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. 1952 Topps Willie Mays RC #261. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? 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. Instead, he was more of a craftsman on the mound and outsmarted hitters to allow a career-low 6.5 hits per nine innings. Rookie Card (1982 Topps - Card #21), $700 (Photo: Amazon.com) Here is another player who enjoyed a long MLB career, spending it all with the Baltimore Orioles starting in 1981. 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. He played in Major League Baseball between 1977 and 1982 for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unlike George Brett's MVP card, Schmidt's featured an altogether different image than that of his base card. Total Cards: 726. $12.95. Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $120. There are only 7 examples of this card in circulation at the time of this writing that have achieved that gradeso they're very scarce. He also led the National League in runs scored (78) and walks (73). 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. PSA 6. 6 Rickey Henderson #180. . Smith earned the first of those Gold Gloves during the 1980 season when he also set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop with an astronomical total of 621. 1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines Rookie Baseball Card #816 NM-MT FREE SHIPPING. No More Secrets Puzzle Game, Ungraded Before Danny Ainge found success at the professional level in basketball as a player, coach and executive, he made his professional sports debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1979while he was still in college. After Wilson dodged a wild pitch from Boston's Bob Stanley, Kevin Mitchell scored from third to tie the game. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. Many times, though, he'd fail to connect on those swings and would up earning himself a spot as the career leader in strikeouts with 2,597. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. 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. Ozzie Smith was given the name Wizard of Oz After an amazing record for the most assists at shortstop thus establishing a new record in that era. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. When it comes to Rookie Cards, 1981 Topps is one . In those 108 games, they played at Fenway Park where they had a record of 56-52. Its $300 PSA 10 price tag is no mistake. On the other hand, Ozzie's bat did nothing but improve and combined with the amazing glove he already had, he'd deliver Hall of Fame-caliber play for years in St. Louis. And incredibly, hed come back with a vengeance. 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. But, for the 1982 season, Smith would never actually suit up for the Padres as he was traded to St. Louis for another highly-regarded shortstop in Garry Templeton. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". His .758 OPS marked the first time he'd dropped under .817 since 1968. For one more year, at least, Topps was the only game in town in 1980. After the Royals split their first twenty games of the second half, he was fired, and former Yankees manager Dick Howser took the reins. 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. Previous Article. Grade. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: The 1981 American League MVP race came down to two men, Oakland Athletics left fielder Rickey Henderson and former As closer Rollie Fingers. Grade: PSA 10. 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. #5. 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. 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. The 1990 American League Most Valuable Player, Henderson also was the lead-off hitter for two World Series championship teams, the 1989 Oakland Athletics and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. His 94 runs scored and 111 RBI were also high marks for Jackson during his time in the Bronx, and by season's end, he would collect his first of two career Silver Slugger awards and finished second in MVP voting. In 2004 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame; in 2005 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Clocking in at 605 cards in total, this set made history when it first debuted. Murphy struggled a bit during the 1981 split season as his batting average fell to a paltry .247 and his slugging percentage plunged to .390 from .510 the year before. Tags 1981 Topps Baseball. Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. . JB's 1981 Fleer card is a $5 (or so) buy in PSA 9 condition. Smith felt more welcomed by the Cardinals ownership and management and settled in quite nicely to be one of the franchise's most beloved players in team history. As a result, Topps created this monster 792-card checklist and loaded it with subsets to try and keep collector interestand collector eyeballsaway from Donruss and Fleer. 1981 Topps Expos Future Card Tim Haines Auto, 6. Jackson green-lighted the eventual signing but expected Steinbrenner to offer him a new deal as well. Ozzie was always one of my favorite players to watch as a kid as his acrobatic defensive play left fans in awe time after time as he went on to collect 13 Gold Glove awards. And, yes, it would've been nice to see rookie cards of Fernando Valenzuela, Harold Baines and Kirk Gibson as well. While they used to be a bit overlooked, it's nice to see the 1980 Topps baseball set getting more love in recent years. In his first full season in the big leagues in 1981, Tim Haines batted .304 with 71 stolen bases in a strike-shortened seasonmaking an instant impression on fans with his ability to make players look foolish on the base paths. Today only a graded high-condition example gets that kind of money. We are user supported. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads about 1981 Topps Baseball Cards.When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brav. Mike Schmidt was arguably the best third baseman in baseball history and will always be remembered for both his power and his glove. 723 Bruce Bochte. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1982 Topps Baseball Cards - 17 Most Valuable . In 493 plate appearances (423 at-bats), Henderson posted a robust .319/.408/.437 slash line with nine home runs and 53 RBI while winning his first of three Silver Sluggers. Price: $299.75 Grade: PSA 10. He was nicknamed Mex because his name suggested that he was of Mexican descent. 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie Card. 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. Since most collectors in this hobby tend to draw the line on the "vintage era" at 1980, many consider the Rickey Henderson rookie card to be the last big-name vintage rookie. While some of the game's big names struggled with the split-season, Schmidt held things together all year to lead the Majors in home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS + (198), and total bases (228). 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. - http://bit.ly/W. Each 1-13/16" by 3-1/4" card featured a small full-color portrait of the player with his name printed below his image on the left side of the card. 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. Who doesnt enjoy looking through their packs of cards whenever they find themselves in a fabled card shop. 1985 Fleer Kirby Puckett RC #286. Regardless of its market value at any given point in time, the significance of this rookie card cannot be overstated as it's one of the most expensive cards from the 1980s. He also paced the Majors in ERA+ (195) and hits per 9 innings (6.0). And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. The current worth of this card is $195. 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. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. 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! In his seventh season in the Majors, Yount broke out in a big way in 1980 as he led the league in doubles (49) while scoring 121 runs, driving in 87 RBI, and hitting 23 home runs to earn his first trip to the All-Star Game. 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. Like the 1982 Donruss and Fleer sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. 206 Mike Schmidt Record Breaker - Phillies. 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. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. 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. Even though the image is kind of ghostly (see his right shoulder) on this card, it's my favorite of his three cards in this set given its an action shot. If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. After nearly a decade-and-a-half as the standard for MLB catchers, Cincinnati Reds Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench changed positions for the 1981 season. Players include Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan & Mike Trout. But, hey, that's the kind of excitement that he brought to the game: you never knew if he were going to bury one over the fence or get sent right back to the dugout. 1981 Topps Traded 816 Tim Raines Montreal Expos Rookie Card. Read our methodology. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. This card features the professional baseball player Danny Ainge. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! Donruss would take the experience with this set and continue to churn out many improved and memorable sets for years to come. #7. Read our methodology. However, once he was in San Diego, Templeton's hitting declined drastically and he'd never bat over .300 again. Only Tony Gwynn had come closer to batting .400 or better since Ted Williams last did it in 1941 when Gwynn batted .394 in 110 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season. Bench is somewhat of an anomaly on this list, showing up with only one 1981 Fleer card, and all. At that point, Murphy looked like he was on a surefire trajectory to Cooperstown. After the 1981 season, however, Ainge decided to call it quits with baseball. 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. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 1981 Topps. While it's not known for any iconic cards like some of the other sets of the era, the 1981 Donruss baseball card set is iconic itself for one reason: collectors now had an alternative choice to Topps for the first time in years. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. SEE THE CARD HERE! Ungraded. 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. 1909 T206 Sherry Magee (Error) Price: $660,000. The card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. Rod Carew Autographed 1981 Topps Squirt Card, 19. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # Thats why everyone is constantly asking the question: What are the most valuable 1981 Topps baseball cards?. 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.