1989 Topps:

1. #749 Rafael Ramirez
2. #372 Craig Lefferts
3. #250 Cal Ripken
4. #70 Mark McGwire
5. #178 Mark Grant
6. #320 Lou Whitaker
7. #632 Bryan Harvey
8. #548 Bobby Witt
9. #437 Andy Benes (Draft Pick) (Rookie)
10. #681 Jeff Robinson
11. #526 Wes Gardner
12. #402 Mike Greenwell (All-Star)
13. #747 Wil Tejada
14. #197 Neal Heaton
15. #362 Jack Lazorko

Last January, McGwire finally decided to move on with his life and admitted to taking steroids.  He then took a job as the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

1999 Topps Series 1:

1. #216 Matt Burch/Seth Etherton (Draft Picks) (Rookie)
2. #201 Mark McGwire (Season Highlights)
3. #143 Dan Wilson
4. #112 Jaret Wright
5. #176 Bobby Jones
6. #237 Orlando Hernandez (World Series Highlights)
7. #196 Tony Fernandez
8. #97 Neifi Perez
9. #113 Aramis Ramirez
10. #31 Ryan Jackson
11. #82 Todd Dunwoody

“As with most of his 1998 achievements, Mark McGwire ended the suspense early in pursuit of the three-year home run record.  It took him only until August 22 to eclipse Babe Ruth’s 1926-1928 standard of 161 clouts in three successive years.  The record-breaker, his 52nd home run of the season, came in Pittsburgh — a 477-foot, first inning rocket to right-center on an 0-2 count.  That home run also broke the record of Johnny Mize (1947 New York Giants) for most ever by a National League first baseman.”

McGwire ended up hitting 180 home runs from 1996-1998.  However, he beat his own record in the following season by hitting 65 homers, adding up to 193 home runs from 1997-1999.  Even Barry Bonds never came close to McGwire’s 3-year record.  Steroids or not, it’s in the record books and I have a feeling that this record will stand for a long, long time.

1997 Topps Series 1:

1. #82 Benito Santiago
2. #135 Bret Boone
3. #14 Ricky Bottalico
4. #86 Mike Bordick
5. #217 Armando Reynoso
6. Sweet Strokes #SS10 Mark McGwire
7. #124 Juan Gonzalez
8. #188 Jeff Brantley
9. #19 Mike Mohler
10. #207 Glendon Rusch/Jarrod Washburn/Marc Wilkins (Prospects) (Rookie)
11. #102 John Mabry (Season Highlights)

The Sweet Strokes card is so sparkly and awesome to look at in the over-the-top 90′s design sense.  The scan doesn’t do it justice.

“Whatever the secret of hitting home runs with routine regularity, no one since Babe Ruth — except for McGwire — has been privy to it.  He generates incredible leverage with a stroke so short it almost looks as though he has not completely followed through.  Yet the ball erupts off his bat with record frequency.  His ability to drive through the ball is virtually unprecedented.”

The writing on the back of the card is a little funny in hindsight.  We all know what Mark McGwire’s “secret of hitting home runs” was now, and the card suggests that Babe Ruth shared the same secret.

1992 Stadium Club, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #458 Gary DiSarcina *x3
2. #459 John Smoltz
3. #460 Will Clark
4. #461 Dave Otto
5. #463 Dwight Evans
6. #464 Tom Brunansky *x2
7. #465 Shawn Hare
8. #466 Geronimo Pena
9. #467 Alex Fernandez
10. #468 Greg Myers
11. #470 Len Dykstra
12. #471 Jeff Johnson *x2
13. #472 Russ Swan
14. #474 Chuck McElroy
15. #475 Mark McGwire
16. #476 Wally Whitehurst *x2
17. #477 Tim McIntosh
18. #480 Carlton Fisk
19. #481 Jeff Plympton
20. #482 Carlos Martinez *x2
21. #485 Tim Teufel
22. #487 Jeff Reed
23. #489 Mel Rojas
24. #490 Ben McDonald *x2
25. #491 Andres Santana
26. #492 Chris Beasley
27. #493 Mike Timlin
28. #494 Brian Downing
29. #495 Kirk Gibson
30. #501 Mike Harkey

1992 Ultra All-Stars, to be integrated into my collection:

1. #1 Mark McGwire
2. #2 Roberto Alomar
3. #4 Wade Boggs
4. #5 Mickey Tettleton
5. #6 Ken Griffey Jr. *x2
6. #7 Roberto Kelly
7. #8 Kirby Puckett
8. #10 Jack McDowell

One of my gifts for Christmas in 1992 was a box of 1992 Fleer Ultra Series II.  It was the first and only hobby box of unopened packs I had ever owned until last year.  The cards are crisp and look really nice.  It’s a shame that the complete set of Series II only sells for a few bucks now, if anyone at all wants it.  After all, there are NO notable cards in Series II, and sadly, it’s the only set I’ve ever come close to completing:

1. #4 Leo Gomez
2. #18 Tony Pena
3. #27 Bryan Harvey
4. #35 Ozzie Guillen
5. #51 Mark Lewis
6. #62 Tony Phillips
7. #69 Jim Eisenreich
8. #74 Brent Mayne
9. #84 Bill Spiers
10. #94 Scott Leius
11. #95 Shane Mack
12. #102 Pat Kelly
13. #115 Mark McGwire
14. #116 Terry Steinbach
15. #121 Jay Buhner
16. #139 Ivan Rodriguez
17. #144 Pat Borders
18. #154 Duane Ward
19. #162 Tom Glavine
20. #165 Mark Lemke
21. #173 George Bell
22. #184 Jerome Walton
23. #193 Joe Oliver
24. #206 Darryl Kile
25. #208 Curt Schilling
26. #217 Mike Scioscia
27. #228 Tim Burke
28. #247 Mickey Morandini
29. #280 Bruce Hurst
30. #301 Brady Anderson *x2

1998 Topps Series 2:

1. #502 Checklist 284-442 (Checklist)
2. #325 Mark McGwire
3. #503 Checklist 443-MS10 (Checklist)
4. #326 Jose Cruz Jr.
5. #484 Derrick Gibson/Michael Coleman/Norm Hutchins (Prospects)
6. #389 Eric Young
7. #492 J.J. Davis/Troy Glaus (Draft Picks) (Rookie)
8. #304 Jason Kendall
9. #493 Jayson Werth/Dan Reichert (Draft Picks) (Rookie)
10. #302 Barry Larkin
11. #494 John Curtice/Mike Cuddyer (Draft Picks) (Rookie)

“The amazing McGwire batted against 27 teams in 1997 and homered against 26 of them!”

I wonder which team was the one that McGwire couldn’t homer off of?

I’ve just received a package from Stats on the Back, completing a trade for the Nick Evans Red Hot Rookies redemption card I received last week.  This is the first card trade I’ve done since, well, maybe 6th grade (for me, that was in the early 90′s).  Time and time again, I’m finding that card collectors these days are some of the most generous people around.

In exchange for the Nick Evans Red Hot Rookie, this is what Stats on the Back sent me:

1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire (USA) (Rookie)

And being a humble (and yes, we here in Washington are constantly humbled…) Nationals fan,

2008 Topps Retail Relics #RR-LM Blastings Thrillage (…I mean, Lastings Milledge)

2008 Topps Allen and Ginter #292 Elijah Dukes

2007 Topps Allen and Ginter #144 Manny Acta (Fired Manager)

2006 Topps Allen and Ginter #180 Jose Guillen

Thanks again Stats on the Back for for making my first trade a great experience.  I only wish I could find more from my collection to send you because you are too generous.  Maybe next trade…