The 1989 Donruss baseball card set was released at the start of the baseball season that year and contained a total of 528 cards including base rookie and star cards, traded players, and manager/coach cards. The set featured many of the game’s top players from the 1988 season and was a popular option for collectors at the time looking to build their baseball card collections. Here is an in-depth checklist for the key cards collectors would want to find in the 1989 Donruss set:
The base card checklist spans from #1 to #528 and features every player on a major league roster in 1988. Some of the top rookie cards included in the base set were Ken Griffey Jr. (#1), Gregg Olson (#91), and Tom Glavine (#136). Griffey’s rookie is one of the most iconic and valuable cards from the entire 1980s decade. Other star players with base cards included Ozzie Smith (#15), Wade Boggs (#35), Roger Clemens (#45), Rickey Henderson (#50), Mike Schmidt (#64), Kirby Puckett (#81), Dwight Gooden (#110), and Nolan Ryan (#138).
The traded set was much smaller than typical years, including just 12 cards from #T1 to #T12. Notable traded players included Steve Sax (#T1 with Dodgers), Jack Clark (#T2 with Yankees), and Bob Welch (#T6 with Athletics). The traded set provided updates for players who had switched teams in the previous offseason.
The manager/coach subset spanned #C1 to #C10 and featured legends of the dugout like Tommy Lasorda (#C1), Whitey Herzog (#C2), and Earl Weaver (#C3). These specialty roles provided a unique glimpse into the leadership behind MLB’s clubs.
The 1989 Donruss set also included 30 prospect cards highlighting some of the best up-and-coming minor leaguers. Notable young players included Bobby Witt (#P1), Kevin Maas (#P2), and Jeff Bagwell (#P10). While most prospects never panned out, these cards offered an early look at future MLB contributors.
In terms of chase cards, the 1989 Donruss set included several inserts that captured the attention of collectors. The “Record Breakers” subset featured eight cards highlighting historic MLB accomplishments. The cards paid tribute to Nolan Ryan’s 5000th strikeout (#RB1), Wade Boggs reaching 200 hits for the fifth straight year (#RB3), and Rickey Henderson stealing his 939th base to break Lou Brock’s all-time record (#RB8).
Another popular insert set was the “Diamond Kings” parallel which featured emerald green foil versions of 24 star players. Cards included Kirby Puckett (#DK1), Ozzie Smith (#DK5), and Roger Clemens (#DK11). These parallel inserts provided collectors with high-end, prestigious versions of the game’s greats.
In terms of chase autographs, the 1989 Donruss set included two autographed cards as inserts. The autographs belonged to Nolan Ryan (#RA1) and Ozzie Smith (#RA2) and were scarce pulls that could earn collectors a high price. Other autograph checklists from the era often reached into the hundreds, so the two-card checklist made these inserts extremely rare.
The 1989 Donruss baseball card set provided a who’s who of MLB from the late 1980s. Rookie cards, stars of the game, prospects to watch, and record breakers were all represented. While the set lacked modern extras like jersey cards or relics, it captured the essence of the players and era. For collectors looking to build a complete set or track down chase cards, the checklist above covers the key cards that defined the 1989 Donruss collection. Decades later, it remains one of the most iconic releases from the golden age of baseball cards in the 1980s.
