About the only thing I use Twitter/X for now is to promote the latest blog post, claim a card or two and continue my daily call-out of the 1983 Topps birthday players.I probably wouldn't even be doing that but...
About the only thing I use Twitter/X for now is to promote the latest blog post, claim a card or two and continue my daily call-out of the 1983 Topps birthday players.
I probably wouldn't even be doing that but I started the '83 roll call back when the site was still somewhat normal and I hate quitting halfway through. (By the way, my disappearance from rival Blue Sky is because I'm having password issues that I have no time to address).
That means 1983 Topps is on my mind just about every day and will be until next June. It's probably a good time to address 1983 then for the One-Card Wonder series.
I did 1985 last time and keep trying to finish off the '80s in one, single post, but there's never enough time. So we'll just inch along with 1983. It is a great year, though. One of the best (except for that postseason).
To refresh, I'm looking for players from a single year who appeared on just one card from a major release and that was the only card they had. That means no showing up on a multi-player rookie card (minor league issues don't disqualify them though).
For 1983, I came across seven One-Card Wonders, which is still kind of impressive with three companies issuing cards that year. There is one Topps OCW, two Fleer OCWs and a whole four Donruss OCWs.
Let's take a look:
1983 Topps
#266 - Paul Boris, Twins
He just had a birthday a week ago, which may have set into motion this post.
1983 Fleer
#114 - Steve Hammond, Royals
#148 - Ken Smith, Braves
I've had the Ken Smith card since pulling it in 1983. It's fairly memorable for a player's only card.
This is the other '83 Fleer OCW. I did not pull this card in '83 but I do have it since I've completed the set. Since it's a recent addition it has not stuck in my mind at all, and now I need to investigate who this guy is.
1983 Donruss
#52 - Steve Senteney, Blue Jays
#492 - Roy Johnson, Expos
#520 - Terry Bogener, Rangers
#629 - Anthony Johnson, Blue Jays
Out of those four, the only one I knew prior to today is the Steve Senteney card as I pulled it in the few '83 Donruss pack purchases (probably like three) I made that year. To this day I have not even one-fifth of the set, which is why the other three OCWs are brand-new to me.
Nobody here rings a bell. But good for Donruss snaring four guys that neither Topps nor Fleer had, I guess?
So, let's update the full list now:
1957 Topps
#191 - Joe Margoneri, Yankees Giants
#266 - Ken Kuhn, Indians
#276 - Jim Pyburn, Orioles
#321 - Red Murff, Braves
#337 - Rene Valdes, Dodgers
#386 - Lyle Luttrell, Senators
1958 Topps
#65 - Von McDaniel, Cardinals
#83 - Bob Hazle, Braves
#96 - Joe Durham, Orioles
#126 - Stan Palys, Reds
#129 - Jim Derrington, White Sox
#131 - Bobby Henrich, Reds
#151 - Buddy Pritchard, Pirates
#182 - Joe Caffie, Indians
#218 - Dick Rand, Pirates
#231 - Lloyd Merritt, Cardinals
#243 - Larry Raines, Indians
#283 - Ray Shearer, Braves
#322 - Harding Peterson, Pirates
#376 - Charley Rabe, Reds
#391 - Dave Melton, Athletics
#442 - Phil Paine, Cardinals
#449 - Gene Fodge, Cubs
#451 - Joe Taylor, Cardinals
#461 - Ed Mayer, Cubs
1959 Topps
#49 - Bill Hall, Pirates
#91 - Herb Moford, Red Sox
#120 - Chuck Coles, Reds
#121 - Bob Conley, Phillies
#126 - Eddie Haas, Braves
#134 - Jim McDaniel, Pirates
#140 - Charlie Secrest, Athletics
#192 - Charley Beamon, Orioles
#211 - Bob Blaylock, Cardinals
#214 - Marcelino Solis, Cubs
#254 - Zeke Bella, Athletics
#281 - Walt Craddock, Athletics
#283 - Russ Heman, Indians
#321 - Bob Giallombardo, Dodgers
#362 - Dolan Nicols, Cubs
#504 - Ossie Alvarez, Tigers
#522 - Gene Snyder, Dodgers
#529 - George Bamberger, Orioles
#532 - Mark Freeman, Athletics
#537 - Rodolfo Arias, White Sox
#539 - Gary Blaylock, Cardinals
#544 - Lee Tate, Cardinals
1965 Topps
#169 - Dave Vineyard, Orioles
#494 - Jay Ritchie, Red Sox
#529 - Jerry Fosnow, Twins
#543 - Ed Connolly, Red Sox
1967 Topps
#344 - Ossie Chavarria, A's
#388 - Arnold Earley, Cubs
#489 - Doug Clemens, Phillies
#497 - Ron Campbell, Cubs
1969 Topps:
#317 -- Bruce Look, Twins
#361 -- Gary Holman, Senators
#378 -- Jose Herrera, Expos
#437 -- Luis Alcaraz, Royals
#632 -- Jon Warden, Royals
1974 Topps:
#8 - George Theodore, Mets
#33 - Don Newhauser, Red Sox
#37 - Dave Sells, Angels
#77 - Rich Troedson, Padres
#421 - Dan Fife, Twins
#457 - Chuck Goggin, Braves
#573 - Mike Adams, Twins
1975 Topps
#288 - Bruce Ellingsen, Indians
#407 - Herb Washington, A's
#508 - Bob Hansen, Brewers
#524 - John Doherty, Angels
#587 - Chris Ward, Cubs
#651 - John Morlan, Pirates
1977 Topps
#118 - Rick Jones, Mariners
#132 - Chip Lang, Expos
#137 - Jeff Terpko, Rangers
#616 - Tommy Sandt, A's
#641 - Dan Larson, Astros
1978 Topps:
#224 - Jerry Tabb, A's
#303 - Sam Hinds, Brewers
#311 - Jose Baez, Mariners
#386 - Bob Gorinski, Twins
#502 - Pat Rockett, Braves
#516 - Gary Beare, Brewers
#521 - Steve Staggs, Blue Jays
#591 - George Zeber, Yankees
#667 - Jeff Byrd, Blue Jays
#719 - Randy Elliott, Giants
1979 Topps:
#172 - Mike Bruhert, Mets
#222 - Bob Beall, Braves
#292 - Don Reynolds, Padres
#336 - Bobby Thompson, Rangers
#363 - Craig Skok, Braves
#371 - Jeff Holly, Twins
#427 - Andy Replogle, Brewers
#658 - Taylor Duncan, A's
#676 - Johnny Sutton, Twins
1980 Topps:
#59 - Eddy Putman, Tigers
#72 - Fred Howard, White Sox
#156 - Tony Brizzolara, Braves
#221 - Joe Cannon, Blue Jays
#233 - LaRue Washington, Rangers
#291 - Randy Scarberry, White Sox
#347 - Harry Chappas, White Sox
1981 Topps:
#491 - Gordy Pladson, Astros
1982 Topps:
#356 - Denny Lewallyn, Indians
#169 - Dave Vineyard, Orioles
#494 - Jay Ritchie, Red Sox
#529 - Jerry Fosnow, Twins
#543 - Ed Connolly, Red Sox
1967 Topps
#344 - Ossie Chavarria, A's
#388 - Arnold Earley, Cubs
#489 - Doug Clemens, Phillies
#497 - Ron Campbell, Cubs
1969 Topps:
#317 -- Bruce Look, Twins
#361 -- Gary Holman, Senators
#378 -- Jose Herrera, Expos
#437 -- Luis Alcaraz, Royals
#632 -- Jon Warden, Royals
1974 Topps:
#8 - George Theodore, Mets
#33 - Don Newhauser, Red Sox
#37 - Dave Sells, Angels
#77 - Rich Troedson, Padres
#421 - Dan Fife, Twins
#457 - Chuck Goggin, Braves
#573 - Mike Adams, Twins
1975 Topps
#288 - Bruce Ellingsen, Indians
#407 - Herb Washington, A's
#508 - Bob Hansen, Brewers
#524 - John Doherty, Angels
#587 - Chris Ward, Cubs
#651 - John Morlan, Pirates
1977 Topps
#118 - Rick Jones, Mariners
#132 - Chip Lang, Expos
#137 - Jeff Terpko, Rangers
#616 - Tommy Sandt, A's
#641 - Dan Larson, Astros
1978 Topps:
#224 - Jerry Tabb, A's
#303 - Sam Hinds, Brewers
#311 - Jose Baez, Mariners
#386 - Bob Gorinski, Twins
#502 - Pat Rockett, Braves
#516 - Gary Beare, Brewers
#521 - Steve Staggs, Blue Jays
#591 - George Zeber, Yankees
#667 - Jeff Byrd, Blue Jays
#719 - Randy Elliott, Giants
1979 Topps:
#172 - Mike Bruhert, Mets
#222 - Bob Beall, Braves
#292 - Don Reynolds, Padres
#336 - Bobby Thompson, Rangers
#363 - Craig Skok, Braves
#371 - Jeff Holly, Twins
#427 - Andy Replogle, Brewers
#658 - Taylor Duncan, A's
#676 - Johnny Sutton, Twins
1980 Topps:
#59 - Eddy Putman, Tigers
#72 - Fred Howard, White Sox
#156 - Tony Brizzolara, Braves
#221 - Joe Cannon, Blue Jays
#233 - LaRue Washington, Rangers
#291 - Randy Scarberry, White Sox
#347 - Harry Chappas, White Sox
1981 Topps:
#491 - Gordy Pladson, Astros
1982 Topps:
#356 - Denny Lewallyn, Indians
1983 Topps
#266 - Paul Boris, Twins
1984 Topps:
#116 - George Bjorkman, Astros
#159 - Darryl Cias, A's
#163 - Lorenzo Gray, White Sox
#337 - Kevin Hagen, Cardinals
#382 - Chris Nyman, White Sox
#474 - Greg Bargar, Expos
1985 Topps:
#367 - Keefe Cato, Reds
#514 - Jeff Cornell, Giants
1986 Topps:
#451 - Mark Brown, Twins
#502 - Glen Cook, Rangers
#567 - Jeff Barkley, Indians
1987 Topps:
#387 - T.R. Bryden, Angels
1994 Topps:
#491 - John Hope, Pirates (maybe)
1994 Topps:
#491 - John Hope, Pirates (maybe)
1983 Donruss
#52 - Steve Senteney, Blue Jays
#492 - Roy Johnson, Expos
#520 - Terry Bogener, Rangers
#629 - Anthony Johnson, Blue Jays
1985 Donruss:
#31 - Tony Brewer, Dodgers
#40 - Charlie Mitchell, Reds
#42 - Russ Stephans, Royals
#46 - Doug Loman, Brewers
#491 - Scottie Earl, Tigers
#504 - Ralph Citarella, Cardinals
#535 - Vic Rodriguez, Orioles
1986 Donruss:
#32 - Johnny Abrego, Cubs
#42 - Rick Surhoff, Rangers
#461 - Dave Leeper, Royals
#510 - Steve Engel, Cubs
#595 - Carlos Ponce, Brewers
1981 Fleer
#49 - Jeff Twitty, Royals
#130 - Gary Weiss, Dodgers
#220 - Sheldon Burnside, Reds 1983 Fleer
#114 - Steve Hammond, Royals
#148 - Ken Smith, Braves
1960 Leaf
#61 - Vic Rehm, Braves
#62 - John Gabler, Yankees
#91 - Fred Hopke, Phillies
#93 - Wally Shannon, Cardinals
#99 - Marshall Renfroe, Giants
#108 - Tom McAvoy, Senators
#114 - Stover McIlwan, White Sox
And here's the updated team-by-team breakdown:
1. Athletics - 11
1. Braves - 11
3. Cardinals - 10
4. Cubs - 9
4. Twins - 9
6. White Sox - 8
7. Indians - 7
7. Reds - 7
9. Brewers - 6
9. Orioles - 6
9. Pirates - 6
9. Rangers - 6
9. Royals - 6
14. Blue Jays - 5
14. Dodgers - 5
16. Red Sox - 4
16. Expos - 4
16. Giants - 4
19. Angels, Astros, Giants, Phillies, Senators, Tigers - 3
25. Mariners, Mets, Padres, Yankees - 2
And finally a few 1983 (U.S.) One-Hit Wonders for you:
Just Got Lucky - JoBoxers
Maniac - Michael Sembello
Major Tom - Peter Schilling
On the Loose - Saga
And last but not least ... In a Big Country - Big Country
Apologies to Moving Pictures, Kajagoogoo, After The Fire, Re-Flex and a bunch of others. I'll never forget you though. 1983 is forever in my head.
Up next: Either I take care of the rest of the '80s for Topps (1988 and 1989) or I hit the early '70s.