The 1990 Fleer baseball card #87 features New York Mets first baseman Ken Phelps. During his career from 1981-1991, Ken Phelps played for six different teams including the Mets, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels. It was with the Mets in 1990 that Phelps found himself on this particular Fleer baseball card.
Ken Phelps was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 5th round of the 1979 MLB draft out of Santa Ana College in California. He made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 1981 at age 23. Phelps showed promise early batting .264 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in his rookie season of 127 games played. Injuries would plague Phelps for much of the early part of his career limiting his playing time.
In December 1983, the Mariners traded the then 26-year-old Phelps to the New York Mets along with Bill Caudill, Rich Bordi, and Luis DeLeon in exchange for Bob Bailor, Steve Cubillan, Jay Howell, and Randy Niemann. This turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history as Phelps went on to have his best seasons with the Mets while the players received in return did little for the Mariners.
Phelps enjoyed his most productive seasons with the Mets from 1984-1987, appearing in over 100 games each year and establishing career highs such as 31 home runs and 105 RBIs in 1985. Prior to the 1988 season the Mets traded the 31-year-old Phelps along with Steve Gaspar, Rick Anderson, and Darren Reed to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Jesse Barfield and Mike Brady. Phelps only played one season for the Blue Jays in 1988 before moving on to the Cubs in 1989.
After batting just .196 with 9 home runs for the Cubs in 1989, Phelps was released and picked up by the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox in 1990. He was released by the White Sox in June 1990 and quickly signed back with the Mets, landing him on their 1990 Fleer baseball card roster. At this point, the 34-year-old Phelps was clearly past his prime but still provided veteran leadership off the bench for manager Bud Harrelson’s Mets team.
In 69 games and 112 at-bats for the 1990 Mets, Phelps hit .204 with 3 home runs and 13 RBIs. His best game that season came on July 29th against the Cardinals when he went 3-for-4 with 2 home runs. It would be Phelps’ final season playing for the Mets and in New York. Following the 1990 season, he signed with the California Angels for one final season in 1991 before retiring at age 35 after 11 seasons in the majors.
For his career, Ken Phelps batted .254 with 149 home runs and 505 RBIs in 1,131 games played. His best years came during his initial stint with the Mets from 1984-1987 when he averaged over 20 home runs and 80 RBIs per season. While injuries hindered what could have been an even better career, Phelps remained a reliable power threat off the bench for the latter part of his career including for the 1990 Mets featured on this baseball card. At 6’3″ and 210 lbs, Phelps cut an imposing figure in the batter’s box as well.
The 1990 Fleer card #87 depicts Phelps in a New York Mets home pinstripe uniform from waist up. His long hair is combed back neatly and he has a full beard. The dark blue border features Phelps’ stats from 1989 including his .196 BA along with career totals as of 1989. On the back is a brief biography of Phelps including highlights of his 1984-87 seasons with the Mets. It lists him at 34 years old, 6’3″, and 210 lbs once again. The card provides a snapshot of Phelps’ latter stage of his MLB career spent trying to hang on as a role player and veteran bat off the bench.
The 1990 Fleer baseball card #87 provides collectors a glimpse of first baseman Ken Phelps during his final season in 1990 spent with the New York Mets. While past his prime, Phelps had enjoyed some of his best seasons earlier in the 1980s during his initial years with the Mets. This card captures Phelps at the tail end of his 11-year MLB career bouncing around teams, yet it commemorates his contributions to the 1990 Mets and solid career numbers overall.
