1988 Topps

After a case of mistaken identity, we jerry-rigged this Perry show as a herald of maximum Gerald.   We took Satan to court, and the verdict rang out: Theft...of 42 bases! Card 39 and 549 on Beckett 88Topps blog post on Braves leaders card Mookie Betts Project 70 Jackie Robinson Project 70 Gerald vs. Satan? Bill Lucas The Strange Career of Gerald Perry

If you believe the stats, this Big Daddy belongs in the Hall. And no, we don't mean Blanche Deveraux's father.  Special Guest: Adam Darowski of Hall of Stats!  Card on Beckett Follow-up: McGwire/McDowell 1984 Team USA pic Big League Brothers! 1977 Topps #634 Hall of Stats Stathead search of pitchers with positive ERA+, but a losing record SI Cover Model Rick Reuschel: A True Giant Bo Kno...

The star of the 1984 Olympic team finds Major League left-handers—and a butter knife—too much to handle.  Card on Beckett Follow-Up: Jennie Garth wins big on the Wheel Maybe the best jersey in collegiate baseball history?  The 1984 baseball Dream Team MCDOWELL CUTS FINGER An Oral History of Oddibe McDowell's Water Bill Coach McDowell with star student

What happens when you drive across the country to meet your childhood hero, and it turns out he's—gasp—a human being?! With special guest, Dr. Brad Balukjian, author of The Wax Pack : On the Open Road in Search of Baseball's Afterlife .  THIS BOOK IS 1988 TOPPS PODCAST CANON. BUY IT NOW. Card on Beckett Book excerpt from the chapter about Don (The Athletic $) 89 Phillies Post-Mortem   Do...

A contemporary of Doc Gooden doesn't match Gooden's success—or fall from grace. And that's...maybe ok?  Come on, Papa! Make yourself pretty and put on your hat. We'll eat fries and chocolate and listen to podcasts! Card on Beckett Les Expos sont là Floyd's statistical domination of July 1987 2015 interview as an Uber driver Jimmie C Gardner's story Find the 1988 Topps Spotify playlist here !

A second baseman has a good run in the majors and in Japan, but things backfire in the Mets front office when he tries out some unusual motivational techniques.  At the 1988 Topps Podcast, it's as easy as ABC: Always. Be. Collecting. Follow-up: Don Sutton threatens lawsuit Bernazard Card on Beckett Tony vs. Hall of Fame pitching Ridiculous Omar Minaya press conference Chiba Lotte Marines mascot si...

While this Hall of Famer's pitches lacked heat, he compensated for it with his command and cool curls.  Plus, a tribute to Hank Aaron, the greatest home run hitter of all time.   Card on Beckett Don Sutton's Hall of Fame Speech SABR Bio Project   PERM / NO PERM Mike Brady with his perm Match Game with Don, Betty White, and Charles Nelson Reilly

A hard-throwing pitcher finds success by playing chin music, but ultimately finds redemption through sobriety. And, what happens when the podcast you're listening to is also the podcast to be named later? Bar fights and recursion abound. NOW WITH TIGERS. Card on Beckett YouTube of The Pitch Dickie describes The Pitch Baseball HOF article on Dickie

Robbed of AL Rookie of the Year honors, this versatile infielder was also robbed of $5 million by poor negotiating.  Ain't no sense in goin' home!  1988 Topps got your girl and gone. Links: Card on Beckett What's up with his hat Johnny Taylor "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" YouTube and Spotify "Jody, wealth, and the working-man blues "  Dwayne Schintzius' mullet Jody Reed profile at...

Take everything you thought you knew about knuckleballers and throw it right out the window.  Links:  Record Breakers card on Beckett Joe's card on Beckett Joe in the classic Astros jersey MUST WATCH: The Ejection of Joe Niekro Joe on David Letterman : "Do I look like a doctor?" Phil Niekro on David Letterman The Defenestrations of Prague  

A journeyman in the minors finally makes it to The Show, then ends up in an exclusive society: The Jamie Quirk Club. Thanks for listening in 2020! We put a pretty big dent in the set of 792 cards. Requests and feedback welcomed on Twitter @Topps1988 or our Facebook Page, just search 1988 Topps.  Links:  Card on Beckett About Paul on Greatest 21 Days and another excellent card! The Brawl...

One of the best pitchers of his generation battles fear, the bottle, and family tragedy on his way to the Hall of Fame. Cheese for the kitchen and a yakker for the kudo.   Links:  Card on Beckett Peter Gammons, " One Eck of a guy " OMG that #look   Eck talking on-air about his ex-wife and ex-friend Richard Marx " Take This Heart " For the stats-heads: check out Eck's 1988-1992 stats...

Pop Quiz:  1) Without looking it up, pronounce "IORG" 2) Name your Top 5 Garths. Links: Card on Beckett What is up with this stance Pronunciation of "Iorg" comes from The New York Times so you know it's right Of Gareths and Garths   Garth Brooks playing " Callin Baton Rouge " on the Ellen Show Garth Cale Iorg , Son of Garth " OK Blue Jays ," an OK Canadian song " Tom Sawyer ," an excelle...

How a poor kid from the Dominican Republic kept a knee on the ground and kept reaching for the stars.  Links:  Tony Peña Card 410 on Beckett St. Louis Cardinals Team Leaders Card 351 on Beckett The Tony Peña Story by Joe Posnanski The Stance Tony wearing some nice glasses The life of Red Schoendienst

What do you get when you cross a flameout shortstop prospect with 1850's American Literature? Tune in and find out on the 1988 Topps Podcast!  Links:  Card on Beckett   Dorktown Writeup of Rey on SABR Nintendo Power , no longer a magazine, but of course in 2020 is a podcast Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville Quotes by Henry David Thoreau on Goodreads

A beloved Phillies shortstop who couldn't hit, but he sure did shine.  Links:  Card on Beckett Phillies fans LOVE Steve Jeltz 1988 Donruss Steve Jeltz (ft. Juan Samuel) Coming to America and Coming 2 America (IMDB) Steve Jeltz should be in the French Baseball Hall of Fame (Bleacher Report) Hidden Ball Trick in action Steve Jeltz Power Surge

The son of a trailblazer charts his own path to Ozzie greatness.  Links: Card on Beckett Ozzie Sr. profile on ESPN Ozzie and Ozzie and Ozzie (Sr., Jr., and Smith) in the 1985 All-Star Game  Ozzie Jr. with a home run off of outfielder Paul O'Neill? 

What would you do with 37 packs of orange Jello?   Links:  Card on Beckett " Go Go Astros "  Knob Noster, MO Article on Misc. Baseball about Charlie and his air guitar band Nolan Ryan getting ready to beat up Charlie Matt and David extend condolences and warm wishes to the family and friends of Daryl Grove from the Total Soccer Show . Rest easy, Daryl, and thank you for taking the t...

From Mississippi to Massachusettes, Dennis Boyd had a reputation of playing hard, throwing hard, and living hard.  Links:  Card on Beckett ESPN E:60 on Oil Can SI article : "They Get a Kick From 'The Can'" (He's got charm, he's got an arm, and a Hall of Fame Name)

How can someone play in 163 regular season games in one year?  What caused the tragic seizure that cut Greg Walker's career short?  Why did younger brothers so enjoy chewing on our Starting Lineup figures?  Links:  Follow-up: Vin Scully on 1988 World Series Game 1 Card on Beckett Starting Lineup Greg Walker figure The bad 1987 White Sox uni Yahoo! Answers on 163 game season " J...

How bad could a baseball season get?  Links:  Card on Beckett Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame Worst . Season. Ever. Follow-up: Alternate 1988 Topps Formats O' Pee-Chee Big UK Mini Vinyl Stickers Coins

A farm boy with big glasses from Taos, Missouri grows up to become the Blue Jays' best closer ever and an Aqua Velva Man. Links:  Card 220 on Beckett All-Star Card 396 on Beckett Revco Card 31 on Beckett O-Pee-Chee 220 on Beckett Tom Henke, Aqua Velva Man on YouTube Henke on the OKC 89ers " Terminator " by Jeff Butler Sportsnet.ca article about 1987 collapse Special Learning Center , Jefferso...

Learn how to throw a no-hitter and still lose the game using THIS ONE TRICK. Links: 1988 Topps Card on Beckett The Game No No Hitters 1984 Padres Uniforms as seen on the 1985 Topps Card What if Andy Hawkins had instead played football for the Baylor Bears? 

The 1988 Topps Podcast gets funky.  Links:  Card on Beckett Thad in the epic 1979 White Sox Jersey MLB listing of Cubs best pinch hitters Pitchfork review of People's Potential compilation " Cross the Dagger " from Thad's solo album

God's on the mound, and the devil is aiming for right field.  Links:  Tim Teufel on the 88 Topps Blog Follow-up: Correct listing for the reason for Tommy's tirade Get Metsmerized " Last Call for 4 Mets at Cooter's " Teufel Shuffle (With German pronunciation it could be Joyful Teufel) Excellent brawl w/ Rob Dibble