1988 Topps

Pick a number between 1 and 792, and we'll bring you a mascot fight. That's the 1988 Topps Podcast promise.  Card 77 on Beckett Tom's weird 1982 uniform on Beckett Dunedin proununciation 77s: Do It For Love Tom hits 1990 game-winning homer Tom's bio in Hanshin Tigers English News Tom sings Tigers fight song Tsubakuro fights Fuu-San 

Pop quiz: Which pitcher had the highest WAR in the 1980s? The answer would be news to journalists of that era, who consistently overlooked this consistent favourite of Toronto fans.  Card 775 on Beckett SABR Bio by Joe Cox Follow up: Phil Bradley crunching Buck Martinez's leg as he puts out two runners at the plate in the same play Dorktown Video about Dave Stieb on YouTube The Legend of Dave...

This power hitter won a World Series ring with his clutch performance at the plate and in the outfield, and it all started because of some clutch lobbying by a President of the United States of America.  Card 375 on Beckett Card 20T on Beckett SABR Bio by Bill Nowlin Inside the Park Grand Slam ! ALCS Celebration in Minnesota The Catch (1990)

This star Mizzou Quarterback made the record books with an Ultimate Grand Slam in 1985. And he would have had the first home run at a Wrigley Field night game, if not for the rain...and Bill Murray?  Card 55 , 519 , and 18T on Beckett 1978 Missouri football upsets Nebraska "Seattle's new power source" in SI Ultimate Grand Slams 8/8/88 dinger that won't count U of Missouri retires Phil's numbe...

Humbly, we think the joke goes better this way:  "Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?  I mean, what happens if it expires? Does it go ... good?" Card #342 on Beckett SABR Bio by Malcolm Allen The Infamous Conehead Mask The Mask strikes in Houston Larry doing material for NBC 1993 Phils - " High Hopes " Bagwell HOF speech including Larry

Today's episode of the 1988 Topps Podcast is not officially brought to you by Giant Eagle, but next time you're shopping for the whole team, and you want Absolute Minimum Prices, just make a swing by Giant Eagle. And tell 'em Spanky sent ya.  Card 539 on Beckett Ripken and LaValliere family connection ! OG Spanky Spanky in a Giant Eagle ad Fashion icon Pranking Doug Drabek Sid Bream's slide 1...

A poster on a Chicago kid's wall in 1988 showed three men in tuxedos: Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, and Andre Dawson.  Class for all seasons.  Card 500 on Beckett Card 401 on Beckett SABR Bio by Dan D'Addona Living HBCU Baseball History Dawson hit by Eric Show pitch Great throw to gun down Mitch Webster All-Star Dinger off the restaurant window ESPN: Andre Dawson's Second Act Class For...

In Heaven, there is no beer. That's why we drink it here. And when we're gone from here, Our friends will be drinking all our beer! Card 551 on Beckett SABR Bio by Herb Schaper and Stew Thornley 1982 NY Times article about the Steinbach Bros Harold Loeffelmacher and the Six Fat Dutchmen C-Flap History World Series homer off Big Daddy Reuschel Terry and his MVP Muffler

In sixty-seven everything was aglow / it was the year of love, it was the year of Expo / everyone had a beautiful passport with a beautiful photo Translated from the song  - Le blues d'la métropole by Beau Dommage Card 560 on Beckett Card 399 on Beckett Big Card 7 on Beckett SABR Bio by Norm King 1985 All-Star Game appearance 2011 NCAA Hall of Fame induction One guy's attempt to collect all o...

In the 1987-1988 TV season, the show ALF captured an 18.8 rating, meaning somewhere around 40 million people watched an episode every week. Just think about that.  We also talked about Ron Karkovice.  Card #86 on Beckett Card #86 on the 88 Topps Blog ALF Cards SABR Article about Joe Cowley's "not impressive" no-hitter Ron's inside-the-park slam ! Special retirement sendoff from the Sox R...

Mike Murphy of Grandma's Scorebook joins the show to discuss one of the favorite players of America's Grandma: Minnie Lee Olges.  Card 17 on Beckett Ron Oester on 88 Topps Blog Ron's first hit in Grandma's Scorebook "Hard-nosed Ron Oester heart of class" by John Erardi "Ron Oester: Where are they now?" on MLB.com Mike Murphy on Twitter @GScorebook

This World Series champ threw hard, lived hard, and died hard. RIP Card 701 on Beckett SABR bio by Bill Nowlin Orioles Pregame Interview in 2016 - “Why do you listen to the blues?”  Sammy sets rookie strikeout record Sammy and Dempsey rain delay shenanigans !  Sammy stays dry in the Champagne shower   Obituary

The Venn diagram of eponymous surgical procedures (named for the patient) and eponymous Internet underwear brands (named for a baseball player) is a perfect circle of one.  Card 611 on Beckett Cousin Wolf song about Moses Fleetwood Walker "Garage Band Actually Believes There is a 'Terre Haute Sound,'" The Onion SABR Bio by Michael Fallon "Tommy John's Career Was More Than Just a Surgical Proc...

If an earnest singer/songwriter wrote a tune about the difficult decisions you had to make during your darkest moments, what would it sound like?  Card #8 on Beckett Sabr Bio bio by Joel Rippel Cat grab !  Elster/Jeffries highlight reel Cousin Wolf - Kevin Elster song/blog

Like Harold "Growing" Baines and Mike "Pepperoni" Piazza, this Canadian had a long career and a great Chris Berman nickname.  Card 587 on Beckett SABR Bio by David Skelton Ottawa Citizen article about Terry and his trials and tribulations with tobacco Great play by Terry to save Nolan Ryan no-hitter Ranker: Top Canadians of all time in MLB

We surveyed 100 people. Top 6 answers are on the board. Here's the question: "Name your favorite Werner Herzog movie." Card 534 on Beckett SABR Bio by Bill Johnson John's brother's gruesome crime Phillies vs Royals on The Family Feud John Wathan, The Duke of Kansas City

This Missouri native was always great at finding a few outs. Then, one day, he found seven new siblings.  Ryan Fagen, Senior MLB Writer for The Sporting News joins us to talk about Mike!  Card 582 on Beckett Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanFagan and @MyJunkWax Ryan Fagan's story about Mike's found family Ryan’s article about Grandma’s Reds Scorebook 2020 Free Press Article by Bill Dow

Episode 100! We celebrate the way any 1988 Topps fan should: by lionizing a guy who really hit his stride in his 30s and 40s.  We've still got it.  Card 331 on Beckett New Mascot? Hoodi the Space's First Pitch HOF Card Corner : Brian Dowling 1992 Upper Deck 1991 Chicago Tribune article about Brian Officer Downing with the White Sox Brian makes a great catch in the ALCS Angels All Time Ro...

This natural hitter retired three times, but achieved greatness after learning to cope with a rare condition.  Card 348 on Beckett SABR Bio by Scot Johnson Jim’s homer in Game 3 of the 1997 World Series Jim Eisenreich Foundation

It's like they always say: Don't bring a small intestine to a knife fight.  Card #91 on Beckett SABR Bio by Alan Cohen Joey and A-Rod joking about Cora's " overreaction " Seattle's " Refuse to Lose " 1995 season Joey robs Tony Gwynn in the 1997 All-Star Game

Who wouldn't want to start a cake fight with the '86 Mets while on a plane? Mark Simon returns to the show to explain. Card 753 on Beckett   SABR Bio by Mark Simon Follow Mark on Twitter Sports Info Solutions Podcast with Brett Phillips Danny argues a call… and loses a game Santa Anna’s Leg Danny’s 2-run single in the World Series Danny on coaching high school

This rookie slugger quickly became a Red Sox fan favorite, and if he hired us to run his campaign for President, he totally would've won.  Card 377 on Beckett MLB.com - Sam Horn, Red Sox Cult Hero " What is Your Pregame ?" Sam's amazing Orioles debut BoSoxInjection.com - " Will Michael Chavis emulate Boston legend Sam Horn ?" Sam Horn for President ! 

Despite what rumors you might have heard in school, kids in Texas do not ride a horse to school—but they do have baseball.  Card 537 on Beckett Card 201 on Beckett Oklahoman article about Steve with the 89ers Levi Weaver's article about this card Levi’s Article about the Rangers Promotion Album -  Rangers Album Playlist Shane Buechele’s origin story Steve vs. the White Sox The saga of St...

This power hitter from Arkansas had a knack for flying under the radar in New York. Too bad the pigeon didn't.  Card 735 on Beckett Card 579 Mets Team Leaders on Beckett Sabr bio by Thomas J Brown Baseball America - “Where are they now?” 1984 NLCS Home Run on YouTube "Dion James kills a pigeon" on YouTube

Somehow, we completed an entire segment about guys named "Ernie" without a Big Ern McCracken joke from Kingpin . Sometimes, a bowler just has to face the music.  Card 88 on Beckett Card 93T on Beckett and Painted Cap Card 61T on Beckett and Painted Cap Earnie's strange hand injury The Mystery Trade on SI