The 1991 Topps baseball card #684 featured starting pitcher Tim Belcher of the Minnesota Twins. Born in 1965 in San Bernardino, California, Belcher had enjoyed a solid major league career up to that point and the 1991 season would be another good one for him.
Belcher was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 4th round of the 1984 amateur draft out of Etiwanda High School in California. He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 1988 and showed early promise, going 12-8 with a 2.87 ERA in his rookie season. He continued to be a steady and durable member of the Dodgers’ starting rotation over the next few seasons. In 1990, Belcher was traded to the Oakland Athletics along with pitcher John Wetteland and cash in exchange for pitcher Bill Bene.
With the A’s in 1990, Belcher had his best season to that point. He went 15-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 222.2 innings pitched, finishing 6th in AL Cy Young Award voting. Following the season, he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins. This set the stage for the 1991 season and the card commemorating it, Topps #684.
The card features Belcher in a Twins uniform, standing on the mound mid-delivery, leg cocked back and throwing hand pulled back. His intense facial expression conveys the focus and competitiveness required of an MLB starting pitcher. Statistics are listed on the right side noting his record, ERA and strikeouts from 1990. The card back provides more details on Belcher’s career stats and accomplishments to that point.
For the Twins in 1991, Belcher paid immediate dividends in their rotation. He made 32 starts, throwing 208.1 innings with a win-loss record of 14-8 and an ERA of 3.64. He struck out 127 batters while only walking 49. Belcher’s 14 wins led the Twins’ pitching staff and helped propel the team to an 85-77 record and third place finish in the American League West division.
Among Belcher’s notable performances that season were complete game wins against the Chicago White Sox on June 16th and August 7th. On June 28th, he took a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Milwaukee Brewers before settling for a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 Twins victory. Belcher also notched wins against division rivals like the Oakland A’s, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.
Belcher established himself as the Twins’ ace in 1991. His steady production both in innings pitched and wins was invaluable for a pitching staff that lacked true star power. He responded well to the pressure and expectations of carrying a rotation. National baseball writers took notice, with Belcher receiving MVP and Cy Young votes after the season.
Despite the success in 1991 however, Belcher’s time in Minnesota would be brief. Following the 1992 season where he again led the Twins’ starters in wins with 15, Belcher was surprisingly traded to the Cincinnati Reds in one of the largest trades in baseball history. He continued pitching effectively over the next several seasons, notably leading the NL in wins with a career-high 22 victories for the Reds in 1996.
Injuries slowed Belcher down later in his career, but he stayed in the majors until 2002. Over 15 big league seasons, he compiled a record of 166-143 with an ERA of 4.16 in over 3000 innings pitched. Belcher made one All-Star team and finished in the top 20 of Cy Young Award voting three times. He remained a durable workhorse throughout his career, making 30 or more starts in eight different seasons.
In capturing Tim Belcher mid-delivery for the Twins on card #684, 1991 Topps captured a pitcher at the top of his game. It commemorated a breakout season for Belcher in Minnesota and the leadership he provided their starting rotation. While his stay in a Twins uniform was brief, Belcher left his mark with a memorable 1991 campaign and established himself as one of baseball’s most dependable arms of the early 1990s.
