Random Wax: 1990 Donruss (3 Packs)

1990 Donruss:  Tom Glavine is one of my favorite Braves of all-time and is also 10 ten all-time amongst all players.  Add him to one of my favorite designs and it's a big win.  He was named to 10 All-Star games, earned Cy Young Award votes in six seasons and won four Silver Slugger Awards as a pitcher. His 682 games started ranks 12th all-time, and his 305 victories are fourth all-time among left-handers. Glavine was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014 (Baseball Hall of Fame).

Charlie Hough had a 216-216 win loss record while playing 25 seasons and garnered one all-star nod.  Jim Abbott had a losing record for his career but that means nothing compared to just making it, and playing at a high level, in the major leagues with only one hand.  His best season was 1991 with 18 wins and a 2.89 ERA.  

I'm a big fan of the Diamond Kings from the era and these are no different.  I like the head and shoulders and full body views on these.  And we also get different backgrounds to help differentiate the cards.

I'm so disappointed in the MVP cards.  About as bland as it gets.

Wasn't quite greatness yet.  Yet.

These all-star cards are top notch as well.  The league logos are just too cool.  You know there'll be more of these on the blog as I'm a big fan.

BREAKDOWN:

45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Puzzle
3 – MVP
3 – Diamond Kings
2 – Rated Rookie
1 – All-Star

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss (3 Packs)

 1990 Donruss:  This card is one of my favorites.  I love the Diamond Kings from this era and this one hits all the marks.  I love the Dave Stewart smile/art and 1990 Donruss is a favorite of mine as is Stewart.

Dave Winfield and Roberto Alomar Jr. are both Hall of Famers who also won a World Series together in 1992 as members of the Toronto Blue Jays.  I am a big fan of this set even though there is no team logo.

I didn't realize Ozzie had been voted as high as #2 for MVP in any year.  I like the career highlights Donruss cards gave us on these backs.

The MVP cards are the one misstep in this set.  That bland green MVP background does nothing for me.  We do get another good Dave Stewart card.

Lots of memories and great players in these packs.  Ozzie wound up with over 2400 hits in his Hall of Fame career playing for San Diego and the Cardinals for 19 seasons.  Looking at these is a fun way to spend an offseason day.

BREAKDOWN:

45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)

3 – Puzzle

3 – MVP

3 – Diamond Kings

2 – Rated Rookie

1 – All-Star

1 - Checklist

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss (3 Packs)

 1990 Donruss: World Series starts tonight!  Rickey Henderson played a ton of playoff baseball with Oakland, Toronto, San Diego, the Mets and Seattle.  He won two World Series rings, with Oakland and Toronto.  In 14 World Series games over three World Series, he batted .339.  Excellent against the best of the best on the biggest MLB stage.

Roberto Alomar also won two World Series rings, both with Toronto.  He was a teammate of Rickey on that '93 team.  Barry Larkin got his ring as a member or the 1990 Reds sweeping Rickey and the Oakland A's.

I'm a big fan of this era's Diamond Kings cards.  Willie Randolph won a championship with the 1977 Yankees.

Bob Walk, one of my favorite all-time players, won a ring with the 1980 Phillies as a rookie.  He started and won game 1 although he gave up six runs in seven innings.  Love the Yaz puzzle and the puzzle card.  Yaz batted .310 in his only World Series, but the Red Sox lost to the Reds in 7 games.

Wow, the World Series memories here.  Saberhagen, the '85 World Series MVP.  Kent Hrbek lifting Ron Gant off 1st base to end the inning in game 2 of the 1991 World Series, and Mitch Williams giving up the homer heard round the world by Toronto's Joe Carter.  Still bitter about that Hrbek play...

Rickey stat greatness.  Pedro Guerrero hit .333 with two home runs and seven runs batted in, in the Dodgers 1981 championship earning him World Series MVP.  This pack has been hanging around since 2021, but it appropriate as the league's best face off tonight.

BREAKDOWN
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
4 – Diamond Kings
3 – Puzzle
2 – Rated Rookie
1 – MVP
1 – All-Star 
1 - Checklist
1 – Yaz Puzzle Card

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss (3 Packs)

1990 Donruss:  Nolan Ryan is a legend.  We'll never see anything like him again.  Twenty-seven years.  5700+ strikeouts.  Seven no-hitters.

A couple more Hall of Fame players and one in Sweet Lou who some think should be one.

Just a small snippet of Ryan's greatness.  

More players who did really good in this era of baseball.  I really like my pull in these three packs.

Zane Smith is a favorite player of mine while Tewksbury and Plesac were good at what they did.  Who knows how old Julio Franco was on this really cool All-Star card.  Really enjoy showing off these cards and all the memories they bring up.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Puzzle
1 – All-Star

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss (3 Packs)

1990 Donruss:  I, like almost everyone else, loved it when Eric Davis came on to the baseball scene.  His speed, power, and defense made us think he was the next best thing.  And while he was fun to watch and great to collect, the hall of fame career never quiet happened as injuries took too much from him.  Still he'll always be a favorite of mine.  He's looking good on this Donruss design that matches the Reds colors.

So many memories in these packs.  I forget how really, really good a hitter Dave Parker was.  He hit .290 over 19 years finishing with 2712 hits and 339 home runs.  And dude had an arm.

Love these old Diamond Kings but those MVP cards are not favorites of mine.

DeShields and Vaughn both had good careers.  Vaughn made the all-star team four times.  Deion was fun to watch but couldn't match the accolades he earned during his football career.

I enjoy remembering those peak Eric Davis years.

As a Braves fan I can only shake my head when see Lonnie Smith.  Still the man won three World Series in his career.  Fun cards and I always enjoy looking at maybe my favorite set of all-time.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Puzzle

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss Baseball (3 Packs)

 1990 Donruss: These are always fun to share.  Loved Eckersley.  He was originally a starter with the Red Sox but made his name as a dominant closer in the second half of his career.  

I love all-star cards and these are really good with the logo.  These players were all prominent in their time and of course Trammel is a Hall of Fame inductee. 

Never cared for the design of these MVP cards.  Nice photo of Tim Raines as an Expo.

Donruss only had recent year stats but it's better than none.  This card shows his transition not only from the Cubs to the A's but from a starter to a reliever.  A's really didn't give up anything for him.

Nice Rated Rookie pulls.  That Deion photo feels so out of place.  One he's a Yankee, and two there's no energy in that photo. 

Another great reliever in Dan Quisenberry to help end this post.  Loved his underhand delivery.  Ellis Burks is a favorite of mine as is those older Diamond Kings cards.  Lots of fun memories in these packs.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Puzzle
2 – MVP
2 – All-Star
2 – Rated Rookie
2 – Diamond Kings

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss Baseball (3 Packs)

1990 Donruss:  Can never go wrong with Greg Maddux or 1990 Donruss which is one of my favorite sets of all-time.  This four-time Cy Young award winner was so fun to watch.  I know masterful is used to describe him and I wouldn't argue any.

Another Hall of Fame guy named Boggs and some guys with power from the era.  Gant would go on to hit 32 homeruns and .303 at the plate in 1990.  I like Gant and felt sorry for him.  He got hurt after the '93 season, didn't play in '94, and signed as a free agent for 1995 with the Reds.  Would have been fun watching him win a championship with the Braves that season.

Love the old Dick Perez Diamond Kings.

The MVP cards are pretty lackluster.  That background makes me shake my head.

Maddux was only getting started.  No matter how good his '89 season was we had no idea what was to come.

Kruk was so much fun.  Lots of good hitting going on here.  Who was named an all-star the most?  Tony Fernandez five times while Kruk and Grace were all-stars three times.

Always liked that Bart Giamatti card.  Speaking of the Braves' World Series title in 1995, here's game 6 offensive hero David Justice.  The all-star cards in this set are favorites of mine.  Also a big fan of Dave Stewart.  Fun cards and great memories for me.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Puzzle
3 – MVP
3 – Diamond Kings
2 – Rated Rookie
1 – All-Star
1 – Commissioner

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss Baseball (3 Packs)

 1990 Donruss:  The Braves are still battling it out with the Phillies in the second round of MLB playoffs.  Hall of Famer John Smoltz is a great place to start this post as he was great in the playoffs.  Over 25 playoff series, including 5 World Series, he pitched to a 2.67 ERA in 209 innings pitched.  He was 15-4 in those games.

Can't go wrong with any of these three guys.  1990 Donruss has always been a favorite of mine and there are tons of great players and memories here to always make these fun.

The MVP design isn't a favorite of mine.  Seemed a bit boring and that they could have done something different.  I do love the All-Star cards which include great NL and AL logos.

He was alright...just kidding.  Dude could flat out hit.  Not bad for a 19th round pick.

All three of these guys were part of that 1986 Mets team that ripped out my heart when they beat the Red Sox.  Enough said.

These are fun even when they include players who haunt your memories.  Three pitchers every team would love to have on their team.  We'll end it with an all-time favorite of mine - Kirby.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – MVP
3 – Puzzle
2 – All-Star
1 – Rated Rookie
1 – Diamond King