Baseball cards have long been a popular collectible item among both casual fans and serious hobbyists. Since the late 19th century when the first baseball cards were produced, the hobby has grown exponentially with millions of different cards printed over the decades. One of the most iconic sets in the history of the hobby is the 1989 Topps baseball card set which featured a variety of stars from that era on its 89 cards.
Released in the spring of 1989, the Topps company had been producing baseball cards since 1952 and was the undisputed industry leader. Their designs and quality had become the standard that other card companies tried to emulate. For the ’89 set, Topps went with a traditional white border design that had been popular for several years. Each card featured the player’s picture on the front along with their team logo and stats on the back such as batting average and home runs from the previous season.
Some of the biggest stars of the day who appeared in the ’89 Topps set included Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Kirby Puckett, and Barry Bonds. Clemens, fresh off winning the American League Cy Young Award for the Boston Red Sox, was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball at the time. His card shows him mid-windup with his trademark high leg kick. Wade Boggs, known as “The Chicken Man” for his eccentric superstitions, was a perennial .300 hitter for the Red Sox and regarded as one of the best contact hitters in the game.
Shortstop Ozzie Smith was a fan favorite in St. Louis for his flashy defensive skills and had just led the National League in stolen bases in 1988. His card featured one of his signature backflips celebrating a Cardinals victory. Kirby Puckett’s smiling face made him one of the most popular Twins, and he was coming off a 30 home run season in 1988. Barry Bonds was just starting to emerge as a superstar for the Pittsburgh Pirates, showcasing his five-tool talents. These were some of the marquee players collectors sought after in the ’89 set.
In addition to the stars, the ’89 Topps set also included up and coming young talent like Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners, Gregg Jefferies of the New York Mets, and Sandy Alomar Jr. of the Cleveland Indians. Griffey was just starting his Hall of Fame career at age 18 and already showing signs of his prodigious power and defensive skills in center field. Jefferies was considered a can’t-miss prospect and was on the verge of breaking out in the majors. Alomar would go on to have a solid career primarily as a catcher but was still a rookie in 1989.
The ’89 Topps set also featured some veterans who were nearing the end of their careers including Steve Garvey, Mike Schmidt, and Eddie Murray. Garvey was playing his final season with the Padres after a stellar career with the Dodgers that included an NL MVP award. Schmidt, still a feared slugger for the Phillies, was on the downside at age 36 but would play two more seasons. Murray, meanwhile, was in his prime as the Orioles’ clean-up hitter, coming off a 33 home run season in 1988.
While stars of the day like Clemens, Boggs, and Puckett garnered the most attention, the ’89 Topps set included plenty of less recognizable players too filling out the full 89 card checklist. Role players, prospects, and journeymen all received their due with individual cards in the set. This helped complete the team rosters and provided opportunities for collectors to find more obscure or uncommon player cards to add to their collections.
In the decades since its release, the ’89 Topps set has become a very popular one for collectors to pursue. Its perfect storm of stars, rookies, and veterans from a unique period of baseball history gives it wide appeal. The cards also have strong visuals and design elements that have stood the test of time. Maintaining a complete set in high grade can be a challenge but finding individual cards of favorite players is certainly achievable. For both casual and serious collectors, the ’89 Topps baseball cards remain a nostalgic reminder of the late 1980s when the players featured were in their baseball primes.
