The 1989 Fleer All Star Team card set was a special 52-card release by Fleer that featured baseball’s biggest stars from that season. With cards depicting American and National League All-Star players and coaches, the set was a unique way for collectors to commemorate the top talent in Major League Baseball at the time.
Released prior to the 1989 MLB All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium in California, the Fleer All Star Team set provided a snapshot of who the game’s true elite players were as the season reached its midway point. The cards in the set spotlighted the brightest performing stars from each league who were voted into the All-Star Game by fans. Each card featured a player’s picture in their team’s uniform along with their stats and position.
Some of the biggest names included in the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set were Dave Stewart and Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A’s, Rickey Henderson of the New York Yankees, Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox, Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Barry Larkin and Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League. On the American League side, Rod Carew of the California Angels, Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins, and Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles were among the superstars highlighted.
In addition to featuring the top all-star players at each position, the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set also included cards showcasing the coaching staffs for both leagues. Future Hall of Famers Joe Torre and Whitey Herzog received cards as the managers of the National League squad. AL manager Tom Kelly of the Twins and his coaches Dick Howser, Jeff Torborg, and Gene Lamont were also given spots in the set.
Collectors appreciated the unique aspect of the 1989 Fleer All Star Team cards focusing entirely on the game’s biggest midseason standouts. While base sets from companies like Topps and Donruss that year contained regular issue cards of the all-stars mixed among other players, Fleer’s release isolated the cream of the crop into one special collection. The sharp photography and bright colors Fleer utilized on the cards also made them very aesthetically pleasing for the time period.
One of the more notable rookie cards included in the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set featured a 23-year old Barry Bonds in his second big league season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Bonds would go on to smash the single season and career home run records over his incredible career. His inclusion in the set as a young, emerging star ended up being very prescient. Other future Hall of Famers like Rickey Henderson, Cal Ripken Jr., and Wade Boggs also had some of their earliest high-gloss cards in the release.
While packs of the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set sold moderately well upon initial release, the scarcity and desire for star players has made complete, mint condition sets quite valuable to collectors in recent years. With only 52 cards and spotlighting some of the most storied names in baseball history, demand remains high. Individual premium rookie cards like Barry Bonds have reached five figures at auction. Even common cards of players like Ozzie Smith and Kirby Puckett in top condition can sell for $20-50.
For legions of baseball card collectors and fans of the late 1980s, the 1989 Fleer All Star Team set serves as an enjoyable trip down memory lane. It functions as a time capsule highlighting all the great talent that thrilled audiences during baseball’s prime summer event. Over 30 years later, the bright photographs and highlighting of midseason standouts still makes it a visually striking and historically interesting release for enthusiasts of the sport and its cardboard memorabilia to revisit and reminisce about.
