The 1990 Fleer All Star Team baseball card set was issued prior to the 1990 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held in Wrigley Field in Chicago. The set featured current All-Star players from both the American League and National League on special designed cards to commemorate the Midsummer Classic. At 80 total cards, the 1990 Fleer offering was one of the larger All Star Team sets produced at the time and provided a unique snapshot of the brightest MLB stars as the decade came to a close.
With the baseball card industry at the peak of its popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fleer saw the All Star subsets as a way to cash in on collector interest surrounding the annual exhibition and give fans an updated look at the game’s top talent. In addition to current stars, the 1990 set also paid tribute to legendary players no longer active by including a “Hall of Fame” section highlighting some of the greats enshrined in Cooperstown. Overall design of the rectangles saw a photograph on the front with additional stats and career highlights on the reverse.
Some of the more notable American League players featured in the set included Kirby Puckett, Frank Thomas, Rickey Henderson, Roger Clemens, and Wade Boggs. Puckett, named MVP of the 1985 All-Star Game, was in his prime as the catalyst for the powerhouse Minnesota Twins teams of the era. “The Big Hurt” Frank Thomas was in his third big league season and already showing signs of the monster power numbers to come. Base-stealing king Rickey Henderson continued adding to his legend after moving from Oakland to the New York Yankees. Roger Clemens was in his eighth season and had won the triple crown for MLB pitchers in 1990 while cementing his status as one of the fiercest hurlers around. Wade Boggs, the model of consistency, was on his way to another 200-hit season with Boston.
On the National League side, stars like Barry Bonds, Ozzie Smith, Greg Maddux, and Roberto Alomar made the All Star cut. An up-and-coming Barry Bonds was just hitting his stride in Pittsburgh and beginning his slow transformation into the home run king he would become. Ozzie Smith, a wizard with the glove at shortstop, was a fan favorite as the longest-tenured Cardinal. Greg Maddux, already a four-time All Star at age 23, was making his case as the best pitcher in baseball during his dominant Atlanta Braves years. Second year player Roberto Alomar provided a glimpse of the skills that would make him a future Hall of Famer with San Diego.
Notably absent from the NL portion was Atlanta Braves first baseman Sid Bream, who had been elected as a starter by fans but was unable to participate in the game due to injury. Bream’s regular season card is included but his All Star card was replaced by that of San Diego Padres starter Bruce Hurst, one of the players added to the NL roster as a replacement. The inclusion of Hurst shows how Fleer aimed to provide the most up-to-date All Star rosters possible within production limitations.
The Hall of Fame segment proved a special treat for collectors, preserving in card form legends like Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron. Robinson’s poignant inclusion came just two years after his 1988 passing at age 53. Mantle, Musial, and Aaron remained fan favorites even in retirement for their mammoth career hitting numbers and World Series heroics. These legendary players helped pass the torch to the current stars featured elsewhere in the set.
In terms of scarcity, the 1990 Fleer All Star Team cards can still be obtained at reasonable prices by today’s standards. While stars like Bonds, Maddux, Henderson, and Thomas carrying premium costs, most regular All Star cards trade in the $5-20 range. Short prints exist but are less rare compared to contemporary flagship Fleer series. The complete 80-card team and Hall of Fame checklist also means finding affordable fillers is more feasible for collectors looking to finish the set. Overall condition of the available pop does tend to run on the poorer side after 30 years of circulation and play. But for fans of 1990s baseball or those intrigued by the best players around the sport at a pivotal moment, this Fleer offering provides a fun window to a classic All Star year.
The 1990 Fleer All Star Team baseball card set functioned very well as a special annual commemorative issue highlighting MLB’s midsummer showcase event. Providing updated snapshots of 80 deserving All Stars and Hall of Famers, the set delivered quality cardboard collectibles that baseball fans could enjoy for years to come. While production values may pale compared to today’s sophisticated offerings, sets like this one from Fleer in 1990 succeed admirably in freezing a moment in time to remember great players, performances, and an exciting period in baseball history. For both casual collectors and serious set builders, the 1990 Fleer All Star Team endures as an affordable way to preserve the athletic talents that shone brightest on the diamond during baseball’s “Steak and Beer” era.
