Tag Archives: 1989

1989 BASEBALL SCORE CARDS

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Baseball score cards have been used by fans attending games for over a century to keep track of the action on the field. The 1989 MLB season produced some memorable individual and team performances that fans who kept score that year would remember recording on their cards. That season saw key developments and changes that are reflected in the design of score cards from that year.

Baseball was still enjoying high popularity in the late 80s, though the steroid era was just around the corner. World Series winners in the late 80s included the Detroit Tigers in 1984, Kansas City Royals in 1985, New York Mets in 1986, and Minnesota Twins in 1987 and 1991. The 1989 season saw the Oakland Athletics win the World Series, defeating the San Francisco Giants.

Score card designs in 1989 generally included space to track outcomes of each at-bat through the traditional tallies of hits, runs, errors, and putouts. With 24 players on a team’s active roster plus reserve players and starting pitchers, accommodating all possible players on a card required multiple lines. Most mainstream cards from companies like Scoremaster, E-Z Score, and Topps featured grids with 3-4 rows and 9-10 columns tailored for tracking 9 innings of play.

Some key player and team performances to look for on 1989 baseball score cards include Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers recording his 5,000th career strikeout. At age 42, Ryan remained one of the most dominating pitchers in the game. Another notable pitching performance was Montreal Expo Mark Langston throwing a 1-0 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on September 11th. The Oakland A’s roster that would go on to win the World Series starting to come together, with key additions like Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart solidifying the lineup.

The dominance of the New York Mets and teams in the National League East also stood out. The Mets went 100-60 behind pitchers Dwight Gooden and David Cone to win the division by 21.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the NL East the previous three seasons but fell to third place behind the Mets and Cardinals in 1989. In the American League, the AL East was highly competitive with only 4 games separating first place Baltimore and fourth place Boston. The Toronto Blue Jays finally won their first division title.

Card designs in 1989 also began incorporating space dedicated specifically to tracking pitching statistics beyond just outcomes of at-bats. Additional rows were added below the grid for tallying numbers of innings pitched, hits allowed, runs allowed, walks issued, strikeouts recorded and earned run averages. This recognition of the importance of pitching stats reflected their growing prominence in baseball analysis. Color schemes on cards remained mostly basic – blue or black grids printed on tan or white stock paper.

Prominent players whose performances statistically stood out in 1989 and would be evident when tallying hits, runs and RBI on a score card include Rickey Henderson of the A’s smashing a single-season record of 119 runs scored and 42 stolen bases. Cincinnati’s Nick Esasky led the NL with 40 home runs and 114 RBI while Toronto’s George Bell had a league-high 134 RBI. Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking 5,000th strikeout came in Texas’s 1-0 victory over Toronto on May 1st. His season tally of 223 strikeouts in just 170.1 innings was also impressive.

Attendance records from the 1989 season also speak to baseball’s popularity, showing why fans still diligently kept score. The Baltimore Orioles set an all-time single season MLB attendance record of 4,030,770 that still stands today. Four other teams (Toronto, San Francisco, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee) exceeded 3 million fans. College and high school baseball also remained hugely popular as evidenced by Louisville Slugger continuing to be a dominant manufacturer of bats, batting gloves and other gear prominently marketed to younger players.

Through the 80s, baseball cards also evolved in their incorporation of more color photos and statistics on the back. These developments allowed stats from the 1989 season recorded on score cards to be cross-referenced with specific baseball cards to jog memories of key performances. Venezuelan pitcher Liván Hernández debuted with the Marlins as an 18-year-old and though he only pitched 12.2 innings in 1989, baseball card collectors could look to his rookie card for details on his early career.

Into the late 80s and early 90s, intangible elements like increased corporate money, national television contracts, expansion franchises, player strikes and steroids would continue altering the business of baseball. But for fans keeping score at games in 1989, the cards were a connection to enjoying the simplicity of just tracking the on-field action of America’s pastime during one of its peak eras. Even today, combing through a well-kept 1989 score card could spark fond memories for fans of all the timeless aspects of baseball that united generations.

VALUE 1989 BOWMAN BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1989 Bowman baseball set was issued at the tail end of the junk wax era but still contained some valuable rookie cards that have stood the test of time. While not as iconic as sets from the 1950s or even the 1980s, the 1989 Bowman set deserves analysis due to continued interest in the rookie cards it featured over 30 years ago.

One of the most notable rookie cards from the 1989 Bowman set is Ken Griffey Jr. As one of the most talented players of his generation, Griffey put together a Hall of Fame career and remains one of the most beloved players in history. His rookie card from the 1989 Bowman set is highly sought after by collectors even decades after its original release. In top mint condition, a Griffey Jr. 1989 Bowman rookie card can fetch thousands of dollars, with a PSA 10 Gem Mint example recently selling for over $25,000. Even well-centered near mint copies in the PSA 8-9 range sell for hundreds of dollars, showing the strong, enduring demand for Griffey’s rookie card.

Another star rookie from the 1989 Bowman set is Gregg Jefferies of the New York Mets. Considered a can’t-miss prospect at the time, Jefferies showed flashes of brilliance but never lived up to his enormous expectations. Even so, his rookie card has maintained value among collectors. In top PSA 10 grade, a Jefferies 1989 Bowman rookie card recently sold for close to $1,000. Most graded Jefferies rookies in the PSA 8-9 range sell in the $100-300 range. While not in Griffey’s stratosphere, the Jefferies rookie manages to retain 4-figure prices in top condition decades later.

Two other notable rookie cards from the 1989 Bowman set that have high values are Dwight Gooden and Kirby Puckett. Gooden was already an established star by 1989 but his card is still desirable as it shows him with the New York Mets, for whom he had his biggest success. Top graded PSA 10 Gooden rookies from 1989 Bowman have sold for over $500. Kirby Puckett’s rookie card is iconic for Twins fans and collectors. While not the highest valued card, a PSA 10 Puckett 1989 Bowman rookie has sold for over $300. Most PSA 8-9 examples trade hands in the $100 range or above.

Beyond the star rookie cards, the 1989 Bowman set contains other cards that have appreciated due to strong player performance and dedicated collector demand. For example, Barry Bonds had an MVP-caliber season in 1989 and his bass card from that year’s Bowman set has gained value accordingly. A PSA 10 Bonds 1989 Bowman card recently sold for over $400 on the secondary market.

Other notable veterans with valuable cards in the 1989 Bowman set include Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, and Ozzie Smith. All three were superstars by 1989 with Hall of Fame careers and their Commons or bass cards have retained collector interest. High graded examples in PSA 9-10 grade will typically sell in the $50-200 range depending on the specific player and year.

While most of the commons or basic cards from the mammoth 1989 Bowman set have little intrinsic value, demand exists for stars at key points in their careers. Even basic or “bass” cards of future Hall of Famers and all-time greats like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Wade Boggs and Rickey Henderson manage to retain collector value in high grades when the players are pictured in their primes.

Beyond the star rookie and veteran cards, there are also a few other key subsets and parallels from the 1989 Bowman baseball set that can hold higher values. The Glossy Sendbacks subset, which features players photographed with a glossy border around their image, has gained a cult following among collectors. High graded examples of stars like Griffey or Bonds in this subset can reach upwards of $100 even for basic cards.

The Ted Williams Career Highlights subset is also highly regarded. Featuring nine cards highlighting memorable moments from Williams’ career, pristine PSA 10 examples of the most notable highlights like his 1941 MVP season or his 500th home run have cracked the $1,000 price point at auction. Lower graded ones are still highly collecting in the $100-500 range.

In terms of parallels, the Glossy All-Stars parallel subset of 20 cards picturing the 1968 All-Star teams in a glossy foil style is among the most valuable. Ken Griffey Jr is featured in this subset, and a PSA 10 example of his card recently sold for $1,500. Other stars like Brooks Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, and Don Drysdale in high grades will also attract prices in the $100-500 range.

While certainly not in the class of the premier vintage sets from the 1950s-1970s, the 1989 Topps Bowman baseball card set contains enduring value for key rookie cards, star veterans and notable subsets and parallels from three decades ago. Led by star performers like Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds and other Hall of Famers, select cards from the 1989 issue demonstrate the long-term potential of the hobby. Today’s prices have climbed far beyond the “junk wax era” label generally applied to late 80s/early 90s sets. With a vintage patina developing, the 1989 Bowman set remains an attraction for dedicated collectors.