Operation Topps – 1986 Topps (Pack 67)

I’m playing babysitter tonight for our new puppy, so I decided to bang out tomorrow’s post tonight. I did the card count and we are left with only 140 cards to go. What is amazing is that we are still nailing packs that have 7 -12 new cards. I have to change my projection to about 110 cards left at the end. That is a lot more than I expected to be missing at the end. Actually I didn’t expect to have any trouble filling the set with just 2 boxes. Hopefully this won’t seem too disjointed being that every 15 minutes I am running the pup out. I am so ready for 1987 I can’t even tell you. Mainly because there are so many nice players in that set, plus the return of the Future Stars sub set. A sub set that was missing since 1982. Well here comes pack number 67.

1. Roger Maris – Turn Back the Clock – 405 – This is a picture of Maris’s 1961 card. That was a pretty big year for him. Being that he broke Ruth’s record that year. What is funny is that the print of the card looks fake. Like they had the picture, but they didn’t have the card. Notice the type on the card. What is funny though is the card is off centered. Crazy those guys from Topps.

2. Checklist – 397-528 – 527 – I think that this is the last one needed to finish all the checklists, so for that I am glad.

3. Angels Leaders – 486 – The Dean of the Angels was Bobby Grich. The offensive leaders were Brian Downing and Reggie Jackson. The pitching leaders were Mike Witt and Donnie Moore.

4. Mike Jorgensen – 1B/OF – Cardinals – 422 – Mike has been in the league since 1968 but unfortunately he didn’t play in 1986. He actually retired in 1985, in 17 seasons he was mostly a backup and in 1985 he went 0.196/0/11. In 17 seasons he had 833 hits so that gives you an idea of his productivity.

5. Sparky Anderson – MGR – Tigers – 411 – I don’t put too many manager’s pictures on here, but I had to with Sparky. In 1986 he was 52 years old. Can you believe he is only 52, he looks like he is friggin 82. In 1986 he went 87-75 and led the Tigers to a 3rd place finish.

6. Randy St. Claire – P – Expos – 89 – Randy missed most of 1986 with an injury, but in 11 games he pitched masterfully, he went 2-0 with one save, 2.37 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Not to bad at all, he would go full strenght again in 1987 where he will pick up where he left off, but that’s a story for next year’s cards.

7. Pete Rose – MGR – 741 – Man I was waiting for this card. I figured that it would be card number one though. I think there is another card and I do believe it is number one. This one is the team checklist card. As a manager, wellwe all know he bet on the games, but in 1986 he went 86-76, just missing the playoffs for the second straight year, he came in 2nd in 1985 as well.

8. Dave Parker – OF – Reds – 595 – Double, first reviewed in pack 16.

9. Sammy Khalifa – SS – Pirates – 316 – Double, first reviewed in pack 45.

10. Bob Dernier – OF – Cubs – 188 – Double, first reviewed in pack 35.

11. Keith Moreland – OF – Cubs – 266 – Double, first reviewed in pack 16.

12. Greg Walker – 1B – WhiteSox – 123 – Double, first reviewed in pack 45.

13. Randy Bush – DH/OF – Twins – 214 – Double, first reviewed in pack 35.

14. Billy Hatcher – OF – Cubs – 46 – Double, first reviewed in pack 36.

15. Joaquin Andujar – P – Cardinals – 150 – Double, first reviewed in pack 20.

Overall not too bad a pack, another 7 brings our total down to 133. It did have a Rose card (yay!) but it was the manager card (boo!), we did finish the checklists (yay!), but it was a checklist (boo!). I think I’ll give this one a 1.5 star rating. Not great, but anytime you get a Rose and a Maris it can’t be all bad. Right? Well I hope you enjoyed this one. Keep your fingers crossed as we try to get under the 100 card mark with only 5 packs left.