Completed Collections: 1989 Topps Traded Set

1989 Topps Traded Set (132 Cards): Completed 6/9/10!

I completed the 1989 Base Set back in March of this year, and a few days ago I got to finish its traded counterpart thanks to a purchase on Sportlots! I actually didn't realize until I was close to completion that this set was so star studded - Kenny Rogers, Jim Abbott, and everyone's favorite 1989 Topps prospect Jerome Walton were all guys in the set who didn't make my top ten. The best of the stars (aka the ones who made me top 10 1989 Topps Traded cards), are obviously way better though, starting with:

10. #122T Omar Vizquel
Believe it or not, the defensive whiz kid (not to be confused with "The Wiz") is actually the 1st of 4 Mariners on this list. Let's just say it was a good year for young/traded Mariners.


9. #85T Jamie Moyer
Pictured here following 3 years in the league, at 26 years young. Here we are now in 2010 and Moyer is still pitching - No matter how many times I consider that, it never seems plausible.


8. #103T Bip Roberts
I know...he made my 1992 Top Ten, and he's in my 1989 Traded showcase too - what gives? The dude just takes good photos, what can I say? So good that he was included in this traded set despite 5 games in 1988.


7. #57T Randy Johnson
Still 2 Mariners to go, not that the Big Unit was a bad Mariner. Dude starts the year 0-4 in Montreal, so he's dealt to Seattle with a few guys for Mark Langston and a PTBNL. Johnson was 130-74 with a 3.42 ERA and 2,162 strikeouts in Seattle. Langston was actually quite good in his one year as an Expo though, going 12-9 with a 2.39 ERA.


6. #35T Terry Francona
Woo-hoo, Red Sox manager, yeaaaaah! And he's bunting in the proper uniform, which is cool. You don't get a lot of cool action shots in these Traded sets, at least non-airbrushed ones. So I'm loving it!


5. #110T Deion Sanders
Toldja we had some stars here - Vizquel, Johnson, and now PRIME TIME! The curls coming out the back are a nice touch too.


4. #63T John Kruk
This looks a little bit like Kruk's mug shot after he tried to steal some late night doughnuts. Oh wait, that was this guy.


3. #4T Keith Atherton
I like this card because Keith a) doesn't look like a ballplayer and b) looks like he loves being a ballplayer. Sort of like he won a "be an Indian for a day" contest...from 1983-1989 (he was 0-3 with the Indians in '89 and never played in the majors again. But he also won a World Series ring with the '87 Twins, so I'm sure he's okay with his career).


2. #272T Jeffrey Leonard
This dude always just looks so chill, and this card is no exception. Fantastic jacket, the backwards hat, the sweet batting gloves - Jeffrey's got it going on for sure.


1. #41T Ken Griffey Jr.
As if there was ever really a question, Junior is easily my favorite card of the '89 Topps Traded Set. I posted here about my love for Griffey as a kid, and I'd gladly admit it again: the dude just straight up mashed during a key part of my childhood. Sure he kind of sucked after leaving Seattle. And sure he took a nap. But he was a great player, and I'm very happy to have this card (got it for $4, which seems decent since there are some $2.50's around but also plenty of $20-30's that are fooling no one!).


Name of the Set: #21T Bryan Clutterbuck
I've had cards of this dude before, but I don't think I've ever showed one of them off. So here you go, Bryan Clutterbuck, Brewers Minor League Player of the Month for May 1988 and racquetball aficionado.


Last card of the set: #31T Darrell Evans
Once again I picked up my last few through Sportlots (5 to be exact), and oddly enough Evans was the last one. Why odd? Well 4 guys were Mariners and one guy was not. And the last card I saw just happened to be the non-Mariner. Go figure.


That'll do 'er, another happily completed set! One more coming soon via a purchase I made, but then I think it might be a while since my next closest set is at like 55% - unless someone wants to help!