griffin in the seventh. The former catcher produced this memorable day before moving to the outfield. He joins Bob Tillman (1969) and Gene Oliver (1966) as the only Braves players to have a three-homer game as a catcher.

5. Five-hit game
Another indication of future success was witnessed when Murphy produced a career-best five hits, including two home runs and a triple, in a 10-7 win over the Padres on Sept. 14, 1979. Murphy homered in the second inning, tallied a go-ahead triple in the seventh and then provided cushion by hitting back-to-back homers with Bob Horner in the ninth.

6. 300th homer
Whether you blame the 1981 players’ strike or the defensive struggles that delayed Murphy’s attempt to stick at the Major League level, it doesn’t seem right that he ended his career with 398 homers. Would 400 home runs have earned him election to the Hall of Fame? Maybe not. But there was a point where it looked like he might reach the 500-homer milestone. He hit his 300th homer against the Pirates’ Brian Fisher on Aug. 21, 1987. He was just 31 years old and within a six-season stretch during which he averaged 36 homers per season. But chronic knee issues took a toll as the slugger’s production significantly declined over the next few years.

7. 44th homer
Murphy capped his last great season by hitting his career-high 44th homer during a 5-4 loss in San Francisco on Oct. 4, 1987. His sixth-inning solo shot off Atlee Hammaker left him five homers shy of Andre Dawson’s NL-leading total (49). Murphy led the NL in homers during the 1984 (36) and 1985 (37) seasons.

8. MLB debut
Murphy was the fifth overall selection in the 1974 MLB Draft and he made his MLB debut as a 20-year-old catcher on Sept. 13, 1976. He recorded a pair of singles that day at Dodger Stadium. He played just 18 games for Atlanta in 1977 and then transitioned to first base, where more throwing issues led to him becoming an outfielder in 1980. The move proved quite beneficial as he won five straight Gold Glove Awards from 1982-86.

9. All-Star Game
Coming off consecutive MVP seasons, Murphy drew plenty of attention leading up to the 1984 All-Star Game at Candlestick Park. He didn’t disappoint as he helped the National League claim a 3-1 win courtesy of his run-scoring single in the first and solo homer in the eighth.

10. Dale Murphy Night
When Murphy arrived at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on June 4, 1991, it marked the first time he played at his former home park since being traded to the Phillies in 1990. The Braves staged a 30-minute pregame ceremony, which Murphy shared with family, friends, former teammates and dignitaries like former Georgia Gov. Zell Miller. Murphy shed a few tears when it came time for him to say thanks to the fans who had supported him during his 15-season stint with the Braves.

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TOPPS:

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# 442 (Dave Bristol Braves Team Checklist)

This card features Manager Dave Bristol at the bottom in a pennant-shaped portrait, but it's the team portrait in the background that captures my attention - YES, it's a crappy portrait...hardly on par with more modern photography...a bit blurry...but among those somewhat out-of-focus smiling faces is Dale!

# 476 (Rookie Catchers W/ Gary Alexander/Giants - Rick Cerone/Indians - Kevin Pasley/Dodgers)

ALUMINUM ROOKIE CARD:

# 476 - Numbered 0689

As part of a 1984 fundraiser for the Huntington's Disease Foundation, Dale Murphy's 1977 Topps rookie card was reprinted onto a solid aluminum ingot. The price was $10, and each "card" was serial-numbered on the back. Although the production run was never fully revealed, cards with serial-numbers in the 5000s are known to exist.

1 9 7 8

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1978 COCA-COLA / WPLO ATLANTA BRAVES RADIO CARDS:

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The '78 Coca‑Cola / WPLO Atlanta Braves baseball cards were a 14‑card set produced for the Atlanta Braves baseball team, sponsored by Coca‑Cola and Atlanta's WPLO radio station.

They were part of a local radio promotion and are considered a vintage Braves collectible.

SET DETAILS:

Size: 3" × 4¼"
Fronts: White with black‑and‑white player head photos, name, and sponsor logos below
Backs: White with player name, position, biography, career stats, and team/sponsor logos

# NNO

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TOPPS:

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# 551 (Braves Team Photo/Checklist)

# 708 (Rookie Catchers w/ Bo Diaz/Red Sox - Lance Parrish/Tigers - Ernie Witt/Blue Jays)

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TOPPS:

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# 39

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Topps:

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# 274

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DONRUSS:

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# 437 (First Edition Collector Series)

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FLEER:

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# 243

# 243 - AUTOGRAPHED

It's not his rookie card, and not some foil-covered, prismatic piece of cardboard that shines in the light...but it's probably my favorite Dale Murphy card (or ANY card I possess). Let me explain...

There were 3 things my Mama loved to watch on TBS: Braves baseball, Braves baseball, and Braves baseball...

While visiting Atlanta in late '82, she sweet-talked her way through a line of fans and was overjoyed when Dale (who she forever-after referred to as "such a nice young man!"), not only signed this card but made small talk with her and other fans on a warm summer's evening. Already a diehard fan, thanks to the TBS Superstation that made the Braves the first "America's Team", she made it a point to never miss a televised game...or to visit Atlanta when she could. I was so very proud when she passed this one on to me.

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FLEER - STICKER CARDS:

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# 119 (Star Stickers)

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TOPPS:

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# 504

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TOPPS - SCRATCH OFFS:

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# 72 (3-card panel with Vida Blue/Giants - Larry Parrish/Expos)

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TOPPS - STICKERS:

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# 146 [Mini Sticker]

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DONRUSS:

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# 299

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FLEER:

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# 443

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PERMAGRAPHIC - ALL-STARS CREDIT CARD:

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GOLD # 14 OF 18 - 1200 Sets Produced

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TOPPS:

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# 668

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TOPPS - O-PEE-CHEE STICKERS:

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# 19 (Mini Sticker)

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1983 BRAVES SCHEDULES:

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LOVE THESE GIVEAWAY SCHEDULES FROM THE ATLANTA AREA!

Listing all of these vintage pocket schedules here - all are unfolded and in pristine condition. and all feature Dale swinging away at some pitcher's offering.

- Colony Square Hotel

- Goody's Tablets

- Gulf Gas Stations

- Red Man Chewing Tobacco

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DONRUSS:

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# 12 [Diamond King]
# 47

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FLEER:

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# 142

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KELLOGG'S CEREAL (1983 Visual Panographics):

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3-D SUPER STARS # 52 of 60

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O-PEE-CHEE:

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# 23

Terrible creases in this old card - REPLACE it when opportunity comes along!

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PERMA-GRAPHICS CREDIT CARDS:

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Perma-Graphic credit cards were a short-lived but notable collaboration between Perma-Graphics Company of Maryland Heights, Missouri and Topps in the early 1980s.

They were produced from 1981 to 1983 and were designed to look and feel like actual credit cards, made on hard plastic stock with a signature strip on the back Baseball Cards+1. While they had the size, shape, and feel of a credit card, they were not functional payment cards — they were collectible trading cards.

Concept and Design: The idea came at a time when credit cards were becoming ubiquitous, and Perma-Graphics wanted to tap into that trend. The cards featured color photos of major league baseball players with visible team logos and uniforms. They were part of a “Super Star” series, with some issues labeled as “Credit Cards” to emphasize their card-like appearance.

1983 ALL STARS - GOLD # 12 of 18

1983 SUPER STAR # 9 of 36

GOLD PARALLEL # 9 of 36

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TOPPS:

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# 401 (All-Star)
# 502 (Braves Team Leaders w/ Phil Niekro)
# 703 (RBI Leaders with Hal McRae//Orioles - Al Oliver//Expos)
# 760

GLOSSY SEND INs:

# 16 of 40 ('83 All Star Set Collector's Edition)

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TOPPS/O-PEE-CHEE STICKERS:

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# 160

# 206 (w/All Oliver - Expos)

FOIL MINI # 211

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1984 BRAVES POCKET SCHEDULES:

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No image of Dale on this schedule - just the big, red & yellow Tomahawk that chopped away at the stadium air day & night!

- KROGER FOOD STORES

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BASEBALL DIGEST:

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The March 1984 issue featuring Dale on the cover, with "Will He Win a 3rd Straight MVP Award?"

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BASEBALL PREVIEW MAGAZINE:

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Murphy Cover & Article

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DONRUSS:

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# 66

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DONRUSS - ACTION ALL STARS:

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# 40 (Jumbo)

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DONRUSS CHAMPIONS:

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1984 Donruss Champions is a 60-card oversized set. Similar to the Action All-Stars of the era, each card measures

3 1/2" X 5" - the theme of this set features a Grand Champion and those current players that are directly behind him in a

baseball statistical category...

# 49 (Frank Robinson behind)

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DRAKES:

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# 22 OF 33 - 4th Anniversary Collector's Edition (Big Hitters)

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FLEER:

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# 186

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FLEER - STICKERS:

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# 32 (Mini-Star Stickers)

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O PEE CHEE:

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O-Pee-Chee is a 396-card set produced and distributed for the Canadian market. As with most OPC sets of the era, this set is an abridged version of the Topps release - OPC features the same design and photos as Topps but differs by having the Topps logo replaced by an O-Pee-Chee one and backs featuring English and French text. Since OPC was printed months after its Topps counterpart, players who had changed teams in the offseason are notated.

# 150

# 391 (All-Star)

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RALSTON PURINA:

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1984 Ralston Purina is a 33-card set produced by Topps for the breakfast cereal maker. The front of each card states that it is "The First Annual Collectors Edition of Baseball Cards;" however, Purina would not make another card set until 1987.

There are two different versions of this set, each with the same design and checklist. The "Ralston Purina" set has the familiar "checkerboard" logo on both sides of the card; while the "Cereal Series" does not and has "CEREAL SERIES" printed on top of the card. - It's believed that Ralston Purina cards were inserted into MARKED boxes of various Purina cereals, while the Cereal Series cards were in UNMARKED cereal boxes. In both cases, each cereal box had a cello-wrapped pack of three cards plus a checklist -- the back of which had a form where collectors could buy an additional 12 cards for $1.50.

# 12 OF 33 - 1st Annual Collector's Edition

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7-11 SUPER STAR SPORTS COIN:

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Some call them 7-11 Slurpee Coins - some call them Slurpee discs. Either way they were...and still are...pretty awesome.

The 1.75” discs featured some of baseball’s biggest names and were used as a promotional item over the course of eight

different seasons from 1983 - 2000.

They debuted in 1983 with a small 12-coin set which contained six Dodgers and six Angels and were distributed in the greater

Los Angeles Area - each coin had two player images, and the image displayed changed depending on the angle you tilted the

coin - In 1984, three regional releases of 24 players were issued - the first six discs of each set were the same, but the next 18 players in each set were more closely tied to the teams from the “East”, “Central”, or “West” regions the discs were issued in. 60 different players were used on the discs, and each MLB team had at least one player represented.

# 111 (3) of XXIV - EAST REGION (H)

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TOPPS:

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# 126 (Braves Team Leaders w/ Craig McMurtry)
# 133 (RBI Leaders with Cecil Cooper//Brewers--Jim Rice//Red Sox)
# 150
# 391 (All-Star)

AUTOGRAPHED # 150

(This was sent to me by my good friend up in Dedham, Maine, Mark Nickerson, a fellow Murphy fan - Mark had been holding onto this personally autographed gem for quite some time...in the hopes that Dale would finally be enshrined in Cooperstown...just like me...and will always be a treasure.)

GLOSSY ALL STARS:

# 19 of 22

GLOSSY ALL STAR SEND-INS:

# 31 of 40

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TOPPS - MILTON BRADLEY:

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Topps Championship Baseball - NL Super Star

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TOPPS/O-PEE-CHEE STICKERS:

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# 27 [Mini-Stickers]
# 180 (Foil Mini)

# 199 (Murphy) // # 290 - Dan Quisenberry - Royals

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DONRUSS:

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# 66

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DONRUSS - ACTION ALL-STARS JUMBO:

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1985 Donruss Action All-Stars is a 60-card oversized set. Each card measures 3 1/2" X 5" and each five-card pack contains three pieces of the same Lou Gehrig puzzle that was inserted into '85 packs.

# 25

DONRUSS - HIGHLIGHTS:

Donruss Highlights is a 56-card boxed set released in November 1985. Highlights was Donruss's first attempt at a post-season update set. Rather than focus on rookies and traded players, Highlights paid tribute to the players and pitchers of the month for each league as well as the notable achievements of the 1985 season. The design is identical to the 1985 Donruss set, with exception of yellow stripes running along the borders of each card, and a glossy coating applied to the front. The set came packaged in an attractive red box that resembles a deck of playing cards. All 56 cards were shrink-wrapped and came packaged with a 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" Lou Gehrig puzzle.

# 5 (Player of the Month)

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DONRUSS - POP-UPS:

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1985 All-Star Game Commemorative Pop-Up

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FLEER:

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# 335

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FLEER - LIMITED EDITION:

1985 Fleer Limited Edition is a 44-card boxed set that was distributed exclusively to McCrory's variety stores.

This was Fleer's first foray into boxed sets.

# 22 of 44

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FLEER - STAR STICKERS:

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Fleer Star Stickers is a 126-sticker set. As with the Topps Sticker set, each sticker is meant to be affixed inside a custom album (sold separately). Each sticker measures 1 15/16" X 2 1/2".

# 18
# 33

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LEAF:

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Leaf is a 264-card set produced by Donruss for the Canadian market. Similar to the O-Pee-Chee sets of the era, Leaf was a Canadian version of the current year's Donruss flagship, but with a smaller set size. Also, like OPC, all cards are in both English and French. 1985 would be the first of a three-year run for Leaf.

# 222 (Canadian Parallel of DR # 66)

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TOPPS:

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# 320
# 716 [All-Star]

GLOSSY ALL-STARS:

# 7 of 22

GLOSSY SEND-INS:

# 1 of 40

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TOPPS - DRAKES BAKERIES:

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'85 Drake's is a 44-card set produced by Topps and distributed in packages of Drake's snack cakes.

This was the fifth year Topps and Drake's produced their "Big Hitters" set, but in a twist, for the first time included 11 "Super Pitchers." The fronts have a unique design, but the backs are nearly identical to the 1985 Topps Baseball flagship -- albeit with a red background.

BIG HITTERS # 20 - 5th Annual Collector's Edition

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TOPPS - RUB DOWNS:

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Topps Rub Downs is a 32-sheet set featuring 112 different players. The images on each sheet could be transferred (permanently) onto another surface by rubbing the opposite side with a coin. Each sheet featured three or four players, and measured 2 3/8" X 3 15/16".

# 30 with Dave Winnfield/Yankees - Jeff Leonard/Giants - Gary Matthews/Cubs

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TOPPS - STICKERS:

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# 22

# 96 (Panel of 4 with # 172 - Bruce Sutter/Cardinals, # 194 Tony Armas/Red Sox, # 282 Tim Raines/Expos

# 177 (Foil)

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TOPPS 3-D:

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Topps 3-D is a 30-card set. Each card is a rounded-plastic form with the player's picture raised above the surface to appear three-dimensional. The backs are blank except for two peel off adhesive strips. Needless to say, these cards are very-very difficult to store, and it is not recommended that they be displayed in an album.

Each card measures 4 1/4" X 5 7/8" and has rounded corners.

# 3 of 30 - (Over-sized card)

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BURGER KING - ALL PRO SERIES:

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# 11 of 20

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DONRUSS:

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# 66

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DONRUSS - ALL-STARS:

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# 4 [Jumbo]

POP-UPS:

1986 All Star Game Commemorative Pop-Up # 10 of 18

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DONRUSS - HIGHLIGHTS:

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# 41 [NL Player of the Month]

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DRAKE'S BAKERIES:

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Drake's is a 37-card set. Unlike in previous years, Topps was not involved in the production of the Drake's set. Also, the cards were printed on the outside of specially marked packages of Drake's snack cakes. Depending on the product, each box had a panel containing anywhere from two to four cards, requiring the collector to cut the panels up if they wanted the "cards."

6TH ANNUAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION:

BIG HITTERS # 12 of 37

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FLEER:

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# 522

# 635 (Super Star Special: Braves Dynamic Duo with Bob Horner)
# 640 (Superstar Special: NL West Sluggers w/Steve Garvey/Dodgers & Dave Parker/Reds)

WAX BOX CARD PANEL:

Four "cards" from this eight "card" set were printed on the bottom of each wax and cello box. Cards #C1-#C4 are one half the boxes, #C5-#C8 are on the other half.

# C1 - Royals Logo

# C2 - George Brett - Royals

# C3 - Ozzie Guillen - White Sox

# C4 - Dale Murphy - Braves

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FLEER - LEAGUE LEADERS:

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Exclusively distributed by Walgreen's drug stores.

# 27 of 44

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FLEER - LIMITED EDITION:

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# 31 of 44

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FLEER - MINI:

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Officially known as the "Classic Miniatures," each card measures 1 13/16" X 2 9/16" and was offered exclusively through Hobby outlets.

# 105

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FLEER - SLUGGERS VS. PITCHERS:

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Sluggers vs. Pitchers is a 44-card boxed set that was distributed exclusively to various five-and-dime retailers. Also referred to as "Baseball's Best," the set features 22 hitters and 22 pitchers.

Baseball's Best Sluggers # 24 of 44

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FLEER - STAR STICKERS:

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Unlike in previous years, Fleer did not produce an album. Also, Fleer made the stickers the same 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" size as their cards.

# 80
# 132 [Star Stickers Checklist with Dwight Gooden]

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LEAF:

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# 60

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O-PEE-CHEE:

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# 197

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SPORTFLICS:

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In 1986, Major League Marketing became the fourth fully licensed card producer.

In March, they released their debut trading card set: Sportflics.

Developed by Optigraphics of Arlington, Texas, the cards used a state-of-the-art printing process called "lenticular printing".

They were referred to as a "Triple Action Magic Motion®" card. Each card changes its picture three times. One headshot and two action shots of one sequence given the effect of the player either hitting or pitching. Optigraphics trademarked the idea on March 22nd, 1976. Sportflics was trademarked on December 15th, 1985. Optigraphics was owned by Ann Blake, who later produced Score cards in 1988, and eventually start Playoff, Inc.

The front design (intentional or not) is very similar to the '53 Bowman set - The back of the cards when applicable gave a relatively extended overview bio of the player along with their basic raw statistics for their career. The back of the card is also noteworthy because it lists the player's uniform number. A first in baseball card information.

Intended as innovation - it appeared to be gimmicky. Amurol Products president A.G. Atwater, the company responsible for distribution, said "Sportflics are official baseball cards, but they have much greater dimension that other cards."

Nevertheless, The Hobby, in general, couldn't see past that the cards were reminiscent of the Kellogg's 3-D cards (1970 - 1983) and the 1984 Seven-Eleven Coin set.

The unintended innovation came in its packaging. This was the first time that a tamper proof foil wrapper was used.

SPORTFLICS SAMPLE:

# 1 - TRI-STARS w/Mike Schmidt & Jim Rice

A three-card pack was distributed freely by Optigraphics salesmen to potential buyers to show them what the new Sportflics card set would look like. The set is sometimes referred to as the Vendor Sample Kit. Some of these packs even found their way to the retail counters. They are not rare although they are obviously much less common than the regular issue of Sportflics. The cards show statistics only up through 1984. The copyright date on the card backs shows 1986.

# 62 - TRI-STARS w/Keith Hernandez/Mets - Mike Schmidt/Phillies

# 179 - (THE BIG SIX: 1985 Gold Glovers with:

George Brett/Royals - Ron Guidry/Yankees - Keith Hernandez/Mets - Don Mattingly/Yankees - Willie McGee/Reds

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SPORTFLICS - DECADE GREATS:

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This set features, in Sportflics' opinion, the best players from each decade from the 1930s to the present day.

The set was sold exclusively as a factory set via mail order and Hobby outlets.

# 67 [Best of the 80's]

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TOPPS:

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Topps # 456 (Braves Team Leaders)
Topps # 600
Topps # 705 (All-Star)

BOX BOTTOM # M:

For the first time, Topps printed "cards" on the bottoms of each wax boxes. There are four different box panels measuring 5" X 7", each with four cards. These "cards" have the same design as '86 Topps cards, but with red borders.

The panels were meant to be cut-up into four individual cards - which I gladly did!

GLOSSY ALL-STARS:

# 18 of 22

GLOSSY SEND-INS:

# 37 of 60

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TOPPS - 3-D JUMBO:

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# 16

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TOPPS - MINI LEADERS:

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# 37

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TOPPS - QUAKER OATS CHEWY GRANOLA BARS:

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1ST ANNUAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION # 8 of 33

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TOPPS - STICKERS:

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# 35
# 145 [with Vince Coleman # 306]
# 149 - (FOIL)

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TRUE VALUE STORES:

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SUPER STARS # 10 of 30

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BOARDWALK & BASEBALL (Topps):

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Topps Boardwalk & Baseball is a 33-card boxed set available only at the then recently opened Boardwalk & Baseball theme park in Haines City, Florida - a short-lived theme park that purported to cater to the baseball crowd, especially fans of the Kansas City Royals, who moved their Spring Training activities to a new ballpark adjacent to the theme park. The concept never really flew, but that didn’t stop Topps from making a special boxed set to be sold at B & B.

The set's theme is that of the "Top Run Makers" and features that top 33 players in a pre-Sabermetric statistic called "Runs Produced Average." As a result, there are no pitchers in the set.

Some early sets were produced without the slash in the "B/B" logo on the card's front.

OFFICIAL COLLECTOR'S SET # 3 of 33

CLASSIC:

Classic is a 100-card set that was distributed as part of a trivia board game. The card backs contain several trivia questions (and answers) which are used to play the game. The games/sets were produced by Game Time, Ltd. of Alabama and were available in toy stores as well as from card dealers.

According to the producers of this game, only 75,000 sets were distributed.

# 37

CLASSIC TRAVEL - UPDATE:

# 106 (Yellow)

DONRUSS:

# 3 (Diamond Kings)
# 78

BOX BOTTOM # PC 10

DONRUSS - ALL STARS:

All-Stars is an oversized set. This would be the final year the All-Stars would be produced in the 3 1/2" X 5" format.
# 14 of 60 (1986 All-Star Game Jumbo)

DRAKE'S BAKERIES:

7TH ANNUAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION - BIG HITTERS # 13 of 33

FLEER:

# 522

# 522 - GLOSSY Parallel

BOX BOTTOM # C-8

FLEER - AWARD WINNERS:

26 of 44 - (Sports Writer's Fielding Award)

FLEER - BASEBALL ALL-STARS:

Baseball All-Stars is a 44-card boxed set distributed exclusively at Ben Franklin stores.

# 29 of 44

FLEER - GAME WINNERS:

Game Winners is a 44-card boxed set distributed at various "five-and-dime" retail outlets.

BASEBALL'S GAME WINNERS # 30 of 44

FLEER - HOTTEST STARS:

Hottest Stars is a 44-card boxed set exclusively distributed to Revco stores.

# 28 of 44

FLEER - LIMITED EDITION (McCrory's):

Limited is a 44-card boxed set distributed exclusively at McCrory's stores.

# 30 of 44

FLEER - MINI:

Fleer Mini is a 120-card boxed set that partially-parallels the '87 Fleer set. Officially known as the "Classic Miniatures," each card measures 1 13/16" X 2 9/16" and was offered exclusively through Hobby outlets.

# 74

FLEER - RECORD SETTERS (Eckerd Drugs):

Record Setters is a 44-card boxed set exclusively distributed to Eckerd drug stores. Exactly what record(s) were being commemorated is not mentioned on the card.

# 23 of 44

FLEER - SLUGGERS VS. PITCHERS:

Baseball's Best Sluggers vs. Pitchers is a 44-card boxed set distributed at various "five-and-dime" retail stores.

BASEBALL'S BEST SLIGGERS # 28 of 44

FLEER - STAR STICKERS:

Star Stickers is a 132-sticker set. As with the 1986 product, each sticker measures 2 1/2" X 3 1/2" and resembles a traditional trading card more than the Topps Stickers do.

# 83

HOSTESS MINI:

SUPERSTAR SERIES # 7 of 30

1987 INDIANA BLUE SOX - BRODER TYPE:

This 60-card unlicensed baseball card set put out by Indiana Blue Sox Inc. does not have a border, has rounded corners and the player's name on the front. The back says, "Indiana Blue Sox" and includes the player, team, and card numbering out of 60.

# 19 of 60

JIFFY POP:

2ND ANNUAL COLLECTOR'S SERIES - Disc # 2 of 20

KAYBEE TOYS (Topps):

Kay-Bee Superstars of Baseball is a 33-card boxed set produced by Topps for the toy store chain.

SUPERSTARS OF BASEBALL # 21 of 33

K-MART (Topps):

25TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION # 29 of 33

LEAF:

# 141 (Parallel to Donruss # 78)

MARS M & M: (Strange but True!)

At a time when Topps dominated the card market, 1987 marked an exciting year for collectors of sports memorabilia and trading cards. It was in this year that Mars, Incorporated released their wildly popular series of M&M’s Baseball Cards. This unique promotion featured color photos of Major League Baseball players on card-shaped chocolate candies. With flashy packaging and the fun prospect of eating the cards after enjoying them, the 1987 M&M’s Baseball set was an immediate hit.

Seeing an opportunity for synergistic brand promotion, Mars worked with MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association to produce this novel candy-card crossover. Each colorful wrapper contained a 35mm photo laminated onto an actual chocolate nougat disc that was about the size and thickness of a typical trading card.

Some key things made the 1987 M&M’s Baseball set stand out. For one, the photo quality was remarkably high for candy wrappers of the time period. Professional photographer Bryan Hanau was commissioned to capture crisp, colorful action shots of over 150 players. Hanau’s pictures gave collectors high-quality images of their favorite stars to admire even after the chocolate was gone. The set also differed from traditional cardboard issues in only featuring photos, without any player stats or team logos on the wrappers. This streamlined design let the candies really show off Hanau’s gorgeous photographs.

Another unique factor was the limited print run. Whereas sports card manufacturers would spit out tens or hundreds of millions of a given year’s set, Mars only produced 20 million wrappers for the 1987 M&M’s Baseball collection. With such a constrained quantity compared to the hunger for nostalgia and memorabilia among fans, the issues took on greater scarcity value from the very beginning. The one-year-only nature of the sets at that time also helped propel the candies towards legendary collector status. After 1987, Mars opted to change future promotions to multipacks themed around specific sports rather than stand-alone candy-card series.

Naturally, consuming the chocolates posed its own risks and rewards for collectors. While it was tempting to surrender to one’s sweet tooth, eating the disc meant destroying the coveted photo and memories encapsulated within. On the other hand, unwrapping marvels like a Roberto Clemente or Ozzie Smith candy without consuming it went against the promotional spirit. For seasoned traders, the candies took on a whole new dimension of value depending on whether they remained pristine or showed tooth marks. Today, preserved 1987 examples in their colorful foil can fetch hundreds of dollars online.

The innovative M&M’s promotion was a boon for both Mars and Major League Baseball. The candies drew new interest around the national pastime from casual and younger fans. Meanwhile, MLB benefited from extra marketing exposure during their 1987 season. For collectors, the M&M’s issues opened a gateway to the card hobby for many and remain forever intertwined with fond memories of summer baseball. While Topps, Donruss, and Fleer produced the conventional cardboard that filled factory-sealed wax packs, Mars provided a unique collectors’ item that was as much about enjoyment as accumulation. Even after 35 years, examples from the single-year 1987 M&M’s Baseball set retain their vivid colors and allure, cementing their place in the lineage of classic sports collectibles.

In summary, Mars’ 1987 M&M’s Baseball promotion was tremendously popular and pioneering, giving collectors a novel way to experience the marriage of candy, photography, and nostalgia for America’s favorite pastime. By combining state-of-the-art printing, elite athlete images, and scarcity by design, the candies captured immediate demand while accruing further mystique as the years passed. For fans of ’80s memorabilia, the year 1987 undoubtedly brings to mind cracking open an M&M’s wrapper to uncover a childhood baseball hero immortalized in chocolate.

STAR LINEUP # 9 of 24

O-PEE-CHEE:

# 359 (Parallel to Topps # 490)

SPORTFLICS:

Sportflics is a 195-card all-lenticular set. It owns the distinction of being first baseball card with a color photo on the back of the card - In a rather curious variation, all cards distributed in factory sets have a 1986 copyright on the back. This despite the fact that the factory sets were released after the foil packs. Cards from foil packs have either a 1986 copyright, a 1987 copyright, or no copyright at all.

# 3
# 155 (Tri-Stars - Best in Baseball w/Kevin McReynolds/Padres & Eric Davis/Reds)

TOPPS:

# 490

GLOSSY ALL STARS # 7 of 22

GLOSSY SEND-INS # 6 of 60

TOPPS - COINS:

Topps Coins is a 48-coins collection released in the summer of 1987. Each coin measures 1 1/2" in diameter. American League players have gold rims while National Leaguers are silver.

# 37

TOPPS - MINI LEADERS:

Mini Leaders is a 77-card set featuring the statistical leaders from the 1986 season. Each card measures 2 1/8" X 3", about the same size as the '75 Topps Minis - The design is similar to that of the '87 Topps set's Team Leader subset and are printed on a glossy white cardstock.

# 2

TOPPS - STICKERS:

Topps Stickers is a 313-sticker set produced under license by Panini. As with previous sets dating back to 1982, each sticker was designed to be affixed into a custom album (sold separately). Each sticker measures 2 1/8" X 3".

This would be the final year Panini produced Topps and OPC's sticker set, as they would acquire an MLB/MLBPA license of their own for 1988 -As a result, a rather rare "hardback" variation of this set exists. Similar to the stickers Topps would print in '88, the hardbacks were printed using a thicker cardstock rather than the thinner paper stock Panini used. It is believed that the hardbacks were a test issue.

# 36
# 161 (FOIL)

1 9 8 8

ACTION SUPERSTAR SERIES: Broder Type

Action Superstars # 8 of 38 Set (Series I)

"BRODER" type cards are un-licensed cards - they usually have players on them that are currently under contract in a professional sports league, but the publisher does not pay a licensing fee.

Also known as "counterfeit/illegal/unlicensed cards, this particular name comes from two California-based photographer/collectors, Ed Broder, who created many semi-legitimate sets during the 1960s and 1970s, and his son, Rob, who was a freelance photographer at major league games.

Many times, when you ask a dealer where a Broder originated from, he will certainly say "It's a promo." Dealers usually say this to strike interest, because the "mark" collectors are usually interested in investment. Broder cards have NO investment value. They simply are additions to the market that add variety. Probably the most famous Broder card is an early 90s Michael Jordan baseball card done in the style of the 1986 Donruss baseball set.

BASEBALL'S BEST PHOTOS SERIES - Broder Type:

Baseball's Best Photos #21 of 36 (no border/square corners)

CLASSIC:

1988 Classic is a 100-card set, released in two separate 50-card series. Unlike the original Classic game, the two '88 Classic sets (known as the "Red" and "Blue" sets) were sold without the game. The card backs contain several trivia questions (and answers) which are used to play the game. The set is sequentially numbered as an extension of the '87 Classic set.

The games were produced by Game Time, Ltd. and were available in toy stores as well as from card dealers.

BLUE SET:

# 201 (with Eric Davis//Reds)
# 215

RED SET:

# 156

DONRUSS:

# 78

BONUS CARD SP:

# BC-14 (MVP)

Numbered with the prefix "BC" for bonus card, this 26-card set featuring the most valuable player from each major league team was randomly inserted in packs. The cards are distinguished by the MVP logo in the upper left corner of the obverse, and cards BC14-BC26 are considered to be very slightly more difficult to find than cards BC1-BC13.

DONRUSS - ALL STARS:

# 46

DONRUSS - BASEBALL'S BEST (The Halloween Set):

Donruss Baseball's Best is a 336-card factory set released very late in the 1988 season and sold exclusively in large national retail chains. Cards are very similar in design to the 1988 regular Donruss issue except that these cards have orange and black borders and is sometimes referred to as the "Halloween" set. Trick or treat, folks.

# 113

DRAKE'S:

8TH ANNUAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION # 15 (Big Hitters)

FANTASTIC SAM'S - BASEBALL SUPERSTARS:

Here's a very odd card - This is a squared version from the 1988 Fantastic Sam's Baseball Superstars Series which is normally round - Item measures approx. 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches however some are a little larger than others with the additional border...

Known as the Fantastic Sam's Discs, this set was issued by MSA and Major League Baseball...

A 2-disc set, distributed by Sam's Hair Salons, the cards were part of an entry form into the SUPERSTAR SWEEPSTAKES, offering prizes such as tickets to a 1988 championship game and autographed baseballs. The set was unlicensed by MLB properties, and all team logos were airbrushed. Yes, sir - I'll have a trim & the Dale Murphy card!

# 13 of 20

FLEER:

# 544
# 639 (Superstar Specials - NL All-Stars with Keith Hernandez - Mets)

BOX BOTTOM - Panel-B # C6

These 16 cards (C1 to C16) were printed on the bottom of the wax boxes. There are four different "panels" with four cards on each panel. The value of the panel uncut is slightly greater, perhaps by 25 percent greater, than the value of the individual cards cut up carefully.

FLEER - BEN FRANKLIN STORES:

Distributed as a yellow-pinstriped blue and red box set (#1-44) at Ben Franklin five-and-dime stores. A random selection of six stickers from the 1988 Fleer set are included.

BASEBALL ALL-STARS # 27 of 44

FLEER - CUMBERLAND FARM STORES:

Distributed as a blue and red box set (#1-44) at Cumberland Farms convenience stores. A random selection of six stickers from the 1988 Fleer set are included.

BASEBALL'S EXCITING STARS # 28 of 44

FLEER - ECKERD DRUGS:

RECORD SETTERS # 27

FLEER - 7-11 STORES:

AWARD WINNERS # 27 of 44

FLEER - KAYBEE:

Not to be outdone by Toys “R” Us, Kay-Bee also worked with Fleer in 1988 to offer a 44-card set of “Team Leaders” that featured more or less the same lineup of players as the Toys “R” Us issue. This was a one-shot run that did not return.

TEAM LEADERS # 24

FLEER - McCRORY STORES:

Distributed as a yellow and green box set (#1-44) at H.L. Green, J.J. Newberry's, McClellan's, McCrory's and TG&Y five-and-dime stores. A random selection of six stickers from the 1988 Fleer set are included.

BASEBALL'S BEST: SLUGGERS vs. PITCHERS # 28 of 44

FLEER - McCRORY STORES:

Distributed as a white/red/blue box set (#1-44) at H.L. Green, J.J. Newberry's, McClellan's, McCrory's and TG&Y five-and-dime stores. A random selection of six stickers from the 1988 Fleer set are included. Packaging refers to this set as "Baseball Superstars".

BASEBALL SUPERSTARS # 25 of 44

FLEER - REVCO:

BASEBALL'S HOTTEST STARS # 29 of 44

FLEER - STAR STICKERS:

# 77

FLEER - TOYS -R- US:

With Topps maintaining its presence on Toys “R” Us shelves into 1988, Fleer decided to face their rival head-on by producing their own boxed set for distribution by the toy giant. “Baseball MVP” was a 44-card offering that featured, roughly, the best player from each Major League team.

BASEBALL MVP'S # 25 of 44

FLEER - WALGREENS:

Distributed as a pinstriped blue and light blue box set (#1-44) at Walgreens drug stores.

LEAGUE LEADERS # 29 of 44

KING B DISCS:

The 1988 King-B baseball set consisted of 24 big leaguers featured on 2-3/4” diameter discs distributed individually inside King-B Quality Meat Products Jerky Stuff (beef jerky). Michael Schechter Associates again teamed with the MLB Player’s Association to create these 2-3/4” discs featuring full-color player portraits surrounded by a royal blue border and the

King–B logo near the upper left.

1ST ANNUAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION # 2 of 24

LEAF:

# 83

NESTLE FOODS:

This is a factory miscut oddball I got from Brian Wood (The King of the Oddballs!) ...

Features Dale's headshot beneath Keith Hernandez's (Mets) name plate, with stat info kind of overlapping on the back.

This 44-card standard-size set has yellow borders. This set was produced for Nestle by Mike Schechter Associates and was printed in Canada. The Nestle set was apparently not licensed by Major League Baseball and hence the team logos are not shown in the photos. The backs are printed in red and blue on white card stock.

# 2 of 44

PLAY BALL AMERICA - Broder Type:

# 14 (with bat)

# 14-B (Pose)

SCORE:

# 450

SPORTFLICS:

# 170

TOPPS:

# 90
# 549 (Braves Team Leaders)

GLOSSY ALL STAR SEND-INS # 26 of 60

TOPPS - BIG:

Topps Big is a 264-card set released in three series of 88 cards.

Each card was the same size of pre-1957 Topps cards (2 5/8" X 3 3/4"), slightly longer and wider than the standard-size

of 2 1/2" X 3 1/2". In keeping with the oversized theme, the design was meant to evoke the '56 Topps set.

Due to the unusual size and gimmicky nature of the cards, Topps Big was not well received by collectors - Nor me, due to the fact that this monster will not fit into any penny sleeve - An innovative marketeer would have come up with specially made sleeves and sold them separately.

# 14

TOPPS - COINS:

# 48

TOPPS - KAYBEE:

1988 Kay-Bee is a 33-card boxed set produced by Topps for Kay-Bee Toy Stores. The set is subtitled "Superstars of Baseball." The checklist for the set is printed on the back panel of the box. The set card numbering is alphabetical by player's name.

Fleer also produced a boxed set for Kay-Bee...

SUPERSTARS OF BASEBALL # 20 of 33

TOPPS - KMART:

MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF THE 80'S # 18

TOPPS - MINI LEADERS:

# 41

TOPPS - RITE AID:

Arriving late to the drugstore boxed-set craze, Rite Aid finally joined the fray in 1988 with Topps’ 33-card “Team MVP’s” issue. As with other sets sporting similar names, “Team MVP’s” featured Topps’ approximation of each team’s best player, with a few teams garnering multiple selections.

TEAM MVP'S # 1 of 33

TOPPS - STICKERS:

# 18 - MURPH (Back Side: Superstar) // # 86 (Front Side) - Jeffrey Leonard - Giants

# 45 - MURPH (Front Side) // # 65 (Back Side: Superstar) Dam Plesac - Brewers

TOPPS - UK MINIS:

1988 Topps UK Minis is an 88-card "American Baseball" set released exclusively to the British market. Each card measures 2 1/8" X 3", or about the size of a '75 Topps Mini.

# 52

1 9 8 9

ACTION SUPERSTARS SERIES - BRODER TYPE:

This 21-card unlicensed baseball set does not have a border, has round corners, and includes the player's name, team and year on the front. The back of the card has the set name, year, player name, and card number.

# 18 of 21

BOWMAN:

The design of the set was meant to resemble the '53 Bowman color baseball set, and each card measures 2.5" X 3.75" ...

a quarter inch longer than the post-1957 standard-size trading card. As a result, the cards do not fit into standard-sized

9-pocket sheets, top-loaders, or cardboard set boxes, and briefly caused a run on 8-pocket sheets (remember the BIG TOPPS from the '88 season). This lack of compatibility with standard storage supplies hurt sales of the product.

# 276

CLASSIC:

Classic is a 200-card set issued in three series. The first series (known as the "Light Blue" set) consists of 100-cards and was packaged inside a baseball trivia game. The next two series of 50-cards, (known as the "Travel Orange" and "Travel Purple" sets) were issued in blister cards.

TRAVEL ORANGE # 124

DONRUSS:

# 104

DONRUSS - BASEBALL'S BEST:

# 29

FLEER:

# 596

FLEER - CUMBERLAND STORES:

Distributed as a light blue and red box set (#1-44) at various retail stores. A random selection of six stickers from the 1989 Fleer set are included.

EXCITING STARS # 23 of 44

FLEER - WALGREEN:

Distributed as a yellow and red box set (#1-44) at Walgreens drug stores. A random selection of six stickers from the 1989 Fleer set are included. Packaging refers to this set as "Baseball League Leaders".

LEAGUE LEADERS # 28 of 44

PLAY BALL - SUPERSTAR COLLECTIBLE PLAQUES

Produced and sold by The Tara Toy Corporation in Hauppauge, NY in 1989, we shouldn't get this twisted...

These are "plaques", yes - but they're considered toys - made of plastic & paper, with "For Ages 4 & Up"...

Still, it's a really cool addition to my collection - sealed in original packaging - the actual plaque & oversized Murphy photo are protected and in perfect condition...the packaging marred only by several garage sale stickers the previous owner affixed...complete with "99-cents" written in red ink at some point when they were trying to unload it.

SCORE:

# 30

SCORE - SCOREMASTERS:

Scoremasters is a 42-card boxed set issued by Score. One of the more attractive sets of the era, this set was sold exclusively via mail order and through Score's network of Hobby shops.

# 15 of 42

SCORE - BOXED SETS:

HOTTEST 100 STARS # 66

SPORTFLICS:

# 110

STARTING LINEUP:

Before the age of "EVERYBODY GETS A BOBBLEHEAD!" came along, these figurines (NOT DOLLS!) + Card was the bomb.

TOPPS:

# 210

# 210 - TOPPS TIFFANY Parallel

For the sixth consecutive year, Topps Tiffany was a "high-end" version of Topps' base set. Available exclusively in factory set form and distributed directly to Hobby dealers, Topps Tiffany cards are printed on white cardstock, have a glossy coating and were printed in the same Irish facility where Topps Traded sets were produced. An estimated 15,000 1989 Topps Tiffany factory sets were printed.

TOPPS - AMES TOYS:

The late 1980s brought us a wave of multi-talented players who excelled in both hitting home runs and stealing bases, and fans were intrigued by that combination. To capitalize on the popularity of these milestones, Topps produced this 33-card set for Ames Toy Stores.

# 21

TOPPS - BIG BASEBALL:

Absolutely one of the STUPIDEST designs I ever came across - these oversized monstrosities won't fit into a penny sleeve OR normal pages for my notebook. The end result in '89 was a card that got dinged & dog-eared easily. Whoever dreamed this up at Topps should be horse-whipped.

# 172

TOPPS - HILLS:

For the only time in the boxed-set era, Topps switched affiliations for one of its issues, moving “Team MVP’s” from Rite-Aid in 1988 to Hills in 1989. Collectors may have had to look in a new location for these cards, but Topps still delivered 33 cards depicting the best players from each team.

TEAM MVP'S # 21 of 33

TOPPS - KAYBEE:

SUPERSTARS OF BASEBALL # 22 of 33

TOPPS - MINI LEADERS:

# 1

UPPER DECK:

The landmark 1989 Upper Deck Baseball is a 800-card set released in two series.

The first series (also known as the "Low-Numbers") consists of the first 700 cards and was released to the hobby in April '89. The High-Number Series, which has both the 700 Low-Number cards, plus an additional 100 cards, was released in October, along with 100-card High-Number Factory Sets and 800-card full sets.

The set was the first "super-premium" brand in the Hobby as it was the first set that:

Featured white paper stock...
Featured full color on both the front and the back of the card...
Carried a hologram on the reverse to protect against counterfeiting...
Was packaged in foil wrappers.

# 357
# 672 (Team Checklist)

1 9 9 0

BOWMAN

# 19

CLASSIC - STICKER:

A unique "oddball" this one - it's an oversized sticker featuring Dale and the Reds Eric Davis posing on the front...looking "cartoonish"...but very well done by whatever artist created it - At top-left is "CLASSIC BASEBALL" - no date, with a completely blank back, height is slightly smaller than a standard card, but width is a bit over 1/3 of the standard.

Found this one on eBay, but seller only remembers that it was from one of the early 90's Classic Board Games.

Not much to go on, and my searches on the 'net have been fruitless.

Still, I really like this thing.

CLASSIC UPDATE:

# T-36

DONRUSS:

# 168

DONRUSS - BASEBALL'S BEST:

# 62

FLEER:

# 591

# 623 ('82 - Players of the Decade)

FLEER BASEBALL MVP'S - TOYS R US:

Fleer Baseball MVP's is a 44-card boxed set produced for Toys 'R Us stores. 1990 would be the final year Fleer would produce these retailer-exclusive boxed sets.

BASEBALL MVP'S # 28 of 44

FLEER - UPDATE:

# U-46

INTERPRETIVE MARKETING PRODUCTS (Billings, Montana):

BASEBALL WIT SERIES:

1990 Baseball Wit is a 108-card set dedicated to and featuring several former Little Leaguers. Baseball Wit was produced by Interpretive Marketing Products of Billings, Montana, issued exclusively as a factory set, and was available primarily in retail and chain outlets.

Most of the older (retired) players in the set are shown in black and white. The card backs typically give three trivia questions with answers following. The object of the game is to collect points by correctly answering any one of the questions on the back of each card or identifying the picture on the front.

The first printing of 10,000 sets had several errors, and the cards were not sequentially-numbered. The second printing corrected these errors and numbered the cards.

The number on the front of the card is used when playing the game and is not to be confused with the card number, which is found on the back of all cards (except for the aforementioned first printing errors).

This set is NOT licensed by Major League Baseball, however, many of the MLB logos have NOT been airbrushed out.

# 38

LEAF:

One of the Hobby's true "landmark" products, this 528-card set released in two, 264-card series, was designed by Donruss to directly compete with Upper Deck...

The cards were issued in 15-card foil wrapped packs and were not available in factory sets. Each pack also contained one three-piece puzzle panel of a 63-piece Yogi Berra "Donruss Hall of Fame Diamond King" puzzle.

# 243

LEGENDS SPORTS MEMORABILIA:

# 13 - GOLD FOIL

POST CEREAL:

This is a 30-card set found in specially marked boxes of Post Cereal.

Each box contained 3 cards in a cello pack. The cards were produced by Mike Schechter Associates (MSA). Since neither MSA nor Post had a license from Major League Baseball the player photographs were air brushed to remove team logos.

1ST COLLECTOR'S SERIES # 18 of 30

SCORE:

# 66

SCORE - BOXED SETS:

For 1990, Score released two 100-card boxed sets: 100 Superstars and 100 Rising stars. Like the previous year's boxed sets, each set came packaged with a book and was distributed primarily to bookstores.

100 SUPERSTARS # 64

SCORE - ROOKIE TRADED:

# 31-T

SPORTFLICS:

# 189

TOPPS:

# 750

Topps Tiffany Parallel # 750

TOPPS - AMES:

Issued by Topps for the 2nd straight year for the Ames Department Stores...

ALL STARS # 11

TOPPS - HILLS:

HIT MEN # 16

TOPPS - KAYBEE TOY STORES:

KINGS # 20 of 33

TOPPS - WOOLWORTH:

COLLECTOR'S SERIES - 1989 Baseball Highlights # 15

UPPER DECK:

# 533

1 9 9 1

CLASSIC:

1991 Classic is a 500-card set released in four series. The first 200 cards were issued as part of a baseball trivia board game -- the third edition of the game -- while the remaining 300 cards were released as three, 100-card update sets.

# 148

CLASSIC - UPDATE:

# T-96 (The "Blue" Edition)

DONRUSS:

1991 Donruss was panned as “complacent” in the March 1991 issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly.

# 484
# 744 (Dr. Dirt & Mr. Clean w/Lenny Dykstra)

FLEER:

# 409

FLEER - ULTRA:

# 270

LEAF:

# 412

LEAF - STUDIO:

# 220

O-PEE-CHEE PREMIER:

O-Pee-Chee Premier is a 132-card set produced and distributed exclusively for the Canadian market by the Canadian company of the same name. 1991 would be the first time O-Pee-Chee would release more than one baseball card set, and with this Premier brand, their first complete original set since 1937.

# 85

SCORE:

# 650

TOPPS:

# 545

TOPPS - MICRO:

In 1991, Topps debuted Topps Micro a parallel set. Micro was sold exclusively in factory set form and primarily to mass market retail outlets. Each card measures 1" X 1 3/8".

# 545 (Parallel of Topps-545

TOPPS - STADIUM CLUB:

# 243

TOPPS - WOOLWORTH:

BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS # 14

UPPER DECK:

# 447

1 9 9 2

CONFEX - Baseball Enquirer:

This strange series shows caricatures of baseball players or baseball-related celebrities, with only a blank space for names. A mock interview session on the card back is supposed to allow the reader to ascertain the identities and write them into the blanks. Also released as a factory set, "limited" to 185,000 copies.

# 60 (Fun Stuff)

DONRUSS:

# 146

DONRUSS - TRIPLE PLAY:

# 158 (Little Hotshots)
# 260

FLEER:

# 541

FLEER - ULTRA:

# 249

LEAF:

# 527

# 527 - GOLD PARALLEL

PINNACLE:

# 124
# 284 (The Idols w/Wally Joyner)

SCORE:

# 80

SCORE - SELECT:

# 103

TOPPS:

# 680

# 680 - GOLD Parallel

TOPPS - MCDONALD'S:

BASEBALL'S BEST # 30 of 44

TOPPS - STADIUM CLUB:

# 280

UPPER DECK:

# 32 (Community Heroes)
# 127

UPPER DECK - ALL STAR FANFEST:

ALL STAR HEROES # 33

UPPER DECK - DENNY'S:

GRAND SLAM HOLO # 18 of 26

1 9 9 3

DONRUSS:

# 646

FLEER:

# 496

FLEER - ULTRA:

# 353

PINNACLE:

# 479 (The Idols)

PINNACLE - COOPERSTOWN:

1993 Pinnacle Cooperstown is a 30-card boxed set featuring possible future Hall of Fame inductees.

# 5 of 30

SCORE:

# 597

TOPPS:

# 445

# 445 - GOLD PARALLEL

TOPPS - STADIUM CLUB:

# 572

UPPER DECK:

# 706

THE END for Dale Murphy came Thursday in a hotel conference room, without a banner behind him bearing the Colorado Rockies' logo, without a dais for the occasion and without any of his family present.

It was that sudden.

Given the option Thursday morning - in a meeting with general manager Bob Gebhard and manager Don Baylor - of being released by the Rockies, so they could make room for outfielder Chris Jones, Murphy, 37, chose retirement.

Dale Murphy ended a 17-year career in the majors with 398 home runs, National League most valuable player awards in 1982-83 and a deserved reputation for being one of the nicest people to grace a clubhouse. But he couldn't rekindle the glory days in a frustrating stay of almost two months with the expansion franchise.

"I'll go back home and just be part of real life," said Murphy, who lives in Grantville, Ga., an Atlanta suburb, with his seven sons and wife, Nancy, who is expecting their eighth child in October. "Playing baseball is not real life. It's a fantasy world. To be able to go out there and play baseball, it's a dream come true as everybody says. But now it's time to grow up again. I've been doing this since I was 8 years old."

The Rockies signed Murphy two days before the season. He played only 18 games last season with the Philadelphia Phillies after twice undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Murphy was primarily a pinch-hitter with the Rockies, but even that limited role dwindled in recent days.

The 7,960th and final at-bat of Murphy's career was a strikeout Friday against Orel Hershiser in Los Angeles. Murphy hit .143 (6-for-42) in 26 games. As a pinch-hitter, Murphy was hitless in 11 at-bats, grounding into three double plays and striking out seven times.After not going more than two games without playing, Murphy sat on the bench the past four games. It was his longest idle stretch with the Rockies and gave him time to reflect on what was becoming inevitable.

"It's kind of a feeling like sometimes that you feel like you should be somewhere else," Murphy said, "and I felt kind of guilty about that in some ways.

"At my age, with the years I've had in the game, with my family being back in Georgia, you start thinking a lot. Should I be here? Plain and simple. That affected in some ways my drive and determination, which you've got to have to perform at a high level. I started having some thoughts, `Hey, maybe it's time to go home."'

Gebhard said the club wants Murphy to remain in their organization in some capacity. "We can be very creative," Gebhard said, "whatever Dale Murphy wants to do."

The Atlanta Braves drafted Murphy as a catcher, making him the fifth pick in the country in 1974.

Coincidentally, Murphy was in Houston when the Braves traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 3, 1990, in a five-player deal.

Murphy had only 26 at-bats this spring with the Phillies. And in a limited role with the Rockies, who signed him as a free agent two days before the season, Murphy never got started.

"He left on a good note, not something that anybody could regret or feel bad about," said Rockies pitcher Bryn Smith, 37. "There will probably never be anybody else like him. He's a guy that the baseball world respects. They are proud to have his accomplishments and humanity. You could see the frustration set in. It's tough for any athlete to face the facts that the tools aren't there."

Murphy's departure left him 27th all-time in home runs but two short of the coveted total of 400.

"That's something I wanted to achieve, no question about it," Murphy said. "It had got to the point where the decision to retire just outweighed the decision to stay on."

He played with one division winner - the 1982 Braves - but didn't reach the World Series. A .265 average, 2,111 hits - the last a single May 15 against Cincinnati's Tom Browning - and his gaudy slugging totals will make Murphy a strong candidate for election to the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in 1999.