Reggie Jackson, nicknamed “Mr. October” due to his legendary postseason heroics, ended his Hall of Fame career after the 1987 season. That year he played for the California Angels and appeared in just 28 games before retiring. Topps honored Jackson’s illustrious 21-year MLB career with special treatment on his 1987 baseball cards.
Jackson had three separate stints with the Oakland A’s, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees over his career. He was a 13-time All-Star and 5-time World Series champion. Some of his most iconic playoff moments include blasting three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series for the Yankees, cementing his Mr. October nickname. He hit 563 career home runs, drove in over 1,800 runs, and had a career .262 batting average.
For the 1987 set, Topps issued Jackson’s standard card alongside two special “photo variation” cards to commemorate his iconic status. One variation showed a close-up headshot of Jackson smiling in an Angels uniform. The other depicted him pointing to the sky with a baseball in his hand, a pose mimicking one of his home run swings. These parallel cards of Jackson were rarer than the basic issue and highly sought after by collectors.
In addition to the photo variations, Topps also included Jackson on the league leader cards despite his limited playing time in 1987. One card recognized him for career RBI totals while another honored his home run totals. These unique inclusions highlighted Jackson’s enduring records and accomplishments even after nearly retiring. The back of his basic card contained a glowing career retrospective befitting of a future Hall of Famer.
Some other key details about Reggie Jackson’s 1987 Topps baseball cards:
His base card is #632 in the set, part of the Angels team checklist portion near the end.
The “headshot” photo variation is officially known as card #632V while the home run pose variation is #632W.
All three Jackson cards feature an artistic sunset orange border around the photo, a fitting choice to represent the sunset of his career.
The RBI leaders card shows Jackson atop the list with 1,809, ahead of giants like Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Card #704.
The home run leaders card has him in third place all-time behind only Ruth and Aaron, with 563 dingers. Card #705.
The back of Jackson’s base card (#632) summarizes his three World Series wins and postseason accomplishments over five paragraphs in small print.
While retiring after just 28 games in 1987, Topps made sure to honor Reggie Jackson’s storied career through numerous tribute cards beyond his basic issue. Collectors appreciated how the brand immortalized Mr. October’s legendary stats and moments even in his farewell season and year. His rare photo variations from the set remain highly coveted pieces of cardboard over thirty years later.
In conclusion, Reggie Jackson solidified his place among the all-time greats over two decades in Major League Baseball. The 1987 Topps set paid fitting homage to his indelible impact on the game and postseason folklore through several special focused cards. They recognized Jackson as a true hitting and home run hitting legend of the sport.
