The 1993 baseball season was one of the most exciting and action-packed in recent memory. This excitement was perfectly captured on the baseball cards released that year, with Upper Deck, Score, and Donruss all featuring memorable moments and plays from the ’92 campaign. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most action-packed cards from sets released in 1993 that commemorated the thrills and spills of baseball in ’92.
We’ll start with arguably the most iconic card of the year – Ken Griffey Jr’s epic leaping catch featured prominently on the front of Upper Deck’s flagship set. On June 8, 1992, Griffey raced back to the warning track in center field at the Kingdome in Seattle and timed his jump perfectly, snatching Jim Eisenreich’s deep fly ball while horizontal in the air. The card captured the sheer athleticism and showmanship of The Kid in his prime. With Griffey’s body parallel to the ground and his glove extended, it’s easy to see why this became one of the most popular baseball cards ever made.
Staying with Upper Deck, their ‘Nolan Ryan Express’ card showed the ageless Texan pitcher delivering a 100mph fastball. Ryan was still overpowering hitters at age 45 in 1992 and this card put you right behind the plate to experience the sheer velocity and movement on his legendary heater. Another classic Upper Deck card pictured Roberto Alomar going airborne to snag a high throw from second baseman Billy Ripken for an incredible double play. Alomar was one of the smoothest fielders in the game and this card highlighted his elite skills with the leather.
Score was also known for capturing the drama of baseball on cardboard. Their ‘Last Licks’ Barry Bonds card from 1992 depicted the Pirates slugger taking a mighty cut in his follow through. Bonds was in the midst of his first 40+ home run season and this card got you up close to witness the raw power in his muscular 6’1″ frame. Elsewhere, Score pictured Mark McGwire unleashing on an inside fastball, his mammoth muscles and intense focus captured for posterity. Big Mac hit in excess of 40 dingers himself in 1992.
Donruss also had some standout action shots. Their ‘Web Gem’ card featured Ozzie Smith going completely horizontal to snare a screaming line drive. At 33, the Wizard was still putting on acrobatic displays in the field on a nightly basis. Elsewhere, Donruss pictured Roberto Kelly of the Red Sox sliding head first into home plate amid a cloud of dirt during a key moment in 1992. Kelly was one of the game’s premier baserunners and basestealers during his career.
The flair for the dramatic was also captured in some of the odder occurrences during baseball season. Score had a card showing a fan in the stands catching a foul ball, only to have his nachos go flying. Upper Deck pictured a rare brawl between the Pirates and Reds that broke out after Barry Larkin was plunked by Zane Smith. And Donruss commemorated perhaps the strangest play of 1992 – the defensive indifference call on a walkoff inside-the-park home run by Otis Nixon of the Braves.
The 1993 baseball card releases did a masterful job of preserving the excitement and action from the 1992 MLB season. Sets from Topps, Fleer, and Pacific also featured their fair share of diving catches, monster home runs, and crazy moments. For collectors and fans alike, flipping through these cards takes you back to a thrilling year of baseball. The action shots and defining moments they captured ensure we’ll always be able to reminisce about the on-field heroics from one of the most memorable seasons in the 1990s.
