The 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 15th at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It marked a historic occasion as it was the 50th anniversary of the first All-Star Game held in 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. To commemorate the special occasion, Topps released an extra large 396 card baseball card set for the 1986 All-Star Game.
The 1986 All-Star Game set featured cards of all the players selected to the American League and National League rosters for the Midsummer Classic, along with manager cards of the AL’s Dick Howser of the Kansas City Royals and NL’s Whitey Herzog of the St. Louis Cardinals. There were cards for the umpires and stadium personnel who worked the game. An exciting new inclusion for 1986 were “Future Star” cards spotlighting some of the up-and-coming rookie and prospect talent in baseball that season like Mark McGwire, Barry Larkin, and Will Clark.
Topps paid special attention to detail for the 1986 set to honor the golden anniversary. The vivid color photographs popped dramatically against an extra thick white border encompassing each card. Prominently displayed at the bottom was a banner declaring “50th Anniversary All-Star Game” along with the Astrodome logo and date of the game. The stat lines and write-ups on the back of the cards provided a snapshot of each player’s accomplishments leading up to the midseason classic.
Distribution of the 1986 set was through the traditional wax packing method in both series one and series two forms. Series one packs from early in the production run have the player names listed down the left side of the back while series two switches this to the right side. Among the highly sought after cards were #1 Nolan Ryan, #2 Wade Boggs, #7 Roger Clemens, #14 Jose Canseco in his rookie All-Star card, and #75 Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run in the 1984 World Series was featured on his card. Gibson’s home run off Goose Gossage with the LA Dodgers trailing the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 5 clinched the championship for LA.
The 1986 All-Star Game itself was an exciting pitcher’s duel. AL starter Jimmy Key of the Toronto Blue Jays held the NL to just one run over three innings of work. NL starter Bob Knepper of the Houston Astros went 2 2/3 innings allowing only one run. The game went to the bottom of the 9th tied 1-1 before the NL pushed across the winning run on a Sacrifice Fly by Nick Esasky of the Cincinnati Reds off Bill Caudill of the Seattle Mariners. AL outfielder Dave Henderson of the Boston Red Sox was awarded MVP honors after coming off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit single and score the tying run.
After the contest, baseball fans rushed to stores and sportcard shows to try and pull the coveted 1986 All-Star Game cards from packs. Many players featured went on to have Hall of Fame caliber careers like Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, and Rickey Henderson who all appeared in multiple Midsummer Classics after 1986. Other notable young talents showcased like Mark McGwire, Will Clark, and Barry Larkin became All-Star staples and winners throughout the late 80s and 90s. Finding the cards of these future stars in near perfect condition now commands premium prices from collectors decades later.
For students of baseball card history, the 1986 All-Star Game issue is seen as one of the most visually impressive and historically significant special sets ever produced by Topps. Celebrating 50 years of the sport’s premier exhibition, Topps spared no expense with the oversized card stock, thick borders, and details commemorating the anniversary. Its subject matter captured a who’s who of baseball at the time including future Hall of Famers and budding young players. Despite massive production, high-grade copies remain elusive for collectors to this day. The 1986 offering continues to stand as a testament to both the All-Star Game’s rich tradition and Topps’ excellence in crafting memorable, iconic trading cards chronicling America’s pastime.
