1986 Topps Master Set Highlights

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I collect mega master sets. Today I want to highlight a few oddities from the 1986 Topps mega master set. Nineteen-eighty-six Topps may be my absolute favorite set from my childhood. It's the first set I collected, and while it doesn't boast the greatest checklist or really any standout rookies, it holds a special place in my heart. (I ranked it as the 11th-best set of the 1980s.)

What I've enjoyed as a collector over the last few years is that Topps has recognized 1986's base-card design as one of its most adaptable—it's been used in a number of recent sets, and not all of them baseball, or even sports, related (like 2009's American Heritage Heroes set).

The Ripken, Murray, and Mookie cards are from last year's Topps Archives set. I've included these cards in my mega master set because these three are all included in the original 1986 set. The Fernando Valenzuela card is from the box-bottom subset found on the bottom of wax boxes in 1986. If you're unfamiliar with this subset, it featured 16 of the game's biggest stars (including Dwight Gooden, Reggie Jackson, and Wade Boggs), using alternate photography and a red upper border. Attractive cards, in my opinion.

The Joe Carter is from one of the All-Time Fan Favorites set from the early 2000s. The Larry Bird is from the "Larry Bird Missing Years" insert set from 2006-07 Topps Basketball. The Paul Revere is from the 2009 American Heritage Heroes set, and the Al Nipper/Mike TV card is a Pat Riot original from his "Discarded" series. If you don't know anything about Pat Riot and his artistry, start here.

I Want My... I Want My... I Want My Seven-Nine-Toooooo

If I may be so bold as to request a few words before I transcribe the next fifty cards of our Eighties homage:

My links section sucks. I've decided to do an overhaul, with the new and improved links section including links to every baseball card related blog and site (non-commercial only) out there. (And yes, I plan on creating an "Approved by The Baseball Card Blog" jpeg for site owners who might want one.)

By the way, if you're not reading Josh Wilker's Cardboard Gods, you're missing out on some of the best writing out there, baseball card or otherwise.


The 792: #651 - 700

651. Rollie Fingers, 1980
652. Mario Mendoza, 1980
653. Kevin Mitchell, 1987 (RC)
Kevin Mitchell was always one of my favorite players. He seemed so bad-ass, it's amazing he didn't segue his career into the wrestling ring, if not for the WWF, then definitely greco-roman style.

654. Roger Craig, 1988 (MGR)
655. Amos Otis, 1984
I always imagined Otis toured with Jethro Tull during the off-season. I mean, can't you see him growing out a baggy mustache, donning bell bottoms and playing the flute?

656. Larvell Blanks, 1980
657. Mike Cubbage, 1981
658. Robby Thompson, 1987 (RC)
659. Brewers Team, 1980
660. Tony Gwynn, 1985
661. Roger Clemens, 1986
This is one of my favorite cards, despite my personal misgivings towards the whole Clemens debacle. I saw a stack of this card at a show last weekend and came very close to emptying my wallet for it... all $6 that was in it. Man, remember when this was $3 a card?

662. Frank DiPino, 1987
I don't need to consult the Mob Nickname Generator for Frank DiPino. I already know it's 'The Lip.'

663. Angels Future Stars, 1980 (RC)
664. Gil Hodges Turn Back the Clock 1969, 1989
665. Don Mattingly, 1985
666. Tigers Leaders, 1984
667. Royals Future Stars, 1980 (RC)
668. Dale Murphy, 1982
669. Ron Cey, 1986
670. Jose Cruz, 1987
671. A's Future Stars, 1980 (RC)
672. Mariners Team, 1981
673. Jim Kaat Super Veteran, 1983
674. Pat Tabler, 1986
675. Jim Rice, 1988
676. Brian Giles, 1984
677. Dave Schmidt, 1989
678. Astros Future Stars, 1980 (RC)
679. Dodgers Team, 1981
680. Andre Dawson, 1983
681. Mets Future Stars, 1980 (RC)
682. Jimmy Key, 1988
683. Marty Barrett, 1984 (RC)
684. Cardinals Future Stars, 1980 (RC)
685. Bert Blyleven, 1982
686. Doyle Alexander, 1987
687. Alan Trammell, 1987
688. Kiko Garcia, 1981
689. Red Sox Future Stars, 1981 (RC)
690. Ryan Sandberg, 1986
691. Dave Parker, 1987
692. Rawly Eastwick, 1980
693. Steve Howe, 1981 (RC)
694. Sparky Lyle Super Veteran, 1983
695. Carlton Fisk, 1989
696. Pirates Leaders, 1982
697. Ed Lynch, 1987
The 792 wouldn't be complete without this card of Ed Lynch.

698. Brad Komminsk, 1986
699. Lee Smith, 1983
700. Eddie Murray, 1985
A vertical ring of hair: The Maddox. A horizontal ring of hair? The Murray.

The 792: #151 - 200

I can't seem to stay motivated to write about cards lately. Maybe it's because when I moved, most of my collection found its way into boxes currently sitting in my parents' basement. Or maybe it's because I've started watching Red Dwarf and I can't seem to stop. Or maybe it's because I'm too busy reading everybody else's card blog and can't make time for my own. If 2006 was the year of the re-emergence of the baseball card, 2007 is the year of the baseball card-themed blog. There's Cardboard Junkie, Stale Gum, Cardboard Gods, The Brill Report, Thorzul Will Rule, Indians Cards, White Sox Cards, the 1983 Fleer Project – hell, even Beckett has got into the act. Next thing you know, Topps is going to roll out Bazooka Joe's Blog. Hopefully by then blogs will be passe.

My not writing doesn't mean that I haven't been doing card-related things. I'm in the process of putting together an ebook as sort of a "collected blog." I've still got a lot of layout and editing to do, so it probably won't be ready for download for a while. I'm giving myself February as a launch date. My best guess is that it will be 200 pages or so. One of the obstacles will be figuring out how to keep the file size down for easy loading and viewing. I'm sure I'll work it out.

Before we get to the next installment of The 792 (with Checklister's Notes), I just want to add that I don't normally address comments left on the site. I welcome any comments you want to leave on any given post (as long as they have to do with the subject matter and are not vulgar), though if your only reason for leaving a comment is to tell me that my writing isn't up to par with your expectations, well, thanks for that. Sorry my writing about baseball cards has put a damper on your day.


The 792: #151 - 200

151. Dave Stapleton, 1986
It still gets me that Stapleton–the Red Sox late-inning defensive replacement–wasn't in the game at the end of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. He was on the team for a good reason: he didn't have creaky arthritic knees like Bill Buckner. Instead, John McNamara left Buckner in and the rest is sad, torturous history. In any event, this is a great card of Stapleton.

152. John Urrea, 1981
153. Jerry Koosman, 1983
154. Dave Henderson, 1984
155. Yogi Berra, 1985 MGR
For some reason, I really like cards of players wearing old-school aviator style sunglasses. Oh sure, players wearing wrap-around shades are cool, but they're a little too sleek, a little too safe. The old aviators remind you how baseball equipment has matured over the years. Remember when Bob Watson got hit in the face and part of the glass in his glasses ended up in his eye? If he played today, he'd be wearing contact lenses and wrap-around shades. Sure, he'd still get beaned, but, well, it wouldn't be so traumatic.

156. A's Team Leaders, 1982
157. Tom Glavine, 1989
158. Fergie Jenkins, 1981
When did Ferguson become Fergie? Also, does this mean that we should call Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas 'Ferguson'? I understand that her name is Stacy Ferguson, but that would be awesome... her name would be Ferguson Ferguson. That's almost as good as Thurman Merman.

159. Ken Clay, 1980
160. Eddie Murray, 1980
It's actually kind of shocking that it only took Murray two years to get to a 2nd tier number (160).

161. Gregg Olson, 1989 (RC)
My friend also wanted to form a band called 'Greg Olson: Catcher.'

162. Home Run Leaders, 1982
163. Cal Ripken, Jr., 1983
164A+B. Greg Pryor, 1980
165. Robin Yount, 1988
166. Dickie Thon, 1986
167. Jim Deshaies, 1987 (RC)
168. Leading Relievers, 1982
169. Larry Parrish, 1984
170. Bo Jackson, 1987 (RC)
This is one of the most iconic cards of the decade.

171. Giants Future Stars, 1982 (RC)
172. Ron Hodges, 1980
173. Alex Trevino, 1987
174. Doug Rau, 1981
175. Bob Stanley, 1987
176. Lee Smith, 1984
177. Monty Farriss, 1989 (RC)
178. Luis Tiant, 1983
179. Steve Garvey, 1982
I chose the Garvey over the Tiant Super Veteran because the Tiant doesn't have a picture of him on the Red Sox, the team he is most associated with. And yes, I understand that it wouldn't include him on the Sox, as he started his career on the Indians.

180. Don Mattingly, 1986
181. Roger Clemens, 1985 (RC)
182. Darryl Strawberry, 1984 (RC)
183. Dick Davis, 1981
This card of Davis is one of my favorites. He looks like a hobo. Actually, 1981 Topps is full of cards of guys who look like hobos.

184. Bobby Bonilla, 1987 (RC)
185. Phil Niekro, 1982
186. Bob Lillis, 1985 MGR
187. Darren Daulton, 1989
188. Doug DeCinces, 1981
189. Kevin Mitchell, 1989
190. Rusty Staub, 1985
191. Wally Backman, 1986
192. Cory Snyder, 1987 (RC)
193. Jimmy Key, 1985 (RC)
194. Tom Kelly, 1988 MGR
195. Paul Molitor, 1982
196. Lance Parrish, 1980
197. Jim Eisenreich, 1983 (RC)
198. Lee Mazzilli, 1987
199. Chuck Rainey, 1981
200. Rod Carew, 1983
Diggin' the headband.