The Five Essential Baseball Cards of 1983 Topps
Sometimes things just work out. Heading into the 1983 season, as the Hobby was in the early throes of rookie card mania, the 1983 Topps set delivered with not just one or two but three rookie cards that even today remained treasured by collectors, even if none were the year's hottest card at the time.
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Ask just about any collector about the Five Essential Baseball Cards of 1983 Topps, and it's a near certainty that Wade Boggs, Ryne Sandberg, and Tony Gwynn not only crack the list but top it. The difficulty comes in determining which two of the set's remaining 789 cards join these stellar Hall of Fame rookie cards. At least at the moment there are no other Hall of Fame rookie cards in the set, even if there are two Randy Johnson rookie cards, practically mirror images of each other!
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1983 Topps Carl Yastrzemski
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There's just something beautiful about this card, which also happens to be the final base card of Yaz that Topps would produce during his playing career. Flip the card over and the stats are so small that almost nobody who had this card in 1983 can still read any of them today. Thankfully, we have the internet, which reminds us the Red Sox legend made his Boston debut way back in 1961, taking over left field at Fenway for none other than the Splendid Splinter, who apart from some seasons serving Uncle Sam had held down the post since 1939. Stare at this card long enough and you'll hear the voice of James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams: "The memories will be so thick, they'll have to brush them away from their faces."
1983 Topps Reggie Smith
The number of worthy candidates for the final spot on the Five Essentials list is pretty much a mile long. Among other things, 99 of the set's 792 cards feature Hall of Famers, even if the number is somewhat inflated by Super Veteran and Team Leader cards. Still, while a plaque in Cooperstown is the game's ultimate honor, there will always be players just on the outside looking in. One such "Hall of Very Good" player is Reggie Smith, whose 64.6 career WAR and 137 OPS+ sure look like Hall of Fame numbers to many. This 1983 Topps card is a true "career capper" for Smith, capturing his entire big league career on the back. Plus, check out the sweet Ryne Sandberg cameo on the front!
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.