The Five Essential Donruss Diamond Kings Cards of 1984
1984 will always be a year that holds special significance to fans of dystopian fiction and Van Halen alike, but there was nothing Orwellian about the "Jump" Dick Perez took with his Donruss Diamond Kings that year. If anything, the level of artistry went up a notch, keeping pace with an overdue design overhaul to the rest of the set as well. For the first time in the four years of the brand's existence, Donruss cards looked valuable, an upgrade perfectly timed to the young decade's hottest rookie cards, Darryl Strawberry and Don Mattingly.
With 52 of the game's top players off the table, courtesy of the 1982 and 1983 sets, selecting the Diamond Kings for 1984 carried a higher degree of difficulty than years past. For example, the 1982 and 1983 Diamond Kings included 11 and 10 Hall of Famers respectively. Meanwhile, the 1984 set included only five: Robin Yount, Bruce Sutter, Eddie Murray, Mike Schmidt, and Wade Boggs. Were career achievement the only criterion used to determine the year's most essential Diamond Kings, there would be little left to write. However, such a selection would ignore the subset's most salient feature: its artistry.
With the April 25 release of the Dick Perez biopic, "The Diamond King," nearly upon us, here are the five essential Diamond Kings of 1984, balancing both player selection and "points in the paint."
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1984 Donruss Diamond Kings Leon Durham #5
At first glance, Durham may seem an odd selection. After all, the first baseman made only two All-Star teams in his ten-year career and never led the league in any offensive or defensive category. Still, this was 1984 and the young slugger was a huge reason the Chicago Cubs were heading to the postseason for the first time in nearly four decades. George Orwell be damned, the "Lovable Losers" gave their fans, if not the entire nation, hope that anything was possible. Four seasons before lights would arrive at Wrigley, there was nothing wrong with being "Hot for Bleacher" as the Cubs made their way to a National League East first place finish and epic showdown with San Diego.
1984 Donruss Diamond Kings Al Oliver #9
Scoop, there it is! Next on the list of the year's most essential Diamond Kings is Al Oliver, a player many believe should be in Cooperstown. While most Diamond Kings draw the eye to the large and central player portrait, this card gets the nod for its gorgeous inset action shot of Oliver in the greatest baseball uniform ever made, the Montreal powder blues. But Dick, if you paint the man again, please can we get the "Scoop" necklace!
1984 Donruss Diamond Kings Ron Kittle #18
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It's easy to forget today, but Ron Kittle once had the hottest card in the Hobby. Though his 1984 Diamond King card came one year after his once-scorching Fleer rookie, he was still a "straight to plastic sheet" hit whenever his cards were pulled in early 1984. The afterglow of Kittle-Mania was that strong. Ultimately, however, the Kittle card earns its spot on the Essentials list for the glorious grays and greens Perez uses as a backdrop for the portrait and action pose. In the many years of the Diamond Kings franchise, this card may lay claim to the best background of them all.
1984 Donruss Diamond Kings Mike Schmidt #23
How loaded were the Phillies teams of the early 1980s that Mike Schmidt had to wait three years for Diamond King honors? The last line on the back of the card states Schmidt's credentials as well as any: "He is an automatic Diamond King." Still, when you share a clubhouse with Pete Rose and Steve Carlton, batting third is not such an insult. Ultimately, Schmidt's Diamond King proved to be worth the wait as it was more or less a perfect card. The powder blues in the action shot, the classic zip-up pinstripes on the portrait, and a backdrop that seemingly places the Phillies slugger atop Mount Olympus. That, and Dick sure did excel when it came to mustaches.
1984 Donruss Diamond Kings Wade Boggs #26
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Through two seasons, Wade Boggs had a career batting average of .357. If that sounds impossible, it's because it should be. Among players with 1000 or more plate appearances this put the Chicken Man second all-time for batting average two seasons into a career. That what happens when you start your career hitting .349 and .361. Hopefully it wasn't the "Curse of the Diamond King," but 1984 was an off year for Boggs in the batters box as he slumped to a mere mortal .325. Still, his hot start was no flash in the pan. A full seven seasons into his career, his lifetime average stood at .356. So yeah, Donruss definitely made the right call conferring DK status on this Fenway favorite.
With the 1985 Diamond Kings on deck, there may be some question--78 players in--whether there would still be sufficient talent to populate the now essential Diamond Kings subset. That said, the gorgeous black borders and red racing stripes of the sleek 1985 design would be enough to make even the most ordinary Diamond King look like an immortal.
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.