1990 Topps Traded:

1. #127T Mitch Webster
2. #70T Ben McDonald (Rookie)
3. #62T Fred Lynn
4. #18T John Candelaria
5. #61T Jim Leyritz (Rookie)
6. #126T Hector Villanueva (Rookie)
7. #34T Bill Gullickson

“Perhaps the most dominating pitcher in college baseball last season, Ben started the 1989 campaign with 44-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.  Armed with his 95-MPH fastball, he posted Complete Game Victories vs. Korea and Puerto Rico for USA team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Ben earned First Team All-America honors at LSU in 1988.  Also voted to First Team All-Southeastern Conference Squad.“

1990 Topps Traded:

1. #15T Tom Brunansky
2. #58T Tim Leary
3. #47T Stan Javier
4. #67T Mike Marshall
5. #88T Bob Patterson
6. #1T Darrel Akerfelds
7. #81T Matt Nokes

“Matt made his All-Star Game debut: 7-14-87. He belted 1st Championship Series Home Run 10-12-87.”

Matt Nokes is currently the pitching coach of the Lincoln Saltdogs, an independent professional baseball team in Nebraska.  I’m not sure how he landed the pitching coach job though, because he never pitched a professional baseball game in his life.

1990 Topps Traded:

1. #72T John McNamara (Manager)
2. #131T Matt Young
3. #49T Jeff Kaiser
4. #125T Randy Veres
5. #112T Dave Schmidt
6. #24T Mark Davis
7. #33T Travis Fryman (Rookie)

“Travis was signed as a 3rd round Draft selection of the Tigers, June 6, 1987 by Scout Jax Robertson.  He was Eastern League All-Star shortstop at London in 1989.”

Travis was a star shortstop for the Detroit Tigers in the 90’s.  He represented the Tigers in the All-Star Game four times.

1990 Topps:

1. #62 Ramon Martinez
2. #732 Ernie Riles
3. #34 Tony Fossas
4. #497 Dave Schmidt
5. #767 Tracy Jones
6. #708 Larry Sheets
7. #216 Ricky Jordan
8. #147 Chuck Finley
9. #550 Julio Franco
10. #262 Checklist 2 of 6 (Checklist)
11. #265 Pete O’Brien
12. #651 Rafael Santana
13. #627 Jose Rijo
14. #67 Scott Sanderson
15. #267 Mark Davidson
16. #609 Sparky Anderson (Manager)

I remember there was quite a bit of hype about Ramon back in 1990.  He was selected to his only All-Star game in 1990 and pitched a no-hitter in 1995.  After that, he was overshadowed by his even more successful brother, Pedro.

I’ve finally acquired hobby boxes for every Topps Traded/Updates set that was distributed in wax pack form since 1985.  This includes 1990, 1991, 1995, and 2001-2008.  Over the next couple weeks I’m going to break each of these boxes and open up the inaugural pack for all to see.

Today I’m going to start with 1990 Topps Traded.  These came 36 packs to a box, with each pack containing 7 cards and no gum.  The cards were made with brighter colored borders to distinguish from the regular cards.

Word of advice: Don’t pay more than a few dollars for a box of 1990 Topps Traded.  The only cards of note are the David Justice and John Olerud rookie cards, which might go for a few pennies if you could find any buyers.  Sad.

Here we go:

1. #121T Russ Swan (Rookie)
2. #122T Bob Tewksbury
3. #16T John Burkett
4. #78T Randy Myers
5. #93T Dan Petry
6. #26T Edgar Diaz
7. #97T Luis Polonia

“Russ was signed for Giants by Scout Andy Korenek”

who cares?

UPDATE:  In April 2006, Russ Swan fell down a flight of stairs and died.  Bummer man.

Well, now that I’ve collected one of each regular series basic Topps hobby box from the past 25 years, and integrated every regular series basic Topps card from my old collection into my new collection, I’ve decided to foray into Topps Traded and Topps Updates sets.  I felt bad for not getting 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights last year, and it’s gonna be a long offseason if I don’t get this year’s Update set, so the decision has been made… 25yearsofbaseball will include Topps Updates A.K.A. Topps Series 3.

I was never into the Topps Traded sets when I was collecting as a kid, probably because most of the time they were only available as complete sets.  In 1990, I did get my hands on a few packs of 1990 Topps Traded.  It’s a completely worthless set that I wouldn’t pay more than the price of a Starbucks coffee today.  The only cards of note in the set are David Justice and John Olerud rookie cards, which were cool in 1990, but with our hindsight we know that those players are not exactly Hall of Fame material.  Beckett lists the complete set as going for anywhere between $1.25 and $3.00.

1990 Topps Traded #130T Dave Winfield

So without further ado, here are my 1990 Topps Traded archives, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #4T Steve Avery
2. #6T Carlos Baerga (Rookie)
3. #9T Mike Blowers (Rookie)
4. #15T Tom Brunansky
5. #16T John Burkett
6. #19T Gary Carter
7. #20T Joe Carter
8. #27T Wayne Edwards (Rookie)
9. #32T John Franco
10. #45T Jeff Huson
11. #47T Stan Javier
12. #53T Brad Komminsk
13. #58T Tim Leary
14. #65T Candy Maldonado
15. #67T Mike Marshall
16. #69T John Marzano
17. #71T Jack McDowell
18. #75T Alan Mills (Rookie)
19. #78T Randy Myers
20. #80T Junior Noboa
21. #84T Greg Olson (Rookie)
22. #86T Dave Parker
23. #89T Alejandro Pena
24. #90T Tony Pena
25. #95T Tony Phillips
26. #100T Willie Randolph
27. #101T Jeff Reardon
28. #105T Kevin Romine
29. #108T Bill Sampen (Rookie)
30. #109T Juan Samuel
31. #110T Scott Sanderson
32. #112T Dave Schmidt
33. #116T Don Slaught
34. #119T Paul Sorrento (Rookie)
35. #121T Russ Swan (Rookie)
36. #130T Dave Winfield

1990 Topps #757 Larry Walker (Rookie)

1990 Topps archives, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #697 Mike Davis
2. #699 Jim Leyland (Manager)
3. #700 Kirby Puckett
4. #703 Jeff Brantley
5. #706 Geno Petralli
6. #708 Larry Sheets *x2
7. #710 Von Hayes
8. #712 Todd Benzinger
9. #725 Terry Pendleton *x3
10. #726 Gene Nelson
11. #732 Ernie Riles
12. #733 John Dopson
13. #738 Gene Harris (Rookie)
14. #740 Jesse Barfield
15. #741 Steve Wilson
16. #742 Ernie Whitt *x2
17. #744 Kelly Mann (Rookie)
18. #745 Hubie Brooks *x2
19. #747 Randy Bush
20. #749 Mark Parent
21. #750 Dale Murphy
22. #753 Chris Speier
23. #756 Ken Howell
24. #757 Larry Walker (Rookie)
25. #759 Tom Trebelhorn (Manager)
26. #764 Tim Teufel
27. #765 Chili Davis
28. #770 Cory Snyder
29. #780 Orel Hershiser
30. #786 Eric King
31. #788 Frank DiPino
32. #789 John Wathan (Manager)

1990 Topps #517 Roberto Alomar

1990 Topps archives, to be integrated with my collection:

1. #465 Kevin Gross
2. #470 Frank Viola
3. #471 Mike Brumley
4. #473 Joe Price
5. #475 Bob Welch
6. #479 Frank White
7. #480 Sid Fernandez
8. #481 Garry Templeton
9. #482 Steve Carter (Rookie)
10. #484 Mike Fitzgerald
11. #485 John Candelaria
12. #487 Steve Searcy
13. #492 Ron Oester
14. #500 Kevin Mitchell
15. #501 Matt Young
16. #503 Randy St. Claire *x2
17. #505 Kelly Gruber
18. #508 Terry Leach *x2
19. #510 Doc Gooden
20. #517 Roberto Alomar


1990 Topps #570 Cal Ripken

21. #521 Craig Worthington (Topps All-Star Rookie)
22. #522 Mike Dunne
23. #524 Daryl Boston
24. #528 Kevin Wickander (Rookie)
25. #531 Ken Caminiti *x2
26. #532 Cecilio Guante
27. #533 Tim Jones
28. #534 Louie Meadows
29. #541 Pat Perry
30. #546 Kevin Hickey
31. #550 Julio Franco
32. #553 Scott Scudder (Rookie)
33. #554 Jay Buhner *x2
34. #556 Gene Larkin
35. #558 Rafael Ramirez
36. #559 Andy McGaffigan
37. #563 Alex Sanchez (Rookie) (Future Star)
38. #564 Tyler Houston (Draft Pick) (Rookie)
39. #568 John Smiley
40. #570 Cal Ripken