Allen Bored
When I started this series of articles I was doing it for fun and it gave me an excuse to buy trading cards again without spending a lot of money to do so. Before obtaining these old, worthless packs I could have counted on one hand how many packs of trading cards I had purchased in the last 15+ years. But my friends I have a startling confession…I have become a collector again and fallen off the trading card wagon. You know I told myself just one pack, just one hit would be enough for me. I could quit at any time I told myself but that was a lie. In just the past two weeks I have purchased the following baseball card boxes:
2010 Upper Deck Jumbo Box
2011 Topps Heritage Hobby Box
2011 Topps Heritage Minor League Hobby Box
2012 Topps Series 1 Hobby Box
2012 Topps Series 2 Jumbo Box
2012 Topps Heritage Hobby Box
2012 Topps Heritage Jumbo Box
2012 Topps Pro Debut Hobby Box
2013 Bowman Hobby Box
2013 Topps Series 1 Hobby Box
2013 Topps Archives Hobby Box
2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Hobby Box
2013 Topps Heritage Hobby Box
2013 Topps Opening Day Hobby Box
And I know it’s not over. I’ve already made up my mind to buy some future Topps releases that come out next month and I have a handful of pending bids on E-Bay. Where does it all end? Do I end up in some run down, local card shop giving out hand jobs for Bryce Harper cards?
Since Topps controls the baseball card universe, and now my wallet, for the next three weeks I’ll be opening Topps packs. For better or worse Topps has an exclusive license with MLB to produce cards these days but Topps has always been the granddaddy of baseball cards. My first ever trading cards I owned were 1986 Topps. Back then I thought having a Pete Rose card was the greatest thing ever. He’s the all-time hit leader and he’s a player/manager, the card will probably end up being worth thousands!
The 1992 Topps set definitely holds some nostalgic appeal to me as it’s one of only two factory sets that I ever owned, 1989 Score Football was the other. 1992 marked a couple of significant changes for Topps as they went to a white card stock and what was probably considered blasphemous at the time, they stopped putting gum in the packs. But while the set has some historic significance it is truly worthless with Manny Ramirez’s rookie card being the only one worth a damn. Not only did I not get a card in this pack that broke that magical $1 barrier, I couldn’t even get a card worth 50 cents! I actually received two 1992 Topps packs in my worthless pack order so I’m reviewing the more interesting of the two.
#3
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 58 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 120 ERA+, 1.2 WAR
The record in question that Reardon broke in the previous season was he had his tenth consecutive season with 20+ saves. The mark has since been broken by Lee Smith (13) and Mariano Rivera (15). On June 15th of ’92 Reardon would break Rollie Fingers’ career save record (box score) but he would hold that record for less than a year as he’d be passed by Smith. Of course record is now held by Rivera. Later in the season Reardon would be traded to the Braves in a waiver deadline deal for a couple of minor leaguers. And one more Reardon factoid, I share a birthday with him (October 1st) along with Mark McGwire, Rod Carew, and, ugh, Matt Cain.
#14
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 289 PA, .258/.285/.422, 98 OPS+, 0.0 WAR
The former big time prospect would open the season as the Phillies starting left fielder but would be sent down in May. He was called back up in June, his season was ended in August due to a severely sprained ankle.
#110
Card Value: $0.40
1992 Stats: 687 PA, .304/.371/.510, 145 OPS+, 7.8 WAR
Excellent season for Sandberg, only his ’84 MVP season was better. Before the season started he signed a 4-year, $28.4 million contract extension which made him the first player to crack the $7 million/season barrier.
#148
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 121 IP, 1.364 WHIP, 85 ERA+, -0.5 WAR
Young was the #55 rated prospect by Baseball America entering the season but didn’t exactly pan out. On May 6th he would take a loss against the Reds (box score) which would be the first of a Major League record 27 consecutive losing decisions for him, a streak that would stretch into late July of the following season. Ironically in ’92 he would tie for the Mets team lead in saves as he filled in at closer for an injured John Franco.
#260
Card Value: $0.10
1992 Stats: 696 PA, .248/.303/.390, 90 OPS+, 6.1 WAR
White won his fourth of seven consecutive Gold Gloves and by advanced fielding metrics this was the best year of his career defensively. He flashed the glove in Game 3 of the World Series with a spectacular catch in the 4th inning, robbing David Justice of extra bases and saving two runs on a play that also should have resulted in a triple play. Let’s go to the videotape!
#293
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 77 1/3 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 100 ERA+, 0.2 WAR
Down year for the usually reliable Tigers closer.
#328
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 74 2/3 IP, 1.67 WHIP, 6.39 ERA (AAA)
#59 rated prospect going into the season, Johnston made the Royals active roster out of Spring Training but after an awful couple of weeks he was sent down and pitched the rest of the year at Triple-A Omaha where he struggled as well.
#337
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 42 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 91 ERA+, -0.2 WAR
After being a key late season addition to the Braves pennant run the previous season, Pena struggled with elbow problems in ’92 which necessitated the previously mention trade for Jeff Reardon. He’d eventually require Tommy John surgery and miss the entire ‘93 season.
#369
Card Value: $0.10
1992 Stats: 148 1/3 IP, 1.64 WHIP, 4.19 ERA (A+)
Whitaker was the #33 overall pick in the 1991 Draft by the Giants, he spent ’92 with their high Single-A club in San Jose. He would never make it to the Majors.
#391
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 602 PA, .259/.321/.415, 102 OPS+, 3.5 WAR
Although he was voted by the fans as a starter for the All-Star Game, his first selection, this was a down year for Gant. He struggled in the postseason as well and during the World Series was benched in favor of Deion Sanders. The most interesting thing about Gant in ’92 was before the season he got into a bar fight with future congressman, and great grandson of a Hall of Fame manager, Connie Mack IV. Read here for all the ball punching details.
#532
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 130 PA, .209/.273/.252, 49 OPS+, -0.8 WAR
Huff was the weakest part of a four headed, light hitting, right field monster for the White Sox in ’92 along with Dan Pasqua, Shawn Abner, and Warren Newson.
#641
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 244 PA, .224/.271/.283, 55 OPS+, 0.3 WAR
Howard a very good, defensive utility infielder but was one of the worst hitters in baseball. His ’92 numbers are pretty much in line with his career numbers (.229/.291/.303). He actually was named the Royals starting shortstop out of Spring Training but injured his back early in the season which caused him to miss two months.
#708
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 75 1/3 IP, 1.63 WHIP, 86 ERA+, 0.4 WAR
Bolton would be traded midseason to the Reds for Billy Hatcher.
#740
Card Value: $0.10
1992 Stats: 557 PA, .294/.350/.441, 128 OPS+, 3.6 WAR
This was a breakout year offensively for Caminiti. That season the Astros played a record 26 game road trip due to the Republican National Convention taking place in the Astrodome.
#745
Card Value: $0.05
1992 Stats: 379 PA, .283/.390/.346, 112 OPS+, 1.4 WAR
Magadan moved from first base to third base this season after the Mets signed Eddie Murray. His season was ended in early August after breaking his wrist.
My Other 1992 Topps Pack
#103 Ricky Jordan
#139 Jeff Innis
#228 Eddie Whitson
#295 Alonzo Powell
#320 George Bell
#327 Jay Buhner
#419 Wally Whitehurst
#434 Wally Backman
#447 David Segui
#544 Cliff Brantley
#572 Greg Vaughn
#578 Lee Guetterman
#612 Pat Kelly
#614 Al Osuna
#636 Greg Harris
Next Week: I open a Topps football pack and further updates into my collecting depravity.
Please visit the Sports Cards Hobby Thread on the TRTSM forums.
3 Comments
Leave a Reply