The Five Essential Baseball Cards of Legendary Dwight Gooden
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For baseball fans who missed it while it happened, it's nearly impossible to describe just how dominant Dwight Gooden was in his prime. Still, they say an image is worth a thousand words, so here's one to put Doc's incredible 1985 season in perspective. Pictured below is the Baseball-Reference leaderboard for highest Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in a single season. That Doc's picture is the only one in color is not coincidence. His 1985 season is the roster's only entry from the last 100 years!
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As you let that sink in, it gets even crazier. Gooden accomplished his 13.3 WAR season in only 35 games. The average number of games for the other players shown is 73. Never mind that players pictured include Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Cy Young. Never mind that the great Barry Bonds didn't even make the list. Doc's season was just complete and utter insanity. There's no other way to describe it.
As you might expect, Doc's cards were scorching hot in 1985, often going for as much as $6 straight out of the pack, a small fortune back then! While Dr. K was never able to match or even approach his 1985 season, cards from his heyday (and even some later ones) have remained highly collectible among his biggest fans, whatever their dollar value is today. Here are five that any Doc collector will want in their collection.
1985 Topps Dwight Gooden
Though the black-bordered, 1985 Donruss set was the season's true masterpiece, there is a power to the Topps brand that sets the Topps rookie card apart from the rest of his rookie year cardboard. As the company's wax wrappers reminded collectors throughout the decade, Topps was "The Real One" after all.
1984 Topps Traded Dwight Gooden
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This card, produced in much smaller quantities than Doc's 1985 Topps card, may be the greatest Doc Gooden card of all-time. True, the 1984 Fleer Traded card is a much tougher (hence pricier) find, and true, today's collectors no longer regard it as a rookie card, instead assigning it the "XRC" (extended rookie card) label. But c'mon, just look at this card. It's pretty much perfect.
1991 Fleer Pro-Visions Dwight Gooden
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Doc was well past his peak by 1991, and 1991 Fleer may well be one of the worst sets of all-time. Still, combine a pitcher in decline with the artwork of Terry Smith and you've got an insert of undeniable brilliance. The 1990s had some incredible baseball cards. Plain and simple, this one may be the best.
1985 Donruss Box Bottom Dwight Gooden
Box bottom cards were a staple of the Junk Wax Era, so much so that many collectors forget that the very first set to include them was 1985 Donruss. The result is that the box bottom featuring Lou Gehrig, Gooden, Ron Kittle, and Ryno is not only a Doc rookie card but a rookie card for box bottoms in general. (Okay, so that's not really a thing, but it should be!)
1983 TCMA Lynchburg Mets Dwight Gooden
This minor league Doc card, officially classified as a pre-rookie card rather than a rookie card, is where it all began in more ways than one. Not only was it Gooden's first baseball card but it was also the year he became a sensation. Check the stats on the back of the card and they're not unimpressive, but they sure don't scream can't-miss phenom. As the season progressed, however, it was clear that Dwight Gooden was no ordinary pitcher. All Doc did in 1983 was go 19-4 with a 300 strikeouts in 191 innings. Oh, and he was only 18 years old!
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.