The 1991 Donruss baseball card set was released at the start of the 1991 MLB season and commemorated the action from the 1990 season. It was the 12th Donruss baseball card set issued and featured cards of players and managers from all 26 MLB teams at the time.
Some key things to know about the 1991 Donruss baseball cards:
Set size: The base card set included 792 total cards. This included current players, managers, and team checklist cards for each franchise.
Design: The cards featured a classic Donruss design with a horizontal layout. The team logo appeared on the left side of the card and a color action photo took up the majority of the space. Player stats and a short bio appeared on the back.
Rookies of note: The ’91 Donruss set featured the rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Chipper Jones and Jim Thome as well as other notable rookies like Moises Alou, Jermaine Dye, and Todd Helton.
Short prints: There were no true “short print” cards inserted at lower ratios in the base set. Some cards like managers and team checklists were rarer pulls from packs.
Parallels: The only insert set was the 100-card “Diamond Kings” parallel subset, which featured glossy photo variations of star players. These were about 1 per wax box.
Inserts and variations: Outside of the Diamond Kings, there were no special inserts, autographs, or memorabilia cards in the base 1991 Donruss set. Error and printing variation cards have become popular with collectors in recent years.
Design changes: Compared to previous Donruss designs, the ’91 set had a cleaner and simpler look with larger photos and less text on the fronts. Card stock was also thinner than older Donruss issues.
Production: Donruss was still one of the “Big 3” trading card manufacturers along with Topps and Fleer in 1991. The set was widely distributed in stores, vending machines, and as inserts in packs of Donruss gum.
Some key players featured in the 1991 Donruss set include:
Nolan Ryan (Astros): At age 44, Ryan’s card was one of the most sought after as he was still an active player chasing career records. He won his 300th game in 1990.
Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners): Griffey’s rookie season in 1989 made him one of baseball’s rising young stars going into 1991. His card is one of the most iconic from the set.
Roger Clemens (Red Sox): The reigning AL Cy Young winner and MVP in 1990, Clemens’ power pitching made him one of the sport’s biggest draws.
Barry Bonds (Pirates): In his age 26 season of 1990, Bonds began showing signs he would develop into one of the best hitters in MLB history.
Rickey Henderson (A’s): “Rickey being Rickey,” he was still dominating on the basepaths and at the plate for Oakland in 1990 with 65 stolen bases.
Wade Boggs (Red Sox): The model of consistency, Boggs hit over .300 for the ninth straight season in 1990 and won his fifth batting title.
Ozzie Smith (Cardinals): A wizard with the glove at shortstop, “The Wizard” was in his prime on both sides of the ball for St. Louis.
In terms of rarity and value, here are some key points about high-dollar 1991 Donruss cards:
Chipper Jones rookie card – Highly sought after by Braves fans and fetches over $100 PSA 10.
Ken Griffey Jr. – One of the most iconic baseball cards ever. $500+ raw in top-grade. Autos very rare and valuable.
Nolan Ryan (Astros) – As one of Ryan’s final cards before retirement, it can go for $150+ in gem mint.
Roger Clemens – $50-100 PSA 10 for the dominant Red Sox version at his peak.
Barry Bonds rookie – Pre-fame Bonds rookie is still affordable at $30-50 raw but has long-term potential.
Error cards – Printing mistakes and variations are popular. An off-centered Jim Abbott card sold for over $2,000 recently.
Diamond Kings parallels – These shiny parallel versions of the biggest stars can demand $50-150 in top shape.
The 1991 Donruss baseball card set was one of the most popular issues of the early 1990s. Featuring future Hall of Famers and some of the biggest names in the sport at the time, it remains a highly collectible vintage release for fans and investors. Key rookie cards like Chipper Jones and Jim Thome will likely hold their value long-term.