Let's Talk Baseball..... 1989: Player Popularity & Sabermetrics? - New Set Determination - Plea

mars2001

Howdy.

I've been a big fan (though not a big spender ) on the set registry since it was first announced... And have helped in revising & getting sets added, but have had an issue with one of my own requests.

Specifically, 1989 Donruss.... This is a rather 'non-important' set as it wasn't a new product (that changed the hobby forever like 1989 Upper Deck) and although it's tough to find mint, centered copies.... There's an absolute TON of it out there....

In requesting the 1989 Donruss set, I did so because:
1. It contains the rookie cards of several of today's best players that were not covered in Fleer/Topps/UD (Smoltz, Schilling, Biggio).
2. It has good eye appeal
3. It's reasonably difficult to grade 10s, due to centering, and the oh-so-tough black borders (and solid color top/bottom)
4. It's cheap enough to attempt... unopened material is abundant. and finally....
5. It has some of the great players of its generation (some mentioned above, just emerging (not to forget Griffey, RJ, Sheffield), others toward the end of their (HOF) careers... Schmidt, Fisk, Yount, Murray... While others in their prime (or coming into it)..... BO!, Mattingly, McGriff, Cone, Ozzie, Canseco)


In any case, (sorry for so much above....) I'm a bit daunted by actually trying to complete this 660 card set, in which I would have to submit (at least once) the likes of Lance Blankenship, Joe Hesketh, Greg Cadaret, Cecilio Guante, etc.... which I #1 don't want to pay to do & #2 don't really want the cards anyway....


So.... I was hoping everyone could contribute their opinion on who deserves to be in a 'Best in the Game' or something like that set for 1989 Donruss. I'd limit it to future HOFers, but missing out on Bo, Mattingly, Strawberry, Eric Davis & Canseco doesn't make sense to me. I had also considered using Sabermetrics, etc. to find the Top 10 in the game for the 'era' but fear that would leave out gutsy players like Kirk Gibson.

In any case, my own list is below.... I've marked my definates with highlights and questionables with question marks.... Thanks for all your help in advance and please don't hesitate to mock my selections....

-B

mars2001

1 MIKE GREENWELL DK
2 BOBBY BONILLA DK
3 PETE INCAVIGLIA DK
4 CHRIS SABO DK
5 ROBIN YOUNT DK
6 TONY GWYNN DK
7 CARLTON FISK DK
8 CORY SNYDER DK
9 DAVID CONE DK
10 KEVIN SEITZER DK
11 RICK REUSCHEL DK
12 JOHNNY RAY DK
13 DAVE SCHMIDT DK
14 ANDRES GALARRAGA DK
15 KIRK GIBSON DK
16 FRED MCGRIFF DK
17 MARK GRACE DK
18 JEFF M. ROBINSON DK
19 VINCE COLEMAN DK
20 DAVE HENDERSON DK
21 HAROLD REYNOLDS DK
22 GERALD PERRY DK
23 FRANK VIOLA DK
24 STEVE BEDROSIAN DK
25 GLENN DAVIS DK
26 DON MATTINGLY DK
27 DK CHECKLIST 1-26
28 SANDY ALOMAR JR.
29 STEVE SEARCY RR
? 30 CAMERON DREW RR
31 GARY SHEFFIELD
? 32 ERIK HANSON
33 KEN GRIFFEY JR.
34 GREG W.HARRIS
35 GREGG JEFFERIES
36 LUIS MEDINA RR
37 CARLOS QUINTANA
38 FELIX JOSE
? 39 CRIS CARPENTER (RR)
40 RON JONES RR
? 41 DAVE WEST
42 RANDY JOHNSON
43 MIKE HARKEY
? 44 PETE HARNISCH
45 TOM GORDON
46 GREGG OLSON DP
47 ALEX SANCHEZ RR
48 RUBEN SIERRA
49 RAFAEL PALMEIRO
? 50 RON GANT
51 CAL RIPKEN
52 WALLY JOYNER
53 GARY CARTER
? 54 ANDY VAN SLYKE
55 ROBIN YOUNT
? 56 PETE INCAVIGLIA
57 GREG BROCK
58 MELIDO PEREZ
59 CRAIG LEFFERTS
60 GARY PETTIS
? 61 DANNY TARTABULL
62 GUILLERMO HERNANDEZ
63 OZZIE SMITH
? 64 GARY GAETTI
65 MARK DAVIS
66 LEE SMITH
67 DENNIS ECKERSLEY
68 WADE BOGGS
? 69 MIKE SCOTT
70 FRED MCGRIFF
71 TOM BROWNING
72 CLAUDELL WASHINGTON
73 MEL HALL
74 DON MATTINGLY
? 75 STEVE BEDROSIAN
76 JUAN SAMUEL
? 77 MIKE SCIOSCIA
78 DAVE RIGHETTI
79 ALFREDO GRIFFIN
80 ERIC DAVIS
81 JUAN BERENGUER
82 TODD WORRELL
83 JOE CARTER
? 84 STEVE SAX
85 FRANK WHITE
86 JOHN KRUK
87 RANCE MULLINIKS
88 ALAN ASHBY
89 CHARLIE LEIBRANDT
90 FRANK TANANA
91 JOSE CANSECO
92 BARRY BONDS
93 HAROLD REYNOLDS
94 MARK MCLEMORE
95 MARK MCGWIRE
96 EDDIE MURRAY
? 97 TIM RAINES
98 ROBBY THOMPSON
99 KEVIN MCREYNOLDS
100 CHECKLIST 28-137
101 CARLTON FISK
102 DAVE MARTINEZ
103 GLENN BRAGGS
104 DALE MURPHY
105 RYNE SANDBERG
106 DENNIS MARTINEZ
107 PETE O'BRIEN
108 DICK SCHOFIELD
109 HENRY COTTO
110 MIKE MARSHALL
111 KEITH MORELAND
112 TOM BRUNANSKY
113 KELLY GRUBER
114 BROOK JACOBY
115 KEITH BROWN
116 MATT NOKES
? 117 KEITH HERNANDEZ
118 BOB FORSCH
? 119 BERT BLYLEVEN
120 WILLIE WILSON
121 TOMMY GREGG
? 122 JIM RICE
123 BOB KNEPPER
124 DANNY JACKSON
125 ERIC PLUNK
126 BRIAN FISHER
127 MIKE PAGLIARULO
128 TONY GWYNN
129 LANCE MCCULLERS
130 ANDRES GALARRAGA
131 JOSE URIBE
132 KIRK GIBSON
133 DAVID PALMER
134 R.J. REYNOLDS
135 GREG WALKER
136 KIRK MCCASKILL
? 137 SHAWON DUNSTON
138 ANDY ALLANSON
139 ROB MURPHY
140 MIKE ALDRETE
141 TERRY KENNEDY
142 SCOTT FLETCHER
143 STEVE BALBONI
? 144 BRET SABERHAGEN
145 OZZIE VIRGIL
146 DALE SVEUM
147 DARRYL STRAWBERRY
148 HAROLD BAINES
149 GEORGE BELL
150 DAVE PARKER
151 BOBBY BONILLA
152 MOOKIE WILSON
153 TED POWER
154 NOLAN RYAN
155 JEFF REARDON
156 TIM WALLACH
157 JAMIE MOYER
158 RICH GOSSAGE
159 DAVE WINFIELD
160 VON HAYES
161 WILLIE MCGEE
162 RICH GEDMAN
163 TONY PENA
164 MIKE MORGAN
165 CHARLIE HOUGH
166 MIKE STANLEY
167 ANDRE DAWSON
168 JOE BOEVER
169 PETE STANICEK
170 BOB BOONE
171 RON DARLING
172 BOB WALK
173 ROB DEER
174 STEVE BUECHELE
175 TED HIGUERA
176 OZZIE GUILLEN
177 CANDY MALDONADO
178 DOYLE ALEXANDER
179 MARK GUBICZA
180 ALAN TRAMMELL
181 VINCE COLEMAN
182 KIRBY PUCKETT
183 CHRIS BROWN
184 MARTY BARRETT
185 STAN JAVIER
? 186 MIKE GREENWELL
187 BILLY HATCHER
188 JIMMY KEY
189 NICK ESASKY
190 DON SLAUGHT
191 CORY SNYDER
192 JOHN CANDELARIA
193 MIKE SCHMIDT
194 KEVIN GROSS
195 JOHN TUDOR
196 NEIL ALLEN
197 OREL HERSHISER
198 KAL DANIELS
199 KENT HRBEK
200 CHECKLIST 138-247
201 JOE MAGRANE
202 SCOTT BAILES
203 TIM BELCHER
204 GEORGE BRETT
205 BENITO SANTIAGO
206 TONY FERNANDEZ
207 GERALD YOUNG
208 BO JACKSON
209 CHET LEMON
210 STORM DAVIS
? 211 DOUG DRABEK
212 MICKEY BRANTLEY
213 DEVON WHITE
214 DAVE STEWART
215 DAVE SCHMIDT
216 BRYN SMITH
217 BRETT BUTLER
218 BOB OJEDA
219 STEVE ROSENBERG
220 HUBIE BROOKS
? 221 B.J. SURHOFF
222 RICK MAHLER
223 RICK SUTCLIFFE
224 NEAL HEATON
? 225 MITCH WILLIAMS
226 CHUCK FINLEY
227 MARK LANGSTON
228 JESSE OROSCO
229 ED WHITSON
? 230 TERRY PENDLETON
231 LLOYD MOSEBY
232 GREG SWINDELL
233 JOHN FRANCO
234 JACK MORRIS
? 235 HOWARD JOHNSON
236 GLENN DAVIS
? 237 FRANK VIOLA
238 KEVIN SEITZER
239 GERALD PERRY
240 DWIGHT EVANS
241 JIM DESHAIES
242 BO DIAZ
243 CARNEY LANSFORD
244 MIKE LAVALLIERE
245 RICKEY HENDERSON
246 ROBERTO ALOMAR
247 JIMMY JONES
248 PASCUAL PEREZ
249 WILL CLARK
250 FERNANDO VALENZUELA
251 SHANE RAWLEY
252 SID BREAM
253 STEVE LYONS
254 BRIAN DOWNING
255 MARK GRACE
256 TOM CANDIOTTI
257 BARRY LARKIN
258 MIKE KRUKOW
259 BILLY RIPKEN
260 CECILIO GUANTE
261 SCOTT BRADLEY
262 FLOYD BANNISTER
263 PETE SMITH
264 JIM GANTNER
265 ROGER MCDOWELL
266 BOBBY THIGPEN
267 JIM CLANCY
268 TERRY STEINBACH
269 MIKE DUNNE
270 DWIGHT GOODEN
271 MIKE HEATH
272 DAVE SMITH
273 KEITH ATHERTON
274 TIM BURKE
275 DAMON BERRYHILL
276 VANCE LAW
277 RICH DOTSON
278 LANCE PARRISH
279 DENNY WALLING
280 ROGER CLEMENS
281 GREG MATHEWS
282 TOM NIEDENFUER
283 PAUL KILGUS
284 JOSE GUZMAN
285 CALVIN SCHIRALDI
286 CHARLIE PULEO
287 JOE ORSULAK
288 JACK HOWELL
289 KEVIN ELSTER
290 JOSE LIND
291 PAUL MOLITOR
292 CECIL ESPY
293 BILL WEGMAN
294 DAN PASQUA
295 SCOTT GARRELTS
296 WALT TERRELL
297 ED HEARN
? 298 LOU WHITAKER
299 KEN DAYLEY
300 CHECKLIST 248-357
301 TOMMY HERR
302 MIKE BRUMLEY
? 303 ELLIS BURKS
304 CURT YOUNG
305 JODY REED
306 BILL DORAN
? 307 DAVID WELLS
308 RON ROBINSON
309 RAFAEL SANTANA
? 310 JULIO FRANCO
311 JACK CLARK
312 CHRIS JAMES
313 MILT THOMPSON
314 JOHN SHELBY
315 AL LEITER
316 MIKE DAVIS
? 317 CHRIS SABO
318 GREG GAGNE
319 JOSE OQUENDO
320 JOHN FARRELL
321 FRANKLIN STUBBS
322 KURT STILLWELL
323 SHAWN ABNER
324 MIKE FLANAGAN
325 KEVIN BASS
326 PAT TABLER
327 MIKE HENNEMAN
328 RICK HONEYCUTT
329 JOHN SMILEY
330 REY QUINONES
331 JOHNNY RAY
332 BOB WELCH
333 LARRY SHEETS
334 JEFF PARRETT
335 RICK REUSCHEL
336 RANDY MYERS
337 KEN WILLIAMS
338 ANDY MCGAFFIGAN
339 JOEY MEYER
340 DION JAMES
341 LES LANCASTER
342 TOM FOLEY
343 GENO PETRALLI
344 DAN PETRY
345 ALVIN DAVIS
346 MICKEY HATCHER
347 MARVELL WYNNE
348 DANNY COX
349 DAVE STIEB
350 JAY BELL
351 JEFF TREADWAY
352 LUIS SALAZAR
? 353 LEN DYKSTRA
354 JUAN AGOSTO
355 GENE LARKIN
356 STEVE FARR
357 PAUL ASSENMACHER
358 TODD BENZINGER
? 359 LARRY ANDERSEN
360 PAUL O'NEILL
361 RON HASSEY
362 JIM GOTT
363 KEN PHELPS
364 TIM FLANNERY
365 RANDY READY
366 NELSON SANTOVENIA
367 KELLY DOWNS
368 DANNY HEEP
369 PHIL BRADLEY
370 JEFF D. ROBINSON
371 IVAN CALDERON
372 MIKE WITT
373 GREG MADDUX
374 CARMEN CASTILLO
375 JOSE RIJO
376 JOE PRICE
377 RENE GONZALES
378 ODDIBE MCDOWELL
379 JIM PRESLEY
380 BRAD WELLMAN
381 TOM GLAVINE
382 DAN PLESAC
383 WALLY BACKMAN
384 DAVE GALLAGHER
385 TOM HENKE
386 LUIS POLONIA
387 JUNIOR ORTIZ
388 DAVID CONE
389 DAVE BERGMAN
390 DANNY DARWIN
391 DAN GLADDEN
392 JOHN DOPSON
393 FRANK DIPINO
394 AL NIPPER
395 WILLIE RANDOLPH
396 DON CARMAN
397 SCOTT TERRY
398 RICK CERONE
399 TOM PAGNOZZI
400 CHECKLIST 358-467
401 MICKEY TETTLETON
402 CURTIS WILKERSON
403 JEFF RUSSELL
404 PAT PERRY
405 JOSE ALVAREZ
406 RICK SCHU
407 SHERMAN CORBETT
408 DAVE MAGADAN
409 BOB KIPPER
410 DON AUGUST
411 BOB BROWER
412 CHRIS BOSIO
413 JERRY REUSS
414 ATLEE HAMMAKER
415 JIM WALEWANDER
416 MIKE MACFARLANE
417 PAT SHERIDAN
? 418 PEDRO GUERRERO
419 ALLAN ANDERSON
420 MARK PARENT
421 BOB STANLEY
422 MIKE GALLEGO
423 BRUCE HURST
424 DAVE MEADS
425 JESSE BARFIELD
? 426 ROB DIBBLE
427 JOEL SKINNER
428 RON KITTLE
429 RICK RHODEN
430 BOB DERNIER
431 STEVE JELTZ
432 RICK DEMPSEY
433 ROBERTO KELLY
434 DAVE ANDERSON
435 HERM WINNINGHAM
436 AL NEWMAN
437 JOSE DELEON
438 DOUG JONES
439 BRIAN HOLTON
440 JEFF MONTGOMERY
441 DICKIE THON
442 CECIL FIELDER
443 JOHN FISHEL
444 JERRY DON GLEATON
445 PAUL GIBSON
446 WALT WEISS
447 GLENN WILSON
448 MIKE MOORE
449 CHILI DAVIS
? 450 DAVE HENDERSON
451 JOSE BAUTISTA
452 REX HUDLER
453 BOB BRENLY
454 MACKEY SASSER
455 DARYL BOSTON
456 MIKE R. FITZGERALD
457 JEFFREY LEONARD
458 BRUCE SUTTER
459 MITCH WEBSTER
460 JOE HESKETH
461 BOBBY WITT
462 STEW CLIBURN
463 SCOTT BANKHEAD
464 RAMON MARTINEZ
465 DAVE LEIPER
466 LUIS ALICEA
467 JOHN CERUTTI
468 RON WASHINGTON
469 JEFF REED
470 JEFF M. ROBINSON
471 SID FERNANDEZ
472 TERRY PUHL
473 CHARLIE LEA
474 ISRAEL SANCHEZ
475 BRUCE BENEDICT
476 OIL CAN BOYD
477 CRAIG REYNOLDS
478 FRANK WILLIAMS
479 GREG CADARET
480 RANDY KRAMER
481 DAVE EILAND
482 ERIC SHOW
483 GARRY TEMPLETON
484 WALLACE JOHNSON
? 485 KEVIN MITCHELL
486 TIM CREWS
487 MIKE MADDUX
488 DAVE LAPOINT
489 FRED MANRIQUE
490 GREG MINTON
491 DOUG DASCENZO
492 WILLIE UPSHAW
493 JACK ARMSTRONG
494 KIRT MANWARING
495 JEFF BALLARD
496 JEFF KUNKEL
497 MIKE CAMPBELL
498 GARY THURMAN
499 ZANE SMITH
500 CHECKLIST 468-577
501 MIKE BIRKBECK
502 TERRY LEACH
503 SHAWN HILLEGAS
504 MANNY LEE
505 DOUG JENNINGS
506 KEN OBERKFELL
507 TIM TEUFEL
508 TOM BROOKENS
509 RAFAEL RAMIREZ
510 FRED TOLIVER
511 BRIAN HOLMAN
512 MIKE BIELECKI
513 JEFF PICO
514 CHARLES HUDSON
515 BRUCE RUFFIN
516 LARRY MCWILLIAMS
517 JEFF SELLERS
518 JOHN COSTELLO
? 519 BRADY ANDERSON
520 CRAIG MCMURTRY
521 RAY HAYWARD
522 DREW HALL
523 MARK LEMKE
524 OSWALD PERAZA
525 BRYAN HARVEY
526 RICK AGUILERA
527 TOM PRINCE
528 MARK CLEAR
529 JERRY BROWNE
530 JUAN CASTILLO
531 JACK MCDOWELL
532 CHRIS SPEIER
533 DARRELL EVANS
534 LUIS AQUINO
535 ERIC KING
536 KEN HILL
537 RANDY BUSH
538 SHANE MACK
539 TOM BOLTON
540 GENE NELSON
541 WES GARDNER
? 542 KEN CAMINITI
543 DUANE WARD
544 NORM CHARLTON
545 HAL MORRIS
546 RICH YETT
547 HENSLEY MEULENS
548 GREG A. HARRIS
? 549 DARREN DAULTON
550 JEFF HAMILTON
551 LUIS AGUAYO
552 TIM LEARY DP
553 RON OESTER
554 STEVE LOMBARDOZZI
555 TIM JONES
556 BUD BLACK
557 ALEJANDRO PENA
558 JOSE DEJESUS
559 DENNIS RASMUSSEN
560 PAT BORDERS
561 CRAIG BIGGIO
562 LUIS DELOSSANTOS
563 FRED LYNN
564 TODD BURNS
565 FELIX FERMIN
566 DARNELL COLES
567 WILLIE FRASER
568 GLENN HUBBARD
569 CRAIG WORTHINGTON
570 JOHNNY PAREDES
571 DON ROBINSON
572 BARRY LYONS
573 BILL LONG
574 TRACY JONES
575 JUAN NIEVES
576 ANDRES THOMAS
577 ROLANDO ROOMES
578 LUIS RIVERA
579 CHAD KREUTER
580 TONY ARMAS
? 581 JAY BUHNER
582 RICKY HORTON
583 ANDY HAWKINS
584 SIL CAMPUSANO
585 DAVE CLARK
586 VAN SNIDER
587 TODD FROHWIRTH
? 588 WARREN SPAHN PUZZLE
589 WILLIAM BRENNAN
590 GERMAN GONZALEZ
591 ERNIE WHITT
592 JEFF BLAUSER
593 SPIKE OWEN
594 MATT WILLIAMS
595 LLOYD MCCLENDON
596 STEVE ONTIVEROS
597 SCOTT MEDVIN
598 HIPOLITO PENA
599 JERALD CLARK
600A CHECKLIST 578-660
600B CHECKLIST 578-660
600C CHECKLIST 578-660
601 CARMELO MARTINEZ
602 MIKE LACOSS
603 MIKE DEVEREAUX
604 ALEX MADRID
605 GARY REDUS
606 LANCE JOHNSON
607 TERRY CLARK
608 MANNY TRILLO
609 SCOTT JORDAN
610 JAY HOWELL
611 FRANCISCO MELENDEZ
612 MIKE BODDICKER
? 613 KEVIN BROWN
614 DAVE VALLE
615 TIM LAUDNER
616 ANDY NEZELEK
617 CHUCK CRIM
618 JACK SAVAGE
619 ADAM PETERSON
620 TODD STOTTLEMYRE
621 LANCE BLANKENSHIP
622 MIGUEL GARCIA
623 KEITH A. MILLER
624 RICKY JORDAN
625 ERNEST RILES
626 JOHN MOSES
627 NELSON LIRIANO
628 MIKE SMITHSON
629 SCOTT SANDERSON
630 DALE MOHORCIC
631 MARVIN FREEMAN
632 MIKE YOUNG
633 DENNIS LAMP
? 634 DANTE BICHETTE
635 CURT SCHILLING
636 SCOTT MAY
637 MIKE SCHOOLER
638 RICK LEACH
639 TOM LAMPKIN
640 BRIAN MEYER
641 BRIAN HARPER
642 JOHN SMOLTZ
643 JOSE CANSECO 40/40
644 BILL SCHROEDER
? 645 EDGAR MARTINEZ
646 DENNIS COOK
647 BARRY JONES
648 OREL HERSHISER
649 ROD NICHOLS
650 JODY DAVIS
651 BOB MILACKI
652 MIKE JACKSON
653 DEREK LILLIQUIST
654 PAUL MIRABELLA
655 MIKE DIAZ
656 JEFF MUSSELMAN
657 JERRY REED
658 KEVIN BLANKENSHIP
659 WAYNE TOLLESON
660 ERIC HETZEL

pandrews

Dont be scared! Tackle the whole thing

No, I can understand not wanting to spend time with submitting Erik Hansen's hoping for a PSA 10.. lol.. but it would be a nice feeling of accomplishment when you were done..

mars2001

I really don't WANT 400+ $2 PSA 10s.... even if they are 1/1

I just can't tell what basis to go on to include all the best.....
* stats/sabermetrics (season or career)
* 'jersey sales' LOL
* nicknames (Oil Can ) / name recognition ...... (not quantifyable)

Really, somehow.... I'm hoping someone else can work through this with me on which cards were "MUST HAVES" then (I guess I could pull out a 15 year old Beckett ) .... but then with consideration for career achievement.....

helionaut

There are some names on there that I'd add, such as Dave Stieb, Frank White, and Manny Trillo, all multiple-time all-stars. I'd include pretty much all your question marked names. I'd leave off the Diamond Kings because I always thought the art was heinous (sorry to the many who like them, but I find the skill of portraiture lacking). For your own consumption, by all means collect what you like. I don't think PSA will add a partial set to the registry, though BJ recently hinted that some big changes are coming so maybe personally defined sets are on the way. I understand the lack of enthusiasm for dealing with the hundreds of cards you'd need to complete it, though. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just concentrate on a Sandy Koufax set or something.

You could go by Win Shares, Bill James's method of reducing a player's fielding, hitting, and pitching contributions to a single integer. If you were to compile a list of career Win Shares of the players in the set and then take the top 100 or so. You'd remove a lot of subjectivity, but then you might also lose some players whose careers were short but were memorable for some other reason, and you might pick up a few ho-hum names who just played decently for 15 years.

magellan

mars, since this is a set that is not going to be widely collected IMO, I'd urge you to include the players that you'd like to see in there. Rather than depend on stats or some other guideline which will almost surely leave out someone you feel strongly about (Gibson?) do what pleases you. It's YOUR hobby after all.

Dave

NickM

What magellan said.

Nick

JonB

I just don't think I would ever bring myself to spend $5 or $10 to get a card graded that has a value of $0.01 (if that) and even if it gets a PSA 10 grade and is a 1/1, still won't be worth the cost of getting it graded.

Of course I mention this as I am currently working on a 2001 Upper Deck Golf PSA 10 set, so I guess if you like the set, then collect all of the cards you are willing to pay for. But I would certainly start with the biggest stars and go down the list from there.

Wabittwax

I would have to think that PSA 10's of this will always sell for more than grading fees. Those are super tough 10's to get and contrary to what many of you vintage guys think, there is a ton of popularity for this set. Millions of adults today were young collectors back then (including myself), and there is a nostalgia for those sets and those players. I would love to find a McGwire 10 from this set but I'm hoping to find one already graded than to submit. I'm hoping DSL hooks me up at some point on it since they submit tons of this kind of stuff. Also for you "vintage is the only real cards" guys, take the year 1989 and the year 1959 for example. There were way, way, way (and I mean way) more card collectors in 1989 than in 1959 so the nostaglia factor in 20 years has got to lean more towards late 80's stuff than current vintage cards. That being said, here's the players that I would add to you list:

66 LEE SMITH
? 97 TIM RAINES
? 117 KEITH HERNANDEZ
? 119 BERT BLYLEVEN
? 122 JIM RICE
? 144 BRET SABERHAGEN
148 HAROLD BAINES
149 GEORGE BELL
150 DAVE PARKER
234 JACK MORRIS
? 237 FRANK VIOLA
? 307 DAVID WELLS
? 310 JULIO FRANCO
? 353 LEN DYKSTRA
395 WILLIE RANDOLPH
? 418 PEDRO GUERRERO
449 CHILI DAVIS
? 450 DAVE HENDERSON
563 FRED LYNN
594 MATT WILLIAMS
? 613 KEVIN BROWN

magellan

Steve I don't think anyone here downed modern cards ( I have quite a few 89 Donruss myself) , most of the comments dealt with the cost vs. reward side of grading or buying graded commons from that year. I wouldn't mind having graded examples of the players I like from the set.

I don't believe however that '89 Donruss ever will be as scarce relative to the collector base as say 1965 Topps is to it's collector base. That's my 2 cents and with uhhhhh another 98 , it'll get ya a cuppa Joe at the Quicki-Mart.

Dave

mars2001

Thanks for the list (I agree with all the names that were mentioned in Wabbittwax's post - some pretty eggregious errors in leaving out Jack Morris & ) & the idea of using win shares.

I have to say that of the sets for the last... say... 25 years (a bit of a limb.....?) that 1989 Donruss included the most future HOFers, as well as the best crop of rookies in any set. I will point out myself that 1978 topps is a fantastic set & may rival this one..... if anyone wants to do the #s on it, that'd be fantastic.... (I realize that Mattingly, Canseco, Jack Morris, Julio Franco, Orel Hershiser, BO & others don't really fit into the #s of this HOF comparison, however.... I believe all of these guys would rank in the top.... 500 for the past 50 years, if not for career achievement - then for top seasons (at some point in their careers).... it's too bad there's not a stat, resource, etc that gives the names of players that other teams HATED to face).

I will not pretend that 1989 donruss rarity or value wise will ever be ranked in the TOP ###, however, I just think it's a great lookin' set that (if I could only put the 1989 Topps Don Mattingly card into the set) would include everything that I think was right about baseball while I was growing up.