As I displayed a few posts ago, I am using all resources available to complete my Topps sets. Including the Topps Diamond Giveaway. I got the last 10 cards for the 1980 set from trading on the Topps Diamond site, and I’ve still been able to get Diamond Die-Cuts of 2 Reds and of one of my all-time favorite players, Rickey Henderson.
Anyways, here’s my standard “look back” at this set.
Info about my set:
How I put the set together:
- 456 cards from the wax box
- 214 more cards from a vending box
- 45 cards from trades
- 1 card bought at LCS (Mike Schmidt)
- 10 cards from the Diamond Topps Giveaway
Card that completed my set: #700 – Rod Carew (1 of the 10 cards from the Diamond Giveaway – my rule is I pick the one I like the best when I get a group all at once to finish up a set)
General set info:
Set composition: 726 cards (655 individual player cards*, 26 Manager/TC, 26 Future Stars tri-player, 6 Checklists, 7 League Leaders, 6 Season Highlights)
Representation of ’79 MLB season: There are 734 different players represented in the set – 655 individual player cards, 78 players from the Future stars subset, and Lou Brock has a card in the highlights set but no other base card. Out of those 734 players, 727 played in MLB in 1979. Out of the 7 players who didn’t play, 2 (Don Gullett & Bob Apodaca were injured), and 5 were players from the future stars subset that didn’t reach the big leagues in 1979. The 728 players represent 80.9% out of the ~899 players who played in MLB in 1979.
Last active player from this set: #681 – Jesse Orosco RC
Orosco played his last game on September 27, 2003. After 1980 Future Stars card, he didn’t have a card for a few years.
Player with the most cards in the set: J.R. Richard has 3 cards. He has a base card and 2 leaders card for leading the N.L. in ERA and strikeouts.
First Card and the Hundreds: #1 – Brock / Yastrzemski HL, #100 – Johnny Bench, #200 – Jim Rice, #300 – Ron Guidry, #400 – George Foster, #500 – Tom Seaver, #600 – Reggie Jackson, #700 – Rod Carew
Highest book value: #482 – Rickey Henderson RC
Most notable card: #482 – Henderson RC (rated #6 in Topps vote of 60 best cards)
Best card (my opinion): #482 – Henderson RC
No surprise here – this was a pretty easy choice as far as most notable goes. And since Rickey is one of my all-time favorite players, this is an easy choice for my best card.
Second best card (also my opinion): #400 – George Foster
I love this photo. It looks like he’s not really in the background, kind of like a 1970’s television show opening intro. And it’s a Big Red Machine member. Honorable mention goes to Nolan Ryan and Andre Dawson.
Best subset card: #1 – Brock/Yastrzemski Highlight
I don’t think you can beat paying tribute to 2 guys who got to 3,000 hits within about a month of each other. The team card of the World Champion, “We are Family” Pirates is pretty cool, too.
Favorite action photo: #245 – Phil Niekro
This goes well with the next card I’m doing. It doesn’t seem to happen as often as you’d think, but this is a good in-pitch shot of Niekro throwing that knuckle ball. If I didn’t want to do a tie-in here – the Gary Carter card is of him showing the ball just after a play at the plate – dust still settling and everything.
Favorite non-action photo: #437 – Joe Niekro
Just like the previous in-action photo, you get to see a Niekro displaying the knuckle ball here. In this photo, Joe is showing off his knuckle ball grip. The photo’s coolness is enhanced by the fact that he’s in that old-school Astros uni.
My Favorite Reds card: #400 – George Foster (See above)
Topps Reprints and others:
- 1999 Ryan reprints – Nolan Ryan
- 2001 Through the Years – Ryan
- 2001 Archives – Ozzie Smith, Ken Holtzman, Willie Horton, Mickey Lolich, Tim McCarver, Willie McCovey, Roy White, Dan Quisenberry, Paul Blair, Rico Carty
- 2001 Archives Future Rookie Reprints – Rickey Henderson
- 2002 Archives – Cecil Cooper, George Hendrick, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Bucky Dent
- 2005 Rookie Cup Reprints – Jeffrey Leonard
- 2010 CMT – R. Henderson, Joe Morgan, Brock/Yastrzemski HL
- 2011 60YOT – Paul Molitor, Ron Guidry
- 2012 Archives Reprints – Eddie Murray
- 2013 Topps Rookie Card Patch – R. Henderson
Rickey leads Ryan 3 cards to 2.
Other Notable Cards: #335 – Willie McCovey, #580 – Nolan Ryan, #393 – Ozzie Smith
The first card above is McCovey’s last Topps card – he started with the first Topps ASR card in 1960, then ended with a card back with the Giants with a very similar pose. In a set where there aren’t any even remotely noteworthy rookie cards other than the Henderson, Ryan’s card gets top billing. Finally, that’s the 2nd Topps card of the Wizard of Oz.
My “Master” Set Info:
792 “base” cards – there are no update sets or insert sets
Lifetime Topps project 
Great review of a great set.
I was recently able to snag a complete, hand-collated ’80 set and have really been enjoying this edition. I think it’s a solid design with some pretty decent photography. You’re right – the notable RC line-up is pretty sparse, but it’s more than made up for with the legendary Henderson. I’m glad to finally add it to my collection.
That’s a great commentary on the card “circle of life” for McCovey. I can remember admiring my Dad’s McCovey RC. It is definitely a similar pose! I did not know that Willie ushered in the era of the ‘rookie cup’. That’s some great trivia. It’s always fitting to see a player find his way back to his first team, too.
Now it’s on to try and finish up the rest: ’78, ’81, ’82 and ’85. Good times, for sure.
I’m getting there myself – the toughest thing for me to complete the 80’s will be the Ripken rookie card.
Great review and congrats on finishing that one off!