Seaver was nothing short of incredible for the Reds that season but Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela was just a bit better and out-pointed Seaver in the Cy Young vote 70 to 67. 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. Rookie Cards: Options . Known as the Man of Steal, he is widely considered to have been baseballs greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. Rookie Cards. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). After tallying 138 wins and 2,416 strikeouts over eight seasons with the California Angles, Nolan Ryan signed a $4.5 million four-year deal with the Houston Astros during the 1979 offseason. However, once they got there, the Oakland Athletics promptly swept them in the ALDS as Brett went just 2-for-12 (.167) in the three games. 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. With the first card in the checklist, Topps paid tribute to both Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski crossing the 3,000 career hits mark that would put them in exclusive baseball company forever. $68.95. While George Brett lit up the AL in 1980, Mike Schmidt was doing the same in the NL and would take home his first of three career MVP Awards for his efforts. In the team's NLDS loss to the Expos, Schmidt hit .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. On September 26, 1981, Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan passed Sandy Koufax with a record fifth no-hitter on national television against Koufax's old team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. Click on any Donruss Set to see a full list of Cards and their current value. The 1981 Topps Scratchoffs was a 108-card baseball set distributed on perforated three-card panels measuring 3-14" by 5-1/4". During the rush to market, they also ended up with many errors and variations in their debut set, but that was to be expected. 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson. The imagery on this card is some of the best on this list and in the set in general, as Topps perfectly captured Jackson taking a massive swing. No. That season set the tone for a reputation that Dawson would carve out as a player with an incredible mix of speed and power as he was seemingly always a lock for 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases throughout his time in Montreal. 25 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World 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. . 207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker - Padres. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. In 21 starts, Ryan finished 11-5 with an MLB-best 1.69 ERA. 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. 1981 Topps Baseball Cards - 15 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods There were tons of errors, collation inside boxes was hit and miss (mostly miss) and the . Yes, the checklist is quite messy at times with the errors and variations. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Carew's career batting average ended up at .328, while his best single-season average was .388 in 1977. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Rating: 7.5 (174 votes) Click here to Rate. Inc. 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. Pictured as a member of the New York Yankees, Jackson was actually traded to the California Angels for the 1982 season where he'd play for five seasons before heading back to Oakland for one final season. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Although Riley wasnt very popular, he was a Major League Baseball pitcher. The most expensive baseball card in history just sold for $12.6 million By Zoe Sottile, . Incredibly consistent and productive during his 21 years in the Big Leagues, Murray ended his Hall of Fame career with 3,255 hits, 504 home runs, 1,917 RBI and set the all-time record for sacrifice flies with 128. Most valuable baseball cards of the 1980s And he didn't lose any steam in the postseason, either, as he would end up leading the Phillies to the World Series title while batting .381, belting two home runs, driving in seven RBI, and scoring six runs. Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball. Before the season, Steinbrenner went to Jackson for his thoughts on the team's pursuit of free-agent slugger Dave Winfield. The season was noted for the change in playoff format, which created the first-ever Divisional Series with a qualification variant that existed only for that season; and the players strike, which truncated the regular season. 10 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123. Plus Bonus Listings! Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. Had Fred Lynn (.333) not barely edged out Brett (.329) for the title in 1979, then they would've had all nine of them. You love collecting baseball cards, right? And some of those players appeared on multiple cards. "I had hit .300 before, but I couldn't hold it," he said. I absolutely love this card as it captures Rickey about to do what he did best: steal a base. Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. 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. Like his base card, his All-Star card is just as tough to find in PSA 10 condition and also carries a large price tag. One year removed from his Rookie of the Year-winning season, this Ripken card is still a hobby favorite because it shows the Orioles third baseman's timeless swing and a close-up of his youthful mug all on one important card. The defending AL champions were a mess early, though. In 1981, the Boston Red Sox played 108 games during the regular season and won 59 of those games, losing 49. 723 Bruce Bochte. 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. Back to the point at hand. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. 25 Most Valuable 1980 Topps Baseball Cards - Old Sports Cards 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron RC. In 25 postseason plate appearances (22 at-bats), Henderson hit .273 with two doubles, one triple, one RBI, three runs scored, and four stolen bases. Most Expensive 1981 Topps card list & price guide. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. 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. 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. The 10 Most Valuable 1983 Topps Baseball Cards $9.99. The 1981 season was the seventh and final time. 1. 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards - 12 Most Valuable - Wax Pack Gods Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. So for our purpose, the most expensive Nolan Ryan rookie card is the 1969 Topps RC which is valued at $20,000, give or take a thousand. 6 Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248: One of the most . Most of Tom Seaver's pitching brilliance occurred during his first eleven seasons in the Majors with the New York Mets as he was named 1967 Rookie of the Year and won three Cy Youngs (1969, 1973, and 1975) during that time. The card is currently worth $189.99. #6. The following season, Seaver was as sharp as ever as he finished with an incredible .875 winning percentage after going 14-2 on the mound. 5 Cal Ripken Jr. #183. 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. "I've learned to stay within myself, not be afraid to fail.". Top 15 Most Expensive Nolan Ryan Cards - Thrillpack Cards 722 Joe Niekro. Despite the ups and downs, there isplentyto enjoy about this set. Track your collection for free. Just look at that awesome retro Astros jersey in all its striped glory! He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. 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. It was a fitting punctuation mark for one of Ryan's best seasons on the mound. Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! 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. 724 Lou Piniella. His struggles didn't last long, though, and maybe it was seeing Mike Schmidt win back-to-back MVPs in 1980 and 1981 because, by the following year, Murphy's production skyrocketed as he'd go on to win back-to-back MVPs of his own in 1982 and 1983. In fact, between June 2021 and May 2022, this Ripken collectible in a PSA 10 sold for under $4,000 just once. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. 10 Most Valuable 1981 Donruss Baseball Cards - Sports Card Investor 1981 Topps Baseball 2nd Year Card Rickey Henderson, 3. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. . 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. It has full gloss and is slightly askew. 1981 Topps Coke Team Sets Aurelio Lopez Autographed, 9. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 6 Rickey Henderson #180. By the time these Hall of Famers retired, Brett had three batting titles and Carew had an eye-popping seven. This trading card has been authenticated by PSA, it has the signature of Rollie fingers on the obverse. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). 1981 Topps Bob Owchinko Baseball Card, 11. Rookie Cards were so valuable to collectors in 1989, that if Oprah had been involved in baseball cards, she would have been saying . Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . He did his best, hitting .333 with a 1.095 in the final three games, but New York dropped all three and the series. It would have been nice to see an action shot of Seaver on his 1982 Topps card but this is still a good-looking card overall. 1961 Topps Willie Mays All-Star (#579) Here is a case where card scarcity and an immortal of the game conspire to generate a value anomaly an All-Star card worth more than the base card of the same player. February 20, 2023; Super Bowl Delivers . I used to collect baseball cards as a kid and loved pulling out a pack of 1981 Topps Coca Cola cardstheir design was so much better than the regular issue and their limited print run made them seem much more valuable. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. Seaver would play one more year for the Reds in 1982 when he posted a 5-13 record before heading back to the New York Mets the following year. 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. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. In this guide, I will cover the 25 most valuable in the set. The 1981 season was the St. Louis Cardinals 100th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and their 90th year in the National League (NL). And unlike Brett, Schmidt followed up his 1980 MVP campaign with another one during the 1981 season. Top 100 1980s Baseball Cards and Why They're So Memorable - Beckett News 1981 Reggie Jackson Topps Project 70 Card, 10. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Because of his career accomplishments and his overpowering style, Ryan remains one of the game's most popular players to ever play and you'll see his name in just about every set's log of key cards. 9 of the Most Valuable Baseball Cards in History - HISTORY The wrist band, the glasses.and that awesome stache You just don't see that kind of stuff in today's game so this card perfectly captures the style of the era and that's the great thing about baseball cards in general. In a similar theme, Larry Bird is featured in a card from the 1981 Topps set. Mattingly's Donruss rookie was produced in smaller quantities than his Topps rookie, so it's worth more. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. SEE THE CARD HERE! And, in this guide, we look at the 25 most valuable. After all, Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time, whose records for runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) may very well never be broken.