Friday, October 10, 2008

1988 Topps


As much as I like to bag on Topps for being a bunch of bastards, I give them credit where it is due. This set is one of the most underrated Topps ever offered. Nice, simple, clean design with a nice player selection. It doesn't hurt that these were the guys from the 1987 A.L. East champs. The Twins cards look like shit though, but luckily for me I don't collect 'em.

My favorite card of the set isn't even considered by many to be a Tigers card. My rule of thumb is that if the featured player is pictured in a Tigers uniform, or card has a Tigers designation despite the player being in another uniform, then he's considered a Tiger in my book. While the Dickie Noles card itself is not that great, the story behind it is. According to retrosheet, he was loaned to the Tigers on Sept 22, 1987, as the Tigers were making their run at the A.L. East crown. He threw a total of 2 IP over 4 games, and inexplicably was returned to the Cubs one month later after the Tigers season had ended. 


The 1988 Topps Detroit Tigers:
14 Sparky Anderson
78 Dan Petry
106 Jim Walewander
128 Johnny Grubb
145 Bill Madlock
177 Fank Tanana
237 Mike Heath
267 Billy Bean
289 Dave Bergman
320 Alan Trammell
340 Jack Morris
366 Chet Lemon
389 Alan Trammell All-Star
393 Matt Nokes All-Star
429 Team Leader Card
449 Jeff Robinson
474 Tom Brookens
492 Doyle Alexander
499 Eric King
514 Pat Sheridan
552 Mark Thurmond
582 Mike Henneman
605 Kirk Gibson
630 Darrell Evans
645 Matt Nokes
668 Walt Terrell
713 Willie Hernandez
743 Larry Herndon
751 Jim Morrison
768 Dickie Noles
770 Lou Whitaker


There was a pretty powder blue box bottom card of Darrell Evans.... 
E - Darrell Evans

....as well as two Glossy Rookies....
7 Mike Henneman
8 Matt Nokes


There were a few cards in the Traded set. You can start to see that this bunch wasn't getting any younger.
59T Ray Knight
86T Gary Pettis
100T Luis Salazar
Laid down by at
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1 comment:

lookjona said...

What a great Noles card...it's almost as if he's saying, "What? I play for the Tigers?" Anyway, here are some more...

1988 Topps Glossy Send-Ins
The winner for this year's border color is....an odd purplish pink! Is it magenta? Fuschia?
10. Mike Henneman
17. Jack Morris
37. Alan Trammell
59. Matt Nokes

1988 Topps Mini Leaders
10. Darrell Evans
11. Jack Morris
12. Alan Trammell
13. Lou Whitaker

1988 Topps Big
These are flat out awesome. Landscape oriented, 2-5/8"x3-3/4", player name in a funky color swath below a headshot, action shot on rest of front, cartoons on the back. Very much like the 1956 Topps base set, only new players and glossy! 264 cards altogether.
8. Alan Trammell
34. Doyle Alexander
56. Larry Herndon
82. Darrell Evans
99. Lou Whitaker
123. Jeff D. Robinson
147. Chet Lemon
170. Jack Morris
185. Matt Nokes
206. Willie Hernandez
237. Jim Morrison
256. Mike Henneman

1988 Topps Sticker Backs
Cards on the back of stickers! Amazing! 67 in all.
38. Lou Whitaker
45. Alan Trammell
56. Matt Nokes
59. Jack Morris

1988 Topps Rite-Aid Team MVPs
Got that whole title? It tells you everything you need. Made by Topps, team MVPs, get 'em at Rite-Aid!
18. Alan Trammell
27. Jack Morris

1988 Topps UK Minis
Similar checklist to the Mini League Leaders set, distributed in the UK, blue stripe on top with stars in it.
26. Kirk Gibson
50. Jack Morris
54. Matt Nokes
79. Alan Trammell

1988 Topps Coins
Coins again...
21. Jack Morris
30. Alan Trammell

1988 Topps Cloth
VERY rare test set from Topps..the cards are actually printed on cloth. The front is the same design as the '88 base set, back is blank. Star cards go as high as $150-$200 each, commons around $40-$50 apiece. Good luck finding one.
6. Billy Bean
10. Dave Bergman
75. Jack Morris
78. Matt Nokes
102. Pat Sheridan
That's right...they put Billy Bean in a test set.

October 21, 2008 at 5:10 PM

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