It's 2017. It's been 30 years since the legendary 1987 Topps set was released. If you don't think it's legendary, then tell me why there are so many 1987 Topps themed sets that have been released the last few years.
I love the set and it will always be one of my favorites. 1987 was the first year that I collected trading cards, completing both the Topps and Donruss sets. During the college and post-college years, I got rid of most of my junk wax era cards. I did keep the 1986 Topps (my first cards ever), 1987 Topps and 1987 Donruss sets. Unfortunately, they were lost a little more than two years ago when my childhood home caught fire.
I decided to hand-collate the 1986 and 1987 Topps sets for nostalgic purposes. Yes, I could have bought complete sets cheaper, but it's just not the same. Cheaper doesn't always mean better to me. I'm almost finished with the 1986 Topps set and have a couple of 1987 Topps boxes ready to go when the time comes.
With the popularity of the 1987 Topps set, I was surprised that one hadn't been opened and posted on APTBNL. There is a cello pack post, but with the 30-year anniversary upon us, I felt many would enjoy this look.
After 30 years, the gum is completely stuck to the card. I can turn it upside down and the gum doesn't fall off. To be honest, I thought the card was going to suffer paper loss as I was removing the gum.
1987 Topps Baseball Wax Pack
1987 Topps #605 Todd Worrell
1987 Topps #605 Todd Worrell (back)
There was no way that I couldn't show the gun stain on the back of this card. Per wikipedia (always there, sometimes accurate), Todd Worrell "is currently the pitching coach at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis and also coaches for the River City Rascals of the Frontier League."
I would have loved this card in 1987. I was a Braves fan.
1987 Topps #791 Lance Parrish
LANCE PARRISH HOT PACK!
1987 Topps #101 Carl Willis
Carl Willis is currently the pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox.
1987 Topps #546 Mike Morgan
Per the Mike Morgan wikipedia page: "Morgan currently resides in Ogden, Utah and owns "World Championship Outfitters", a company which takes people on private hunts with Morgan as the guide. In 2010, he created the "Robinson's Transport Wounded Warrior Hunt", a hunting trip for military members who have received a Purple Heart.[3] He also instructs youth baseball players one-on-one through the company "Ultimate Sports"."
1987 Topps #774 Wayne Krenchicki
Wayne Krenchicki was the only player in the pack that I couldn't recall ever hearing of before. It turns out that he never played in the majors in or after 1987, which explains why. Per wikipedia: "He is currently the manager of the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League."
1987 Topps #752 Dan Petry
Dan Petry's son, Jeff, is a defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens.
I've heard that Topps won't even honor football redemptions from 2015, so I doubt they will honor this.
1987 Topps #150 Wade Boggs
Did you know that Wade Boggs credits Mr. Perfect for saving his life in 2001?
"Wade Boggs met Curt Hennig, better known as wrestling legend Mr. Perfect in 1983 and the two became fast friends, often hunting and fishing together. In fact, during a hunting trip in 2001 Hennig saves Boggs’ life. While deep in the woods, Boggs became entangled in a barbed wire fence, which badly lacerated his leg and rendered him unable to walk. Boggs rushed to his friend’s aide and untangled him from the fence, then carried Boggs over a mile through the thick brush to their truck and transported him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Boggs likely would have bled out and died from his injuries had Hennig not been with him and acted so heroically. Sadly Hennig died of a cocaine overdose on February 10th 2003, and was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 by his friend Wade Boggs." via sportsmasher.com.
The Boggs card was easily the best card in the pack.
1987 Topps #646 Mike Mason
Mike Mason will be the Chicago Cubs minor league assistant pitching coordinator in 2017.
From chicagocubsonline.com: "Mike Mason begins his fourth season as assistant pitching coordinator after spending the previous six years as Triple-A Iowa’s pitching coach. He has 25 years of coaching experience following a seven-year big league playing career with Texas (1982-87), the Cubs (1987) and Minnesota (1988). Prior to joining the Cubs, he served as Kansas City’s minor league pitching coordinator (2004-07), while also handling interim pitching coach duties at the Major League level in 2004. Mason served as pitching coach for Philadelphia’s Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre club in 2002-03 after serving as Kansas City’s minor league pitching instructor the previous two seasons (2000-01). He began his coaching career in Kansas City’s minor league system from 1991-99."
1987 Topps #112 Alan Ashby
Alan Ashby loved this card so much that he had the highest home run total of his career (14) in 1987. Ashby was the lead color commentator for the Houston Astros until the end of the season. I can't find if he's taken a new job for this season.
1987 Topps #169 Ron Washington
Ron Washington managed the Texas Rangers from 2004-2014 and is currently the third base coach for the Atlanta Braves.
1987 Topps #379 John Russell
John Russell managed the Pirates from 2008-2010 and has been the Orioles bench coach since 2011.
1987 Topps #317 Clint Hurdle
I swear that the Russell and Clint Hurdle were back-to-back. After Russell was fired, Hurdle was hired as the Pirates manager. He was named National League Manager of the Year in 2013.
1987 Topps #559 Lance McCullers
I can't find anything on what Lance McCullers did after his playing career ended, other than be a dad. His son, Lance, is a pitcher with the Houston Astros.
1987 Topps #516 Ted Simmons
Ted Simmons had a 21-year major league career, finishing with 2456 hits, 248 homers and a .285 batting average. He is a borderline Hall-of-Famer, but is not in. If you just search "Ted Simmons" on the interwebz, the first page has three articles about why he should be in the Hall of Fame. He has remained in baseball since his career ended and currently works for the Braves.
1987 Topps #214 Omar Moreno
1987 Topps #214 Omar Moreno (back)
BRAVES HOT PACK! I would have loved this pack in 1987. Also, I had to show off the wax stain.
Omar Moreno is the final player in the pack and the second one that didn't play in the majors in 1987. Per wikipedia, "Moreno has returned to Panama since his retirement. He and his wife Sandra have run the Omar Moreno Foundation, a youth baseball charity for underprivileged kids in Panama. Moreno assumed the title of Secretary of Sports, a position created by then-President-elect Ricardo Martinelli in May 2009."
Hopefully you enjoyed the look at the cards, or at least the trip down memory lane. You can follow APTBNL on twitter at @namedlater and me at @beansbcardblog. Please take a look at and follow my personal blog, I Feel Like a Collector Again.
I didn't start collecting until 1988, but a couple of years ago I built a 1987 set through trades with bloggers. I didn't bust one pack or buy one card at my LCS, a card show, or on-line. It was the most fun I've had building a set! If you're short of a set after you rip your two boxes, then I'm sure the blogs will be able to help. There seems to be a bunch of 1987 cards still out there. LOL
9 comments:
This is a great design...I first saw it in the 1992-93 Topps Archives NBA set. I like hearing what they have done since they ended their careers.
I didn't start collecting until 1988, but a couple of years ago I built a 1987 set through trades with bloggers. I didn't bust one pack or buy one card at my LCS, a card show, or on-line. It was the most fun I've had building a set!
If you're short of a set after you rip your two boxes, then I'm sure the blogs will be able to help. There seems to be a bunch of 1987 cards still out there. LOL
I miss hearing Alan Ashby.. Between stints with the Astros, he did radio for the Jays.
I can still smell these packs just by seeing the pictures. That delightful cardboardy, waxy, pink gum smell...
I liked these cards so much as a kid that I would mix them up, put them back in packs, iron them closed and open them again.
That was a great trip down memory lane, thanks for the post!
I liked listening to the Astros broadcasts with Alan Ashby. He'll be hard to replace.
Lot's of guys either still in the game or having admirable post baseball lives. Good pack.
The memories! That was the first baseball card set I collected as well! Still have it after all these years!
agree: 87t is a legendary set
disagree: i think the hurdle (possibly mccullers) was the best hit in the pack. both feature great action shots
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