The 1989 Fleer Baseball Updated cards were issued midway through the 1989 MLB season as a way for Fleer to capitalize on player and team changes that had occurred since their initial 1989 baseball card release earlier that year. Fleer saw an opportunity to generate additional sales by producing updated versions of cards to reflect trades, call-ups, and other roster shuffling that took place during the first few months of play.
The set contains 198 total cards and features photographic action shots of players from all 26 MLB teams at the time. What makes the 1989 Fleer Updated issue particularly unique is that it incorporates late-season roster additions and subtractions directly onto existing card designs from the original 1989 Fleer set through a peel-away sticker process. For example, if a player was traded from one team to another, his photo would remain the same but a new sticker with his new team’s logo and colors would be placed over the original to update his affiliation.
This creative approach allowed Fleer to quickly produce updated versions of cards without having to entirely reprint new designs and photos for every change. It was a novel solution at the time to satisfy the desire of collectors for the most accurate and up-to-date rosters possible midway through the season. While not as polished as fully new card designs may have been, the stickers served their purpose of reflecting critical roster moves in a cost-effective manner.
Some of the more notable players who received updated card stickers in 1989 Fleer include Sid Bream (traded from Pirates to Braves), Dwight Gooden (traded from Mets to Yankees), Gary Gaetti (traded from Twins to Cardinals), John Candelaria (traded from Pirates to Dodgers), Dave Henderson (traded from A’s to Red Sox), and Bob Boone (traded from Angels to Royals). Highly touted rookie call-ups like Gregg Jefferies (Mets), Kelly Gruber (Blue Jays), and Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners) all had updated rookie cards issued after making their MLB debuts.
The sticker approach resulted in some cards looking a bit crude or awkward depending on how well the sticker conformed to the original photo underneath. Occasionally an update would reveal part of the previous team name or colors around the edges. Collectors generally forgave any design flaws for the sake of having the most accurate roster information available at the time. The mid-season updates offered a tangible way to track and document the roster maneuvers of 1989.
Beyond just player moves, the 1989 Fleer Updated also reflected managerial changes through updated stickers. For example, the Cleveland Indians card for manager Doc Edwards was revised to show Johnny Oates after Edwards was replaced midseason. Likewise, the White Sox card for manager Jim Fregosi received a sticker swap to Cal Ripken Sr. following Fregosi’s abrupt firing.
In addition to updated base cards, the 1989 Fleer Updated release also included season-long baseball leaders listed on the back of six selected cards. Stats featured the season leaders in home runs (Mark McGwire), RBI (Fred Lynn), stolen bases (Vince Coleman), earned run average (Bret Saberhagen), wins (Dave Stewart), and saves (Bobby Thigpen). These provided a real-time snapshot of the statistical leaders at the halfway point of the 1989 campaign.
Aside from the unique sticker update component, the 1989 Fleer Updated set closely followed the same overall design aesthetic as the company’s initial 1989 offering earlier that year. The cards featured predominantly vertical color photo faces with pink borders along the sides and team logo at bottom. Statistics and player info boxes appeared along the right edge. The back of each card listed career stats and highlights in Fleer’s standard format familiar to collectors at the time.
As a supplementary product, the 1989 Fleer Updated issue was less common on the hobby market compared to flagship releases. It remains an interest of completionists and an important historical marker for documenting key player movements during an iconic MLB season that saw the World Series between the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. While not pristine workmanship, the sticker update approach was an innovative solution to keep collectors apprised of the latest rosters at mid-season in 1989. For that success alone, the 1989 Fleer Updated trading cards have remained a unique part of baseball card history from the golden era of the 1980s and 90s.
