Topps Magazine - Spring 1993 Season Preview!
My parents house was destroyed by fire on May 5th of this year. After the fire, we tried to salvage anything that wasn’t ruined by the fire, or the smoke and water that filled the house. Amongst the stuff that wasn’t completely destroyed, was some leftover pieces of my baseball collection. Which had stayed behind after my 1996 move to Denver, Colorado. Or was moved back to their house later, then back to Colorado, back to their house and eventually to the house Laura bought in our hometown. However, in the weeks before that fire, I pulled several boxes of my left behind stuff that dated back to early childhood in the late 1970’s, and brought them to my house.
One of the (pre-fire) boxes had a copy of Topps Magazine, from Spring 1993, mixed inside with some old children’s books. I hadn’t expected to find this, so I spent that afternoon scanning it for a future story. And now seems like a good time for showing that.
I’d thought that I thrown out all my copies of Topps Magazine in a collection downsizing some 20 years ago, but this copy survived. Probably kept due to Dave Winfield of the Minnesota Twins on the cover. Either way, I’m glad that I did keep it, because it’s a simple to write story I can put up here!
Topps started publishing their magazine in 1990, at the height of the Junk Wax Era. It only ran through the Fall of 1993 before being discontinued. 16 issues in total were printed for the Topps Magazine run.
A few pages in, this ad shows the covers of issues 1-12, with the dual covers for issue 10. Wonder if Topps still has them available for these prices? After the initial pages consisting of an ad and table of contents, the first content you’ll encounter was the editor’s note on page 4.
1993 was the first season for both the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies. So all 5 card companies (Remember when there were 5 licensed producers of baseball cards? I do. And damn do I miss those days...) were doing something with their 1993 sets to commemorate the new franchises. Even if it was simply going heavy on producing cards of them.
Those new expansion teams were the focus of this full page advertisement for 1993 Stadium Club. I knew after seeing this ad, that I was psyched to go out and but 1993 Stadium Club. Then I discovered that I had to wait for series 2 and 3 for the actual Rockies and Marlins cards that were pictured here. Sneaky move Topps…
On the reverse side of this advertisement was another blurb about the 4 card insert set in Stadium Club Series 1. Also including information on the “Master Photos” redemptions (Which were REALLY lame in my opinion) and the First Day Production cards. Which I liked a lot back in 1993.
On that same page was a brief write up on the 1993 Stadium Club Jack Murphy Set. Along with a simple contest to win a set. And you didn’t even have to subscribe to the magazine in order to win… I had several copies of the 1992 Stadium Club Skydome set, but I don’t recall ever seeing the Murphy set at any of the card stores I frequented around the Minneapolis area in 1993. I would have likely bought one if I did. Then I could have that relatively rare Derek Jeter draft pick card, that still commands a decent price. If you can find one.
Even today, my collection only includes one card from this set: Dan Serafini. Who was the Minnesota Twins First Round Draft Pick in 1992. I picked it up at a card store in St. Cloud, Minnesota, a couple of months back. I'd made the hour long drive specifically take pictures of the Press Bar. Which had recently been destroyed by fire. Strange coincidence...
The first actual story in this issue of Topps Magazine, covers collectibles of past expansion teams, dating back to 1961. The first page is mainly lauding praise on the 1962 New York Mets.
The second page mentions the market for some of the other expansion teams merchandise. With the heaviest of focus being on the 1969 Seattle Pilots. I have to count myself as a collector of Pilots stuff if I can find it. Not that I’ve found much, other than the 1969 and 1970 Topps team sets. I did buy a re-print of the 1969 Pilots Yearbook off eBay a few years ago and found it fascinating to flip through.
As much as it pains me to give the guy any credit, “Mr. Mint” Alan Rosen has the quote of the article. One that stays with me as I look at collectibles today: “Nothing, I mean nothing, manufactured after 1975 or so will be of any value in the future. Too much of it was produced for fans, who bought all of it and saved all of it. Ten million Marlins first game programs will be bought, and 50 years from now there will be ten million of them for sale, and they’ll be worth 10 cents each.”
Briefly going back to the Seattle Pilots, This out of print book set me back about $60 on Amazon, about a decade ago. Fascinating read, and worth it, despite the high price I paid.
Up next was a 4 page feature on Dave Winfield. Who had just led the Toronto Blue Jays to the 1992 World Series victory, then signed with his hometown Minnesota Twins for the 1993 season. Winfield followed Jack Morris in 1991 and preceded Paul Molitor in 1996, as the Twins tried to catch lightning in a bottle and acquire hometown stars to finish their careers where they came from.
There’s some pretty interesting stuff in there about George Steinbrenner pulling some shenanigans, that resulted in the Yankees owner being suspended from Major League Baseball for a couple of seasons. I’d forgotten about all of that, as did most people after the Yankees went on their run in the late 1990’s.
Even in 1993, I have to question Topps sources that informed them that Winfield’s 1974 Topps rookie card was selling for $160. Even at peak Junk Wax prices, the highest asking price I remember from those days was around $100. I bought my copy for $25 in 2005. It’s in pretty good shape too.
This magazine included an oversized reprint of Winfield’s 1974 Topps rookie, on the removable cards bound into the center spread.
Deeper into the magazine, there was an entry form for winning an autographed Winfield oversized card, as seen a few pages earlier. This contest was basically an ad for magazine subscriptions. At least they were being honest about it.
I remember seeing advertising for these metal Topps cards, running for years in pretty much every baseball card magazine from the Junk Wax Era. Although you’d rarely see these metal cards in person. Occasionally I’d see some in a case at a card show, but I never bought one. Still have very little interest in them.
As I mentioned earlier, the center spread of each issue of Topps Magazine was a perforated, tear out set of baseball cards.
In this issue, the Mariners, Pirates, Expos and Angels are given a top rookie for 1993. Something that made me laugh about these is the line at the bottom that says: “Leave the cards in the magazine to keep them in mint condition”. But the perf lines are off-centered, at almost 70/30. That’s not mint condition Topps. I expect better…
And I’ll gladly take a 2 page feature on any Montreal Expo. Wil Cordero had a 14 year Major League career, including 6 seasons with the Expos (and another with the Nationals). But he never panned out to be the superstar that Topps Magazine (and I) hoped he would.
In the first few years of Topps Magazines, the center spread was usually a fold out poster highlighting a recent Topps product. I specifically remember the 1990 Topps Baseball poster with thumbnails of ALL 792 cards printed on it. That was pretty cool.
Up next was a fun feature where six different players talked about their first game in the Major Leagues. I really enjoyed reading them, and would have liked more.
Given the current climate of negotiations just to play some of the 2020 season, I cringe when I think of how ugly the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations will get after the 2021 season. Which might make 1994 look like a children’s birfday party.
My first computer arrived in the Spring of 1994. The initial purchase came because I wanted something to make writing Wasted Quarter easier than my old typewriter. (However, I still have that typewriter. The computer, not so much.) It was a homemade, pieced together IBM 286, running Windows 3.1. The machine was purchased from my future roommate, Crazy Carl. As he was putting the system together, he asked me if I was interested in using a baseball card database software. He found something very similar to what is shown in this ad.
I remember sitting at that new computer, entering box after box of single cards into the inventory system. Until I simply gave up on it because the data entry was taking too long. Somewhere in the Archives, is a long dot matrix print out of every card I entered. The pages were never separated, so it’s just one long scroll. Just a little technology related thing that I miss about 25 years ago.
The main feature of this issue of Topps Magazine was their 1993 Major League Baseball Team by Team Season Preview. I’m a sucker for revisiting stuff like this, years later. After all, we know how the 1993 season went down. We also know how the next 26 seasons played out. No player mentioned in these capsules is still active, so no one’s legacy can change much now.
They won the World Series in 1992 and (Spoiler alert!) they would go on to win it in 1993 as well. On paper, the 1993 team didn’t look as strong as the 1992 team did. But of course the season wasn’t played on paper (unlike the 2020 season), so what everyone wrote meant nothing. As far as their rookie spotlight, Eddie Zosky didn’t do anything of note in baseball.
I’ll let you in on a little secret… Back in the early 1990’s, I was a fan of the team that New York was building. Don Mattingly was a favorite since I started following baseball, but the cast around him was becoming more interesting. During George Steinbrenner’s absence (via suspension), the team had started building through the draft and acquiring prospects for the first time since George bought the team. The rebuild advanced to where they were now adding free agents to compliment their improving base. This was an interesting team to follow, but they weren’t quite there in 1993.
Oakland’s glory days were fading, as the team fell off the cliff in 1993. After winning the American League West in 1988, 89, 90 and 92, their record fell to an awful 68-94 in 1993. Incoming rookies headlined by Scott Lydy, did absolutely nothing to help.
The team that overtook Oakland in the A.L. West. I was also a fan of the White Sox young superstars. Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura, Jack McDowell and Alex Fernandez were all players I was actively collecting. Even though Rod Bolton didn’t pan out, Jason Bere did. Giving the Sox everything they needed to lose to the eventual World Champion Blue Jays in the ALCS.
Minnesota hung in with Oakland throughout 1992, finishing in second place with 90 wins. But it wasn’t even that close. There were signs all over that Minnesota’s window was closing as quickly as it opened in 1991. The 1992 team -especially on the pitching side- was gutted in the offseason. They tried to fill the roles of departing veterans with minor league prospects that just weren’t good enough. Mike Trombley did go on to pitch for many seasons in the major leagues. But it was mostly in relief for some really bad teams. David McCarty was an absolute bust, which set the franchise back, and the rest of the decade saw some pretty ugly baseball at the Metrodome. Topps was correct here, they did finish fifth in the A.L. West (71-91). And Dave Winfield got his 3000th hit, but it just wasn’t enough.
1993 was the start of what would become a long stretch of the darkest days of the Metrodome. Twins baseball wouldn’t become watchable until the years started with a 2 instead of a 1.
I also forgot that Bert Blyleven came back to Minnesota for 1993 Spring Training, but retired when he didn’t make the team.
Throughout the 1990’s, if there was ever a perfect example of a team underachieving, it would be the Seattle Mariners. Every year I though the Mariners could put it all together and appear in the World Series. Headlined by Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Randy Johnson (3 are Hall of Famers, the other was pretty good), and later joined by Alex Rodriguez (who would have been a Hall of Famer if it weren’t for BLATANT steroid issues), but they never did much beyond a few unsuccessful playoff appearances.
Topps was also dead on in their assessment of rookie second baseman, Bret Boone: “A long and serviceable, if not spectacular, career appears to be in order.” And that’s about what Bret Boone did.
Montreal was definitely on the rise in 1993. Their 1992 record of 87-75, put them in second place. In 1993, they would go 94-68. Again finishing in second place in the National League East, just 3 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. And we all know what would happen to the Expos in 1994. (Sigh…) While neither of them made the 1993 Major League squad, I found it amusing that both Franklin Stubbs and Jack Clark went to Spring Training with the Expos. I already talked about Wil Cordero. Rondell White definitely was a “coming Attraction” for Montreal, but why no mention of Cliff Floyd? Or (just to appease my collector nerd-dom) Archi Cianfrocco? He didn’t even make the depth chart!
The 1992 Mets were bad. The 1993 Mets were absolutely TERRIBLE. So bad, that their 59-103 record was actually five games WORSE than the expansion Florida Marlins! If you finish in dead last place, five wins less than an expansion team, it’s time to blow it up and start over. They had overpriced veterans at nearly every position, but they didn’t mesh and the team imploded. It didn’t help that Ryan Thompson didn’t pan out at all. And they traded David Cone in order to get him. At least they also got Jeff Kent in that deal, but they didn’t keep him either. Although I feel happy in just seeing our hero, Jeff Innis, has his name listed on the depth chart. 1993 would be his last year in the Major Leagues.
Topps predicted them to finish in fourth place, and they made the World Series. These Phillies were fun to watch. A team full of blue collar dirt balls. Scruffy beards, long hair, dirty uniforms and a whole lot of chewing tobacco. That summed up the 1993 Phillies. The team was even parodied on Saturday Night Live that fall, with Chris Farley playing a spot on version of John Kruk. The capsule review of Tyler Green summed it up perfectly, injuries took a promising career away from him. A common theme with Phillies pitchers in the early 1990’s. Remember Pat Combs?
So much teal! The bright and sunny looking Marlins were an oddity in packs of 1993 baseball cards. Teal was a color you just didn’t see in the Major Leagues, so the expansion Marlins made an impact. As I’d mentioned, they beat the New York Mess for last place in the division. They had zero expectations coming into the season, which had to be considered a success. Jeff Conine would become Mr. Marlin, and played key roles on both World Series wins in 1997 and 2003. Miami’s first pick in the 1992 Expansion Draft, Nigel Wilson, did absolutely nothing in the Major Leagues. Which has to be considered a major disappointment. Almost skull crushing teal!
Back when the Braves were miscast in the National League West, I didn’t have nearly as strong of hatred for them. In fact, I kind of liked them. Being able to watch all of their games on TBS lead to some interest, but that pitching staff and developing crop of rookies always held attention. Adding Greg Maddux (and later in the Summer, Fred McGriff) was just what the team needed to go from 98 wins to 104. Ryan Klesko did go on to a great career, as did Javier Lopez. Wil Nieves flopped. But that didn’t affect Atlanta, since he was sent to the Padres for McGriff.
I’m only bothering with the Dodgers because of the interesting summary of Mike Piazza. Knowing how the career of Piazza would pan out, Topps sure was playing it safe in their assessment. Also getting press in the rookie write-up, was Raul Mondesi, Pedro Martinez and Eric Karros. All reasons why the Dodgers would go from 63-99 on 1992, to 81-81 in 1993, to a first place finish in the strike shortened 1994 season.
The Giants finished at 72-90 in 1992, but won an amazing 31 more games in 1993, to finish 103-59. However, they still lost the NL West division title to the Atlanta Braves on the last day of the 1993 season. It’s hard to put enough stock into how much Barry Bonds, and his questionable training methods, brought to this team. That, and adding Dusty Baker as a manager that knew how to run the team, was the key to changing the franchise’s identity.
When the Marlins and Rockies were announced as the newest franchises in Major League Baseball, back in 1991, it wasn’t long after that I decided I was now a fan of the Rockies. The black, silver and purple color scheme definitely played a role. I watched the November 1992 Expansion Draft live on ESPN, and still have the VHS tape in a box somewhere. I was all in on the two newest MLB teams, but especially the Colorado Rockies. Without knowing that after the Rockies fourth season, I’d be living less than 15 miles from Coors Field. (Closer than my parents house was to the Metrodome.)
The 1993 Rockies were decent for an expansion team, finishing with a 67-95 record. That’s 3 more wins than their expansion brothers in fish! Just like the Marlins, the Rockies also didn’t finish in last place. The 1993 San Diego Padres went 61-101, to finish in last place, 6 games behind Colorado. As predicted, their pitching was terrible. David Nied didn’t pan out (I covered that on these pages before) and neither did anybody else they tried. However, offense was -and still is- the Rockies calling card. In the 26 seasons since 1993, bad pitching and great offense is still the lasting story of the Colorado Rockies.
But what I want to talk about is this terrible model with the huge arms and tiny head, and completely uninterested look on his face. Actually he kind of looks scared. Perhaps outside the frame there is an even more apathetic small headed guy, with bigger arms and an Upper Deck cap, looking all intimidating?
Up next was a recurring feature in Topps Magazine that I don’t remember anything about. A series of four vertical 2 page spreads covering historical facts and trivia about current baseball stadiums, around the Major Leagues.
I actually got to see one of the very last baseball games played in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, in September 1993. Earlier in that day, I got to visit the site of League Park, the baseball stadium in Cleveland that predates Cleveland Municipal Stadium. That was the very second story I wrote for this blog, almost three years ago now. And I still like it.
I bet Mark Fidrych and Joe Charboneau didn’t do a butt-load of steroids, but they are the disappointing losers according to Topps Magazine.
The inside back cover of this Topps Magazine ran a full page ad for Cracker Jack’s mini baseball card reprints. I have some of these mini Cracker Jack cards, from various years. I even have an official Cracker Jack mini card album, that is similar to the offer at the bottom of the ad. But it’s not the same one. It’s blue! And still filled with the mini cards that I pulled from boxes of Cracker Jack. Some of which are from this 1993 reprint series.
Most of those boxes of Cracker Jack were purchased from the Festival Foods (now County Market, Festival moved a mile or so east in the early 2000’s) in Andover, Minnesota. I can almost guarantee this issue of Topps Magazine came from that same grocery store. Which used to anchor the north end of Downtown Center. That would make an excellent story, if I had any images of it before it was reconfigured.
Now that I’m back living in my home town, it seems kind of strange that I’m once again buying groceries from this store. Less than 2 miles from my house, and less than three miles from where my parent’s house is (was).
The outside back cover was a full page advertisement for Super High Impact football on the SNES. Say what you will about video games of today, but damn was the SupaNoFriendo a lot of fun..
But I’d imagine if Topps came out with Topps Magazine Fall 2020, it would just be multiple stories about how great Mike Trout and Derek Jeter are, mixed with advertisements for online exclusive card sets and $400 single card wax packs of game used, autographed, glow in the dark, light-up, 1 of 1 uberfractors with raisins.
One of the (pre-fire) boxes had a copy of Topps Magazine, from Spring 1993, mixed inside with some old children’s books. I hadn’t expected to find this, so I spent that afternoon scanning it for a future story. And now seems like a good time for showing that.
I’d thought that I thrown out all my copies of Topps Magazine in a collection downsizing some 20 years ago, but this copy survived. Probably kept due to Dave Winfield of the Minnesota Twins on the cover. Either way, I’m glad that I did keep it, because it’s a simple to write story I can put up here!
Topps started publishing their magazine in 1990, at the height of the Junk Wax Era. It only ran through the Fall of 1993 before being discontinued. 16 issues in total were printed for the Topps Magazine run.
A few pages in, this ad shows the covers of issues 1-12, with the dual covers for issue 10. Wonder if Topps still has them available for these prices? After the initial pages consisting of an ad and table of contents, the first content you’ll encounter was the editor’s note on page 4.
Rather salty and politically opinionated for a magazine that was pretty much aimed at the under 18 market.
1993 was the first season for both the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies. So all 5 card companies (Remember when there were 5 licensed producers of baseball cards? I do. And damn do I miss those days...) were doing something with their 1993 sets to commemorate the new franchises. Even if it was simply going heavy on producing cards of them.
Those new expansion teams were the focus of this full page advertisement for 1993 Stadium Club. I knew after seeing this ad, that I was psyched to go out and but 1993 Stadium Club. Then I discovered that I had to wait for series 2 and 3 for the actual Rockies and Marlins cards that were pictured here. Sneaky move Topps…
On the reverse side of this advertisement was another blurb about the 4 card insert set in Stadium Club Series 1. Also including information on the “Master Photos” redemptions (Which were REALLY lame in my opinion) and the First Day Production cards. Which I liked a lot back in 1993.
On that same page was a brief write up on the 1993 Stadium Club Jack Murphy Set. Along with a simple contest to win a set. And you didn’t even have to subscribe to the magazine in order to win… I had several copies of the 1992 Stadium Club Skydome set, but I don’t recall ever seeing the Murphy set at any of the card stores I frequented around the Minneapolis area in 1993. I would have likely bought one if I did. Then I could have that relatively rare Derek Jeter draft pick card, that still commands a decent price. If you can find one.
Even today, my collection only includes one card from this set: Dan Serafini. Who was the Minnesota Twins First Round Draft Pick in 1992. I picked it up at a card store in St. Cloud, Minnesota, a couple of months back. I'd made the hour long drive specifically take pictures of the Press Bar. Which had recently been destroyed by fire. Strange coincidence...
The first actual story in this issue of Topps Magazine, covers collectibles of past expansion teams, dating back to 1961. The first page is mainly lauding praise on the 1962 New York Mets.
Scarcely a mention of the 1969 Montreal Expos…
As much as it pains me to give the guy any credit, “Mr. Mint” Alan Rosen has the quote of the article. One that stays with me as I look at collectibles today: “Nothing, I mean nothing, manufactured after 1975 or so will be of any value in the future. Too much of it was produced for fans, who bought all of it and saved all of it. Ten million Marlins first game programs will be bought, and 50 years from now there will be ten million of them for sale, and they’ll be worth 10 cents each.”
Valuable insight from the Junk Wax Era…
But he’s still a douche.
Up next was a 4 page feature on Dave Winfield. Who had just led the Toronto Blue Jays to the 1992 World Series victory, then signed with his hometown Minnesota Twins for the 1993 season. Winfield followed Jack Morris in 1991 and preceded Paul Molitor in 1996, as the Twins tried to catch lightning in a bottle and acquire hometown stars to finish their careers where they came from.
They certainly weren’t developing any during that time…
Even in 1993, I have to question Topps sources that informed them that Winfield’s 1974 Topps rookie card was selling for $160. Even at peak Junk Wax prices, the highest asking price I remember from those days was around $100. I bought my copy for $25 in 2005. It’s in pretty good shape too.
This magazine included an oversized reprint of Winfield’s 1974 Topps rookie, on the removable cards bound into the center spread.
Deeper into the magazine, there was an entry form for winning an autographed Winfield oversized card, as seen a few pages earlier. This contest was basically an ad for magazine subscriptions. At least they were being honest about it.
I remember seeing advertising for these metal Topps cards, running for years in pretty much every baseball card magazine from the Junk Wax Era. Although you’d rarely see these metal cards in person. Occasionally I’d see some in a case at a card show, but I never bought one. Still have very little interest in them.
As I mentioned earlier, the center spread of each issue of Topps Magazine was a perforated, tear out set of baseball cards.
In this issue, the Mariners, Pirates, Expos and Angels are given a top rookie for 1993. Something that made me laugh about these is the line at the bottom that says: “Leave the cards in the magazine to keep them in mint condition”. But the perf lines are off-centered, at almost 70/30. That’s not mint condition Topps. I expect better…
The card backs. These are pretty decent with a detailed bio style write-up.
I did not separate the cards from the center spread because I wanted to keep them in mint condition.
But I might someday. I think this card needs to go into my Expos albums.
And the card back…
In the first few years of Topps Magazines, the center spread was usually a fold out poster highlighting a recent Topps product. I specifically remember the 1990 Topps Baseball poster with thumbnails of ALL 792 cards printed on it. That was pretty cool.
Or this awesome poster for 1991 Stadium Club Series 1, which still has a special home in my collection.
You can read all about my love for 1991 Stadium Club over here.
Looks like cartoon Pete Rose is about to eat cartoon Tony Gwynn.
It wasn’t until I re-read the Delino DeShields story, did I remember the 1990 Spring Training lockout.
Given the current climate of negotiations just to play some of the 2020 season, I cringe when I think of how ugly the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations will get after the 2021 season. Which might make 1994 look like a children’s birfday party.
Speaking of 1994...
Actually, I think it was this software.
I remember sitting at that new computer, entering box after box of single cards into the inventory system. Until I simply gave up on it because the data entry was taking too long. Somewhere in the Archives, is a long dot matrix print out of every card I entered. The pages were never separated, so it’s just one long scroll. Just a little technology related thing that I miss about 25 years ago.
The main feature of this issue of Topps Magazine was their 1993 Major League Baseball Team by Team Season Preview. I’m a sucker for revisiting stuff like this, years later. After all, we know how the 1993 season went down. We also know how the next 26 seasons played out. No player mentioned in these capsules is still active, so no one’s legacy can change much now.
Let’s take a look at how Topps thought the 1993 season would go.
I’m not doing all 28 teams, only the ones that interested me. Then or now…
1993 Toronto Blue Jays
They won the World Series in 1992 and (Spoiler alert!) they would go on to win it in 1993 as well. On paper, the 1993 team didn’t look as strong as the 1992 team did. But of course the season wasn’t played on paper (unlike the 2020 season), so what everyone wrote meant nothing. As far as their rookie spotlight, Eddie Zosky didn’t do anything of note in baseball.
1993 New York Yankees
And we all know what happened next…
1993 Oakland Athletics
Oakland’s glory days were fading, as the team fell off the cliff in 1993. After winning the American League West in 1988, 89, 90 and 92, their record fell to an awful 68-94 in 1993. Incoming rookies headlined by Scott Lydy, did absolutely nothing to help.
Even the great Todd Van Poppel was a bust. More Kody Clemens than Roger...
Sorry Rob…
1993 Chicago White Sox
The team that overtook Oakland in the A.L. West. I was also a fan of the White Sox young superstars. Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura, Jack McDowell and Alex Fernandez were all players I was actively collecting. Even though Rod Bolton didn’t pan out, Jason Bere did. Giving the Sox everything they needed to lose to the eventual World Champion Blue Jays in the ALCS.
1993 Minnesota Twins
Minnesota hung in with Oakland throughout 1992, finishing in second place with 90 wins. But it wasn’t even that close. There were signs all over that Minnesota’s window was closing as quickly as it opened in 1991. The 1992 team -especially on the pitching side- was gutted in the offseason. They tried to fill the roles of departing veterans with minor league prospects that just weren’t good enough. Mike Trombley did go on to pitch for many seasons in the major leagues. But it was mostly in relief for some really bad teams. David McCarty was an absolute bust, which set the franchise back, and the rest of the decade saw some pretty ugly baseball at the Metrodome. Topps was correct here, they did finish fifth in the A.L. West (71-91). And Dave Winfield got his 3000th hit, but it just wasn’t enough.
1993 was the start of what would become a long stretch of the darkest days of the Metrodome. Twins baseball wouldn’t become watchable until the years started with a 2 instead of a 1.
I also forgot that Bert Blyleven came back to Minnesota for 1993 Spring Training, but retired when he didn’t make the team.
1993 Seattle Mariners
Topps was also dead on in their assessment of rookie second baseman, Bret Boone: “A long and serviceable, if not spectacular, career appears to be in order.” And that’s about what Bret Boone did.
1993 Montreal Expos
1993 New York Mets
The 1992 Mets were bad. The 1993 Mets were absolutely TERRIBLE. So bad, that their 59-103 record was actually five games WORSE than the expansion Florida Marlins! If you finish in dead last place, five wins less than an expansion team, it’s time to blow it up and start over. They had overpriced veterans at nearly every position, but they didn’t mesh and the team imploded. It didn’t help that Ryan Thompson didn’t pan out at all. And they traded David Cone in order to get him. At least they also got Jeff Kent in that deal, but they didn’t keep him either. Although I feel happy in just seeing our hero, Jeff Innis, has his name listed on the depth chart. 1993 would be his last year in the Major Leagues.
1993 Philadelphia Phillies
Topps predicted them to finish in fourth place, and they made the World Series. These Phillies were fun to watch. A team full of blue collar dirt balls. Scruffy beards, long hair, dirty uniforms and a whole lot of chewing tobacco. That summed up the 1993 Phillies. The team was even parodied on Saturday Night Live that fall, with Chris Farley playing a spot on version of John Kruk. The capsule review of Tyler Green summed it up perfectly, injuries took a promising career away from him. A common theme with Phillies pitchers in the early 1990’s. Remember Pat Combs?
1993 Florida Marlins
So much teal! The bright and sunny looking Marlins were an oddity in packs of 1993 baseball cards. Teal was a color you just didn’t see in the Major Leagues, so the expansion Marlins made an impact. As I’d mentioned, they beat the New York Mess for last place in the division. They had zero expectations coming into the season, which had to be considered a success. Jeff Conine would become Mr. Marlin, and played key roles on both World Series wins in 1997 and 2003. Miami’s first pick in the 1992 Expansion Draft, Nigel Wilson, did absolutely nothing in the Major Leagues. Which has to be considered a major disappointment. Almost skull crushing teal!
1993 Atlanta Braves
Back when the Braves were miscast in the National League West, I didn’t have nearly as strong of hatred for them. In fact, I kind of liked them. Being able to watch all of their games on TBS lead to some interest, but that pitching staff and developing crop of rookies always held attention. Adding Greg Maddux (and later in the Summer, Fred McGriff) was just what the team needed to go from 98 wins to 104. Ryan Klesko did go on to a great career, as did Javier Lopez. Wil Nieves flopped. But that didn’t affect Atlanta, since he was sent to the Padres for McGriff.
1993 Los Angeles Dodgers
I’m only bothering with the Dodgers because of the interesting summary of Mike Piazza. Knowing how the career of Piazza would pan out, Topps sure was playing it safe in their assessment. Also getting press in the rookie write-up, was Raul Mondesi, Pedro Martinez and Eric Karros. All reasons why the Dodgers would go from 63-99 on 1992, to 81-81 in 1993, to a first place finish in the strike shortened 1994 season.
But I still hate the Dodgers.
1993 San Francisco Giants
And I still REALLY hate the Giants…
1993 Colorado Rockies
When the Marlins and Rockies were announced as the newest franchises in Major League Baseball, back in 1991, it wasn’t long after that I decided I was now a fan of the Rockies. The black, silver and purple color scheme definitely played a role. I watched the November 1992 Expansion Draft live on ESPN, and still have the VHS tape in a box somewhere. I was all in on the two newest MLB teams, but especially the Colorado Rockies. Without knowing that after the Rockies fourth season, I’d be living less than 15 miles from Coors Field. (Closer than my parents house was to the Metrodome.)
The 1993 Rockies were decent for an expansion team, finishing with a 67-95 record. That’s 3 more wins than their expansion brothers in fish! Just like the Marlins, the Rockies also didn’t finish in last place. The 1993 San Diego Padres went 61-101, to finish in last place, 6 games behind Colorado. As predicted, their pitching was terrible. David Nied didn’t pan out (I covered that on these pages before) and neither did anybody else they tried. However, offense was -and still is- the Rockies calling card. In the 26 seasons since 1993, bad pitching and great offense is still the lasting story of the Colorado Rockies.
And I really REALLY miss Colorado…
Heheheheh... That’s a REALLY cool cap!
The cap is one thing. It’s just a standard cap with the Topps Magazine logo embroidered onto it.
Awesome.
But what I want to talk about is this terrible model with the huge arms and tiny head, and completely uninterested look on his face. Actually he kind of looks scared. Perhaps outside the frame there is an even more apathetic small headed guy, with bigger arms and an Upper Deck cap, looking all intimidating?
Did anyone spend $9.95 +$3.05 shipping for this cap?
Was it cool?
Up next was a recurring feature in Topps Magazine that I don’t remember anything about. A series of four vertical 2 page spreads covering historical facts and trivia about current baseball stadiums, around the Major Leagues.
The Skydome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California
Cleveland Municipal Stadium in some city in Ohio
I actually got to see one of the very last baseball games played in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, in September 1993. Earlier in that day, I got to visit the site of League Park, the baseball stadium in Cleveland that predates Cleveland Municipal Stadium. That was the very second story I wrote for this blog, almost three years ago now. And I still like it.
Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentary on rookie card collecting is alway entertaining to read, no matter what era it’s written.
I bet Mark Fidrych and Joe Charboneau didn’t do a butt-load of steroids, but they are the disappointing losers according to Topps Magazine.
“They aren’t collectors. They are speculators, and speculators don’t care about the hobby.”
Hmmm… Was this quote about 2020 Bowman? Definitely applicable…
I still have a bunch of those 1989 Topps Gregg Jefferies and Gary Sheffield cards.
But I still have to go to work tomorrow…
Most of those boxes of Cracker Jack were purchased from the Festival Foods (now County Market, Festival moved a mile or so east in the early 2000’s) in Andover, Minnesota. I can almost guarantee this issue of Topps Magazine came from that same grocery store. Which used to anchor the north end of Downtown Center. That would make an excellent story, if I had any images of it before it was reconfigured.
Now that I’m back living in my home town, it seems kind of strange that I’m once again buying groceries from this store. Less than 2 miles from my house, and less than three miles from where my parent’s house is (was).
The last story in the magazine is a two page look at the New York Yankees (!?!) third baseman, Wade Boggs.
It’s interesting, but kind of dry.
I found the word “SEX”! What do I win, Topps?
And the last page of the Spring 1993 issue of Topps Magazine finishes up with a caricature of Kirby Puckett.
As was this issue of Topps Magazine.
And fun is the one things that I feel is really missing from the hobby today.
I want some fun…
Life is hard and serious and difficult (especially now), and needs more fun.
But I’d imagine if Topps came out with Topps Magazine Fall 2020, it would just be multiple stories about how great Mike Trout and Derek Jeter are, mixed with advertisements for online exclusive card sets and $400 single card wax packs of game used, autographed, glow in the dark, light-up, 1 of 1 uberfractors with raisins.
That’s not fun.
This was a fun blog entry to read......I hope we have MLB this year...but it is not looking good....will make buying some modern cards easier....I am going to try and finish my 1955 Bowman pursuit this summer...regardless
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