Later, his stretch from 1982 to 1987 was one of the most dominant in Major League Baseball as he was twice voted MVP, made six-straight All-Star teams while winning five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers. Heck, he even dated "Miss New York" Debra Sue Maurice from the Miss USA Beauty Pageant. Despite missing the call to the Hall, Murphy was a hero to many kids who collected during his brilliant run in the 1980s, and today those kids are adult collectors with money to spare, keeping his cards in decent demand. Most Expensive of All-Time. Each 1-13/16" by 3-1/4" card featured a small full-color portrait of the player with his name printed below his image on the left side of the card. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. It has full gloss and is slightly askew. Murray appeared in his second All-Star Game that season and finished things off with a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote, one of six times he finished in the top five in his storied career. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals would slam the door on any hopes that Jackson and the Yankees had for a World Series ring when they swept them in the 1980 ALCS. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. To top it all off, he earned his sixth All-Star selection, sixth Gold Glove, and second Silver Slugger award. On our list is an ungraded card featuring the 1981 Boston Red Sox, it was probably signed by the manager for the team, it is currently worth $72. They didn't call him "Steady Eddie" for nothing. Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, . The 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is such a beautiful card. Baseball Cards. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. Had Los Angeles's Fernando Valenzuela's not been so dominant in 1981, dousing the baseball world in "Fernandomania," Seaver would have earned his fourth Cy Young as he finished runner-up. For example, in November, 2018 you could find one in PSA 10 grade for around $100 but after he was voted into the Hall they started selling for north of $600 and continue to climb today. You can almost feel the tension in this card as he's poised and just waiting for the perfect moment to break for second. This Baseball card is in very good condition, with sharp corners and slight wear on the lower right corner. Jackson found a groove in the team's ALDS victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .300 with a .933 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI. On the field, Jackson had his worst offensive season since his sophomore campaign as he slashed a modest .237/.330/.428 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI. Rod Carew and George Brett were not only two of the greatest hitters of their era but of all time, so seeing them both on the same card is quite a treat. 1 Rickey Henderson #119. 20 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards Of The 1970s. The card features famous baseball player Reggie Jackson and is worth $75. Despite this seemingly unjustified absence from more "Midsummer Classics," Yount is considered to be the greatest Milwaukee Brewer in the franchise's history. Set Links - Overview - Checklist - Teams - Errors / Variations - Hall of Famers - Rookies . Keith was a baseball first baseman. During the 1977 season, Andre Dawson batted .282 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI, which earned him NL Rookie of the Year honors. Seaver would play one more year for the Reds in 1982 when he posted a 5-13 record before heading back to the New York Mets the following year. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. Though it may be light on key rookie cards, this set is certainly not light on stars and Hall of Famers. Grade. 724 Lou Piniella. After all, Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time, whose records for runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) may very well never be broken. This is a rare Topps card from 1981 containing his signature. Its one thing to have an expos future stars card signed by one of the 3 players, however, the value and rarity goes all the way up when you have the signatures of two players on one card. However, Schmidt led baseball in multiple offensive categories, including home runs (31), RBI (91), OBP (.435), slugging percentage (.644), OPS (1.080), OPS+ (198), and total bases (228). He was a two-sport star in baseball and basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, so it wasn't too shocking that the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Utah Stars (ABA) and San Diego Padres (MLB) each drafted him. Heres an amazing baseball card that in my opinion should be worth more than it currently is. Most Valuable Baseball Cards of All Time . Cards #1-6 in the set feature different highlights that several different players achieved during the 1979 season. The player who played the most games at first base in major league history was Eddie Murray, who amassed 2,413-lifetime games at the position along with nearly 600 more as a designated hitter. Given how consistently great Murray was for so many years, it just seems unimaginable that he didn't lead in one of those two categories at least one other time. Brett's career batting average of .305 wasn't quite as good, but he did put up the better single-season effort when he batted. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # You own: 0 / 1202 items 0% Track your collection for free. 207 Ozzie Smith Record Breaker - Padres. We are user supported. 204 Ron LeFlore / Rodney Scott Record Breaker - Expos. On the right side were four rows of six . There are only 7 examples of this card in circulation at the time of this writing that have achieved that gradeso they're very scarce. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads about 1981 Topps Baseball Cards.When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brav. The 1981 Topps baseball card set consist of 726 standard size cards that measure 2" by 3". Bench was also known for the long ball as he led the league in home runs twice and finished his career with 389. Coming off a 1980 season in which he finished runner-up for the AL MVP award, New York Yankees right fielder Reggie Jackson looked to keep the momentum going in 1981. Murphy was outstanding during the 1980s as he racked up two MVPs, seven All-Star selections, five Gold Gloves, and four Silver Sluggers on his way to becoming one of the most popular players in baseball. . Murray's first three seasons in the Majors were incredibly productive, but he kicked things up a notch in 1980 as he batted .300, belted 32 home runs, scored 100 runs and drove in another 116. After the Royals split their first twenty games of the second half, he was fired, and former Yankees manager Dick Howser took the reins. Prices are updated daily based upon 1981 Fleer listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. And finally, we're down to none other than Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest baseball icons of the 1980s and the game's greatest speedster to ever play. The card has been authenticated by the famous Beckett grading service. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 19 Most Valuable 1981 Topps Baseball Cards Price List. The 1977 AL Rookie of the Year, Eddie Murray made his cardboard debut in the 1978 Topps set, making his rookie card one of the most iconic of the 1970s. And in this guide, I'll run through the ten most valuable. Things weren't always rocky during Jackson's time in New York, though, as they did win back-to-back World Series titles in 1977 and 1978. No. The following season, Seaver was as sharp as ever as he finished with an incredible .875 winning percentage after going 14-2 on the mound. They finished the season with a .546 winning percentage in front of 1,060,379 fans who saw them play. This card is worth $45 but could go higher. The cards featured in this list represent the most coveted and desired of all 1981 Topps Baseball cards. Donovan Mitchell was one of the standouts in a loaded 2017-18 NBA rookie class. 1981 Topps Enrique Romo Signed Pittsburgh Pirates, 15. The card features St. Louise Cardinals Batter Ted Simmons and is worth $49.45. Cards. That means the card needs to be flawless. Murphy struggled a bit during the 1981 split season as his batting average fell to a paltry .247 and his slugging percentage plunged to .390 from .510 the year before. Ryan dazzled on that fall afternoon in Houston, striking out eleven and walking just three. Total Cards: 726. Easily the most valuable gem mint in the set, this card from the Man of Steal garners between $600-900 on the secondary markets. 1981 Topps Gary Carter Autograph Card, 25 Most Valuable 1981 Fleer Baseball Cards In The World, 19 Most Valuable 1976 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 25 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Most Valuable 1988 Topps Baseball Cards In The World, 29 Most Valuable 1989 Topps Baseball Cards In the World, 25 Rarest and Most Valuable Quarters Worth Money, 24 Rarest and Most Valuable State Quarters Worth Money, 25 Rare 50 Dollar Bills: Value And Price Chart, 26 Rarest And Most Valuable Pennies Worth Money, 15 Rarest and Most Valuable Sacagawea Coins Worth Money, Rarest and Most Valuable Charizard Pokemon Cards, 29 Most Valuable Shaq Rookie Cards Ever Sold, 29 Most Valuable Frank Thomas Cards Youd Find On eBay, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Topps Baseball Cards, 29 Most Valuable 1992 Leaf Baseball Cards in the World, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Upper Deck Baseball Cards Worth Money, 29 Most Valuable 1991 Skybox Basketball Cards For Collectors. He also had a flair for the big hit and helped Philadelphia to a 34-21 record in the first half to secure a playoff spot for the Phillies halfway through the season. Shortcuts: Most Expensive, Cheapest, List by Card # While Pete Rose set records elsewhere in the Phillies lineup, third baseman Mike Schmidt set the National League ablaze. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? The Reds finished a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West in the first half. However, what raised eyebrows was that the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 17th round of the NFL Draft despite having never played college football. With the first card in the checklist, Topps paid tribute to both Lou Brock and Carl Yastrzemski crossing the 3,000 career hits mark that would put them in exclusive baseball company forever. $68.95. Henderson posted a brilliant 1.144 OPS against New York, but the rest of the Oakland lineup went dead silent. Click on a Card detail page to see historic prices and values for all different grades. Ozzie was always one of my favorite players to watch as a kid as his acrobatic defensive play left fans in awe time after time as he went on to collect 13 Gold Glove awards. Year-by-year ranking of the most valuable Topps Baseball Rookie Cards from 1952 to 2020. Like everyone else, the shortened season didn't help his overall output but some key indicators had fallen off noticeably. Henderson has two cards in the 1981 Fleer which feature photographs that appear to be taken just seconds apart. He played parts of four seasons in the MLB between 1979 and 1986, with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Montreal Expos. The move worked as the Royals responded by winning 20 of their last 33 to make the playoffs. Ungraded & graded values for all '81 Topps Baseball Cards. Smith felt more welcomed by the Cardinals ownership and management and settled in quite nicely to be one of the franchise's most beloved players in team history.