Danny Ainge had a long and successful career in professional basketball, but before he found his calling on the court he pursued a career in professional baseball. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays out of Brigham Young University in 1981, Ainge enjoyed a few years playing in the minor leagues where he established himself as a skilled utility player capable of playing across the infield and outfield. While his baseball career was short-lived compared to his NBA stardom, Ainge’s time in the minors produced several collectible baseball cards that are prized by sports memorabilia enthusiasts to this day.

He made his professional baseball debut with the Syracuse Chiefs, the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, in 1981. That season, Fleer produced Ainge’s first baseball card as part of their 1981 Triple-A set (card #212). Depicting Ainge batting right-handed while sporting the Chiefs’ navy blue and red uniform, the raw rookie is clean shaven and sporting a feathered hairstyle popular among ballplayers in that era. The card itself features a blue and white border with photos of five other Chiefs players on the reverse. Numbers produced were relatively low for a minor league release, making early Ainge cards somewhat harder to find in pristine condition today.

In 1982, Ainge progressed up the Blue Jays’ minor league ladder with a promotion to the Double-A Knoxville Blue Jays. This year Topps honored Ainge with his first appearance in one of the major hobby brand sets – the 1982 Topps Traded set (card #T91). Donning Knoxville’s royal blue cap and jersey trimmed in orange piping, a close-up headshot depicts Ainge’s cheerful round face with hints of stubble. Now sporting a trimmed mustache and goatee, Ainge appeared more mature in his sophomore year on the cusp of a major league call-up. Limited print runs and Ainge’s popularity among dual-sport collectors have elevated the desirability of his early baseball cards.

After starting the 1983 season back in Knoxville, Ainge earned his first big league cup of coffee that June when he was called up by the Blue Jays. He debuted as a pinch hitter on June 4th against the Baltimore Orioles and legged out an infield single for his first major league hit. Unfortunately, he was hitless in just three at-bats over four games before being returned to the minors. Still, his brief stint in Toronto was commemorated with his first major league baseball card appearing later that year in O-Pee-Chee’s flagship set (card #580). Bat on shoulders in the Jays’ powder blue and white home uniform, it’s Ainge’s most iconic baseball card capturing his moment in The Show even if fleeting.

The 1984 season was Ainge’s full season at the Triple-A level returning to Syracuse. Two cards were issued featuring his final minor league appearance – a glossy photo issue by Fleer (card #511) and a more traditionalstock style card from Topps (card #481). By this point, Ainge had ditched the bushy mustache look and appeared clean cut with short dark hair parted down the middle. With another mid-season call-up seeming unlikely, it appeared Ainge was contemplating the next steps in his professional career. After just four seasons in pro ball, Ainge would make the difficult choice to retire from baseball and focus exclusively on his promising basketball career, signing with the Boston Celtics in 1983.

While his baseball playing days were behind him, Ainge’s legacy on cardboard lived on. Various traders and specialty sets throughout the 1980s and beyond featured reprints of his rookie and major league cards to satisfy demand from fans. In 1991, Leaf produced their “Blue Jays Alumni” set containing a vertical format portrait of Ainge’s smiling face from his Toronto debut season in an eye-catching design(card #45). In 2001, In The Game issued retro-styled replicas of Ainge’s rookie cards framed in a green border paying homage to his two-sport history(1981 #64, 1982 #124). As one of the few athletes to compete professionally in both baseball and basketball at the highest levels, Danny Ainge occupies a unique space among dual-sport collectors to this day.

For those who enjoyed following Ainge’s baseball career before he found basketball superstardom with the Celtics, his early minor league cards continue to be prized pieces of memorabilia. Scarce in high grades from his rookie seasons with Syracuse and Knoxville in the early 1980s, even playing worn or moderately graded examples command significant values today. It’s his 1983 O-Pee-Chee Toronto Blue Jays rookie card that remains the undisputed crown jewel of Ainge’s baseball memorabilia portfolio. Scarcer than his minor league issues yet carrying the cachet of commemorating his single cup of coffee in the bigs, examples rarely trade hands and six-figure price tags have been reported when they do. While basketball brought him his greatest team successes and individual accolades, Danny Ainge’s legacy as one of sports’ rare two-way professional talents lives on through his cherished baseball cards as well.