The two-time American League MVP posted an OPS over 1.000 (1.085) for the fourth-straight season, crushing off-speed pitches and fastballs alike while exhibiting his trademark Zen-like patience at the dish. Thomas finished the year with a 1.061 OPS making it the fourth time in five years that hed eclipsed the 1.000 mark. For most of the season, the 6-foot-10 lefty struggled with a bulging disc in his back that took some zip off his trademark fastball late in outings. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: Supported by one of owner George Steinbrenner's most trusted right-hand men, Gene Michael, Derek Jeter made the 1996 Opening Day roster as the Yankees' starting shortstop, the first of 17-straight Opening Days with Jeter penciled in at short. 1996 Topps Baseball - Base - Standard - Base - Standard. What other records will he break? . | buy stuff after clicking links on our site Headed to the National League for the first time, the mercurial future Hall-of-Famer was preceded by a spotty clubhouse reputation. The highlight of the Baltimore Orioles 1995 season came on September 6th when perennial All-Star shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrigs record with his 2,131st consecutive game played. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy stuff after clicking links on our site Puckett announced his retirement on July 12, 1996, leaving collectors with this bittersweet career-capper that materialized all too soon. OK, maybe not so much that last one, but the old game sure looked and felt pretty amazing for at least a little while. - Forum Comments | Prices are updated daily based upon 1996 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Headed to the National League for the first time, the mercurial future Hall-of-Famer was preceded by a spotty clubhouse reputation. We use cookies to improve your experience. Mystery Finest cards hide the featured player with a piece of black film. Puckett put up a pretty Kirby-typical season in 1995 .314/23 HR/99 RBI/130 OPS+/league-leading smiles total. But, it was his baserunning that earned the M's their first postseason series triumph. 2 Topps read the room pretty well and pared down their offering from 660 cards in 1995 to a 40-year low of 440 base cards in 1996, split among two 220-card series (along with several inserts and parallels, of course). His supporters are about the staunchest youll find, and there are pockets of the hobby that still go all-in on Clark cards. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Baseball Card Collections. The M's lost to the Cleveland Indians in six in the forthcoming ALCS, but that did little to damper the baseball spirit in Seattle. or Best Offer. Shortcuts: His career-best 0.811 WHIP paced the Majors, while his 0.3 HR/9, 1.0 BB/9 and 7.87 K/BB ratios were also the best of any pitcher in baseball. Does your favorite appear among this list of most valuable 1996 Topps baseball cards, or did we miss one of the best? According to Padres legend Tony Gwynn, however, that was all meaningless talk. Rookie cards, autographs and more. Following the 1995 season, the New York Yankees brought in Tino Martinez from the Seattle Mariners as part of a multi-player trade to be their starting first baseman. For the FREE complete Printer friendly (3 pages) 1996 Topps Baseball Card Checklist CLICK HERE Well start at the bottome of the pile, nearest the old commons bin, and work our way up from there. Will buy more! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By the 1997 MLB Trade Deadline, his time by the Bay would come to a close, and a new chapter would begin under the arch in St. Louis. In the Twins' final regular-season game against the Cleveland Indians, the 35-year-old slugger took a fastball to the face from righty Dennis Martinez that broke Puckett's jaw and ended his season on a scary, painful note. But late in Spring Training of 1996, Puckett woke up with no vision in his right eye. 7 Things I Learned from the 1984 Topps Celebration of the Bench, Yaz, and Perry Retirements. It was enough to get his cards perking a bit, though his reputation for churlishness tempered hobby enthusiasm to some degree. 1996 TOPPS Baseball Cards. However, his bat turned ice cold in the ALDS as he went 0-12 while the Indians swept the Red Sox 3-0. The spot was retired beginning in 1997 and remained that way for several years until Topps reached an agreement with Mantle's estate. Flash Market Report What Old Baseball Cards Sold Big this Week? It was the first of four consecutive seasons in which McGwire would belt 50 or more home runs but the only full season he would do so in an Oakland uniform after the team traded him to the Cardinals during the 1997 season. Though Mattingly was unsigned entering the 1996 season, he decided to sit on the sidelines and see how his various injuries chief among them chronic back problems progressed with some rest rather than either head to a non-Yankees team or retire outright. 1963 Topps Peel-Offs Baseball Cards (96) 1961 Fleer Baseball Cards (1,920) 1961 Golden Press Baseball Cards (296) 1964 Topps Coins Baseball Cards (2,304) 1964 Topps Stand Up Baseball Cards (200) 1961 Nu Card Scoops Baseball Cards (546) 1964 Topps Venezuelan Baseball Cards (48) 1961 Post Cereal Baseball Cards (2,814) 1961 Kahn's Baseball Cards (6) Incredibly, opposing hitters batted just .197 against Maddux while also posting a .224 OBP, .258 slugging percentage, and .482 OPS against the masterful righty. While the Mariners' first October appearance might have been enough to keep baseball in Seattle, their iconic five-game AL Division Series win over the Yankees sealed the deal. And it showed at the turnstiles, with a 20-percent drop in overall attendance around the Major Leagues. To top it all off, there were a couple of subsets as well: Overall, this set still packs plenty to enjoy for the die-hard baseball card collector and lots of nostalgic value. 1959, 1996 Topps Baseball Factory Sealed Complete Set. Following the 1995 MLB season, Jones signed a four-year, $8.5 million extension with the Braves, the first of many extensions with Atlanta during his Hall-of-Fame career. The statistical particulars of Cal Ripken Jr.'s 1995 season aren't the story. Followng the players strike that tore through the 1994 and 1995 seasons, collectors were understandably guarded when it came to plunking down our money for 1996 Topps baseball cards. Thomas more than did his part, driving in 111 while leading all of baseball in games played (145), walks (136), intentional walks (29), and sacrifice flies (12). Click here to Rate, - Overview batting crown home to sunny Southern California every year from 1994 to 1997. In 1996, though, Johnson's body started having other ideas. Henderson was solid in year one before the players' strike dropped a curtain on the season. Endless hours on the tee and in batting practice continued to pay huge dividends over his twenty-year Hall of Fame career. Hard work! 1996 Topps Finest - League Leaders - Bronze Blank Back #_KEGR Ken Griffey Jr. 4 from . Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Most Expensive, Many fans were slow to come back, and even many collectors found our diamond appetites blunted by the vulgarities of the work stoppage. Read our methodology . Cheapest, Next to the ribbon is a small head shot replicating the one from the main photo. And Ripken guaranteed again that his baseball cards would be hot pack pulls again next year (1996, that was). Photos run nearly full bleed, save for a thin white border. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. Prices are updated daily based upon 1996 Stadium Club listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. There, Jones batted .286 with one RBI, three doubles and three runs scored to help Atlanta to a 4-2 series victory. And while it would take time to earn back fans' trust, Ripken Jr. provided a storybook moment for a game desperately in need of one. Then, while the raw ingredients for the coming home run battles were beginning to stew in other reaches of the game, Bonds went out and knocked off that 40-40 target in 1996, at the same time collectors were pulling this aim-for-the-sky card from our Topps packs. Puckett was a professional hitter who could do it all. Most Expensive, And in this guide, we take a look at the 15 most valuable. It was sort of an updated version of the classic 1957 Topps design. And after leading all of baseball in total walks over the previous two seasons, the 28-year-old slugger passed the 100-walk mark for the sixth straight year (109) while pacing the American League in intentional walks (26). Note: Baseball cards which featured a player who did not appear in a regular season game during the most recently completed season, do not link to their major league statistics. Singles. So, for the cards on this list to be worth much, they'll have to be graded by PSA to be in perfect, gem mint condition. Unfortunately, an errant fastball by Cleveland Indians pitcher Dennis Martinez struck Puckett in the face, breaking his jaw. After a busy 1995 offseason that included the release of his own video game,Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball,superstar first baseman Frank Thomas was exemplary yet again in 1996. Cards also have a Refractor parallel. For one thing, Mattingly was gone, forced into unofficial retirement by a bad back. Shop COMC's extensive selection of 1996 topps finest baseball cards. Ripken was the toast of baseball in 1995 as the game struggled to win back fans following the 1994 players strike (more on Cals magical season elsewhere in this post). No wonder his cards are still popular, even if he does have to declare his identity now and then. Now that we got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: After starting infielders Tony Fernndez and Pat Kelly both went down because of injury early in the 1995 season, Yankees fans got their first look at Derek Jeter when he filled in for thirteen games from May 29 to June 11. But, that doesn't mean they are rare or hard to find these days by any means. 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