Greatest 100 cards of the '80s: progress report 3 ... and a date

 

Big news! I have a date set for the Greatest 100 Cards of the '80s countdown!

I didn't want to post a date until I had whittled my list of card candidates down to the final 100. But I just did that today and ... wow, was that tough to do.

As is often the case when I do long-form countdowns like this -- the Greatest Cards of the '70s, the Best Dodger Cards Ever Made -- I feel a bit sorry for the cards that just missed the cut. There is nothing wrong with those cards. And on another day, maybe they would make the countdown.

But this is the kind of ruthless examination that you've come to expect on this blog and, so, I will deliver.

 

Here are five cards that did not make the final 100 but if the ranking went to 105 places, they would be there. Also, I'm going to give you a chance to vote one in!

 

1980 Topps Frank White

I have long loved this card and have mentioned it a few times on the blog. It's one of the best All-Star cards made since I started collecting cards and it really stands out as it's White's only All-Star card.

 

1981 Topps Traded Tim Raines

I mentioned in my last Greatest 100 Cards of the '80s progress report that I am not going to stress rookie cards in this countdown, as so many other '80s countdowns do.

That's not to say that there won't be rookie cards in this list. It's just that those rookie cards do something else for me than merely "rookie".

I didn't get to know the Raines Traded rookie very well. I didn't see it for years and it's nothing special as a card. It's OK, that's about it.

 

I know some are asking "will the Fernando Valenzuela Traded card make the list"? Well, now, Fernando is another story.

 

1985 Topps Kirby Puckett

Again, I don't care how much an '80s rookie card went for back in the day.

The '85 Topps Puckett rookie is pretty pleasing. I like all the blue on the card. Everything matches so well. But the photo is merely standard and that's why it didn't make the cut.

1989 Topps Ron Guidry

I love this card. It is a tremendous career-capper for a player that was in action for almost the entirety of the first 15 years of my fanhood.

It's a great shot and you should know how much I like cards that show the ball in flight.

But, when cutting down zillions of '80s cards to a final 100 (forget about me doing this for the '90s), you look for reasons to cut. My reason is the catcher looks like an equipment guy, or at best, a backup catcher warming up Guidry ahead of an inning. Whatever the case, it doesn't look quite right. And, yeah, that's an excuse but cuts need to be made.

1980 Topps Andre Dawson OR 1987 Fleer Andre Dawson

 

Here is where your vote makes a difference.

 

One of these Dawsons will make the final 100 and one will not, according to what you say in the comments.

 

Going through the best candidates for the countdown, I discovered certain players popped up over and over as having great cards. Dawson is one of them. He will be showing up multiple times in the countdown so don't feel bad that one of the above will be left out.

 

Just let me know.

 

OK, so now that you know how tough the competition is, I'll bet you want to know even more when this whole thing will start.

 

It will start on Jan. 4, 2021.

 

Yeah, I know I guaranteed at the beginning of this past year that the countdown would take place before the year ended.

 

But then 2020 happened. I'm sure you understand.