The 1987 Topps Baseball card set featured some interesting errors that collectors still hunt for today. The 1987 design marked a return to a more traditional look compared to some of the boxier designs of the early 1980s. With 792 total cards in the base set, quality control issues were somewhat inevitable. Here are some of the most notable mistakes and oddities found in the 1987 Topps Baseball card set that collectors still seek out for their rarity and uniqueness.
One of the biggest errors was an omission – Hall of Famer Tony Perez was entirely left out of the set despite still being an active player for the Montreal Expos in 1987. As an important veteran player and former star, this was a glaring oversight by Topps. Perez only appeared in 6 games in 1987 before retiring, so it seems he was inadvertently not included as a current player. This Perez error card is one of the most popular chase cards for collectors from the 1987 set.
Several name errors occurred as well. Dodgers pitcher Alejandro Pena had his first name mistakenly printed as “Alexandro.” On Boston Red Sox pitcher Calvin Schiraldi’s card, his last name was misspelled “Schiralli.” Chicago Cubs first baseman Leon “Bull” Durham had his entire last name omitted from the front of his card. The back listed him correctly but the front just had his first name and no last name at all. These name mistakes created some one-of-a-kind variants within the set.
Perhaps the strangest error was on Oakland A’s catcher Terry Steinbach’s rookie card. Instead of Steinbach’s picture, another player’s photo was mistakenly used – that of Angels pitcher Tom Niedenfuer. Steinbach and Niedenfuer don’t even look alike, making this a truly bizarre mix-up. Only a small number of cards are believed to contain this photo swap, making the authentic Niedenfuer/Steinbach rookie card highly collectible.
Photo positioning errors could also be found. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bill Gullickson’s picture was severely off-center, almost cut off at the shoulders. Chicago White Sox pitcher Joel McKeon had his photo moved upwards on the card, cutting off the top of his cap. San Francisco Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker was almost cut out of his photo completely due to poor centering. Variations like this add character and collectibility to specific cards.
Although rare, there were even a couple instances of the wrong stats winding up on a player’s card. St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Danny Cox had Cincinnati Reds hurler John Stuper’s career stats mistakenly printed on his 1987 issue. The reverse happened as well – Stuper received Cox’s Redbird numbers in error. A tiny few cards containing these totally mixed-up stats remain some of the most prized 1987 mistakes.
One of the set’s odder production quirks wasn’t technically an “error” but is still noteworthy. A small number of cards had the team logo accidentally omitted from the uniform rendering on the front. Players like Brian Holton (White Sox), Dan Schatzeder (Red Sox), and Roy Smith (Pirates) are known examples missing this element of their graphic design. While not mistakes per say, these very lightly printed variant logos act as errors to collectors.
Lastly, possibly the rarest 1987 Topps error of all relates to Manager Billy Martin’s card (#328). Extremely few copies exist with his name completely missing from front – only the word “Manager” is listed under the team name “Minnesota.” Along with this extraordinarily scarce name omission, an even smaller number have his name misprinted as “Bill Martin.” These beyond rare front name errors for Billy Martin are perhaps the holy grails for those chasing 1987 mistakes.
In total, the 1987 Topps set featured a nice assortment of errors, omissions and uncommon variations that add importance and rarity to specific cards nearly 35 years later. From missing names to swapped photos and stats, mixed-up designs and more, mistakes are what hardcore collectors hunt for as signs of a true one-of-a-kind piece of sports card history from the high-volume 1980s production era. The stories and scarcity behind errors make the 1987 issue one of the most intriguing to chase for memorable mistakes and imaginative mistakes made.
