1988 Topps

The Eyes of Texas were upon him... and Steve Goodman thought he should keep his eyes on the ball. Card 416 on Beckett - https://marketplace.beckett.com/cardgallery_900/item/1988-topps-tiffany-416-keith-moreland_52217595 Card 72T on ebay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/256599166743?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item&srsltid=AfmBOorX-wMs_y7VE54PdANUHAJtW5heoqxpLVAZqPyt4M3gHYLi7WkzXpE Brian Dayett’s RIP Baseball Obit - https://ripbaseball.com/2025/09/19/obituary-brian-dayett-1957-2025/ Baseball Hall of Fame Card Corner - https://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner/1981-donruss-keith-moreland 1975 Keith Moreland photo - https://www.facebook.com/bruce.weirauch/photos/keith-moreland-1975/10226878910590919/ Keith has a health scare - https://www.kvue.com/article/sports/ncaa/longhorns/ut-baseballs-keith-moreland-shares-his-story-of-survival/269-56a334e1-2c57-4197-ba7a-95d307ce41d8 Keith in the Longhorn Hall of Honor - https://texaslonghorns.com/honors/hall-of-honor/keith-moreland/724 Keith drives in a run in the World Series - https://youtu.be/oU687r6KCIs?si=4DJ8l_KVuvP_TVAN&t=10346 Keith charges Ed Lynch - https://youtu.be/txJl8Gr38Ks?si=RAVIthN6A-nFWqCf&t=4222 Keith does a Drug PSA - https://youtu.be/8lJDoEjTb-0?si=5QTSiX2W39hJOm8q Steve Goodman’s A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request - https://youtu.be/7xBxZGQ1dJk?si=mukizA86X6UlytPz

Clutch hitting defined: this guy hit two home runs the night he was supposed to be laid off, saving his job and probably 10 more years of solid Quad-A ball. Card 136 on Beckett - https://marketplace.beckett.com/cardgallery_900/item/1988-topps-tiffany-136-brian-dayett_52217315 Newsweek Obit - https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/former-yankees-cubs-outfielder-passes-away-2126503 MILB interview with Brian - https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-17914562 Brian hits a double - https://youtu.be/atkHXEDH73o?si=HMFczPED3HuE0L8u Brian hits a grand slam - https://youtu.be/TFnSF7ZcoQY?si=job7EfZ2m-v_rHCU Brian’s Obituary - https://www.watsonfhtn.com/obituaries/Brian-Kelly-Dayett?obId=45239942 Charlene Kuzma’s Obituary - https://www.heritageofandover.com/obituary/charlene-kuzma

Counterintuitively, when Rod Carew says your pitching is "Little League Slop," it probably means you are doing something right. Card 725 on Beckett - https://marketplace.beckett.com/ziggys_672/item/1988-topps-725-mike-boddicker_32570532 SABR Bio by Bill Johnson https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Mike-Boddicker/ SABR Game story about Boddicker’s World Series win - https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-12-1983-orioles-knot-world-series-on-mike-boddickers-gem/ Baseball Prospectus interview - https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/9805/prospectus-qa-mike-boddicker/ Hawkeye Hall of Fame - https://hawkeyesports.com/hof/class-of-2024/mike-boddiker Baseball Hall of Fame Card Corner - https://baseballhall.org/discover/cardcorner-1984-donruss-mike-boddicker Boddicker ends 1983 ALCS Game 2 - https://youtu.be/IlOOwoaiNYQ?si=imlQaGVxXLDkdg4_&t=7947 Boddicker Ks Schmidt to end World Series Game 2 - https://youtu.be/YbBzLXq4MEY?si=gW8ct02IHtEmmNOP&t=9945

This controversial pitcher closed off opportunities for women umpires for decades by opening his big mouth. Card 151 on Beckett - https://marketplace.beckett.com/baseballcardconnection_794/item/1988-topps-151-bob-knepper_34326495 SABR Bio by David E. Skelton - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bob-knepper/ Hall of Fame Card Corner - https://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner/1989-topps-bob-knepper Where did all the Bobs go? - https://www.mlb.com/cut4/where-did-all-the-bobs-in-baseball-go-c301633434 "Careless and Insensitive" - https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/06/18/Houston-Astros-pitcher-Bob-Knepper-who-called-the-National/7331582609600/ Knepper apologizes - https://www.efootage.com/videos/108045/knepper-statement-sexist-comments Bob in the SI Vault - https://vault.si.com/vault/1988/06/20/some-say-no-leica-astro-lefty-bob-knepper-has-a-decidedly-controversial-focus-on-the-world-but-his-pitching-this-year-is-right-on-target https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/25th-anniversary-pitcher-misses-perfecto-in-debut-by-one-pitch/ Article about Female Umpires - https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/woman-in-blue

Jeff from Two Strike Noise joins David for a Giants game and a pack of legends. Two Strike Noise - https://twostrikenoise.podbean.com

A card so great, we just had to sing about it. Card 102T on Beckett - ⁠https://marketplace.beckett.com/threestarssportscards_925/item/1988-topps-traded-102t-nelson-santovenia_67275693⁠ Kenny Williams and Jerry Krause - https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/how-jerry-krause-before-he-built-a-dynasty-with-michael-jordan-was-shaped-by-his-time-in-baseball/ Nelson and Bill and Ted - https://ultimateclassicrock.com/nelson-bill-and-ted/ Miami Hidden Ball Trick - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j45ztPQ6i2I⁠ Article about the Grand Illusion - ⁠https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2007/04/13/205542924-2/⁠ Canadian Baseball Network (behind paywall) - https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles/2015/5/7/santovenia-hopes-to-make-mo-town Nelson's Coaching Bio https://mdcathletics.com/information/directory/bios/Nelson_Santobenia

If there are three true outcomes in baseball, this Mariners bomber had two of them (the HRs and Ks) nailed. Card 285 on Beckett - https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/1082/1988-topps-285-jim-presley_53873437 Escambia Mascot Riots in 1976 New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/1976/03/07/archives/racial-animosity-turns-to-violence-in-pensacola-fla-on-issue-of.html Opening Day Walk Off Grand Slam - https://youtu.be/b34n3DBbiIg?si=rFPrEBtb43HJ_O6g 2nd Walk off Grand Slam - https://www.mlb.com/video/presley-s-walk-off-slam-in-11th-c1709636783 2016 Interview with Jim - https://www.kvue.com/article/sports/one-on-one-with-express-coach-jim-presley/269-270797388

Inside: Everything you ever wanted to know about the 2005 World Series-winning Chicago White Sox. RIP Bobby Jenks Card 559 on Beckett https://marketplace.beckett.com/baseballcardconnection_794/item/1988-topps-559-ken-williams-rc_34326910 SABR Bio by Bill Pruden https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ken-williams/ SABR Bio of the other Ken Williams by Joseph Wancho with poem https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ken-williams-2/ Base path antics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SInxwZTZp8&t=1s 2005 ALCS dropped third strike? https://youtu.be/9Tn5CQ9vyYQ?si=fRkkNbwQcxAPRkgi Williams on race and racism in America in 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U9nJ7S9KeI

Before this defensive specialist became a legendary manager in the Dominican League, he was almost a landmark trade in Yankees' history. Card 547 on Beckett - https://www.beckett.com/baseball/1988/topps/547-felix-fermin-3915004 Baseball Hall Card Corner - https://baseballhall.org/discover/cardcorner-1988-topps-felix-fermin Pablo Cruz and the death of Alfredo Edmead - https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/06/18/alfredo-edmead-jr-pablo-cruz-life-after-death-daily-cover Mariano for Felix Fermin? https://www.mlb.com/news/mariano-rivera-almost-got-traded-to-mariners Felix makes a sweet double play - https://youtu.be/AjGcyaQ3N0o?si=MBhrvVJzDfk7ChzH Felix shows great range - https://youtu.be/nqelGxZjj_8?si=7J_i2gKdVtePp05J

Plain and simple, he had the best-known name, face, and sideburns of 1980s baseball and baseball cards. Base card #300 https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/1082/1988-topps-300-don-mattingly_53873452 Record Breakers #2 https://marketplace.beckett.com/cardgallery_900/item/1988-topps-2-don-mattingly-rb_62538603 All Star #386 on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/225908282343 World of Baseball Don Mattingly - https://baseballcards.substack.com/p/1988-topps-world-of-baseball-don SABR Bio by James Lincoln Ray - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Don-Mattingly/ Don’s HOF Case at MLB https://www.mlb.com/news/don-mattingly-hall-of-fame-case Don’s 1987 Topps Birthday Mystery - https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29043681/cracking-birthday-mystery-don-mattingly-1987-topps-baseball-card Don talks about the Hit Man poster - https://youtu.be/1iRtD14A9Io?si=dMwC5kZb8426ZaCu Don and Niekro in a New Coke Ad - https://youtu.be/OxjZfs3OUmM?si=4jnF0NzCM_l7QTHq 1989 SI Article - https://vault.si.com/vault/1989/02/06/the-hit-man-hits-back-after-his-most-trying-year-as-a-yankee-don-mattingly-is-now-back-home-in-indiana-preparing-to-attack-the-upcoming-season 1995 ALDS Home Run - https://youtu.be/LrAU5Kxnr04?si=6MzcQxKMzuh-7McZ

Of all the celebrities named Moose, the most famous is probably the actor / Jack Russell Terrier who played Eddie on Frasier. RIP Card #606 on Beckett https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/1082/1988-topps-tiffany-606-moose-haas_66153931 SABR Bio by Dennis Degenhardt - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/moose-haas/ Hall of Fame Card Corner 1981 Moose Haas - https://baseballhall.org/discover/CardCorner-1981-Topps-Moose-Haas 1985 UPI Article about Moose- https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/07/01/Off-the-field-Bryan-Edmond-Moose-Haas-is-a/1092489038400/ Game Used Jersey - https://www.memorabilia.expert/shop/1987-moose-haas-game-worn-as-jersey/ 1982 ALCS Don Baylor Grand Slam - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1aAj8BTcqJ/

Little known fact: Tina Turner originally wanted to write a song called "Personal Catcher" about backups who create that trusted relationship with ace pitchers, but she couldn't get the lyrics to fit her melody. She went with "Private Dancer" instead, and the rest is history. Card 566 on Beckett https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/900/1988-topps-566-charlie-obrien-rc_27922483 Charlie’s Sabr Bio by Steve West https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/charlie-obrien/ Brian Boru https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Boru Charlie’s SI Cover https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r4YAAOSwpjlghelD/s-l1600.webp Charlie Keeps his career alive at SI https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/04/26/catch-as-catch-can-the-angels-charlie-obrien-uses-all-his-tricks-to-keep-his-career-alive Charlie’s Book at Texas A&M Press https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781623492922/the-cy-young-catcher/ Popular Mechanics story about Charlie’s mask https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a236/1283166/ Puck Junk the evolution of Baseball goalie masks ​​https://puckjunk.com/2018/03/29/the-evolution-of-baseballs-goalie-mask/ 1995 NLCS Homer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyiGRE7eRRs

Welcome to Season 6 of the 1988 Topps Podcast! In 1932, Australian farms were threatened by an increase in the population of the emu, a large flightless bird. The Australian military tried to cull the flocks of emus for 40 days, but ultimately failed in a debacle that would come to be known as The Great Emu War. #597 on Beckett https://www.beckett.com/baseball/1988/topps-tiffany/597-gene-garber-3915858 SABR Bio by Don Massey https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Gene-Garber/ Garber irked by modern game https://lancasteronline.com/sports/baseball/mlb/elizabethtown-native-gene-garber-irked-by-aspects-of-baseball-today-commentary/article_5228dabe-985f-11e8-90b0-2f795df2f570.html Gene ends Rose streak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1sm1rOUfTg HOF Card Corner - 1975 Topps https://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner/1975-topps-gene-garber The Curse of Gene Garber https://assets.sbnation.com/assets/752808/ATL18_v1-1.pdf Buy us a coffee? http://coff.ee/1988ToppsPd

When ... the ... Card has a guy that looks like all the guys, that's Fiore (that's Fiore) When the card of the day comes from Team U.S.A. that's Fiore (that's Fiore) Bells will ring for the Pope ting-a-ling-a-ling and you'll sing "Vita bella" He's a Sox fan at heart, and to us that means he's quite a fella! * Card 38T on eBay * Induction video into College Baseball Hall of Fame and Mike's speech * Mike interviewed about his experiences in Omaha * Greatest 21 Days * University of Miami Hall of Fame This is the final episode of Season 5. Five years down, only 15 to go? New episodes return soon. Thank you for supporting the show! https://buymeacoffee.com/1988toppspd

This All-Star Rookie had his life saved by a call to the pen, er, apartment. Card 229 on Beckett https://marketplace.beckett.com/item/1036/1988-topps-229-jeff-musselman_44463551 SABR Bio by Malcolm Allen https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jeff-musselman/ Jeff at Harvard talking about sobriety https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1993/11/2/come-back-to-life-sobriety-and/ The Fall of '87 https://garejoyce2022.substack.com/p/the-fall-of-87-and-the-fail-of-2017 M.U.S.C.L.E. http://blog.uofmuscle.com/34574/what-is-a-muscle-figure/ The Jersey Devil https://pinelandsalliance.org/learn-about-the-pinelands/pinelands-history-and-culture/the-jersey-devil-and-folklore/

This Stanford grad from Montana had one good season on the mound in Baltimore -- then had a change of plans after a snowy night in Idaho. Card 782 on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/156065903677 Watch the Diamond King now! https://www.thediamondkingmovie.com/ Listen to Cement City about Donora, PA - https://www.cementcity.org/ SABR Bio by Malcolm Allen - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jeff-ballard/ Ballard in Montana - https://www.montanaseniornews.com/jeff-ballard/ Ballard’s double ball found - https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidseideman/2018/01/11/big-leaguer-recovers-priceless-baseball-25-years-later/ Looking back at Ballard’s 1989 - https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/95581/cold-takes-jeff-ballards-luck-ran-out/ The Athletic finds out that Ballard is in The Office - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3271009/2022/05/10/tiktok-sleuth-movies-tv-clips/ Why Not song - https://youtu.be/jSAohY4o-0E?si=y3mhS263zcpU8fLn

The third-best baseball player of all time born in Donora, PA. * Card 443 on Beckett * SABR Bio by Charles F. Faber * Braves at Mets, Apr. 11, 1987 * Donora Smog Disaster * Grandma's Reds Scorebook Griffey entries *Reds 1976 All-Star Game highlights * Griffey wins the 1980 ASG MVP * Father-Son back to back jacks * Ken and Buddy * Stan and Ken and Donora, PA

Although the 1987 rookie season for "Benz" was a good one, there is no proof that he was the inspiration for the 1988 No. 1 hit "Mercedes Boy" by Pebbles. * Card 96 on Beckett * Sabr Bio by Bill Nowlin * Catching up with ⁠Benz * Todd Benzinger 1987 Highlight video * Benzinger hits a big homer in 1988 * Todd catches the final out of 1990 World Series

Legendary artist Dick Perez and filmmaker Marq Evans join the pod to talk about their new movie "The Diamond King" along with Dick's favorite Donruss Diamond King card, the 1995 Chili Davis. * Card 15 on Beckett * Card 32T on Beckett * Watch The Diamond King, opening April 25, 2025! * Diamond King trailer * SABR Bio by Rory Costello * Chili signs with the Angels in 1987 * 1991 World Series Homer * JD Davis: "Chili is my Dog" * Chili Bowl Mullet Man at the Video Store

True, Lloyd McClendon holds the all-time single series record for batting average and on-base percentage in a playoff series. But his Little League World Series performance makes that look like child's play. Plus: MLB needs to stop caving to pathetic authoritarians who would like to paint over baseball history in a ugly shade of white. * Card 220 on Beckett * The story of Legendary Lloyd in SI * Full video of the 1971 LLWS Final! * Valpo Mag on Lloyd * Indiana story on Lloyd * Grandma's Scorebook: First Game, First Hit * Lloyd literally steals first * Stathead Search: Career Playoff OPS, 10+ PA * Little League Hall of Excellence