The 1987 Donruss baseball card set was one of the most historic issues ever released by the company. Containing a whopping 792 cards, the ’87 Donruss set featured numerous rookie cards, Hall of Famers, and stars from both the American and National Leagues. While not the first set to feature traded players in their new uniforms, the 1987 release is largely credited with popularizing this element that has become a staple of modern baseball cards. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of the highlights from the extensive 1987 Donruss baseball cards list.
The massive 792 card checklist was broken up into various series and included base cards, traded cards, stars, team leaders, and rookie cards. Some of the biggest rookie cards in the set included Hall of Famers Barry Larkin (#145) of the Reds and Mark McGwire (#220) of the Athletics. Other notable rookies included Vince Coleman (#216) of the Cardinals, Kevin Maas (#269) of the Yankees, and Bip Roberts (#271) of the Reds. With a record number of 760 cards in the base set alone, there were plenty of stars throughout.
Hall of Famers with base cards included Wade Boggs (#7) of the Red Sox, George Brett (#21) of the Royals, Ozzie Smith (#24) of the Padres, Paul Molitor (#42) of the Brewers, Kirby Puckett (#49) of the Twins, Ryne Sandberg (#57) of the Cubs, and Nolan Ryan (#82) of the Astros, just to name a few. Other superstar cards included Robin Yount (#6) of the Brewers, Pedro Guerrero (#16) of the Dodgers, Tony Gwynn (#22) of the Padres, Tim Raines (#38) of the Expos, Dwight Gooden (#47) of the Mets, and Rickey Henderson (#61) of the A’s. Fan favorites like Don Mattingly (#11), Darryl Strawberry (#29), and Jose Canseco (#80) also had prominent base cards.
One of the biggest innovations of the ’87 Donruss set was the inclusion of “traded” cards, where players were depicted in the uniforms of their new teams from trades that had occurred. Some notable traded cards included Julio Franco (#41) as a Indian, Eric Davis (#54) as a Reds, Doyle Alexander (#108) as a Tigers, Steve Bedrosian (#133) as a Phillies, and Len Dykstra (#146) as a Phillies. Other impactful traded players included Walt Terrell (#283) to the Red Sox, David Cone (#394) to the Mets, and Greg Minton (#744) to the Reds.
All 30 major league teams were also represented with their own team leader or leaders card. Future Hall of Famers included Tom Glavine (#44L) for the Braves and Tim Raines (#68L) for the Expos. Other recognizable names as team leaders were Roger Clemens (#27L) for the Red Sox, Kirby Puckett (#28L) for the Twins, Cal Ripken Jr. (#8L) for the Orioles, and Steve Sax (#30L) for the Dodgers. The Cubs’ team leaders card featured four players – Ryne Sandberg, Keith Moreland, Jody Davis and Gary Matthews.
In addition to the massive base set, Donruss also included 100 star cards as a short print insert set. Some of the biggest names in the star cards included Ozzie Smith (#19), George Brett (#24), Wade Boggs (#32), Andre Dawson (#34), Dennis Eckersley (#43), Roger Clemens (#58), Gary Carter (#64), Rickey Henderson (#75), and Nolan Ryan (#100). These short print star cards added another layer of excitement for collectors.
The 1987 Donruss set captured the sport at the height of the steroid era. While performance-enhancing drug controversies would later plague stars of the late 80s and 90s like Canseco, McGwire and Palmeiro, their rookie cards in the ’87 Donruss issue are still prized by collectors today. The sheer size of the 760 card base set made it one of the most complete collections of MLB talent ever assembled in a single year. When paired with the innovations of traded players and team leader cards, it’s easy to understand why the ’87 Donruss checklist remains one of the most iconic and desirable sets in the hobby’s history, over 30 years later. The massive 792 card checklist made it a challenge to complete, but also cemented it as a true collector’s set representing the sports golden age.
