Jose Oquendo is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and third baseman who played from 1985 to 1995. While he never achieved stardom as a player, Oquendo had a respectable 11-year MLB career and is still fondly remembered by fans of the St. Louis Cardinals, the team he spent the majority of his career with. Among collectors of baseball memorabilia, Oquendo is best known for the baseball cards that were produced featuring him during his playing days in the 1980s and 90s.
Oquendo made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 1985 at the age of 23. His rookie cards from that season are among the most sought after by collectors interested in Oquendo memorabilia. Some of the notable Jose Oquendo rookie cards include his 1985 Fleer card (#411), his 1985 Topps card (#621), and his 1985 Donruss card (#459). Of those, the 1985 Topps rookie card is generally considered the most iconic and valuable, due to the prestige associated with Topps’ flagship baseball card series. First-year Oquendo cards in near-mint or better condition can fetch over $100 from avid collectors.
Following a respectable rookie season where he batted .265 in 58 games, Oquendo became a full-time starter for the Cardinals in 1986 and began receiving more prominent placement and better photography on his cards. His 1986 Donruss card is particularly well-regarded by collectors for its vivid action shot of Oquendo making a jump throw from deep in the hole at second base. Card collectors at the time also took note of Oquendo continuing to get better with each new card company and series, showing improvements in his pose, uniform number visibility and overall photography quality.
Oquendo’s breakout season came in 1988 when he posted career-highs with a .302 batting average, 48 RBIs and 14 stolen bases for the NL East division-winning Cardinals. Naturally, baseball cards featuring Oquendo from 1988 are extremely popular with collectors today. His flagship 1988 Topps card (#439) remains one of the most iconic of his career design-wise, showing Oquendo crouched down ready to field a ground ball with excellent card photography. Near-mint 1988 Oquendo cards can sell for $50-75 depending on demand.
Throughout the late 1980s and early 90s, Oquendo continued being well-represented in the high-profile card sets issued each year by the major companies like Topps, Donruss and Fleer. As a consistent starter and contributor to playoff-contending Cards teams, Oquendo secured spots in popular sets like Topps Traded, Topps Gold and Donruss Preferred during this time. Some of his highest valued cards include rare parallels and parallel signatures pulled from premium 90s sets that saw short print runs.
While injuries limited his playing time some in the early 90s, Oquendo still achieved career-highs with a .293 average and 42 RBIs in 1991. He also appeared on special 1991 World Series cards after the Cardinals defeated the Minnesota Twins. High-numbered Jose Oquendo cards from rare 1991 World Series sets have sold for over $500 in the secondary market. Oquendo’s final season was 1995 when he played in just 28 games before retiring at age 35. He received cards in the 1995 studio-issued sets as a way to commemorate his Cardinals career.
Since retiring as a player, Oquendo has remained involved in the game as a respected coach. He spent over 20 years on the Cardinals’ major league coaching staff before being let go after the 2018 season. Oquendo’s post-playing career coaching tenure has led to modern cards being produced featuring him in a non-playing role over the past two decades by companies like Upper Deck, Topps, Donruss and Panini. Some highlights include legendary parallels pulled from high-end sets like 2008 Playoff Prestige.
While Jose Oquendo didn’t achieve baseball’s highest honors as a player, he had a memorable 11-year MLB career and developed a strong fan following in St. Louis. As a result, his baseball cards spanning the 1980s and 90s remain popular with collectors today looking to reminisce about Oquendo’s solid if unspectacular playing days with the Cardinals. Rarer parallels and serial-numbered cards continue fetching large sums. No matter the specific issue, Jose Oquendo cards serve as a reminder of a dependable infielder who gave his all for many seasons in St. Louis.