#18 - Nelson Liriano

A part-time infielder, Liriano was traded with Pedro Munoz by the Blue Jays for veteran starter John Candelaria near the 1990 trading deadline.

Career Stats

'91: (with Royals) 10 G, 23 PA (22 AB), .409/.409/.409, 9 H, 5 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 2 SO, 128 OPS+

A month after being released by the Twins, the Royals picked Liriano up as a free agent.  He played briefly for them in the majors and spent most of the season in Omaha.

Best '91 Game: May 20 vs. Mariners: 3-5, 3 R, RBI

In what would be his final major league game of the year, Liriano got on base with three singles and scored each time, driven in by a Danny Tartabull home run and a single and ground out from Terry Puhl.  The Royals ended up losing the game 8-6 when the Mariners scored three times in the final two innings.

After '91: Including 1993, when he spent the season in Colorado Springs, Liriano played until 1998 for four organizations, including two stints with the Colorado Rockies.  He had his most success with them in 1994 and with the Pirates for the next two seasons.

#17 - Jeff Brantley

A young reliever for the Giants, Brantley turned in spectacular season in 1990 when he took over the closer role on the team from Steve Bedrosian.  In that year, he posted the lowest ERA out of any National League reliever (1.56), and second in the majors (Dennis Eckersley - 0.61).

Career Stats

'91: 67 G, 5-3, 95 1/3 IP, 78 H, 27 R, 26 ER, 52 BB, 81 K, 15 SV, 2.45 ERA, 146 ERA+

Not as good as his 1990 season, as he continued in a co-closer role with Dave Righetti.  Still, Brantley notched 15 saves and and a solid 2.45 ERA in the role.

Best '91 Game: September 25 at Houston: 3 IP, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, SV

Brantley entered the game in the seventh after the Giants took a 2-1 lead on a bases-loaded groundout by Matt Williams.  Brantley allowed just a two-out single to Luis Gonzalez in the ninth.  Pinch-runner Eric Young stole second to make the game interesting, but Brantley got Andujar Cedeno to fly out to center field to end the game.

After '91: Brantley pitched for the Giants until 1993, then moved to the Reds as a free agent.  Replacing Rob Dibble there, he led the majors in saves (44) for the 1996 season.  That was his last truly good year, as he bounced around with the Cardinals, Phillies and Rangers, finishing his career in 2001.

Brantley finished his Reds career with exactly as many saves (88) as Dibble had for Cincinnati.

#16 - Mike Heath

A part-time catcher for much of his career, Heath got the most playing time for the Athletics in the 1980s, playing in 140 and 138 games in 1984 and 1985. He hit 13 homers in each season, a career-high total.  Mike benefited from the offensive boom in 1987 to tie his best batting average (.281) and hit a career-best .430 slugging percentage for the AL East champion Tigers.

'91: 49 G, 150 PA (139 AB), .209/.250/.286, 29 H, 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 26 SO, 42 OPS+ I don't remember Heath, but I remember reading in Miracle Season! why his season ended so early; he had to have bone chips removed from his elbow.  The surgery marked the end of his career.

Best '91 Game: April 15 vs. Astros: 3-4, 2B, 3B

Heath had his only three-hit game of the 1991 season against the Astros.  However, Kent Mercker coughed up two runs in his second inning of work and the Braves lost 3-1.

#15 - Von Hayes

The Phillies paid a gigantic price to acquire Hayes in 1982, sending five players to Cleveland in the deal: Jay Baller, Julio Franco, Manny Trillo, George Vuckovich, and Jerry Willard.  It was such an unusual deal that Hayes was tagged with the nickname "Five-For-One".

The Phillies made sure to get their money's worth, though as Hayes stayed with the team for nine total seasons.  Though he had only one huge season, leading the majors in runs scored (107) and the NL in doubles (46) in 1986, Von provided a stabilizing presence in the Phillies' outfield.
 

That's Waterloo, Iowa, that the card is referencing.  Hayes led the Class A Midwest League in batting average that year.

Career Stats

'91: 77 G, 323 PA (284 AB), .225/.303/.285, 64 H, 43 R, 15 R, 1 3B, 0 HR, 21 RBI, 31 BB, 42 K, 9 SB (2 CS), 68 OPS+

Hayes was one of 13 players, with a minimum of 323 plate appearances, to not homer during the year.  The Indians had three players and the Braves had two.

Best '91 Game: June 4 vs. Braves: 4-4, R, RBI

Hayes recorded the tenth (and final) four-hit game of his career, notching four singles.  He had done this two other teams.  However, the Braves jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings and won the game 9-5, despite the Phillies scoring all their runs in the final three innings.

After '91: Hayes moved on to the California Angels after his poor 1991 season.  He spent one year with them, only improved marginally (the same .225 average with four homers and 29 RBIs) then retired, ending a 12-year career.

UPDATE: After re-reading Miracle Season!, I forgot crucial pieces of information about the June 4 game: that was the first time that Dale Murphy had been in Atlanta since the trade, and Otis Nixon started a brawl in the eighth inning, pummeling Phillie reliever Wally Ritchie.

#14 - Dennis Lamp

Lamp, a former starter for both Chicago teams, was converted to a reliever by Tony LaRussa in 1983. As a relief ace in 1985 with the AL East champion Blue Jays, he earned a spotless 11-0 record.  He is the only major league reliever in history to have 10 or more wins with no losses in a season. 

Signing as a free agent with the Red Sox in 1988, Boston got his best relief season in 1989 when he posted a 2.32 ERA in 112 1/3 innings. His so-so 1990 season ended with a thud in Game 4 of the ALCS, where he only recorded one out in the Athletics' series-clinching seven-run inning..

Career Stats

'91: 51 G, 6-3, 92 IP, 100 H, 54 R, 48 ER, 31 BB, 57 K, 4.70 ERA, 92 ERA+

Best '91 Game: July 27 vs. White Sox: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

After Jeff Reardon blew the save in the ninth inning by coughing up a two-out solo homer to Robin Ventura, Lamp pitched four innings in extras, keeping the Red Sox in the game.  However, the Red Sox would go on to lose 10-8 in 14 innings.

After '91: Lamp signed on with the Pirates but was released in June after 21 games, ending his 16-season career.

UPDATE: Added link to Lamp's career stats.

UPDATE 2: Added Lamp's 1991 won-loss record

UPDATE 3: Added "Best '91 Game"

UPDATE 4: Added Lamp's hits allowed in 1991.

#13 - Mariano Duncan

Duncan, an underrated second baseman, is in the middle of his career with the Cincinnati Reds here. I like the nice spring training shot of Duncan leaping over fellow infielder Ozzie Smith.  Duncan was the starting second baseman for the Reds during their improbable run to the 1990 World Series championship.  He led the National League with 11 triples.

The card mentions Duncan's three hits in the 1985 NLCS.  He went 4-18 with those two doubles and a triple, scoring a run.

In 1988, the Dodgers' championship season, Duncan didn't make the team out of spring and played in only 56 games in AAA Albuquerque (due to injury, I assume).

Career Stats

'91: 100 G, 356 PA (333 AB), .258/.288/.411, 86 H, 46 R, 7 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 12 BB, 57 K, 5 SB (4 CS), 92 OPS+

Best '91 Game: August 28 vs. Montreal: 4-5, 2B, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI

Duncan helped propel the Reds to a 11-3 victory over the Expos with a single, double and two homers.  His first homer, a two-run shot off reliever Mel Rojas in the fifth, extended the Cincinnati lead to 7-0.  Mariano added a second two-run shot off Scott Ruskin in the sixth to finish the Reds' scoring.

After '91: Though he spent his career riddled with injuries, Ducan started for the 1993 NL champion Phillies, the 1995 Central Division champion Cincinnati Reds (after they claimed him off of waivers from Philadelphia), and the 1996 World Series champion Yankees.

UPDATE: Corrected spelling errors.

UPDATE 2: Added "Best '91 Game"

#12 - Paul Assenmacher

The Cubs acquired Assenmacher on August 24, 1989 from the Braves for their playoff stretch drive; Paul (probably) joined the Cubs on the 25th when they arrived in Atlanta and pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings against his old team.

Career Stats

'91: 75 G, 7-8, 102 2/3 IP, 85 H, 41 R, 37 ER, 31 BB, 117 K, 15 SV, 3.24 ERA, 120 ERA+

Best '91 Game: July 25 vs. Reds: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Assenmacher pitched the 10th through twelfth innings for the home team, striking out Glenn Braggs, Barry Larkin and Eric Davis along the way.  The Reds scored a run in the top of the 13th, but the Cubs scored two to take the 5-4 win, ending on an error in right field by Braggs.

After '91: Assenmacher pitched for the Cubs until 1993 when he was traded to the Yankees in a three-team swap with the Royals.  Then, he pitched for the White Sox in 1994, then signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians.  There, he spent the last five seasons of his major league career, an important veteran lefty in the pen for the great Indians teams of the mid to late 1990s.

The Braves gave Assenmacher a spring-training invite in 2000 to see if he had anything left at 39 years old, but he didn't make the team.  I remember wanting him to make the team simply because I recognized his name, but it wasn't to be.

UPDATE: Added Assenmacher's 1991 won-loss record.

#11 - Roberto Kelly

Largely remembered as a journeyman outfielder in the 1990s, Roberto was part of the bad Yankees teams at the turn of the decade.  Their outfield really wasn't the problem, though; once he was given the starting job in 1989, he did well.  I would guess that the Yankees wanted him to replace some of Rickey Henderson's speed when they gave him the starting job that year.

Career Stats

The back of the card notes some firsts for Kelly.  More specifics:

First hit: A double off of Bud Black of the Royals.
First homer: A three-run shot off the Tigers' Willie Hernandez
First 4-hit game: Two singles, a double and homer on Opening Day 1989 against the Twins.  The card's fact is wrong; it mentions his second 4-hit game.  That one was also against Minnesota.

'91: 126 G,  543 PA (486 AB), .267/.333/.444, 130 H, 68 R, 22 2B, 2 3B, 20 HR, 45 BB, 77 K, 42 SB (17 CS), 114 OPS+

Best '91 Game: September 18 vs. Brewers: 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

 Kelly hit two solo shots including a walk-off homer against starter Julio Navarro in the ninth to lead the Yankees to a 2-1 win.  Navarro and Yankees starter Jeff Johnson allowed one run through eight innings and reliever Steve Farr picked up the victory for the home team.

After '91: Kelly spent another year with the Yankees, and then was trade bait to acquire Paul O'Neill, whom was a cornerstone veteran outfielder of the great Yankee teams of the 1990s.  Roberto spent his career with seven other teams, coming full circle when he returned to the Yankees in 2000.  He signed as a free agent with the Rockies in 2001, but he didn't make the team and retired.

I remember Kelly when he was traded to the Braves in 1994 for Deion Sanders.  There wasn't long to appreciate him because the strike happened and then he was flipped to the Expos in the package for Marquis Grissom in 1995. 

However, on June 6, I was at a game at Fulton County Stadium where Kelly broke up a no-hit bid by Padres starter Andy Benes.  Benes was shockingly outdueling Greg Maddux that day, ahead 2-0, when Kelly got a two-out single.  I had never cheered so loud for a single in my life.

The Braves went ahead 3-2 in the eighth, but a Greg McMichael meltdown led to a 4-3 loss with the tying run on second with two out when the game ended.  Kelly went 2-4 with a walk that day.

#10 - Gregg Olson

A very nice shot of Olson delivering an overhand pitch.  Gregg, drafted by the Orioles in 1988, was moved up quickly and debuted the same year.  Taking over for departed closer Tom Niedenfeur in 1989, Olson was named AL Rookie of the Year, earning 27 saves in 31 opportunities and finishing with a 1.69 ERA in 85 innings, striking out 90 batters.  He saved 37 games in 1990.

Career Stats

'91: 72 G, 4-6, 73 2/3 IP, 74 H, 28 R, 26 ER, 29 BB, 72 K, 31 SV, 3.18 ERA, 126 ERA+

Best Game: October 4 vs. Detroit: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Though it doesn't seem like much, Olson blanked the Tigers in the 10th and 11th innings, giving his teammates a chance to win.  However, the Orioles eventually lost 4-2 in 14 frames.

After '91: Most likely due to injury, Olson flamed out, bottoming out with a spectacularly bad 16 games with in Atlanta in 1994.  I vaguely remember watching him then, recognizing him from my baseball card collection.

Olson pitched for nine teams, retiring after the 2001 season.  He saved 30 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first year; however, that was one of the few respectable seasons he had after his career in Baltimore ended.

Gregg remains the Orioles franchise leader with 160 saves.

#9 - Darrin Fletcher

A simple spring training or batting practice shot, something for which Topps is famous (infamous?) is used for the young Phillies catcher. Darrin went to the Phillies from the Dodgers in a September 13, 1990 trade. L. A. received pitcher Dennis Cook.

I like the batting practice look on a baseball card.  The uniforms, like this one, can be stylish and stand out in a good way.

Career Stats

UPDATE: "Darrin was signed for Dodgers..." says the card.  Clearly, they ran out of space for a coherent sentence.

Like so many others, Darrin loved hitting in the Pacific Coast League.  Despite the part season, he led the team in homers in 1990.

'91: 42 G, 142 PA (136 AB), .228/.255/.309, 31 H, 5 R, 8 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 5 BB, 15 K, 59 OPS+

UPDATE: Added Fletcher's five runs in the '91 stat line.

Best '91 Game: May 28 vs. Montreal: 2-5, HR, R, 4 RBI

Fletcher smacked a three-run homer off Expos starter Oil Can Boyd in the fifth inning and singled home a run in the seventh, helping propel a 12-0 blowout.

After '91: Fletcher spent 11 seasons in Canada, six with the Montreal Expos and five with the Toronto Blue Jays. A solid performer, he has the best batting average (.266), on-base percentage (.326) slugging average (.433), and most home runs (59) for an Expos/Nationals catcher since Gary Carter (UPDATE NOTE: minimum 1,000 plate appearances).

#8 - Bobby Thigpen RB

It takes the perfect storm to rack up a lot of saves in a season.   You need a team that scores just enough runs to win and you need a decent reliever that doesn't cough up a lot of runs to come in and finish each game.

Thigpen had a whopping 65 opportunites and blew eight of them, a couple in some non-save situations, so he could have had more.  He bested Dave Righetti's four-year old record of 46 saves.

UPDATE: Look at the card's tagline.  Whoever wrote this got his Sox teams confused.

Thigpen earned save number 57 when he preserved a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.  He allowed a single to Shawn Bradley to lead off the inning, but the White Sox foiled a sacrifice attempt by Omar Vizquel.  Then Bobby got Pete O'Brien to fly out and Harold Reynolds to ground out to second.

Francisco Rodriguez topped Thigpen in 2008 when he recorded 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels.

Isn't hindsight fun?

#7 - Ryne Sandberg RB

Like Cal Ripken, Ryne Sandberg also set a new errorless streak record at his position. His 123-game streak bested Joe Morgan's run which spanned two seasons.

Sandberg's errant throw in the fourth inning, coming off of Astro Eric Anthony's bat, didn't harm the Cubs as they coasted to a 7-0 shutout in the Astrodome.  They did it mainly on the strength of Mike Harkey's eight innings and a Mitch Williams finish.

Detroit Tiger Placido Polanco broke Sandberg's record in 2007, setting a new standard of 141 errorless games by a second baseman.

UPDATE: Forgot the boxscore link.

#6 - Nolan Ryan RB

Yep, another no-hitter by the Ryan Express!

Nolan Ryan earned his sixth career no-hitter by blanking the Oakland A's 5-0.   Backing Ryan's two-walk, 14-K performance were a home run by Jeff Russell in the second inning and two two-run homers from Julio Franco in the first and fifth innings.

The previous record holder, Cy Young, no-hit the New York Highlanders 8-0 while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

#5 - Cal Ripken RB

As it says, Ripken went 95 consecutive games at short without an error, breaking what was a barely year-old record by Mets shortstop Kevin Elster.

UPDATE: Ripken's error allowed Royals batter Jeff Schulz to reach base and Jim Eisenreich scored from third.  This didn't harm the Orioles much, as they had a 9-5 lead after the error and escaped further damage.  However, the Royals tagged Joe Price and Mark Williamson for five runs in the seventh inning, winning by a 10-9 score.

The record was broken in 2002 by another Orioles shortstop, Mike Bordick, and ended at 110 games and 543 total chances in 2003 when Bordick was with the Toronto Blue Jays.

#4 - Kevin Maas RB

Maas, picked in the 22nd round of the 1986 draft by the Yankees, worked slowly up the system over the years.  Called up in June of 1990, Maas went on an unprecedented tear, belting 10 homers in his 77th at-bat (the card is wrong) to top George Scott's 1966 record.

UPDATE: The 10th homer, his second of the game, brought the score to 5-4, Detroit, and chased Tigers reliever Paul Gibson.  Steve Balboni went back-to-back, greeting Mike Henneman rudely and tying the game.  However, the Tigers pulled out a 6-5 win in 14 innings.

* * *

This home run record is a bit of a misnomer: because it's measured in at-bats, it doesn't count how many times that Maas or Scott actually came to the plate to complete the record.

Measured in plate appearances:

Maas: 10 homers in 91 PA (77 AB, 14 BB)
Scott: 10 homers in 91 PA (79 AB, 10 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SF)

Did Maas truly set a record, or is it only a technicality?  It's an interesting avenue to consider.

UPDATE: Made the card pictures larger.

#3 - Carlton Fisk RB

Carlton Fisk, the durable Red Sox and White Sox catcher, tagged Rangers knuckleballer Charlie Hough for a record-setting solo shot leading off the second.  It gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead and the Pale Hose eventually went on to win the game 4-2.

Fisk finished his career with 351 home runs as a catcher, and that record held up until Mike Piazza broke it on May 5, 2004.

The player in the picture celebrating with him is Carlos Martinez.

#2 - George Brett RB

Ah, here we go: the traditional record breakers.  First up is George Brett, who won the 1990 AL batting title by four percentage points over Oakland outfielder Rickey Henderson.  Brett's three-decade batting title feat hasn't been equaled since.

UPDATE: Brett finished the season by getting a one-out, pinch-hit single off Indians reliever Mauro Gozzo.  The Royals, down 3-2, couldn't capitalize and ended up losing the contest 5-2 to finish the season 75-86.

And those are some seriously huge stirrups Brett is wearing in that picture.

#1 - Nolan Ryan

Starting in 1963, Topps began their sets with cards highlighting players with league-leading stats, special moments, or record-breaking feats the previous season. In the 1990 set, that changed slightly as a fireballing power pitcher from Alvin, Texas named Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. was symbolically placed as Card #1. The practice continued in this set and the 1992 set, as Ryan continued his age-defying pitching prowess.

The pose on this card is interesting, as it captures Nolan just at the end of his delivery. Dig up clips of Ryan pitching and you'll see exactly how he was able to generate so much power; after the windup, he brought his right knee up near his face and planted that foot to power fastballs and curves to the plate.

Career Stats

'91: 27 GS, 12-6,  173 IP, 102 H, 58 R, 56 ER, 72 BB, 203 K, 2 CG, 2 SHO, 2.91 ERA, 140 ERA+

AL Leader in: WHIP (1.006), H/9 (5.3), K/9 (10.6)

Ryan added another accomplishment to his star-studded career on May 1st, when he blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 for his seventh career no-hitter.  He walked two and struck out 16, adding to his record of being the oldest pitcher to throw a complete-game no-hitter (44 years, 90 days).  He led the Rangers in strikeouts and ERA and was second in wins. 

The Rangers briefly tied for first place in the AL West with the Twins on July 7th, with Ryan tossing 8 1/3 shutout innings against the Angels, winning 7-0.  However, Texas lost 8 of 9 games after that and never recovered.

After '91: Ryan retired after pitching two more seasons with the Rangers, finishing with 324 wins and 5,714 career strikeouts, and was deservedly elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 with a record-tying 98.8% of the ballot.

* * *

Ryan was absolutely one of my favorite pitchers when I first started following the game.  Even though I didn't see him pitch much, being in Georgia, I immediately felt a connection with him as a brief native Texan that I am.  It was easy for me, and everyone, to see his greatness.

Looking back at his career now, it's pretty fascinating how he could have such negatives on his record as the most walks (2,795), and be credited with 292 losses and still be so revered.  To put the losses in perspective: only Cy Young and Pud Galvin have 300 losses in their careers and Ryan almost equaled it in the modern area.  The closest contemporary to him is Phil Niekro, and he had 274 losses.

Nolan Ryan was truly unique, a pitcher that baseball may never see again.

Welcome!

So why exactly am I doing this blog?

Because I can.

But seriously, folks, blogs like 1975 Topps and 1988 Topps are a true inspiration.

While my first memories of baseball cards are dotted with the red, red borders of 1990 Donruss cards, and the first card I remember truly cherishing was John Smoltz's 1990 Topps issue, the 1991 Topps set is more significant because of what it represents.

In 1991 at the age of eight, like everyone else in Fayetteville, Georgia, I caught Braves Fever.  It was a special time.  I delved into the world of Major League Baseball as a result.  Team apparel, caps, baseball cards, Starting Lineup figurines, even pencils covered in logos; the baseball memorabilia collection began then and still grows 21 years later.

The 1991 Topps set was always a favorite; while 1990 misses some cherished logos and uniforms (yes, I admit it: I actually LIKE that Astros uniform.  Fear the stripes!), the set makes up for that with a clean, organized look. The best part of each card is the wordmark of the player's team at the bottom right; it looks very nice to me.

Each card, each player, tells a story.  I hope to be able to tell those stories well.