I Love the 80s - 1981 New York Yankees

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!



In 1980 , The Yankees won the AL East with a record of 103-59. They ran into a buzz saw in the ALCS and were swept by the Kansas City Royals. To be fair, game one of that series was the only one that wasn't close. The following season, they would once again win the AL East (in the 1st half) to earn a playoff berth. This time, the Yankees would beat 2nd half champion Milwaukee in the Division series, then took care of Billy Martin's Oakland A's in the ALCS. They would fall short of the ultimate goal, however, when the Dodgers would beat them out for the World Series.

1981 was the end of the Reggie Jackson era in New York. During his time with the Yankees, they would win the AL East in 4 out of 5 seasons, go to 3 World Series, and win 2 of them. Of course, Jackson alone was not enough to secure that success, his tenure was the high watermark for the franchise in the 70s and 80s.

The Cards:
Donruss #231 Luis Tiant - "El Tiante" won 229 games over his 19 year career, and spent 2 years as a Yankee. In 1979, he compiled a 13-8 record with a 3.91 ERA. He was a 20 game winner 4 times, and twice led the league in ERA. Tiant's 1980 season Saw his ERA climb to a career high, but he made 25 starts for the Division champs.

Fleer Star Stickers #118 Rich Gossage - It was with New York that Gossage solidified his Hall of Fame resume, as the team's closer on both the 1978 and 1981 World Series teams. He was already a perennial All-Star, defining the role of the late inning reliever in the 70s and 80s. He was the AL Saves leader in 1980, and in 1981 he had a 0.77 ERA during the regular season. In the 81 ALDS, he saved all 3 Yankee victories. Over his career, he closed out 8 World Series games, notching 2 saves. 

Topps #400 Reggie Jackson - As the straw that stirs the drink, Reggie made the biggest splash in the post season. He has 10 career homers in the World Series, including a streak of 4 homers in 4 swings starting with his final at bat in game 5 of the 1977 World Series. Jackson is the All-Time MLB leader in Strikeouts, but also was on 5 World Series winners, which is certainly a fair trade off.

Fleer #86 Ron Davis - Davis was an unlikely All-Star in 1981, as a middle reliever for the Yankees. In his first full season of 1979, he racked up 14 victories out of the bullpen. He would be traded to the Twins and served as their closer for several seasons. He even pitched in the Senior Professional League, also as the closer for Sun City. 

Topps (Traded) #855 Dave Winfield - The biggest free agent available heading into the 1981 season was Dave Winfield, so that 's who George Steinbrenner was going to sign. There was some concern that Winfield and Jackson would clash, but the pair both had productive seasons that secured the 1st half championship. Winfield was the team leader in hits , doubles, and RBI. Over 9 seasons with New York, he'd have over 1300 hits, 205 homers, and more than 800 RBI. 

Fleer #87 Graig Nettles - While Reggie Jackson gets a fair share of credit for the success of the late 70s Yankees dynasty, one could make a case for Graig Nettles as well. In 1977, it was Nettles that was the team leader in Wins Above Replacement. He was a Gold Glove 3rd baseman in 1977 and 1978. In 1981, he would be the hero of the ALCS, hitting .500 with 9 RBI in 3 games. 

Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars #3 Reggie Jackson - The 1977 and 78 seasons get a lot of attention in Reggie's illustrious career, but his best season as a Yankee was probably his 1980 campaign. He was the runner up for the MVP award and led the AL in homers. He hit a career high .300 and had a stratospheric OPS+ of 172.

Topps #550 Tommy John - Tommy John finished 4th in the Cy Young balloting in 1980, sporting a 22-9 record and league leading 6 shutouts. He was a Dodgers ace before he came to the Yankees, and an Angels Ace after that. Of course, before he came to New York, he had an experimental surgery done to repair a torn ligament in his elbow. He made a painful and difficult recovery and resumed his career where so many pitchers before him had been forced into an early retirement. He had 3 20 Win seasons and 3 All-Star appearances post surgery, and ranks 26th All-Time in Career Wins. 

Donruss #351 Yogi Berra - With the volatility of the Yankees' manager position, having Yogi appear on a card as a bench coach could have been a smart bet for the next Yankees' skipper. Steinbrenner would make a change mid way through the 1981 season, firing Gene Michaels and re-hiring Bob Lemon, who was a previous Billy Martin replacement. Berra would have to wait until 1986 to get his shot again. He won the AL pennant in 1964 and the NL pennant in 1973 with the Mets. As a player, of course, Berra was a 3 time MVP, 14 time All-Star, and 10X World Series Champ. Not too shabby.