1980 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

26 cards total in base set

21 Manny Sarmiento
47 Bill Bonham
73 Dave Collins
100 Johnny Bench
126 Dave Tomlin
149 Tom Hume
174 Ray Knight
199 Mike LaCoss
220 Dave Concepcion
258 Paul Moskau
281 Paul Blair
325 Dan Driessen
354 Rick Auerbach
377 Junior Kennedy
400 George Foster
419 Vic Correll
449 Doug Bair
475 Cesar Geronimo
500 Tom Seaver
516 Hector Cruz
550 Ken Griffey
606 Cincinnati Reds Team Card
622 Mario Soto
650 Joe Morgan
677 Cincinnati Reds Future Stars
714 Fred Norman

1981 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

32 cards total in base set and trade

8 Tom Hume
21 Ron Oester
52 Hector Cruz
73 Doug Bair
94 Harry Spilman
126 Charlie Liebrandt
149 Joe Nolan
175 Dave Collins
200 George Foster
201 Johnny Bench
220 Tom Seaver
258 Joe Price
280 Ken Griffey
325 Ray Knight
354 Mario Soto
375 Dave Concepcion
390 Cesar Geronimo
419 Tom Hume
447 Junior Kennedy
474 Mike LaCoss
499 Frank Pastore
521 Sam Meijas
546 Paul Moskau
600 Johnny Bench
606 Cincinnati Reds Rookies
628 Vic Correll
655 Dan Driessen
677 Cincinnati Reds Team Card
712 Bill Bonham
736 Larry Biittner
786 Rafael Landestoy
848 Mike Vail

1982 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

42 cards total in base set and trade

30 Tom Seaver
31 Tom Seaver
63 Mario Soto
97 Paul Moskau
128 Frank Pastore
159 Larry Biittner
165 Tom Seaver - Victory Leaders
169 Charlie Liebrandt
194 Mike Vail
228 Sam Meijas
294 Mike LaCoss
327 Joe Nolan
340 Dave Concepcion
342 George Foster
346 Tom Seaver
351 Reds Rookies
361 Rafael Landestoy
400 Johnny Bench
401 Johnny Bench
427 Ron Oester
459 Bruce Berenyi
492 Joe Price
525 Ray Knight
562 Mike O'Berry
595 Dave Collins
620 Ken Griffey
621 Ken Griffey
660 Dave Concepcion
661 Dave Concepcion
700 George Foster
701 George Foster
723 Junior Kennedy
756 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders
763 Tom Hume
785 Dan Driessen
T19 Cesar Cedeno
T41 Greg Harris
T56 Jim Kern
T58 Wayne Krenchicki
T72 Eddie Milner
T105 Bob Shirley
T120 Alex Trevino

1983 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

34 cards total in base set and trade

34 Paul Householder
60 Johnny Bench
61 Johnny Bench
86 Tom Hume
112 Bob Shirley
139 Bruce Berenyi
165 Dan Driessen
191 Joe Price
215 Mario Soto
243 Duane Walker
269 Ron Oester
296 Greg Harris
322 Dave Van Gorder
351 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders
374 Wayne Krenchicki
400 Dave Concepcion
423 Tom Lawless
449 Eddie Milner
475 Cesar Cedeno
527 Larry Biittner
554 Mike Vail
580 Tom Seaver
581 Tom Seaver
607 Charlie Liebrandt
632 Alex Trevino
658 Frank Pastore
684 Rafael Landestoy
720 Dave Concepcion
756 Russ Nixon
T11 Dann Bilardello
T35 Rich Gale
T57 Alan Knicely
T88 Charlie Puleo
T94 Gary Redus

1984 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

33 cards total in base set and traded

6 Johnny Bench
34 Eddie Milner
55 Dave Concepcion
87 Frank Pastore
113 Kelly Paris
142 Rich Gale
160 Mario Soto
192 Nick Esasky
214 Paul Householder
242 Alex Trevino
270 Jeff Russell
273 Charlie Puleo
297 Bruce Berenyi
323 Alan Knicely
351 Russ Nixon
373 Bill Sherrer
424 Dan Bilardello
448 Ben Hayes
475 Gary Redus
526 Ron Oester
554 Ted Power
585 Dan Driessen
607 Tom Hume
632 Tom Foley
659 Duane Walker
686 Joe Price
705 Cesar Cedeno - NL Stolen Base Leader
725 Cesar Cedeno
756 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders
T65 Wayne Krenchicki
T90 Dave Parker
T91 Tony Perez
T95 Vern Rapp

1985 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

32 cards total in the base set and trade

6 Pete Rose
28 Dan Bilardello
54 Cesar Cedeno
82 Joe Price
107 Tom Foley
131 Buddy Bell/Gus Bell
146 Gary Redus
175 Dave Parker
198 Eddie Milner
223 Tom Hume
251 Brad Gulden
314 Ron Oester
323 Andy McGaffigan
342 Ted Power
367 Keefe Cato
417 John Franco
441 Duane Walker
468 Wayne Krenchicki
495 Mario Soto
515 Dave Concepcion
547 Pete Rose
573 Jay Tibbs
597 Brad Lesley
600 Pete Rose
627 Eric Davis
651 Jeff Russell
675 Tony Perez
727 Frank Pastore
752 Bob Owchinko
779 Nick Esasky
11T Tom Browning
68T Alan Knicely

1986 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

39 cards total in the base set and trade

1 Pete Rose
2 Pete Rose
3 Pete Rose
4 Pete Rose
5 Pete Rose
6 Pete Rose
7 Pete Rose
28 Eric Davis
54 John Franco
85 Tony Perez
108 Ted Power
133 Andy McGaffigan
143 Dave Van Gorder
176 Jay Tibbs
195 Dave Concepcion
205 Tony Perez
206 Pete Rose
253 Dan Bilardello
285 Buddy Bell
314 Frank Pastore
342 Gary Redus
366 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders
428 Max Venable
442 Ron Robinson
497 John Stuper
523 Joe Price
544 Eddie Milner
573 Tom Hume
595 Dave Parker
627 Ron Oester
639 Bo Diaz
652 Tom Browning
677 Nick Esasky
725 Mario Soto
741 Pete Rose
777 Wayne Krenchicki
32T John Denny
42T Bill Gullickson
104T Kurt Stillwell

1987 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

35 cards total in the base set and trade

13 Nick Esasky
41 Bo Diaz
65 Tom Browning
82 Rob Murphy
101 Carl Willis
119 Ron Robinson
146 Tracy Jones
172 Ron Oester
200 Pete Rose
226 Max Venable
253 Eddie Milner
281 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders
305 John Franco
332 Joe Price
358 Sal Butera
393 Pete Rose
412 Eric Davis
437 Ted Power
453 Scott Terry
466 Kal Daniels
489 Bill Gullickson
517 Mario Soto
545 Buddy Bell
569 Wade Rowdon
592 Chris Welsh
600 Dave Parker
623 Kurt Stillwell
644 John Denny
648 Barry Larkin
691 Dave Parker
731 Dave Concepcion
T34 Terry Francona
T48 Guy Hoffman
T93 Pat Pacillo
T128 Frank Williams

1988 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

35 cards total in the base set and trade

17 Ron Oester
42 Bill Landrum
81 Cincinnati Reds Team Leaders
102 Barry Larkin
130 Buddy Bell
135 Dennis Rasmussen
150 Eric Davis
172 Lloyd McClendon
204 Paul O'Neill
236 Ted Power
265 Bo Diaz
282 Pat Perry
288 Pat Pacillo
315 Dave Parker
339 Kurt Stillwell
364 Nick Esasky
422 Dave Concepcion
447 Jeff Montgomery
475 Pete Rose
496 Guy Hoffman
517 Ron Robinson
553 Tracy Jones
577 Tom Browning
603 Rob Murphy
622 Kal Daniels
644 Terry McGriff
666 Mario Soto
686 Terry Francona
730 John Franco
773 Frank Williams
T6 Jack Armstrong
T55 Danny Jackson
T92 Jose Rijo
T98 Chris Sabo
T122 Jeff Treadway

1989 Topps Cincinnati Reds Team Set

33 cards total in the base set and trade

16 Ron Robinson
45 Kal Daniels
103 Tim Birtsas
111 Eric Davis - Reds Team Card
135 Jose Rijo
151 Terry McGriff
172 Frank Williams
234 Tom Browning
264 Rob Dibble
290 John Franco
317 Jack Armstrong
330 Eric Davic
366 Herm Winningham
395 Danny Jackson
422 Bo Diaz
446 Rob Murphy
490 Chris Sabo
505 Pete Rose
515 Barry Larkin
554 Nick Esasky
604 Paul O'Neill
626 Jeff Reed
644 Lloyd McClendon
666 Randy St.Claire
685 Jeff Treadway
711 Candy Sierra
730 Danny Jackson
737 Norm Charlton
772 Ron Oester
T9 Todd Benzinger
T40 Ken Griffey
T74 Rick Mahler
T116 Kent Tekulve

Coming Full Circle

Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.

Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.

Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they're turned around.

Who'd have thought they'd lead ya (Who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)

Yeah we tease him a lot cause we've hot him on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

That's what's been playing in my mind since I've been looking through my recent completion of the year...the 1986 Topps set. These cards were the first that I collected when I got into the hobby, and I won't bore you with the details, but it's always held a sentimental place in my heart. I, like many of you, liquidated my collection in the mid 90s and so it's been quite some time since I've gazed on all of these cards. Sure, I've got the 1986 Topps Reds team set, but it just wasn't the same. Hopefully I can get these in a binder sometime soon so that I can flip through them at my leisure. For your listening pleasure, the complete Welcome Back Kotter theme song is below.

1989 Upper Deck

Not much to say about what's already been said about this set. It WAS a game changer for the hobby with it's sleek design, quality stock, hologram, and full color photography on both the front and back of the card. I remember when this set was released back in 1989 the sticker shock of $1.00 for a pack of cards. I was completely blown away. I thought to myself "There's no way I'm spending a buck on a pack of cards when I can get a couple of packs of Topps for that price!" Of course, the following year I didn't hesitate to hop on the Upper Deck bandwagon when my mom would bring me home packs of the stuff from the grocery store when the Reds were on fire and heading for the World Series. I like the 1989 Upper Deck set, don't get me wrong. In fact I think it's probably one of the best sets ever produced. However, looking back at the evolution of baseball cards these past two decades, a lot has changed and in a way I see it as innocence lost. We've gone from the standard card from 1957 through 1988 to a premium card in 1989 to super premium cards joining the scene in 1993. We've had inserts and parallels and 1 of somethings. All this so that we can have one card produced with all the colors of the rainbow. We've cut up uniforms, shaved bats, sliced apart seats from historic stadiums to put those little pieces on cards and dub them as "relics". I feel as though artifacts of our pastime have been cannibalized by the card companies just to make a buck. I just don't get it.

1984 Topps

So I decided to do a little housekeeping today to see what Topps sets I've already written a review for and found out that there was only one 1980s set remaining on my review list...so here it is. I like the 1984 Topps set. Maybe because it looks similar to the 1983 and 1963 Topps sets with the big action photo and tiny photo on the bottom front of the card. Again, white borders, as with most Topps sets and a nice blue color used on the background of the back of the card. I also like how they put the team logo on the back of the card as well. Nice touch. While the 1984 Topps set isn't on the same grade as the 1984 Donruss set, it's no red-headed step child either. But at least in 1984 we saw a glimpse of the competition yet to come in the late 1980s.

1989 Topps

Gluttony! That's the first word that comes to my mind when I think about 1989. Why? Because it was the ramping up of the hobby. With the introduction of Upper Deck to the scene, things in the baseball card world would not be the same and we would be inundated with a plethora of selection from high end stock cards to inserts, short prints, game used memorabilia, to who knows what else in the years that followed. I'm a simple man and in 1989 I stuck with collecting Topps because I had done so in the past... and spending a dollar for a pack of cards from Upper Deck was a whole lot of crazy to me. I like the 89 Topps set because of a number of reasons: the white border, the curved name plate and photos, the deep colors on the card back. Overall, I think it was a big improvement over the 1988 Topps set. This was the final year for a Topps card for Pete Rose. It was also the year prior to the Reds going Wire to Wire in the 1990 season. While there are a number of Reds cards I like from this year, such as Barry Larkin and Eric Davis, the Chris Sabo card would have to be my all time favorite of this set. The way he's chucking his bat as he heads to first while tracking the ball through his signature glasses is just so sweet! It doesn't get much better than that.