Donnie Baseball and the Quest for the Greatest Rack Pack of All-Time
I recently added a couple items to my collection that got me thinking. What would be the greatest rack pack of all time? Now partly because it was the hey day of rack packs and partly because it's the decade I know best, I immediately decided to focus on the 1980s. (Apologies if you were imagining a 1952 Topps rack pack with Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson or a 1933 Goudey rack pack with Ruth, Ruth, and Ruth!)
Babe Ruth: His 1926 World Series Glove & Our Chance To Preserve History
What I like about the question is that it requires more than just thinking about the top cards of the decade. For instance, who wouldn't love a 1989 Upper Deck rack pack (had such things existed) with Griffey showing, but then you'd still need to figure out your two other players. (And sorry. Griffey-Griffey-Griffey is not allowed.) Obviously, the set has no shortage of superstars and cool cards to choose from. For instance, I might go with the triple-exposure Nolan Ryan and the Kirk Gibson World Series card. Still, there's a part of me that feels like the greatest rack pack ever should have an even better "big three" than that.
F*ck Face or Junior? The Most Iconic Card of 1989
The same is true for 1989 Fleer and the F*ck Face card. No doubt Billy Ripken makes the cut, as does the Fleer Griffey rookie card, but then what? I LOVE the Bo Jackson from that set. Ditto Orel Hershiser. But again, I'm not sure we've hit GOAT (or should I say GRPOAT?) status.
A Short History of Naughty Bat Knob Cards
While we're on the subject of Fleer, can we take a minute to remember what an utterly glorious set 1984 Fleer was? It was excellent back then, and it only gets better with time. At least for me, two of the rack pack slots are obvious ones: Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry. Then and now, these are two of the decade's greatest cards. As for the third slot, again we have plenty to choose from. If I could cheat, I'd throw in the 1984 Fleer Update card of Doc Gooden, but playing by the rules I might go with my favorite Superstar Special from the set: George Brett, Gaylord Perry, and the famous Pine Tar Incident.
Readers on this site likely know that my favorite set of the 1980s is 1985 Donruss, and that's exactly where my mind went first. (Okay, not true. My mind didn't actually have to go there because it's always there!) Without a doubt, the Doctor is in, no ifs, ands, or buts. From there, however, there are almost too many possibilities. Awesome rookie cards from the set include Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett, Orel Hershiser, and Eric Davis, none of whom would be the wrong answer. (Personally, my nod here goes to Davis.) And if rookies aren't your thing, the Montreal Expos card of Pete Rose and the "Two for the Title" card with Winfield and Mattingly are pretty elite. Oh, or how about a Diamond King?
While I won't surrender Doc under any circumstances, how insane would a 1985 Donruss rack pack be with these three cards?
And if this pack is fire today, just imagine how huge it would have been 40 years ago when Donnie Baseball ruled the Hobby. I'm not sure there's any need to keep looking. All hail the GRPOAT, no doubt about it! The only question then is does it actually exist? Basic combinatorics tells us the Hit Man Trifecta should occur roughly once per 50 million rack packs. While that may sound like long odds, this is the Junk Wax Era we're talking about, so yes, I'm saying there's a chance. Besides, a kid can dream, can't he?
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.