The 1989 Fleer baseball card set is considered by many collectors to be one of the iconic card issues of the late 1980s. The design featured colorful borders surrounding action photos of the players on a white background. For Cardinals fans and collectors of future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, one of the standout cards in the set is #268 featuring “The Wizard” himself.
Ozzie Smith was already a living legend in St. Louis by 1989, winning the 1982 World Series and 1985 NL MVP Award with the Cardinals. As the king of defense at shortstop, Smith combined dazzling range and a rocket arm with spectacular acrobatic plays that delighted fans on a nightly basis. His career .978 fielding percentage is the best of all-time for any position player. While never a big home run hitter, Smith was also an opportunistic hitter who could bunt and beat out infield hits to frustrate opponents.
The 1989 Fleer card depicts Smith making one of his trademark behind-the-back throws from deep in the hole at short. It perfectly captures the effortless fluidity and swagger that defined Smith’s game on defense. His thin frame, trademark high socks, and number 1 jersey immediately identify him as well. At age 35 in 1989, Smith was still in his prime and helping lead the Cardinals to another NL East title and NLCS appearance that season. It’s an action shot that truly puts the viewer right in the game experiencing the thrill of Ozzie’s incredible defensive plays.
While lacking statistics on the back, the 1989 Fleer #268 Ozzie Smith card provided collectors of the time with an exciting glimpse of one of baseball’s most exciting defenders in his element. It highlighted why he had already won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves entering the 1989 season. For young fans just becoming acquainted with Smith through watching Cardinal games or collecting cards, #268 may have been one of the first impressions that helped create their lasting admiration and appreciation for his brilliant fielding prowess. Even today, it remains one of the most aesthetically pleasing and representative cards of Smith’s all-time great career.
In the years since its original release in 1989, the Ozzie Smith #268 card from Fleer has taken on further significance. Smith was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, making this one of the early seminal cards capturing him during his playing days. While production numbers were high for Fleer sets in the late 1980s, the iconic subject, iconic photo, and Smith’s eventual enshrinement in Cooperstown have elevated demand for the 1989 Fleer #268 among collectors. In high grade it has become one of the most visually striking and desirable Cardinal cards from the vintage 1980s era.
Graded examples regularly sell for hundreds of dollars today, with mint condition PSA 10 copies commanding prices approaching $1,000 or more. Even well-centered near-mint PSA 8 or 9 versions trade hands for $100-$300 range depending on the current hobby market. The rarer it is found in pristine unworn condition, the higher value it holds. Professionally graded specimens also offer collectors greater confidence in its state of preservation versus raw uncertified copies. As one of Smith’s early legendary playing days cards before he was a Hall of Famer, the 1989 Fleer #268 consistently performs well at major sports auctions.
While Ozzie Smith had many outstanding baseball cards produced over his 15-year MLB career, the 1989 Fleer #268 has emerged as one of the true classic representations of the defensive wizard. Featuring a perfect action shot, iconic design elements of the set, and commemorating Smith during his St. Louis Cardinals prime, it has become a highly coveted piece for both collectors of Smith memorabilia as well as those assembling complete vintage 1980s Fleer runs. Over 30 years later, it remains one of the most visually striking baseball cards ever crafted, a true work of art highlighting one of the finest fielders in MLB history.
