looking to 86 '89

as i grow more disillusioned with the 2017 products released by topps, i figured i would go back and see if i could obliterate a certain year from my dodger want list.  i figured that 1989 would be a good year since the dodgers won the world series the previous season, and so completing this task would mean that i would have all of the cards that celebrated that improbable finish.  i was already well on my way when i officially committed to the endeavor thanks largely to my 8-plus years trading within the blogosphere.  i didn't buy too many cards in 1989, and there were five major manufacturers back then, so this is a fairly decent task to have (nearly) completed.

anyway, most of the cards that i was in need of were specialty issues, like cards from the woolworth set.  there are a few orel hershiser cards in the set that i was missing, including this nondescript one

but also this one that shows orel in the world series with his dirty uniform

which makes the card a more tangible "baseball highlight" card.

reliever jay howell was also featured in the set,

thanks to his game 4 save on the road in oakland.

while it's great to see cards like the howell, 1989 small sets were all about orel hershiser and kirk gibson - the reigning cy young award winner, and the reigning mvp.  here's hershiser on a fleer baseball mvp card

and a fleer superstars card

both featuring dodger stadium and franklin stubbs in the background.

gibby shows up on a fleer baseball all-stars card

and a fleer heroes of baseball card

and they both get discs in the holsum schafer's

and king-b

oddball sets.  gibson seems pretty happy about those quality meat snacks.

tim leary was a feel-good story in 1988, so he got some love on 1989 cardboard, including this 1989 score hot 100 insert

there were old-timey players included in sets in 1989, too, thanks to swell.  here are the two cards i needed to complete the dodger team set - joe black

and andy pafko

my dodger andy pafko need list is very short these days, but will likely not get any shorter - if you know what i mean.

there are still a few oddball cards and stickers (i'm not counting minor league sets in this pursuit) on my 1989 want list, but i am close enough to finishing 1989 that i will certainly give myself a pass if i don't ever pick up the two doubleheader cards and the rest of the panini stickers.  still, see if you can help a blogger out!