Dale Sveum had a long professional baseball career playing third base and coaching in the major leagues. As a player from 1981 to 1992, he had a respectable career batting average of .247 over 1,009 games played. However, Sveum is perhaps even better known for his managerial career that followed his playing days. He managed the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs between 2008 and 2013. Throughout his playing and coaching career, Sveum has been featured on numerous baseball cards that collectors still seek out today.
One of Sveum’s earliest baseball cards comes from his rookie season with the New York Yankees organization in 1981. That year, he was featured in the 1981 Topps set on card #664. The card shows a young Sveum in his Yankees uniform from that season, batting left-handed. Some key stats listed on the back include that he was born in 1961 and was drafted by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 1979 MLB Draft out of high school in Arizona. While Sveum didn’t make the Yankees roster that season, collectors still seek out this rookie card today as one of the earliest representations of him as a professional ballplayer.
Sveum’s true rookie card came the following season in 1982 after he made his MLB debut with the Yankees. He is featured in the 1982 Topps set on card #481. This card shows more development in Sveum as a player, showing him in his batting stance. The back of the card provides stats from his 1982 season where he hit .250 with 3 home runs and 13 RBI in 58 games played as mostly a utility player. While with a smaller print run than modern rookie cards, Sveum’s ’82 Topps is still a key piece for collectors of his early career.
After being traded to the Brewers in 1983, Sveum then appeared in the 1983 Topps set on card #479 wearing his new Brewers uniform. This marked the beginning of Sveum spending several seasons as the starting third baseman and a key contributor for the Brewers. Some of his best seasons came from 1984-1986 when he hit over .260 each year. He was featured prominently in the Topps sets of those seasons, including highlight cards showing big hits on the ’84 and ’86 issues.
Sveum continued switching teams in the late 1980s, playing for the Royals, Red Sox, and Cardinals before returning to Milwaukee for one final season in 1992. He appeared in the flagship Topps sets each of those seasons, including a memorable 1989 Topps Traded card showing him as a member of the Red Sox. Even after retiring, Sveum stayed involved in the game by working as a coach. This led to cameo appearances in later sets such as 2003 Topps Heritage where he is pictured as a third base coach for the Brewers.
In 2008, Sveum received his biggest card as he was named manager of the Brewers. He landed the coveted manager card in that year’s Topps Allen & Ginter set on card #277. This marked Sveum’s transition from player to coach being recognized in card form. He led Milwaukee for three seasons before taking over the Cubs in 2012, which included another manager card in 2012 Topps Heritage. Sveum’s time managing in Chicago was brief but included guiding the Cubs’ rebuilding process in his two seasons at the helm.
While no longer an active uniform manager, Sveum has continued to appear in baseball cards through the years. He is a mainstay in many alumni-style sets produced by companies like Topps, Leaf, and Panini. Whether as a former player or coach, Sveum lends his name and likeness to products that celebrate baseball history. Some modern notable issues include 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter (card #249) and 2021 Topps Archives (card #339). He also remains a popular signer at card shows and memorabilia signings across the country.
For collectors of Sveum’s playing career with the Brewers especially, his early 1980s Topps rookie and star cards hold significant value. Higher grade copies of his ’81, ’82, ’83, ’84, and ’86 Topps issues can fetch well over $100 depending on condition. But there is nostalgia and demand for any Sveum card from his time as both a player and coach in Major League Baseball. As one of the game’s most prolific utility players turned successful manager, Dale Sveum has made an impact that lives on through the baseball cards documenting his long professional tenure in America’s pastime.
