The 1993 Topps Triple Play baseball card set marked a rare occasion where the Topps company issued two different base sets in the same year. The flagship Topps set was the standard 353 card release as always, but Topps also produced a smaller 200 card subset focused specifically on multi-player cards showing various defensive plays from the 1992 season.
This marked only the second time Topps had released a set solely dedicated to multi-player cards, with the first being the 1988 Topps Traded set. That 1988 set featured traded and prospect cards in addition to the defensive plays. The 1993 Triple Play set was unique in being exclusively triple, double and even quadruple plays captured from actual MLB games.
Some key things to know about the 1993 Topps Triple Play set:
The set included 200 cards total, with each card showing between 2-4 players depicting defensive plays. No single players appeared alone on any cards.
The photography and card designs focused entirely on recreating pivotal defensive moments from the previous season in vivid detail. No individual stats or bios were included.
Cards were individually numbered on the front from 1-200. The back of each card described the play and included the date, teams involved and final score when available.
Topps used high quality action photography to realistically place each defending player in the proper position and motion of the play. Many cards looked like frozen filmstrips.
Rare quadruple plays and other less common multi-player defensive moments that were captured on video or film during 1992 made their way into the set.
Roster accuracy was a high priority, with Topps only selecting plays where they could positively identify each fielder depicted immediately after the fact.
The scarcity and dynamic photography made Triple Play cards highly coveted by collectors focused on defensive aspects of the game over traditional offensive stats.
Players of all levels of fame were represented proportionately based on their involvement in memorable defensive plays from the prior season, not overall career stats or status. This added diversity and interest to the set compared to Topps flagship issues that usually just featured stars.
Distribution was lighter than the flagship Topps set, with Triple Play packs and boxes much harder for collectors to find on store shelves in the early ’90s. This maintained the set’s status as a premium, limited parallel release years after its initial publication.
Some notable and high valued individual cards from the 1993 Topps Triple Play set include:
#1 – Pirates 3B/SS Jay Bell, P Doug Drabek and 2B Jose Lind turning an UNASSISTED triple play against the Dodgers on September 5, 1992. This is one of the rarest plays in baseball history and the card is among the most iconic in the set. PSA 10 Gem Mint copies sell for over $1000.
#25 – Expos SS Mark Grudzielanek, 2B Mike Lansing and P Brian Barnes completing a 7-4-5 triple play against the Phillies on August 14, 1992. Another hugely improbable play immortalized in card form.
#63 – A foursome of Reds P Scott Scudder, P Rob Dibble, SS Barry Larkin and 3B Chris Sabo recording a QUADRUPLE play against the Cubs on June 26, 1992. One of just a handful of quadruple plays to ever occur and the only one featured in the 1993 Triple Play set.
#99 – Future HOF SS Ozzie Smith of the Cards backhanding a grounder and spinning to complete a behind-the-back toss to 1B Geronimo Pena who steps on the bag, getting the out at first against the Giants on August 31, 1992. Iconic play by the masterful defensive shortstop.
#195 – Rangers 2B/SS Jeff Kintz, P Bobby Witt and 3B Dean Palmer completing an UNASSISTED triple play versus the Athletics on September 30, 1992. Another highlight defensive rarity.
The 1993 Topps Triple Play set showcased the spectacular defensive side of baseball through cinematic cardboard recreations. While short-printed, it succeeded in capturing pivotal multi-player moments in a visually stunning platform that endures today as a popular niche within the larger collecting community. Even with a limited checklist of 200 cards total, it manages to reflect a diversity of players, teams and memorable defensive sequences from the previous MLB season.
