The 1989 Fleer baseball card set was the first Fleer set issued since the company lost the exclusive license for MLB players to produce cards in 1981. Fleer returned to the baseball card market in 1989 after Topps opened up their license and allowed competition again after 8 years as the sole producer. The 1989 Fleer set featured some interesting visual designs that set it apart from Topps’ similarly themed releases that year. It also captured snapshots of numerous Hall of Fame players and young stars who would go on to have impressive careers.
The set contains 792 total cards and is broken down into several different sub-sets. The main base card set features 523 players with team logos on the fronts. An additional 107 player cards comprise the “Fleer Futures” subset highlighting some of the top prospects in the minor leagues at the time. Fleer also issued 47 manager cards, 64 league leader cards highlighting single-season MLB records, and 17 turn back the clock cards showcasing older retired players. There were also 8 Team Checklists, 8 League Leader Checklists, 8 League Leader Record Books, and 17 Team Record Books rounding out the checklist.
A few notable rookies who debuted in the 1989 Fleer set included future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin of the Reds, along with Roberto Alomar, Terry Mulholland, Gregg Olson, and Dwight Gooden. Some other young stars just starting to emerge like Ken Griffey Jr., Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, and Tom Glavine also received prominent placement in the set. Veterans like Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Ozzie Smith and more late-career legends provided connections to past eras as well.
The design theme Fleer went with depicted each player photographed from the waist up in full color against a white backdrop. Player names and positions ran along the bottoms of the cards. One thing that set Fleer apart from Topps that year was the team logo designs printed on the fronts. Each club received a unique geometric logopattern crafted from their primary color scheme that added a bit of modern panache compared to Topps’ simpler designs. The backs featured more statistics and career highlights written in a small italicized font with a blue and white color scheme.
Besides the base rookie cards of Gooden, Larkin, Alomar and others, a few other individual cards stand out from the 1989 Fleer set. Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking 5,000th career strikeout is highlighted on his card back. Ozzie Smith’s record-setting 15 straight Gold Glove awards are recognized on his card as well. Future Hall of Famers like Wade Boggs, George Brett, and Don Sutton received prominent showcase cards too as all were entering the later stages oftheir legendary careers.
The condition of 1989 Fleer cards varies widely on the secondary market today. In top graded gem mint condition, rookies of Alomar, Larkin and Gooden regularly sell for hundreds of dollars. More common lower grade copies are easily obtainable for just a few dollars. The longevity and cataloging of the entire set on websites like TradingCardDB.com have made 1989 Fleer a favorite of both collectors and investors alike. While not quite as iconic or valuable as the vintage Fleer sets of the 1950s, the 1989 edition remains a significant issue that captured a great snapshot of 1980s MLB talent. Its artistic designs and inclusion of both established veterans and incoming young stars helped reestablish Fleer as a competitor in the baseball card industry upon their return nearly a decade after losing their license.
The 1989 Fleer baseball card set was a landmark release that reintroduced competition and variety to the baseball card market. It highlighted notable rookies and veterans through unique graphic designs. While condition varies significantly for individual cards today, the entire checked checklist remains obtainable and affordable for collectors. The set serves as an important historicaldocument highlighting a transitional yearwhen Fleer rejoined the sports card industry they helped pioneer decades prior. It captures the last moments of 1980s baseball while also signaling the emergence of talented new players who would come to define the 1990s era.
