Topps' 1987 offering was probably the best set of theirs from the "junk wax" era. But that's not saying much. It's kind of like saying what your favorite current Billboard Top 100 song is. No matter what it is, it's still gonna be pretty bad.
Luckily, Topps decided to give the collector a little "junk wax" anesthesia with this 1987 Topps Kevin Mitchell card. It brings the collector back to the 1970's, a decade which featured some of the best action shots ever witnessed by the baseball card community.
This card features Mitchell in his brief Mets days. He'd start the '87 season with the Padres and be traded to the Giants midway through that season. He'd go on to win the MVP in 1989, leading the league with 47 homers and 125 RBI's. He'd also lead in slugging percentage (.635) and OPS (an astounding 1.023). I had to double check that I had the right Kevin Mitchell because I don't remember ever hearing about his monster 1989 season.
A cloud of dust makes everything better, from the Old West to baseball cards. This card is no exception, capturing the aftermath of one of Mitchell's 51 runs scored in '86, just before he breaks into celebration. Hopefully he didn't twist his ankle stepping on the catcher's mask lying at his feet.
Thank you for this card, Topps. It made junk wax seem tolerable, if just for a minute.
1987 Topps is more than tolerable, it is legendary :)
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