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. 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. Perhaps Wilson's finest point of his career came during one of the most memorable at-bats in baseball history that lasted ten pitches, sent Mets fans soaring, and broke Red Sox fans' hearts. Still, as one of the game's greatest leadoff hitters and baserunners, he was overdue to get in anyway. For his regular-season efforts, Rose earned the only Silver Slugger Award of his career, his 15th All-Star selection, and a tenth-place finish on the NL MVP ballot. 2. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. This on-card autograph card is much rarer than the typically signed cards of this all-time great as it has been likely inscribed with an 81 HRC inscription commemorating this player being tied as the 1981 American League home run champion! Checklist Top. But, you'll remember that by 1982, Topps was no longer the only major company producing baseball cards as both Donruss and Fleer had joined the scene the year prior. You can't help but think Topps was trying to produce as many cards as possible to keep collectors interested and to try and keep Donruss and Fleer, who had joined the scene in 1981, at bay. It has been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication (BAS) and comes encapsulated in their tamper-proof holder. 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. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Premium: #7. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. 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. Keith was a baseball first baseman. He was the clear choice for National League MVP and also picked up a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. $12.95. Although his best days were clearly behind him, he still played well enough to earn a trip to the 1982 All-Star game. However, his production was never quite the same from 1988 until he finished his career with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. A rare 1980/81 baseball card. This trading card has been authenticated by PSA, it has the signature of Rollie fingers on the obverse. Roland Glen Fingers was an American right-handed relief pitcher who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. . $15.00. $9.99. The current worth of this card is $195. 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Today only a graded high-condition example gets that kind of money. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. During this era, the Montreal Expos had yet to move south to become . $195. Back to the point at hand. 10 Bo Jackson #600. 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. PSA 9 examples have sold for upwards of $6,000. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. 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. His .246 batting average and .355 slugging percentage were also career lows. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. Right around that same time, the relationship between the St. Louis Cardinals and their shortstop, Garry Templeton, wasn't going well either. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. This card is among the most valuable cards from the set, with PSA 10 cards of this type collecting several thousand dollars at best. The last sale's most valuable Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card is the 1974 Topps Nolan Ryan baseball card number #20. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). The offense stagnated, and the Astros fell 4-0. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? It has been authenticated and graded a 10 by Beckett Authentication Services. 6. 1981 Fleer card list & price guide. Within it, there were also several different subsets, including: For those collectors on the lookout for great Hall of Famers of the era or just a large checklist to complete, this set has it all. He was named Rolaids Relief Man of the Year four times and led the major leagues in saves three times. Card Number: #418. Aurelio Alejandro Lpez Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . Baseballs hit king, Pete Rose, led all of baseball in total hits on seven different occasions. Tim Haines finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, 19th in MVP, and earned his first All-Star selection. 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). Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. He was named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News at the end of his career. But what Bench lacks in cardboard variations, he more than makes up for in NL MVP awards, Big Red Machine savvy, and greatest-catcher-ever swagger. Rodney Cline Carew is a former Panamanian baseball player who played first baseman and second baseman in the MLB from 1967 to 1985, primarily for the California Angels. Ted Simmons St. Louis Cardinals 1981 Topps, 17. You are looking at a 1981 Topps Rookie Card hand-signed by George Riley. Despite not being a Hall of Famer, Rose's legacy as one of the game's greatest hitters of all time keeps his cards in high demand throughout the hobby. Having earned the right to produce baseball cards in a court case with Topps, the 1981 Donruss set became the company's first baseball offering. During his first year with the Angels, Jackson proved he still had plenty left in the tank and led the Majors with 39 home runs and finished sixth in the MVP vote. Reginald Martinez Jackson is a former American right fielder who spent the majority of his 21-year professional baseball career with the Kansas City and Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, and ended his career with a two-year stint for the California Angels. Wilson hit a weak grounder towards Boston's Bill Buckner at first base, and the ball squeaked by him, allowing Wilson to reach first base safely while Ray Knight scored the winning run. 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.". Hold on to it. Currently, this 1981 Topps card is worth $79. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. Donruss wasted no time breaking into the hobby as they spent huge marketing dollars, targeted key dealers across the nation, and filled their checklist with some of the game's biggest names to grab collector attention. Reggie was furious and blasted The Boss in the media. PriceIt Game | *TIM RAINES* 1981 Topps Traded #816 *CGS 9* RC Rookie Card. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. . On the right side were four rows of six . 6. PSA/DNA Certified. As his time with the Yankees had come to a close, Jackson packed his bag and headed back to the West Coast, signing to play for the California Angels. Most Expensive Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. 1983 Donruss. 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. The Padres also had some great retro jerseys during the 1980s but Ozzie really topped things off with those sideburns. 9 Roger Clemens #530. Known as the Man of Steal, he is widely considered to have been baseballs greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner. Rookie Cards. 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. . 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente RC. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. 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. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. Tim Raines was one of the most successful stealers in baseball history and can be seen on the far left of the card. 1981 Topps Traded Fernando Valenzuela, 16. Many thought his career was slowly but surely coming to an end. 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. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. However, during early 2021, PSA 9 examples of this card frequently sold for $4,000 - $5,000 or more. 1982 Topps #30 Tom Seaver. 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). Ultimately, Winfield decided to play baseball for the San Diego Padres beginning in 1973. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. You'd think a third baseman with that kind of power wouldn't have had the best defensive skills but no, Schmidt was amazing on defense as well as he'd go on to win 10 Gold Gloves. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. The reverse of this card is just one of the many quirks found inside Donruss's debut set. Canadian baseball cards printed in the French language are uncommon, which shows on this baseball card as it is bi-lingual. 725 Steve Rogers. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. 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. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . The 1981 O-Pee-Chee features the Canadian version of the 1981 Topps set, where it is uncommon to see French on an MLB card. On May 29th against the San Francisco Giants, Bench slid into second base, attempting to break up a double play but fractured his left ankle in the process. It was the only time in his career where he batted .300, and he also led the league in home runs with 41 round-trippers. 1981 Topps Traded MLB Baseball Trading Cards Pick From List #727-#858. 1 Rickey Henderson #119.