Cal Ripken Jr. had an illustrious baseball career spanning from 1981 to 2001. As a shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, Ripken established himself as one of the greatest players of all time. He holds the record for most consecutive games played with 2,632, a streak that spanned from 1982 to 1998. Unsurprisingly, Ripken has been featured on many baseball cards over the years, chronicling his Hall of Fame career. Let’s take an in-depth look at Cal Ripken Jr.’s baseball cards checklist:
1981 Topps #456 – Ripken’s rookie card, this is one of the most sought after cards from the 1981 set. In excellent condition this card can fetch thousands of dollars. Ripken is wearing an Orioles road jersey on the front. The back provides stats from his 1980 minor league season and notes he was Baltimore’s 3rd round draft pick. This was Ripken’s first appearance on a baseball card.
1982 Donruss #87 – Ripken is in an Orioles home jersey on the front. The back has stats from his 1981 rookie season when he hit .264 with 3 home runs in 59 games. This was Ripken’s first season as Baltimore’s everyday shortstop.
1983 Topps #180 – Ripken hits in a batting stance on the front of this card. The back highlights his 1982 season where he hit a career-high 27 home runs and drove in 93 runs. This established Ripken as an emerging star for the Orioles.
1984 Donruss #113 – Ripken fields a ground ball on the front wearing an Orioles road jersey. The back notes his consistency and leadership as Baltimore’s starting shortstop at just 23 years old.
1985 Topps #480 – On the front, Ripken fields a ground ball and prepares to throw. The back recaps his 1984 season where he hit .304 with 22 home runs and 102 RBI, showing his potential as a superstar.
1986 Fleer Update #U-36 – This was Ripken’s first update card issued midway through the 1986 season. He bats left-handed on the front. The back highlights that he was hitting .309 at the time of the update issue.
1987 Topps #632 – Ripken hits from the left side on the front. The back notes his Gold Glove and All-Star selections in 1986 when he hit a career-high 27 home runs again. This established Ripken among the elite offensive shortstops in the game.
1988 Donruss #383 – Ripken fields a ground ball and prepares to throw on the front wearing an Orioles home jersey. The back highlights that he was the 1987 AL MVP and led Baltimore to the postseason for the first time since 1983.
1989 Upper Deck #79 – Considered one of the best baseball card designs ever, Ripken hits from the left side on the iconic Upper Deck front. The back has stats from his 1988 MVP season. This is one of Ripken’s most visually striking cards.
1990 Topps #672 – On the front, Ripken fields a ground ball and prepares to throw. The back notes he was the backbone of Baltimore’s lineup and highlights his Gold Glove winning season in 1989.
1991 Stadium Club #81 – Ripken hits left-handed on this beautiful Stadium Club artwork card. The back provides stats from his 1990 season where he hit .310 with 33 home runs and 114 RBI.
1992 Studio #S6 – This is one of Ripken’s rarer early 90s inserts featuring unique artwork. He fields a ground ball on the front. The back has a headshot and stats from his 1991 season where he hit a career-high 34 home runs.
1993 Finest Refractor #FR-CR – Considered the pinnacle Ripken rookie card, this refracting parallel marks the start of his incredible Iron Man streak. He fields a ground ball on the shiny front. The back has a reflective stats box from 1992.
1994 Upper Deck #1 – As the cover card of the flagship Upper Deck set, this captures Ripken right as his consecutive games streak was taking off. He bats left-handed on the iconic front.
1995 Fleer Ultra #33 – On this beautiful parallel card, Ripken fields a ground ball on the front. The back highlights that his streak was up to 303 games played consecutively at the time.
1996 Finest Gold Medallion #GM-CR – A 1-of-1 parallel, this dazzling card marks Ripken achieving 400 consecutive games played in 1995. He bats left-handed on the coveted gold front.
1997 Topps Gold Label #GL-CR – Another highly valuable parallel, Ripken hits from the left side on the shiny gold front as his streak neared 500 games. The back has a 3D embossed stats box.
1998 Topps #1 – Ripken graces the cover of the flagship set while breaking Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 straight games played on September 6, 1995. This captures a truly iconic baseball moment.
1999 Fleer Tradition Silver Signature #SS-CR – A rare autographed parallel, Ripken signs in silver on the front. The back has a hand-numbered serial plate marking his incredible career accomplishment.
2000 Upper Deck #560 – In his final season, Ripken bats left-handed on this retro-styled card before retiring after 21 seasons, all with the Orioles, in 2001.
2001 Topps Heritage #41 – Ripken’s final baseball card captures him tipping his cap on his retirement season. The back provides a career retrospective on the Hall of Famer.
From his rookie card in 1981 through his retirement in 2001, Cal Ripken Jr.’s baseball cards provide a who’s who journey of one of the greatest shortstops and players in MLB history. The iconic moments, records, accomplishments and visuals across decades of cards cement Ripken as one of the most collectible and recognizable names in the hobby. His legendary consecutive games streak makes his cards especially desirable for any baseball card collection.
