The 1993 Upper Deck Baseball Card #136 features one of the greatest power hitters of all time, Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics. This particular card is significant because it captures McGwire at the beginning of his record-setting home run chasing career in the late 1990s.
Mark McGwire was drafted by the Athletics in the 10th round of the 1984 MLB draft out of high school in Southern California. He made his major league debut in 1986 and would go on to spend his first 11 seasons with Oakland. McGwire was known early in his career for his outstanding power potential. He hit 49 home runs in his rookie 1987 season and established himself as one of baseball’s premier power threats.
Prior to the 1993 season McGwire had yet to fully realize his home run hitting abilities. His career high remained the 49 home runs from 1987 and injuries had slowed his progress in the early 1990s. The 1993 Upper Deck #136 card depicts McGwire in his prime at age 29, listed at 6’5″ and 225 pounds in the back of the card. He is shown standing in the on deck circle at Oakland Coliseum, bat in hand and ready to hit. This card captured McGwire on the verge of breaking out as the home run king that he would become known as.
In 1993, McGwire finally stayed healthy and had a true breakout season. He set a new career high with 36 home runs while batting .289 and driving in 117 RBIs. This performance established 1993 as McGwire’s arrival as an elite slugger and foreshadowed even bigger things to come in the late 90s. The #136 Upper Deck card, with its action pose and McGwire in his athletic prime, became a collector’s item marking the start of his home run assault on baseball’s record books.
Over the next several seasons, McGwire would escalate his home run prowess to unprecedented levels. He followed up his 1993 campaign with a then MLB record 70 home runs in the shortened 1994 season. In 1995 he led the AL again with 47 homers. Then in 1998, McGwire and the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa engaged in an epic chase of Roger Maris’ single season home run record of 61. McGwire ultimately won the race, crushing a new record 70 home runs that year. His chase was must-see TV that captivated the country and brought widespread mainstream attention back to America’s pastime.
To this day, the 1993 Upper Deck #136 remains one of the most sought after and iconic baseball cards ever produced. It is highly valued by collectors for capturing arguably the single greatest power hitter in baseball history at the precipice of his record-breaking prowess. After establishing himself as a star slugger in 1993, McGwire went on over the next few years to etch his name amongst the home run legends of the sport. The #136 Upper Deck card is a physical representation of the promise and potential McGwire showed early in his career coming to full fruition. It memorializes the start of perhaps the most thrilling home run chase the game has ever seen. For collectors and fans of McGwire alike, the #136 remains a treasured piece of cardboard encapsulating the beginning of greatness.
The 1993 Upper Deck Baseball Card #136 holds immense significance because it depicts Mark McGwire just before he ascended to the top of baseball’s home run list. After several strong but injury-plagued seasons to start his career, McGwire’s 1993 breakout campaign framed by this iconic card foretold the mammoth home runs and record performances to follow. It captures a watershed moment when one of the game’s true slugging greats was stepping into his prime and ultimate destiny as ahome run king. For these reasons, Upper Deck #136 remains one of the most famous and valuable baseball cards ever made.
