Jose Cruz was a Major League Baseball player from 1971 to 1987 best known for his days playing right field for the Houston Astros during their glory years in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Cruz put together a very respectable 17-year career, racking up 2,000 hits and playing a part in helping the Astros reach new heights as a franchise. Due to his longevity in the big leagues and role as a star player for Houston during their rise, Jose Cruz has accumulated a nice collection of baseball cards that remain popular with collectors to this day.
One of Cruz’s earliest card issues from the early 1970s is his 1972 Topps rookie card. Featuring a shot of Cruz in an Atlanta Braves uniform from his early days in the majors before being traded to the Astros, the 1972 Topps Jose Cruz RC is a key piece for any collector looking to chronicle his career. It’s a more common issue from that year and can regularly be found for under $10 in worn condition. Still, for Cruz and 1972 Topps completionists, it’s an important piece of cardboard history.
Cruz’s breakout seasons came in the late 1970s after being traded to Houston, so many of his scarcer and more valuable baseball cards derive from the late 1970s issues by Topps. Two of his most iconic and sought after include his 1977 and 1979 Topps cards. The 1977 features a very classic Astros portrait shot of Cruz and is a standout among 1970s issues due to the bright yellow and orange Astros colors. High grade examples often sell in the $25-50 range. Cruz’s 1979 Topps issue takes things up a notch in terms of rarity and collector demand. The photo shows Cruz fielding a ball in the outfield and has a beautiful design aesthetic. Graded copies regularly bring $75-150 and raw examples over $30.
Outside of the main Topps sets, Jose Cruz also had notable issues in some of the more specialized releases of the late 1970s. Two examples include his 1977 TCMA Astros team issue card, which was targeted towards Houston fans and collectors at the time. With its retro design inspired by 1920s tobacco cards, the Cruz TCMA is highly sought after, with PSA 10 examples recently selling for over $500. Cruz also had a coveted spot in the legendary 1977 O-Pee-Chee set, featuring the same photo as his iconic 1979 Topps but now enclosed in a colorful O-Pee-Chee border. Near mint O-Pee-Chee Cruz cards change hands for $150-300.
Moving into the early 1980s, Jose Cruz continued producing memorable baseball cards as the Astros achieved new heights. Some of the top Cruz cardboard from this time period includes his flagship cards in the 1980 through 1983 Topps sets. The 1980 in particular stands out, as it captures Cruz swining mid-motion in an action shot. High grade 1980 Cruz Topps cards are valued close to $100. His 1982 Donruss issue is also a colorful and popular card that can be acquired for under $20. Cruz closed out the decade with notable cards in the 1987 Topps and 1987 Donruss sets from his final major league season.
In the modern era, Jose Cruz cards have found new collectors through special retro releases and commemorative sets. In 2005, Upper Deck released their ‘Upper Deck Timeline’ set to celebrate legendary players and teams. Cruz’s Timeline Refractor parallel card proved very popular amongst Astros collectors, routinely hitting prices over $50 raw on the secondary market. Topps also paid tribute to Cruz’s career with inserts in their recent ‘All-Time Fan Favorites’ and ‘Topps 1980 40th Anniversary’ sets. And in 2019, Panini honored their past ‘Donruss Optics’ design with a retro parallel of Cruz’s iconic 1982 Donruss issue.
While Jose Cruz may not be a true “star” in the hobby like some of baseball’s all-time greats, his playing career and signature years with the Astros have still translated into a nice collection of collectible cards spanning the 1970s through today. For Astros fans and vintage baseball card collectors, key Cruz cardboard from his star eras in Houston remain some of the more coveted and investment-worthy issues to pursue. Even after all these years, the cards continue to tell the colorful story of Jose Cruz and remind fans of some of the franchise’s finest moments in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
