The 1990 baseball season saw legendary players like Cal Ripken Jr., Fernando Valenzuela, and Ken Griffey Jr. take the field. For fans who enjoyed collecting trading cards and scorecards from the games they attended, 1990 was a major year. Score set and Donruss were the top producers of baseball cards during this era. Their scorecard inserts and baseball key cards from 1990 provide a unique glimpse into that season.
Score was known for including informative “key card” inserts in their wax packs that year. These single-card sheets folded out into multipanel guides chronicling stats and highlights from the past year. The 1990 score key cards zeroed in on some of the most notable individual performances and storylines. One example was “Cal Ripken’s Iron Man Streak,” which documented Ripken surpassing Lou Gehrig’s record of playing in 2,130 consecutive games on September 6, 1995 against the Angels at Camden Yards. The key card provided statistics on Ripken’s durability along with photos of the record-breaking moment.
Another 1990 score key card focused on “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Rookie Success.” At just 20 years old, Griffey dominated his first season with the Seattle Mariners, batting .284 with 24 home runs and 61 RBI. He joined elite company by being named to the All-Star team as a rookie. Griffey’s youth, charisma, and incredible talents helped revive fan interest in the struggling Mariners franchise. This key card highlighted his top stats from 1989 and career potential as a budding superstar.
The Dodgers sensation Fernando Valenzuela, known as “Fernandomania,” received his own score key card update for 1990 as well. After bursting onto the scene in 1981 and winning Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards, injuries slowed his career momentum. But in 1990, the 29-year-old Mexican lefty enjoyed a remarkable comeback season. He finished with a record of 13-7 with a 2.67 ERA over 32 starts, revitalizing the Dodgers pitching staff. His key card reviewed his up and down career path and the importance of his 1990 performance for Los Angeles.
While individual stars received accolades, the 1990 season was also unique due to roster changes and franchise relocations. The score key cards documented these significant transitions. “The Expos New Home” focused on Montreal moving into their new stadium, Olympic Stadium, built for the 1976 Summer Games. The Expos hoped the state-of-the-art facility would energize their fanbase and franchise in Quebec. Another card, titled “Padres Lose Tony,” summarized slugger Tony Gwynn remaining in San Diego but the Padres trading away fan favorite Dave Dravecky, Brent Gates, Craig Lefferts, Chris Brown, and Garrett Wallace to the Expos and Dodgers in an offseason swap.
In addition to key cards on individual players and teams, Score included summary sheets tracking special accomplishments and records from the recent decade of baseball. “1980s Leaders” broke down top performances in batting average, home runs, RBI, ERA, wins, and other pitching stats between 1980-1989. Other milestones noted included Nolan Ryan’s record for most strikeouts in a career in 1989 and Wade Boggs winning a batting title five years in a row from 1983-1987. These cards helped complete the record book for an amazing 10-year stretch of baseball history.
Beyond key cards, Score also offered multipanel scorecards that could be filled out at games to track stats and box scores like the professionals. These provided handy references for box scores from that day’s contests as well as career lines for notable players on each roster. Savvy collectors would save scorecards chronicling important matchups and performances to remember that season. In 1990, some scorecards that stood out included Ken Griffey Jr.’s monster 5-hit game against the Red Sox on July 4th and Fernando Valenzuela’s season-saving shutout versus the Astros on September 23rd. Collecting and comparing scorecards opened new angles of appreciation for the game.
By the fall of 1990, baseball stood at an unprecedented height of popularity. Attendance had grown for 13 straight seasons and television ratings for games and highlight shows remained through the roof. Score capitalized on this period by crafting memorable keepsakes for fans through their key cards and scorecards. Over 30 years later, these inserts provide a rich historical record of a golden age. For dedicated collectors, a complete 1990 Score baseball key card or scorecard set remains a highly coveted microcosm of the season.
