One-card wonders, update 12

 

The vast majority of these one-card wonders that I've found have been players and cards forgotten by time.

The majority of collectors don't know them, never heard of them. Only those who were collecting at the time, with the dedication that is required of a set or team collector, would know the image and even remember the player.

 

But is this true of any player whose one-and-only major-issue card was in 1987 Topps?

It's 35 years later and 1987 Topps is as well-known and discussed (I would say "beaten into submission") as it was in '87. It's kind of like "Keep Your Hands To Yourself," by the Georgia Satellites.

"Keep Your Hands" was a one-hit wonder in early 1987. The Georgia Satellites never reached the Top 40 again. But the song is still so prevalent today and played many a time that it's living in today's consciousness 35 years later. You all know the beginning: "I got a little change in my pocket, going jing-a-ling-a-ling ..." Could he be talking about going to buy some '87 Topps?

I am very familiar with all of the one-hit wonders in 1987 because I was watching a lot of MTV back then.

And there were many collectors familiar with the cards in 1987, possibly no other set was more familiar with so many collectors than '87 Topps, based on my experience with those online who began their collecting journeys in 1987. There sure are a lot of you.

So it would be difficult for a player whose only card was in the '87 Topps set to hide in plain sight. His card was probably pulled millions of times.

But are there any one-card wonders in 1987 Topps??? You have to remember that there were two other sets issued in 1987, and the rules of this game is that the player had to appear on only one solo major issue card. If he showed up in '87 Topps, he couldn't also be in '87 Donruss or '87 Fleer.

 

 

That eliminates a lot of forgotten players. For example, Cliff Speck. The Braves pitcher showed up just once in Topps, in 1987. But he also showed up just once in Donruss, in 1987.

Steve Fireovid, a pitcher for the Mariners, showed up on his own card just once in 1987 Topps. But he appeared again, five years later, as an Oriole in 1992 Bowman. The Future Star Tim Pyznarski was relegated to just '87 Topps, but also showed up in '87 Donruss.

So is there anyone who appeared -- over and over, pulled by budding collectors everywhere -- in only 1987 Topps and nowhere else?

Yes. Just one.

Angels pitcher T.R. Bryden.

His only other cards are minor league issues.

Bryden played college ball for Gonzaga (bracket busted!). He's part of Zags alumni MLB group that includes Lenn Sakata, Casey Parsons (a one-card wonder from 1982 Fleer!), Jason Bay, Tom Gorman, Mike Redmon, Rick Sweet and a few others.

He appeared in 16 games for the Angels in 1986 and that was his whole MLB career.

But I bet he got a lot of mileage out of this card. You can probably pull a T.R. Bryden card today.

And you can listen to the one-hit wonders of 1987 today as well. Here are a few. I know them all very well:

Right On Track - The Breakfast Club

 

Don't Disturb This Groove - The System

The Honeythief - Hipsway

 

Fascinated - Company B

 

Serious - Donna Allen

 

Living In A Box - Living In A Box

Mary's Prayer - Danny Wilson

Motortown - The Kane Gang

Heart and Soul - T'Pau

"Heart and Soul" is played today just as often as "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" (T'Pau had many other hits in England).

There was also a large number of remakes that became one-hit wonders, including Pseudo Echo's Funkytown and "Respect Yourself" by Bruce Willis (ugh).

I wanted to find the one-card wonders in '87 Donruss and '87 Fleer, too, but I ran out of time. Perhaps I'll add those to this post later.

But for now, here is the updated list of one-card wonders with 1987 Topps included:

1965 Topps

#169 - Dave Vineyard, Orioles
#494 - Jay Ritchie, Red Sox
#529 - Jerry Fosnow, Twins
#543 - Ed Connolly, Red Sox 

1967 Topps

#344 - Ossie Chavarria, A's
#388 - Arnold Earley, Cubs
#489 - Doug Clemens, Phillies
#497 - Ron Campbell, Cubs

1969 Topps:

#317 -- Bruce Look, Twins
#361 -- Gary Holman, Senators
#378 -- Jose Herrera, Expos
#437 -- Luis Alcaraz, Royals
#632 -- Jon Warden, Royals

1974 Topps:

#8 - George Theodore, Mets
#33 - Don Newhauser, Red Sox
#37 - Dave Sells, Angels
#77 - Rich Troedson, Padres
#421 - Dan Fife, Twins
#457 - Chuck Goggin, Braves
#573 - Mike Adams, Twins 

1975 Topps

#288 - Bruce Ellingsen, Indians
#407 - Herb Washington, A's
#508 - Bob Hansen, Brewers
#524 - John Doherty, Angels
#587 - Chris Ward, Cubs
#651 - John Morlan, Pirates 

1977 Topps

#118 - Rick Jones, Mariners
#132 - Chip Lang, Expos
#137 - Jeff Terpko, Rangers
#616 - Tommy Sandt, A's
#641 - Dan Larson, Astros 

1978 Topps:

#224 - Jerry Tabb, A's
#303 - Sam Hinds, Brewers
#311 - Jose Baez, Mariners
#386 - Bob Gorinski, Twins
#502 - Pat Rockett, Braves
#516 - Gary Beare, Brewers
#521 - Steve Staggs, Blue Jays
#591 - George Zeber, Yankees
#667 - Jeff Byrd, Blue Jays
#719 - Randy Elliott, Giants 

1979 Topps:

#172 - Mike Bruhert, Mets
#222 - Bob Beall, Braves
#292 - Don Reynolds, Padres
#336 - Bobby Thompson, Rangers
#363 - Craig Skok, Braves
#371 - Jeff Holly, Twins
#427 - Andy Replogle, Brewers
#658 - Taylor Duncan, A's
#676 - Johnny Sutton, Twins

1980 Topps:

#59 - Eddy Putman, Tigers
#72 - Fred Howard, White Sox
#156 - Tony Brizzolara, Braves
#221 - Joe Cannon, Blue Jays
#233 - LaRue Washington, Rangers
#291 - Randy Scarberry, White Sox
#347 - Harry Chappas, White Sox

1981 Topps:

 #491 - Gordy Pladson, Astros

1982 Topps:

#356 - Denny Lewallyn, Indians

1984 Topps:

#116 - George Bjorkman, Astros
#159 - Darryl Cias, A's
#163 - Lorenzo Gray, White Sox
#337 - Kevin Hagen, Cardinals
#382 - Chris Nyman, White Sox
#474 - Greg Bargar, Expos

1986 Topps:

#451 - Mark Brown, Twins
#502 - Glen Cook, Rangers
#567 - Jeff Barkley, Indians

 

1987 Topps:

 

#387 - T.R. Bryden, Angels

1994 Topps:

#491 - John Hope, Pirates

1986 Donruss:

#32 - Johnny Abrego, Cubs
#42 - Rick Surhoff, Rangers
#461 - Dave Leeper, Royals
#510 - Steve Engel, Cubs
#595 - Carlos Ponce, Brewers

 

1981 Fleer

 

#49 - Jeff Twitty, Royals

#130 - Gary Weiss, Dodgers

#220 - Sheldon Burnside, Reds

As I mentioned in the last edition of this post, I want to venture into the 1990s more -- my guess is I won't find much as the '90s was all about overplaying everything. But it's worth a shot. Also, next time I want to compile the team-by-team breakdown of the one-card wonders as I have them so far.

I also want to pick up the pace on these posts, at the risk of boring readers. We'll see.