1981 Topps Baseball Set Checklist. In other years, Seaver used his overpowering stuff to outduel hitters but in 1981, he wasn't quite the fireballer as he struck out only 4.7 batters per nine innings, the second-lowest rate of his career. The Atlanta Braves had used Dale Murphy at first base and catcher during his early years in the 1970s, but in 1980 they moved him to the outfield. On the right side were four rows of six . He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball; Sets; 1981; Overview; 1981 Topps. Unfortunately, his production fizzled out in the 1990s, so he didn't quite finish off a career worthy of Cooperstown. In 1981, the Boston Red Sox played 108 games during the regular season and won 59 of those games, losing 49. In Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'd return with New York holding a 2-1 advantage to try and help the team across the finish line. 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. If not for Fernando Valenzuela's incredible rookie performance and "Fernandomania" taking the sport by storm, Raines would've easily won the 1981 NL Rookie of the Year Award. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. 1982 Topps Traded #98T: Everybody wants to make such a big fuss about a 2,632-game playing streak when the real awe lies with the steadiness of this card's value. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Wade Boggs is an American former baseball player who retired as a third baseman after 18 seasons of Major League Baseball. Murray's first three seasons in the Majors were incredibly productive, but he kicked things up a notch in 1980 as he batted .300, belted 32 home runs, scored 100 runs and drove in another 116. Card Number: #418. It is also (by a slight margin) the most valuable card in the 1984 Topps Football set. I love both of these cards not so much because it's Reggie Jackson we're talking about, but because of all the 1980's awesomeness on display. The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. This article breaks down the top 19 most valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, as well as how much each card is worth. As you can see, some of the game's biggest legends of all time can be found within the 726-card checklist. Prices for 1982 Topps Baseball Cards 1982 Topps card list & price guide. 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.". Kansas City went 20-30 in the season's first half and started the second half slowly, with Manager Jim Frey taking the heat. The card features Pete Rose. 6 Rickey Henderson #180. While Brett would undoubtedly be on this list anyway, this is an example of where a special season for a player can make his card stand out even more than it may have otherwise. 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. One thing I always found a bit strange about Yount's career was that he was a two-time MVP but appeared in just three All-Star games, the lowest amount of any Hall of Famer since the game's inception. On the field, Jackson had his worst offensive season since his sophomore campaign as he slashed a modest .237/.330/.428 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. And he was still very much a respectable pitcher during his time in Cincinnati from 1977 to 1982 as he'd win around 15 games regularly, made two All-Star teams and even finished second in the Cy Young vote for the 1981 season. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. Houston went just 28-29 in the first half but won the NL West's second half at 33-20. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. 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. Let's be honest, it didn't matter what jersey Ryan wore or what style it was, he was going throw major heat regardless. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. At the time, everyone thought the Padres were getting the better end of the deal as Templeton was a much better hitter. Card Number: #595. While this set may be slightly overlooked in the history of the hobby, it still delivers a great checklist. That means the card needs to be flawless. Beginning with the 1977-78 NCAA Basketball season, Ainge starred for Brigham Young University and capped things off in 1981 by being named a first-team All-American and winning the John Wooden Award as the nation's best player. 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. Getting hands on a card like this is pretty difficult. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. We are user supported. 204 Ron LeFlore / Rodney Scott Record Breaker - Expos. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. 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. 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. Most Expensive, From the 1983 season on, he was selected to the All-Star game every year until he retired after the 2001 season. JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. Estimated PSA 9 Value: $1,800. Many thought his career was slowly but surely coming to an end. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. He finished the year with the best winning percentage of any starter in baseball (.875), notched his 3000th career strikeout on April 12th, and earned his twelfth-and-final All-Star appearance after a two-year absence. 721 Toby Harrah. To make things even stranger, you could even say that Rose appeared on fourcards in this set because this one comes in two variations. 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. 6. 8. $9.99. 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. Like Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett has a 1984 Fleer Update XRC. Read our methodology. And that's when his career started to take off as he made his first of seven career All-Star Games during the 1980 season and would finish twelfth in the MVP vote. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 by Old Sports Cards, LLC. 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team. While this is considered one of his rookie cards, it doesn't command quite the price premium as his 1982 Topps Tradedrookie card which can sell for north of $5,000 in top condition. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Brock crossed the mark with a single on August 13, 1979 while Yaz hit a single of his own on September 12, 1979 to join the club. And the difference lies on the reverse of the card, as one version will point collectors to see card #251 for more Rose highlights while the other will direct them to see card #371 for more. Boggs was a perennial contender for American League batting titles during the 1980s and 1990s. Cards #1-6 in the set feature different highlights that several different players achieved during the 1979 season. One of the most interesting things about Dave Winfield, and a sign of his incredible athletic ability, was that four professional teams across three different sports drafted him. Local card shops, department stores and gas stations-- to say boxes of these cards were everywhere might be the understatement of the decade. This card has been signed by him and is currently worth $49. 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. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. PSA/DNA Certified. PriceIt Game | SportsCardsPro Index: 1982 Topps. Read our methodology. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. After a decades-long stranglehold on the market, Topps lost a key court battle with Fleer that allowed other companies to produce sets of their own. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! The 1980 season would be Winfield's last with the Padres as the Yankees signed him to a ten-year, $23 million contract making him the game's highest-paid player at the time. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. The greatest catcher of all time, Johnny Bench played in seventeen seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983, and in 2011 the team erected a statue in his honor at Great American Ballpark. Contents hide. 1982 Donruss. 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. Today only a graded high-condition example gets that kind of money. Cards like this tend to have more value than regular ones. At the time, two Major League Baseball clubs, the Montreal Expos, and the Toronto Blue Jays played in Canada, where . 1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko. Their scarcity is a result of several situations that can apply to baseball card collecting. 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. Somehow during all that success with college basketball, he also found the time to play for the Blue Jays from 1979 to 1981. Read our methodology . 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. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123. Despite missing the call to the Hall, Murphy was a hero to many kids who collected during his brilliant run in the 1980s, and today those kids are adult collectors with money to spare, keeping his cards in decent demand. 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. 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. However, what raised eyebrows was that the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 17th round of the NFL Draft despite having never played college football. 1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn Rookie Card. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals would slam the door on any hopes that Jackson and the Yankees had for a World Series ring when they swept them in the 1980 ALCS. Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. 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. And none of his Rookie Cards is bigger than . Coming off a 1980 season in which he finished runner-up for the AL MVP award, New York Yankees right fielder Reggie Jackson looked to keep the momentum going in 1981.