As you kind by a stack of 1993 Leaf baseball playing cards, you may shortly discover important high quality enhancements in comparison with earlier designs.
Do not get me flawed, I get pleasure from a number of earlier Leaf units.
However this launch made it clear that the model was attempting to compete within the premium area…
The borderless, full-color imagery introduced gamers to life with unbelievable motion pictures.
The shiny end and foil stamping gave the playing cards a premium appear and feel.
Leaf nailed it with a strong design.
Nevertheless, the one key downside of this set is its lack of Corridor of Fame rookie playing cards.
Nonetheless, the design and big-name superstars make the set value a glance.
And on this information, we’ll check out the 15 most dear.
Let’s soar proper in!
1993 Leaf #115 Nolan Ryan
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $60
In 66.1 innings pitched, Nolan Ryan went 5-5 with a 4.88 ERA whereas hanging out hitters per 9 innings for the Texas Rangers in the course of the 1993 season.
On the floor, these numbers appeared manner under his profession norms.
Remember, although, that Ryan was 46 years outdated and in his twenty seventh season within the Majors.
And Ryan most definitely would’ve tried a return for a twenty eighth season, as he did not appear to specific any intentions of retiring in the course of the 1993 marketing campaign.
Sadly, it wasn’t as much as Ryan whether or not he’d finally return for one more yr or not.
Throughout a late-season showdown at Seattle on September 22, Ryan heard the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow “pop like a rubber band” in the course of the first inning.
Ryan had confronted six hitters and allowed 5 runs with out recording an out earlier than releasing that fateful pitch to Seattle’s Dave Magadan in nearly symbolic wrestle that outlined his complete season.
After the sport, Ryan said, “It is acquired to be it. There is not any manner I will ever throw once more. It is a hell of a option to finish a profession. This complete yr has been a nightmare.”
That yr could have been a nightmare, however Ryan’s profession was one of many best in MLB historical past.
1993 Leaf #237 Don Mattingly
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $60
It has been well-documented that accidents nagged at Don Mattingly all through the Nineteen Nineties, robbing him of the facility on the plate he so typically displayed all through the Nineteen Eighties.
Mattingly routinely tore the quilt off the ball within the 80s, successful a batting title, three Silver Sluggers, and an MVP.
He additionally led the Majors in doubles thrice, RBIs as soon as, and hits as soon as whereas topping the American League in hits one other time.
In brief, Mattingly was one of many final guys you needed to cope with should you had been a pitcher in the course of the 80s.
However, within the Nineteen Nineties, Mattingly was a shell of his former self on the plate.
But, the 1993 season stands proud because the one season the place he got here arguably closest to resembling the times of outdated.
In 530 at-bats, Donnie Baseball slashed 295/.364/.445 with 17 residence runs and 86 RBIs to assist New York to a second-place end within the AL East at 88-74.
His .809 OPS was nicely above the place it had been in the course of the earlier three seasons and marked the primary time since 1989 he’d eclipsed the .800 mark in that class.
It was good to see the outdated Mattingly considerably again on the plate.
1993 Leaf #319 Ken Griffey Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $60
After 4 seasons within the Majors, everybody knew Ken Griffey Jr. might hit with the perfect of them.
However few might’ve predicted the extent to which he would “get away” in the course of the 1993 season.
To associate with a career-high .408 on-base proportion, the younger famous person additionally eclipsed the .600 mark (.617) in slugging proportion for the primary time in his iconic profession.
With unbelievable plate self-discipline and energy, “The Child” led the American League in whole bases (359) and struck concern into opposing pitchers by belting 45 residence runs.
Griffey had hit not more than 27 residence runs in his earlier three seasons, so witnessing the soar to 45 residence runs was fairly the location to see.
Eclipsing the 40-home run mark can be an everyday factor for the Corridor of Famer for the remainder of the Nineteen Nineties, main many to surprise if he’d finally catch Hank Aaron for the all-time lead.
Sadly, accidents derailed a number of of his seasons in the course of the 2000s, limiting his plate appearances and canceling any hopes of seeing him smack residence run quantity 756 sometime.
Nonetheless, his 630 residence runs turned out to be an unbelievable achievement.
1993 Leaf #28 Tony Gwynn
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
Tony Gwynn left a legacy as one of many best hitters of his era, failing to eclipse the .300 batting common mark solely as soon as in his twenty years taking part in for the San Diego Padres.
Over his Corridor of Fame profession, Gwynn racked up eight batting titles, tying him with Honus Wagner for the second-most all-time behind Ty Cobb who had twelve.
Throughout the 1993 season, Gwynn practically received his ninth with a .358 batting common however Colorado’s Andrés Galarraga edged him out with a .370 common.
Galarraga was a profession .288 hitter and an unbelievable participant, however his .370 common that season was an outlier.
“The Large Cat” hit nicely on the highway with a .328 common however clearly adjusted nicely to skinny Denver air by hitting an eye-popping .402 at residence in Mile Excessive Stadium.
Regardless of developing quick for the batting title, Gwynn nonetheless had an unbelievable yr and maintained his popularity as one of many prime gamers within the league along with his ninth All-Star choice.
From 1994-1997, no person would prime Gwynn as he received 4 extra consecutive batting titles.
1993 Leaf #291 Rickey Henderson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
As arguably the sport’s best lead-off hitter ever to set the desk on the MLB degree, Rickey Henderson left a legacy as a prolific hitter and baserunner.
After breaking Lou Brock’s all-time stolen bases report on Might 1, 1991 when he stole his 939th base, Henderson stared down one other stolen bases report on June 16, 1993.
Needing yet one more base to interrupt Yutaka Fukumoto’s world report from his days in Nippon Skilled Baseball, Henderson stole the 1,066th base of his profession to maneuver into first place.
Henderson was 34 years outdated in the course of the 1993 season, his fifteenth total, however he was nonetheless one of many sport’s most enjoyable gamers.
By means of the primary 90 video games with the Oakland Athletics, Henderson hit .327 with 17 residence runs, 47 RBIs, 77 runs scored and 31 stolen bases.
However, Oakland was a horrible staff that yr.
After successful the 1992 World Collection, the Toronto Blue Jays seemed to Henderson to assist make one other run at a title and fortunately traded for him.
As destiny would have it, Henderson ended up being one of many gamers on base with Paul Molitor when Joe Carter despatched a series-ending three-run homer into the outfield in Recreation 6 of the 1993 World Collection.
1993 Leaf #316 Bo Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
Nobody knew how Bo Jackson’s baseball profession can be affected after a hip damage ended his soccer profession in 1991.
The Kansas Metropolis Royals weren’t keen to gamble and shortly launched him forward of the 1991 MLB season.
However, the Chicago White Sox had been keen to take an opportunity on the famous person athlete, banking that his unbelievable skills and talents would nonetheless materialize in time.
So, they signed him to a three-year deal.
He would seem in simply 23 video games for the White Sox in 1991 and missed the complete 1992 marketing campaign due to hip surgical procedure.
However when he returned for the 1993 season, he quickly demonstrated he nonetheless had sufficient left within the tank and even confirmed flashes of his former self throughout his heyday with the Royals.
In 85 video games and 284 at-bats, Jackson slashed .232/.289/.433 with 16 residence runs and 45 runs.
Sure, he struggled to hit for common, however he additionally had large energy.
After Chicago captured the AL West division with a sterling 94-68 report, they had been quickly dispatched in six video games by the Toronto Blue Jays within the ALCS.
But, at the very least Jackson lastly had a style of what postseason baseball felt like.
1993 Leaf #378 Kirby Puckett
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
For the eighth consecutive season, Kirby Puckett earned a spot on the American League All-Star staff in 1993 for his efforts on either side of the ball.
Heading into that season, Puckett already had 5 Silver Sluggers and 6 Gold Gloves, demonstrating his outstanding skills with each bat and glove.
He was additionally entertaining to observe as Puckett performed with pleasure and willpower that few different gamers might match.
For these causes, Puckett’s baseball playing cards had been in style throughout his period and stay so to today.
After serving to the Minnesota Twins to a World Collection title in 1991, his second with the staff (1987), Puckett would by no means see post-season motion once more.
The Twins had been good in 1992, ending at 90-72 however finally fell six video games behind the Oakland Athletics for the AL West title.
Nevertheless, issues fell other than there, because the Twins turned in shedding information from 1993-1995, Puckett’s final season within the Majors.
And sadly, at age 36, the Corridor of Fame outfielder was pressured into retirement in 1996 after shedding imaginative and prescient in one in all his eyes, slicing his profession manner too quick.
1993 Leaf #431 Cal Ripken Jr.
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $40
When the Baltimore Orioles confronted off towards the Seattle Mariners on June 6, 1993, Cal Ripken Jr. was taking part in in his 1,790th consecutive sport.
But, tensions started to mount between the Orioles and Mariners that day which, unbeknownst to everybody, had been about to danger ending Ripken’s unbelievable streak.
Throughout the sport, Baltimore’s Mike Deveraux and Harold Baines every homered within the fourth and fifth innings.
And Seattle’s Chris Bosio later threw behind their teammates, Mark McLemore and Harold Reynolds, in retaliation, or so the Baltimore Orioles thought.
So later within the sport, Baltimore’s Mike Mussina threw a pitch that struck Seattle’s Invoice Haselman, who had beforehand homered off of Mussina earlier.
Haselman immediately charged the mound and each benches cleared.
As Cal Ripken Jr. ran to the mound to assist Mussina, he slipped on the grass and felt a pop in his knee.
After the sport, exams revealed that Ripken had sprained the MCL in his knee.
Out of the blue, his streak of 1,790 consecutive video games appeared all however completed.
The subsequent day, sitting simply 340 video games away from Gehrig’s report, Ripken insisted on taking part in for the Orioles later that night time towards the Oakland Athletics.
After rigorous preparation on his knee, Ripken suited up for sport no 1,791 and saved the streak alive.
1993 Leaf #146 George Brett
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $35
In case you’re a fan of baseball highlights, you’ve got nearly definitely seen footage of the well-known “Pine Tar Incident” that occurred on July 24, 1983.
After his residence run within the ninth inning put the Royals forward of the New York Yankees, an umpire reviewed Brett’s bat on the request of Yankees supervisor Billy Martin.
The umpire deemed Brett’s bat had an excessive amount of pine tar and shortly referred to as him out, nullifying the house run and ending the sport.
Brett lept from the dugout in a blind rage and ecstatically argued with the umpires, having to be forcibly held again by these round him.
As notorious as that “spotlight” was, Brett had many extra magic moments all through his profession.
Brett earned 13 All-Star choices in 21 seasons with the Kansas Metropolis Royals, in addition to three Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove, an MVP, and a World Collection ring.
He additionally received the batting title in three separate a long time, turning into the one participant ever to take action, and joined the three,000-hit membership in 1992.
But, at 40 years outdated, Brett was nonetheless hungry and suited up for the Royals one final time for the 1993 season, batting .266 with 19 residence runs, 75 RBIs and 69 runs scored.
1993 Leaf #195 Frank Thomas
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $35
After ending third and eighth within the MVP vote in 1991 and 1992, Frank Thomas lastly acquired over the hump in the course of the 1993 season to win his first of two profession MVP Awards.
In doing so, Thomas turned the primary member of the Chicago White Sox since Dick Allen in 1972 to win MVP.
And considerably quietly, Thomas’s .317 batting common, 41 residence runs, 106 runs scored, 128 RBIs and 112 walks put him in some spectacular firm.
In doing so, “The Large Harm” turned simply the fifth participant in MLB historical past to put up a .300 batting common, greater than 20 residence runs, and greater than 100 walks, RBIs, and runs scored for 3 straight seasons.
The opposite 4 who had achieved it earlier than Thomas had been none apart from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams.
Amazingly, he went above and past these guys and proceeded to tear off 4 extra seasons prefer it, giving him seven in a row.
No one has met or exceeded Thomas’s streak since.
1993 Leaf #222 Deion Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
The 1993 MLB season was Deion Sanders’ fifth within the Majors and third with the Atlanta Braves.
It might even be the final season the place Atlanta followers might catch him at a Falcons sport since he would signal with the San Francisco 49ers for the 1994 NFL season.
Sanders noticed 272 at-bats in 95 video games for the Braves that season, slashing .276/.321/.452 with six residence runs, 28 RBIs (tying his profession excessive), 42 runs scored and 16 stolen bases.
For some cause, Sanders appeared caught on 28 RBIs as he would end with that very same quantity in 4 separate seasons.
Nevertheless, he did set a private finest with 18 doubles on the yr.
The Atlanta Braves had been a powerhouse in 1993 with an MLB-best 104-58 report.
Amazingly, they solely had one sport up on the San Francisco Giants for the NL West pennant.
Regardless of having a loaded roster on either side of the ball, the Braves fell to the Philadelphia Phillies within the NLCS in six video games.
Sanders noticed three at-bats within the postseason, going 0-3 with a strikeout.
1993 Leaf #224 Ryne Sandberg
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
Ryne Sandberg entered the 1993 MLB marketing campaign because the highest-paid participant within the league at $6.4 million.
Nevertheless, regardless of ending the 1993 MLB season as an All-Star for the tenth time in a row, he began the season on a bitter observe.
Throughout the Cubs’ first Spring Coaching sport towards the San Francisco Giants, Sandberg took an errant fastball from Mike Williams off his left hand.
Medical doctors put his restoration at 4-6 weeks for the break to heal.
The Corridor of Fame second baseman missed the staff’s first 21 video games however finally joined them on April thirtieth for a highway sport at Cincinnati.
When he lastly acquired wholesome, he was the identical Ryno as ever.
Though his energy wasn’t what it often was, he nonetheless hit 9 residence runs and drove in 45 runs within the 115 video games he performed.
Exterior of his MVP 1994 season, his .309 batting common was the best of his profession.
Sadly for Sandberg and the Cubs, the staff outcomes had been as mediocre as ordinary.
For the fourth yr in a row, Chicago ended the season in fourth place within the NL East.
However at the very least they did it with a successful report (84-78-1) for the primary time in these 4 years.
1993 Leaf #269 Barry Bonds
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
After 4 good years to start out his MLB profession, Barry Bonds exploded for an unbelievable three-year run from 1990 to 1992 to wrap up his time as a Pittsburgh Pirate.
Throughout these three years, Bonds received two MVPs in 1990 and 1992, completed as runner-up in 1991 and received three Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers.
No one in baseball was hotter than Barry Bonds.
And, heading into the 1993 season, he had a giant choice to make.
And, so did many different groups.
Who would provide Bonds the form of deal he was in search of and would he go there?
Peter Magowan, the brand new proprietor of the San Francisco Giants needed to make a splash and return the Bay Space to baseball significance.
So he inked Bonds to a six-year, $43 million contract to go west.
The choice paid speedy dividends as Bonds helped the staff enhance from 72 wins in 1992 to 103 wins in 1993.
Bonds completed fourth within the league in batting common (.336), first in residence runs (46), and first in RBIs (123) to solidify his second-straight MVP award.
It was just the start of many extra nice issues, and controversy, to return to San Francisco in years forward.
1993 Leaf #326 Greg Maddux
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
For the second yr in a row, Greg Maddux turned in a 20-win season for the Atlanta Braves juggernaut in 1993.
And a second-consecutive Cy Younger solidified his standing as the sport’s prime pitcher.
Maddux put in a variety of work that season, main the Majors in begins (36) and innings pitched (267), falling only one inning shy of the profession mark he established in 1992.
By means of all that heavy utilization, Maddux was good.
His 2.36 ERA and 1.049 WHIP had been tops within the Majors, as hitters remained practically helpless towards the artful righty.
With pinpoint accuracy and unbelievable pitching instincts, Maddux was on a completely totally different degree than everybody else.
Misplaced in his pitching brilliance was his unbelievable glovework, because the Corridor of Famer picked up his fourth of his report eighteen profession Gold Gloves.
Sadly, he wasn’t as sizzling when the staff wanted it most.
In two video games towards the Phillies within the NLCS, Maddux went 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA and 1.421 WHIP.
He was fantastic in his Recreation 2 win, permitting simply two runs on 5 hits whereas hanging out 8.
Nevertheless, within the decisive Recreation 6, the Phillies tagged him for six runs (5 earned) as they closed out the Collection.
1993 Leaf #328 Ozzie Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Worth: $30
From 1981 to 1992, Ozzie Smith placed on a streak of defensive wizardry on the shortstop place that will by no means be matched or surpassed.
“The Wizard of Oz” was a wall at quick, incomes twelve consecutive All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves over that interval.
So when the 1993 season rolled round and Smith’s identify wasn’t on the All-Star roster, nor did he win the NL Gold Glove at shortstop, the baseball world undoubtedly seen.
Pittsburgh shortstop was unbelievable in 1993, successful the one Gold Glove of his profession and snapping Smith’s unbelievable streak at twelve Gold Gloves in a row.
Although he could not have received any awards in 1993, Smith remained an enormous asset for the St. Louis Cardinals, particularly as he continued to carry out higher on offense.
In 141 video games and 545 at-bats, Ozzie slashed .288/.337/.356 with six triples, 75 runs scored, 53 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.
At 87-75, Smith and the remainder of the Cardinals performed nicely in 1993 however nonetheless completed ten video games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for third place within the NL East.
1993 Leaf Baseball Playing cards In Evaluation
Clearly, Donruss centered on positioning the Leaf model as a higher-quality launch in 1993.
The premium images, foil stamping, and shiny cardstock gave these playing cards a superior appear and feel in comparison with earlier Leaf points.
In consequence, there are a lot of great-looking playing cards of the largest superstars of the day for collectors and followers to get pleasure from.
Nevertheless, the obvious problem with this set is its lack of any big-name rookie playing cards.
Sure, it did have the notorious Frank Thomas autograph inserts.
However, often when most collectors consider units from 1993, they typically drift in the direction of Topps, Higher Deck and SP due to the Derek Jeter rookies.
Different details about this set consists of:
Guidelines: 550 playing cards
Distribution: Collection 1 (#1 – 220), Collection 2 (#221 – 440), Replace (#441 – 550)
Subsets:
Inserts
- Dave Winfield 3,000 Profession Hits
- Frank Thomas
- Frank Thomas Genuine Signature
- Frank Thomas Jumbo Field Topper
- Gold Leaf All-Stars
- Gold Leaf All-Stars Replace
- Gold Leaf Rookies
- Gold Leaf Rookies Jumbo
- Gold Leaf Rookies Replace
- Gold Leaf Rookies Replace Jumbo
- Heading for the Corridor
- On the Quick Monitor
With out having any main rookie playing cards within the 550-card guidelines, this set will probably proceed to float underneath the pastime radar and stay ignored.
However, for the collector who was round in the course of the early 90s, this set may be an effective way to get a pleasant fill of nostalgia.
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