The 1993 Fleer Atlantic baseball card set was a unique regional release put out by Fleer to promote minor league baseball in eastern Canada and northeastern United States. It was the only Fleer set from 1993 to focus exclusively on players in the Atlantic League, a Class A league which operated from 1985 to 1992. Consisting of 162 cards plus additional promotional cards, the 1993 Fleer Atlantic set showcased the top prospects and stars from six Atlantic League teams – the Cal Ripken Jr. Orioles (Rochester, NY), Holyoke Millers (Holyoke, MA), New Haven County Cutters (New Haven, CT), Newburgh Night Hawks (Newburgh, NY), Pennsylvania Road Warriors (York, PA) and Williamsport Bills (Williamsport, PA).
While regional minor league sets were not a new concept in 1993, the Fleer Atlantic set stood out due to the attention to detail placed on each player featured. Every card included statistics from the 1992 Atlantic League season as well as a short biography highlighting each player’s journey through the minor leagues. Many of the players had already spent several seasons in the minors working to earn a promotion to Double-A or Triple-A. A few were even former major leaguers trying to work their way back. Overall card design maintained Fleer’s standard look from their flagship sets but replaced the team logo in the bottom corner with the Atlantic League logo.
Distribution of the 1993 Fleer Atlantic set was focused around the six Atlantic League cities with boxes readily available in hobby shops, card shows and even some minor league ballparks. It became a popular collectors item among fans of the Atlantic League eager to celebrate their hometown minor league squads. While finding the complete set today would be quite difficult, individual cards still regularly appear for sale online from collectors hoping to build a full Atlantic League team roster from the early 90s. Some of the more sought-after and valuable individual cards include:
Stacy Jones (#21, Holyoke Millers): A speedy outfielder who went on to play 8 seasons in the majors with 5 different teams. His .298 batting average led the Atlantic League in 1992.
Aaron Small (#42, Holyoke Millers): The Holyoke pitcher had a 2.83 ERA in 1992 and later had success in the majors with the Mets and Red Sox from 2002-2006.
Rich Butler (#51, Newburgh Night Hawks): A power hitting 1st baseman who slugged 25 home runs in 1992 on his way to being named the Atlantic League’s MVP that season. He was later sold to the Cincinnati Reds organization.
Tom Patterson (#86, Newburgh Night Hawks): One of the hardest throwers in the Atlantic League in 1992, Patterson tossed 147 strikeouts in 127 innings while posting a 2.75 ERA. He had a brief major league career with the Indians in 1996.
Joe Grahe (#122, New Haven County Cutters): Considered a top catching prospect in 1992, Grahe batted .279 with 10 home runs and was showing excellent leadership skills behind the plate according to his card biography.
Rich Robertson (#139, Pennsylvania Road Warriors): A highly athletic 6’5 centerfielder and power threat, Robertson smacked 16 homers for the Road Warriors in 1992 while compiling a .291 batting average.
While most of the players featured in the 1993 Fleer Atlantic set never reached the major leagues, the cards remain a fun nostalgic collectible for fans of early 90s minor league baseball in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Details like statistics, biographies and uniform photographs make it easy to see why prospects like Stacy Jones, Aaron Small and the handful of other Atlantic League alumni who made the show were generating buzz in their hometown minor league parks during the summer of 1992. For aficionados of niche regional sets, 1993 Fleer Atlantic remains a standout memory of a bygone independent league and the future major leaguers who once called it home.
