Team MVPs, 1983 Fleer

 

I started this series back in 2011. For the first two years I posted three chapters of the series each year. Since then, I've done a chapter a year.

I haven't completed the most sets in the world, but at this rate, I'm going to have to live to be a 100 to finish this thing.

Maybe I can pick up the pace in 2022? A new episode three days into the new year is a good start.

As a refresher, I'm going through all of my complete sets and finding the "team MVP," or what I think is the best card for each team in the set. I've been working backwards through the calendar, but breaking away from the pattern to go back to sets that I've completed since the series began.

We're at 1983 Fleer now, a set I finished off last year.

 

I did not buy much Fleer in '83, quite a bit less than in 1981 and 1982. I liked the 1983 Topps set a lot, and the gray borders of Fleer didn't do it for me. Also, two years of trying to complete three sets had finally wore on me and Topps won out.

 

I still hadn't really gone through the '83 Fleer set closely until looking through them for this post. It's really a bizarre set. The photos alternate between strange candids, dark-and-awkward-looking action shots, and super-tight head shots in which a few players look dopey or dazed. Some players couldn't possibly have been pleased with their cards in Fleer.

 

But easily the overall photo theme of this set is "baseball is a game for relaxing." If 1983 Fleer doesn't feature the most photos of players hanging in the dugout, it has to be in the top 10.

 

And sometimes that dugout shot was good enough to be the best card for their team in the set.

 

Another reminder: these cards are grouped in the divisions that Major League Baseball had in 1983. Let's take a look:

 

American League East

 

Orioles: Cal Ripken Jr., Red Sox: Gary Allenson; Indians: Miguel Dilone; Tigers: Lynn Jones; Brewers: Robin Yount; Yankees: Ron Guidry; Blue Jays: Buck Martinez

Team with the best cards: Yankees or Brewers. There is a lot of sameness between the teams in this set.

Team with the worst cards: Red Sox? You could put any of the East teams here.

Team I should go back and check again: Brewers. That Yount card is excellent, nothing is topping it. But there were a couple of other candidates.

American League West

Angels: Rod Carew; White Sox: Vance Law; Royals: Dennis Leonard; Twins: Bobby Castillo; A's: Mike Heath; Mariners: Bruce Bochte; Rangers: John Grubb

Team with the best cards: A's.

Team with the worst cards: Royals.

Team I should go back and check again: Twins. I can't tell if that Bobby Castillo shot is charming or NSFW.

National League East

Cubs: Bump Wills; Expos: Tim Wallach; Mets: Ron Gardenhire; Phillies: Ron Reed; Pirates: Rick Rhoden; Cardinals: Jim Kaat.

Team with the best cards: Cubs or Pirates. The NL East has the best cards of any division.

Team with the worst cards: Phillies. Good thing for that Ron Reed award card, some of the others are rough.

Team I should go back and check again: Expos. I think the only reason I picked the Wallach is because I miss spring.

National League West

Braves: Rick Mahler, Reds: Mario Soto, Astros: Dickie Thon, Dodgers: Steve Garvey, Padres: Chris Welsh, Giants: Duane Kuiper

Team with the best cards: The Braves are pretty solid.

Team with the worst cards: Astros. Even with those uniforms.

Team I should go back and check again: Padres.

So there you are. Except one more card:

Why again was Fleer airbrushing Marlboro signs behind Randy Johnson in 1989? Bud Black is a one-man cardboard advertisement for beer and cigarettes.

OK, that's it. Next time I do this -- hopefully before 2023 hits -- I'll cover 1982 Fleer. That should be interesting.