The 1989 Topps baseball card set was the 58th series produced by the Topps Company, Inc. and featured 660 total cards issued in wax packs, rack packs and factory sets. Some key things to know about the 1989 Topps baseball cards include:
Design and Production: Topps designers changed up the look for the 1989 cards, moving away from the simple white border cards of recent years in favor of a more colorful “futuristic” design. The borders featured various patterns and shades and each card rotated through a color palette of reds, oranges, yellows and blues. For the first time, Topps included silver signatures on high number rookie cards as a security feature to deter counterfeiting. The cards were also produced on a thinner, higher quality cardboard stock compared to previous years.
Rookies and Rookies: One of the biggest storylines of the 1989 season was the emergence of young star players and the 1989 Topps set featured rookie cards of many future Hall of Famers. Ken Griffey Jr’s coveted rookie card headlined the set as card #1 and became one of the most sought after baseball cards ever due to his amazing career. Other top rookie cards included Andy Benes (#366), Gregg Olson (#411), Tom Glavine (#436), and Mark Grace (#547). The set also had rookie cards for future stars like Barry Larkin (#111), Randy Johnson (#209), and David Cone (#258).
Highest Numbered Cards: The 1989 Topps set featured 660 total cards, making it one of the larger standard issues in the modern era. The highest numbered cards were #660 for minor leaguer Randy St. Claire and #659 for pitcher Fernando Valenzuela in his final Topps issue before retiring. Other notable high numbers included #658 Alvin Davis and #657 Darren Daulton, both playing in their last MLB seasons.
Prominent Veterans: While the rookies stole much of the spotlight, the 1989 Topps set also paid tribute to veteran superstars still plying their trade. Nolan Ryan’s impressive fastball was featured on card #1 and he would go on to notch his 5,000th career strikeout that season. Other aging but still productive stars included Ozzie Smith (#15), Rickey Henderson (#39), Wade Boggs (#58), and Don Mattingly (#66).
Team Marketing Cards: Topps included special oversized team-focused “rookie” cards mixed in factory sets to help market specific clubs. The New York Mets (#661) and Oakland A’s (#665) received these large commemorative cards highlighting their young talent. Other inserts with statistical breakdowns on individual teams were also included.
Parallels and Inserts: Early Topps sets generally contained only the 660 main cards without additional parallels, refractors, or inserts. However, 1989 Topps did include several minor parallel variations including “Photo Spectra” blue-tinted photo variations of select short print cards. Factory sets also contained statistical breakdown inserts for each league and division.
Design Flaws and Printing Errors: While a quality set overall, the 1989 Topps issue did have some production flaws noted by collectors. A noticeable miscut affected the entire print run of Nolan Ryan’s card making it instantly identifiable. Other alignment and centering issues popped up in random places throughout the sets. A glaring error was card #66 Don Mattingly mistakenly listing him as a Yankee despite being photographed in Dodger blue.
Legacy and Collectibility: Fueled by rookie stars like Griffey Jr. and excellence from veterans, the 1989 baseball season was memorable. Topps’ cards captured the action and personalities on accurate cardboard. Despite some flaws, the 1989 set has remained popular with collectors decades later. Key rookies hold value and condition sensitive stars remain pricey. The colors and design have held up well versus other ’80s issues too. For capturing a great year and introducing future legends, 1989 Topps earned its place among the best baseball card sets ever made.
The 1989 Topps baseball card set will forever be remembered as one the set that introduced collecting legends like Ken Griffey Jr. to the hobby. Despite some production flaws, the colorful futuristic design, photographic quality, and abundance of talented players have ensured the set remains a favorite for collectors even over 30 years later. The combination of high-level rookies, veteran stars, and historical significance cement 1989 Topps among the most iconic releases in the long and storied history of baseball cards.
