The Essential Donruss Diamond Kings of 1986
With the April 25 release of the Dick Perez biopic, "The Diamond King," nearly upon us,Collectibles on SI has been counting down the essential Diamond Kings of the 1980s and 90s. In this latest installment, the year is 1986, a young ace was on top of the world, an aging star was about to find new life, and an unlikely cast of characters was quietly on a collision course for one of baseball's greatest Hollywood endings.
1986 marked the fifth year of the Diamond Kings franchise, which by now had become an institution. Even before packs first hit shelves that year, collectors debated their predictions as to which of their favorite baseball stars might receive the coveted Dick Perez Diamond KIngs treatment. With Donruss having already enshrined 104 different players, most of them established stars, as Diamond Kings, one thing was clear. The 1986 subset would absolutely have to draw on a number of rising stars to fill out the checklist. Of course, for collectors of the mid-1980s, that was more than welcome.
1986 Donruss Diamond Kings Dwight Gooden #26
RELATED: The Five Essential Donruss Diamond Kings of 1982
Though his rookie cards came the year before, Dwight Gooden remained scorching hot throughout the 1986 season, a campaign that would also bring his New York Mets their first title since 1969. When the Diamond Kings started out in 1982, it would have been unthinkable to confer honors on a player who had just completed his age 20 season. However, come 1986, it would have been unthinkable not to include Doc. Without a doubt, Doc's Diamond King card was the set's most coveted from Opening Day to the ticker tape parade.
1986 Donruss Diamond Kings Kirk Gibson #1
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The first line on the card back says it all: "the next Mickey Mantle." Whether the comparison came from his almost impossible blend of speed and power, his tape measure home runs, or his uncanny ability to shine when the lights were the brightest, Kirk Gibson was a unicorn. Add to that a competitive fire that would challenge the best Ty Cobb and Pete Rose had to offer, and it couldn't have been a difficult decision to bestow Diamond King honors on Gibby. And to think his most iconic moment was still two years away!
1986 Donruss Diamond Kings Willie McGee #3
Speed was synonymous with the Runnin' Redbirds teams that won three pennants in the 1980s. Where today's game is dominated by the "three true outcomes" of home runs, strikeouts, and walks, these Cardinals teams won games with bunts, infield hits, stolen bases, triples, and of course the greatest glove man ever to walk planet Earth. In 1985, a year that saw the Cards come a missed call away from their second championship in four years, no player epitomized the throwback style of the squad more than National League batting champion and Most Valuable Player, Willie McGee.
1986 Donruss Diamond Kings Orel Hershiser #18
Dick Perez may have shown some "Cardboard Clairvoyance" in selecting his 1986 Diamond Kings roster. Who could have predicted at the time that Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson would join forces just two years later to stage the most improbable and dramatic World Series upset in decades? And of course the die-hards and trivia buffs may even remember who walked and stole second base off Eck before Gibby planted that 3-2 backdoor slider into the right field seats. Yes, that would be fellow 1986 Diamond King Mike Davis!
1986 Donruss Diamond Kings Andre Dawson #25
RELATED: The Five Essential Donruss Diamond Kings of 1985
Though Andre Dawson may have appeared to have his best years behind him by the time Dick Perez selected him as a Diamond King in 1986, the truth was Hawk was still a year away from his finest season. If there were any question as to how Dawson ended up a 1986 Diamond King, it was only, "What took him so long?!"
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.