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!
The 1981 Atlanta Braves had a mostly forgettable season. The highlights included acquiring absolute legend Bob Walk from the Phillies in March, debuting new uniforms in April, and falling out of contention by May. While other teams seemed to re-load, re-fuel, or re-tool after the work stoppage, the Braves stayed at roughly the same lethargic pace in the 2nd half. They finished in 5th place in the NL West (yes, Atlanta is in the West). They had been stuck in quite the rut, having finished 4th or worse (usually worse) since the mid 70s, and hadn't won their division since 1969.
The first move following the 1981 season was to fire that bum of a manager, Bobby Cox. (Cox found a job weeks later in Toronto, and of course is best known for his next stint in Atlanta as General Manager then Manager of an unprecedented run of excellence. For the time being though, a bum!)
Cox gave way to another unremarkable skipper, former Milwaukee Brave Joe Torre. Torre, like Cox, had presided over a cellar-dwelling team for several seasons, with Torre sporting a .405 winning pct as manager of the Mets. And yet, the front office looked like geniuses, as Torre and the Braves won 13 straight games to start 1982. The team continued to be known for both winning streaks and losing streaks. The rest of the season the team was just over .500, but would find themselves see-sawing up and down the standings all year. The hot start certainly helped, as they won the division by a single game over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They had one final streak left in them for the post season, but unfortunately it was a 3 game losing streak in the NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cards:
Topps #32 Gene Garber - The team's closer in 1982, Garber had one of the best seasons in team history out of the bullpen. 30 saves and 2.34 ERA in 69 appearances will do that. Garber has a dubious record - he is the all-time losingest reliever in MLB history, having lost 108 career decisions out of the bullpen. The silver lining of course is that to earn such a record requires the talent and skill to be called upon on average 67 times a season to enter the ballgame. Garber had 218 career saves, and is the only reliever with over 200 career saves to never appear in an All-Star game. Garber was on the mound to snap Pete Rose's 44 game hit streak, striking out Charlie Hustle and earning his 16th save of the season.
Fleer #442 John Montefusco - The "Count of Montefusco" was now a few years removed from his sterling debut as a Topps All-Star Rookie for the Giants in the mid 70s. Now 31 years old, Montefusco relied on a wiser skill-set than his early free-wheeling days. The Braves used Montefusco as a swing man, starting 9 games and appearing in 17 more as a reliever. His antics, which wore thin in San Francisco again reared their ugly head in Atlanta, and he was suspended for missing a team flight, ending his 1981 season and his Braves tenure prematurely. Montefusco requested his release following the suspension and he became a free agent that off-season. The 1975 NL rookie of the year and 1976 All-Star would finish his career with a decent season in San Diego and a trio of less decent seasons in New York with the Yankees.
Fleer #444 Phil Niekro - When trying to come up with the MVP of the 1982 Braves, it helps to have a little context. The streaky Braves were streaking again, losing several games in a row, and their newly-acquired young gun Pascual Perez was a no-show on game day in mid August. It turned out that poor Pascual was going in loops, lost on the Fulton County freeways, so near but so far from the mound. Niekro, the long-time and long suffering Atlanta team leader, stepped in to take a spot start. For a Knuckleballer, pitching on 3 days rest is no big deal. Niekro made the August 19th start, and the team that had dropped 19 of 21 games started a new streak, now roaring back into first place with a 26-16 record for the rest of the season. Niekro won 17 games that season, out of 318 victories in his career.
Topps #482 Glenn Hubbard - Not known for his power, Hubbard's 1982 season is ironically remembered best for a key home run. Midway through the season, the Braves went into extra-innings against the Padres and Hubbard's walk-off homer sealed a sweep of a key double-header. The team ultimately won the pennant by a single game. Hubbard was an All-Star in 1983, and was a steady defender who led all NL 2nd basemen in Range Factor 6 times and Double Plays turned 3 times. He debuted in the big leagues when he was just 19 years old, part of a mostly young lineup of Braves in the late 70s, that became the core of the 1982 division winning team.
Fleer #445 Gaylord Perry - Perry was determined to get 300 career wins, having pitched for 5 different teams between 1979 and 1982. His one year stop in Atlanta in 1981 was hit or miss, heavy on the hits. He allowed a league high 182 base hits, but also showed his trademark impeccable control, leading the league in fewest walks per 9 innings as well. Perry led the Braves in innings pitched, no small feat with Phil Niekro in your rotation. The strike in 1981 most likely was the reason win #300 came as a Mariner in 1982 instead of as a Brave in 1981. He was just 3 wins short at the end of the 1981 season. Perry's "signature" pitch was the spitball, though he would never sign off on that version of the story. He was only ejected once in his career for using the pitch, and he never once admitted to throwing anything illegal, though anyone that asked would get a coy grin before the denial.
Fleer #438 Al Hrabosky - The strategy for the Braves pitching staff in 1981 seemed to be to get the youngest guys and the oldest guys possible. Hrabosky, known in his wilder days as "The Mad Hungarian," was now closing out a solid career. In 1981 Hrabosky appeared in 24 games and had a career best 1.07 ERA. He'd follow that in 1982 with a career worst 5.54 ERA in 31 appearances and was released mid season. This card is version #2 of 3. The first attempt had his name on the back as "All" Hrabosky. This version, like the first, also incorrectly lists his height as 5'1" That's the kind of thing that will make a Hungarian (or anyone, really) Mad indeed. Version three has the right name and lists all of Hrabosky's 5'10" frame.
Topps #668 Dale Murphy - While Phil Niekro was the heart and soul of the Braves since the mid sixties, Dale Murphy was certainly the face of the franchise by 1982. Murphy was the NL MVP in 1982 and followed it with a second straight MVP in 1983. He arguably had even better seasons in 1985 and 1987, capping off a very successful run of 6 straight All-Star campaigns. Had he held on for just a few more seasons at that rate, he would no doubt have been a Hall of famer. As it stands, his 7 year peak in the 80s ranks him among some of the very best hitters of all time. His 1982 season may look less impressive when compared to the post steroid and post launch angle eras, but he led the league in RBI and hit 33 homers. During his peak, Murphy averaged 110 runs scored, 174 hits, 36 homers and 106 RBI with a 145 OPS+. His career numbers place him squarely in the Hall of "Very Good" but few players could match him in the 1980s.
Topps #268 Bob Walk - The Man, The Myth, The Legend! Bob Walk's time in Atlanta started with an off-season trade before the 1981 season. Walk had just pitched in the 1980 World Series for the Phillies, winning game one. Walk pitched sparingly in 1981 for Atlanta, with just 8 starts in the strike shortened campaign. In 1982, he came back with a solid 11-9 record, but was only used in relief in one inning of the three NLCS matchups against the Cardinals. Walk would be sent to the minors for additional seasoning in 1983, 84, and 85. The Pirates would come to their senses and call Bob up to the big league club where he flourished as a mid-rotation juggernaut. The 1988 NL All-Star finished his pitching career with a 105-81 record.
Topps #145 Bob Horner - Horner skipped the minors entirely, being drafted #1 overall by Ted Turner and the Braves in 1978 and he responded with 23 homers in the 89 remaining games of that season. Horner was named NL rookie of the year, and his prodigious power remained throughout his time in Atlanta. He is probably best known today for being one of the few players in MLB history to hit 4 homers in a single game. Despite this feat in 1986, collusion made getting a free-agent contract in 1987 nearly impossible, and Horner instead spent a year in Japan, in which he crushed 31 homers and slugged a Ruthian .683. He returned to the states for one more season, now with the St. Louis Cardinals (who notably could have used a slugging 3b/DH type in 1987 against the Twins. Not saying, just saying). When he came back, things weren't quite the same and he was released after just 60 injury filled games.
Ok, what do you consider to be "vintage" baseball cards? Pre-war/pre-Topps? 1960s/70s? 1995? I was curious about Rollie Fingers' definition of vintage when he put his name on this box in 2004, promising "7 Vintage Cards Per Pack."
A Brief Video Interlude of the first 2 packs...
This was an impulse purchase - I wanted to bust open some packs and I was looking at a wall of uninspiring 80's and early 90's offerings when I spotted this box all alone for $10.
This is a typical pack - there's no vintage there, at least based on most accepted definitions. I would say "vintage" should be 15 - 20 years old, at least. Technically 2003 to 1983 works, but to me that should be the most recent card. The definition of vintage today is generally 1979 or older-- the offerings from the 1980's and 1990's are rarely placed in vintage bins or boxes at card shows.
The "vintage" definition aside, after opening a few packs, patterns began to emerge.
It was borderline comical! P.S. there were no Rollie Fingers cards in the box, though he was still in the league in the early 80's.
Ha, joke's on you, Rollie! Technically those two shades of red on the '91 Topps logo represent variations! So you didn't give me 6 identical Tom Glavines, instead there were 3 each of the two variations. Don't know if it counts, but half of the Kent Hrbeks had printing smears on the front, the other half did not...
The oldest card in the whole box? 1980 Topps Hosken Powell. The newest? 1995 Pacific Omar Olivares. 1995?!?! Less than 10 years old when it was placed in the box. C'mon, man!
The best thing in the box was in the very first pack (I'm thinking this is by design?) - a 1983 Starline Sticker of Mickey Mantle. You can find a copy on COMC for around $5, so I can say that I spent $5 to get this sticker, and I paid another $5 for some very elaborate packing material.
Here it is! In my opinion, the 1986 Topps Traded set is the best of the cardboard box sets. Maybe not in monetary value, or design prowess, but to me this is the set with the most excitement! The rookie class in the set is second to none, and any set with myth/man/legend Bob Walk is a keeper.
The Hall of Famers in the set are of the grizzled veteran variety, though when the set came out, I'm sure most baseball fans and analysts would be shocked that these were the only three guys. Niekro was still tossing his knuckleball, Seaver was maybe not as Terrific as he once was, but still an excellent veteran pitcher. Dick Williams is a Hall of Famer for his managerial career, which included the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox of 1967, 2 World Series Titles in Oakland, turning the Expos from and expansion team to a playoff contender, and taking the Padres to their first World Series in 1984.
On to the Rookies! Bonds may still be joining the three Hall of Famers someday, he is the All-Time leader in Home Runs, Walks, Intentional Walks, and won 2 batting titles, 7 MVPs, went to 14 All-Star games, 8 Gold Gloves, and 12 Silver Sluggers. Bobby Bonilla will get his last paycheck from the Mets in 2035, part of a unique contract structure that is worth reading about. Jose Canseco, of course has been covered at length on this blog and others. The Oakland great probably could have been in the Hall as well if not for the Steroid controversy swirling around him. Bo Jackson may have been the most hyped of all. A Football Superstar and Baseball prodigy, Bo was an athlete without a peer in 1986.
He played just 53 minor league games before being called up to the Royals, and would only return for injury rehab stints in later years. Probably no other player in the 80s was filled with so much potential for greatness, and the hip injury he sustained as a Raiders running back robbed him and fans of a promising baseball career. Jackson has no regrets, however, and his comeback in Chicago and with Angels proved just how remarkable his determination and strength was.
This set was so loaded with rookies, there's a whole crop of just 1st basemen / future 1st basemen!
This post doesn't even include guys like Todd Worrell, Milt Thompson, Pete Incaviglia, Dan Plesac, who had solid MLB careers.
Just one Twins player in the set, so you know I'm not playing favorites - they'll get the star treatment in next week's post on the next year's traded set. Pastore was a long time Cincinnati Reds pitcher, joining the team in 1979. '86 was his final season in the big leagues.
Some of my favorite pictures from the set. Technically, that's a Jim Leyland rookie card, as the Pirates were his first managing gig. I just heard a fun anecdote about Franklin Stubbs on an MLB Network clip. Mark DeRosa was talking about Michael Brantley, and mentioned that his swing reminded him of Garrett Anderson, very smooth and fluid mechanics. DeRosa went on to say one of his minor league hitting instructors was Franklin "Ticket" Stubbs, and that Stubbs told DeRosa that he needed to have a love song playing in his head at the plate, so his body could move to the right rhythm to hit.
Oh No! Poor Claudell has the dreaded "airbrushed pinstripes" treatment from Topps. He'd go on to have some of the best seasons of his career in the Bronx, though, so he got the last laugh.
