12 Most Valuable 1993 Fleer Baseball Cards

1993 Fleer #307 Ken Griffey Jr.

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $125

By the time the 1993 season rolled around, Ken Griffey Jr. had already made three straight All-Star appearances and continued to make a name for himself as one of the game's brightest stars.

And in his fifth season, "The Kid" kept his foot on the gas with no intention of slowing down.

Everyone knew Griffey had some serious power with the bat, but this would be the first year he'd eclipse the .600 slugging percentage mark (.617).

It would also be the first of seven seasons in which he belted more than 40 home runs as a particularly memorable eight-game tear with a home run in July helped push him to 45 by season's end.

At just 23 years of age, Griffey earned his fourth Gold Glove, second Silver Slugger award and a fifth-place finish in the AL MVP vote.

It was another banner year for a banner player.

Though the Seattle Mariners were still two years away from a playoff run, Griffey and crew turned in a rare winning season at 82-80 to finish fourth in the AL West.

Griffey was hitting his stride as arguably the most exciting player in MLB and everyone waited anxiously to see just how far he'd go.

1993 Fleer #281 Don Mattingly

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $85

If you collected baseball cards during the late 1980s and early 1990s, you knew how big of a name Don Mattingly was in the hobby.

Donnie Baseball tore it up for the Yankees during the mid to late 80s with both bat and glove, and everyone wanted his baseball cards.

Unfortunately, the 1990s were a different story as injuries caught up to him and weakened his numbers at the plate.

Still, the Yankees named him team captain from 1991 to 1995, and the 1993 campaign was arguably his best during that stretch.

The Indiana native nearly returned to the full form he exhibited in the late 1980s, finishing 19th in the AL MVP race with a .291 batting average, 17 home runs, 86 RBIs, and yet another Gold Glove season at first base.

And at 88-74, the Yankees nearly gave Mattingly his first whiff of the playoffs during his storied career, yet it wasn't to be.

New York ultimately fell out of the division race, seven games behind the World Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Mattingly finally got a look at the playoffs during the 1995 season but as fate would have it, he'd miss out on the team's rise back to World Series glory in 1996.

1993 Fleer #551 Cal Ripken Jr.

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $60

When the 1993 season started, Cal Ripken Jr. was just a couple more seasons away from breaking Lou Gehrig's incredible streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive games.

Shockingly, a benches-clearing brawl with the Seattle Mariners on June 6th nearly derailed his pursuit of the unthinkable.

On his way to the mound to help out his fellow Hall of Fame teammate Mike Mussina, Ripken heard a nasty pop in his knee that put him on edge.

He finished the game but was in extreme pain the following day.

Fortunately, the Orioles' training staff helped Ripken through a few physical therapy sessions that reduced the issues and kept him going the rest of the season.

Ripken wound up leading the Majors in at-bats (641) for the second time of his career while batting .257 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs.

And he was an All-Star for the eleventh-straight season and earned his seventh Silver Slugger to boot.

At 85-77, the Orioles tied the Detroit Tigers for a third-place finish in the AL East at ten games behind the eventual World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Yet, fans were simply relieved that Ripken's streak remained intact.

1993 Fleer #690 Nolan Ryan

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $60

The older I get, the more impressive it becomes that Nolan Ryan was still pitching in the Majors at 46 years old during the 1993 season.

Yet, in his unparalleled 27th season in the big leagues, the Hall of Famer finally began to show more signs of wearing down as rib cage, knee and elbow injuries nagged at him.

However, many will remember that Ryan also showed signs that he could fight during an August 4 outing against the Chicago White Sox.

In one of the wildest moments of his career, White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura charged the mound after Ryan drilled him with a fastball.

And the enraged Ventura was drilled even more after Ryan put him in a headlock and proceeded to punch him repeatedly in the head.

That incident lives on in MLB lore to this day.

Sadly, just over a month after that fateful night, Ryan's career took another shocking turn when he heard the ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing elbow "pop like a rubber band" on September 22 in Seattle.

Ryan instantly knew he would never pitch again.

1993 Fleer #138 Tony Gwynn

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50

You'd have thought that a .358 batting average would've been enough to solidify a fifth batting title for Tony Gwynn.

But Andres Galarraga had other plans, as he had a masterful season of his own at the plate during the Colorado Rockies' inaugural season.

He wasn't bad on the road, hitting .328 outside of Denver.

But, at home, Galarraga batted .402 at Mile High Stadium.

Nothing against Galarraga, as he was nearly a Hall of Famer in his own right, but he was a career .288 hitter, making his .370 batting average on the 1993 season even more incredible.

Baseball fans had caught an immediate glimpse of just how hitter-friendly the thin Denver air would be for several Colorado Rockies, whether at Mile High Stadium or Coors Field years later.

Regardless, stats are stats and Galarraga denied Gwynn of his fifth batting title at that point.

Gwynn would ultimately collect eight batting titles during his Hall of Fame career, tying Honus Wagner for second place behind the legendary Ty Cobb, who finished with twelve.

1993 Fleer #210 Frank Thomas

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50

In 1993, Frank Thomas became the fifth player in MLB history to post a .300 batting average, more than 20 home runs, and more than 100 walks, RBIs, and runs scored in three straight campaigns.

Who were the other guys on that list?

They were none other than Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams.

Talk about being part of an exclusive club.

"The Big Hurt" was incredible in 1993 as he hammered 41 home runs, knocked in 128, and posted a robust 1.033 WHIP en route to a unanimous selection as the American League's MVP.

It had been over twenty years since the White Sox last had an MVP on their squad when Dick Allen won the honor in 1972.

Behind Thomas's spark, the club also won its first AL West title in ten years.

And he nearly helped the White Sox to the World Series.

During the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, Thomas delivered when the team needed him the most, batting .353 with a home run, three RBIs and ten walks.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and the Blue Jays would defeat the Sox in six to advance to the World Series.

1993 Fleer #273 Kirby Puckett

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50

The Minnesota Twins were tough in the early 90s.

They won the World Series in 1991 and then finished second in the AL West in 1992 with a 90-72 record.

Unfortunately, seemingly nothing could go right for them in 1993 as they fell to fifth in the AL West with a disappointing 71-91 record.

Still, their beloved centerfielder, Kirby Puckett, turned in another solid campaign overall and earned his eighth-straight All-Star nomination.

He even became the first player in franchise history to win All-Star Game MVP honors after he helped the American League to a 9-3 victory.

On the year, Puckett batted .296 with 184 hits, 22 home runs, 89 RBIs and 89 runs scored.

Those were solid numbers by anyone else's standards, but for Puckett, he wished he could've done more.

Remember, he was a career .318 hitter, so anything less than a .300 batting average just seemed strange for Puckett, despite the solid overall production.

1993 Fleer #294 Rickey Henderson

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $50

It's amazing to think that, through his first thirteen seasons in the Majors from 1979 to 1991, Rickey Henderson was a ten-time All-Star and then never played in the Midsummer Classic after that.

He still had plenty in the tank and remained one of the game's most dynamic players through the rest of the 1990s.

Many teams placed a high premium on his services and the 1993 season was a great example.

Henderson was in the middle of another spectacular campaign through the first 90 games of the 1993 season, batting .327 with 17 home runs, 47 RBIs, 77 runs scored and 31 stolen bases when the Blue Jays called.

Oakland wasn't winning and Toronto was looking to make another deep run into the playoffs after winning the World Series in 1992.

So, Oakland agreed to trade Henderson to the Blue Jays in exchange for Steve Karsay and José Herrera.

Though Toronto did eventually repeat as World Series champs that season and Henderson scored one of the runs on Joe Carter's series-ending homer, he wasn't as hot as he was on in Oakland.

In 44 regular season games, Rickey struggled at the plate with a .215 batting average but, when he did get on base, he was as electric as ever, stealing 22 bases and scoring 37 runs.

1993 Fleer #112 Barry Bonds

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

After winning the 1992 National League MVP award during the final year of his contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Barry Bonds began looking for a new deal.

And he was looking to get paid in a big way.

Nobody doubted he deserved a big payday since he'd won two MVPs in the last three years, with a second-place finish in MVP voting in 1991.

However, many teams balked at making an offer because of Bonds' personality and reputation as a teammate.

One owner, Peter Magowan, was willing to take the chance and inked Bonds to a six-year, $43 million contract to head west to play for the San Francisco Giants.

The decision paid immediate dividends as Bonds helped the team improve from 72 wins in 1992 to 103 wins in 1993.

Remarkably, those 103 wins weren't enough to capture the NL West title, as the Atlanta Braves won their 104th game on the final day of the regular season to advance to the playoffs.

Bonds finished fourth in the league in batting average (.336), first in home runs (46), and first in RBIs (123).

He also stole nearly 30 bases and led the Majors in slugging percentage (.677) and OPS (1.136).

Not surprisingly, he earned his second-straight MVP for his efforts.

1993 Fleer #496 Dale Murphy

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40

When the 1993 season rolled around, Dale Murphy's best days in the Majors had passed.

Throughout the 1980s, Murphy was a perennial All-Star who collected back-to-back MVP honors in 1982 and 1983.

However, the Atlanta Braves decided to trade the beloved fan-favorite to the Philadelphia Phillies late in the 1990 season.

And Murphy played well in Philly until the 1992 season when an arthritic condition in his left knee brought his career nearly to a halt.

In 18 games and 62 at-bats for the Phillies in 1992, Murphy batted just .161 and his slugging percentage plummetted to .274.

Still, he tried to make a go of it again in 1993 but the Phillies decided to release him before the regular season.

The Colorado Rockies quickly jumped on the chance to sign Murphy, a big-name player who was sure to draw in more fans for the team's inaugural season.

Murphy lasted only 26 games for the Rockies before announcing his retirement from the Majors on May 27, 1993.

He just wasn't the same player anymore and ended his career just two home runs shy of 400.

1993 Fleer #236 George Brett

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30

Many instantly think of the infamous "Pine Tar Incident" whenever they hear George Brett's name.

The way Brett exploded from the dugout and charged at the umpires to argue their decision to deem his bat illegal because of the amount of pine tar was simply an unforgettable moment.

Yet, his career contained so many more incredible moments and Brett leaves a legacy as one of the greatest third basemen to ever play the game.

At 40, Brett suited up for the Kansas City Royals for the 21st time and still played at a high level.

In 145 games and 560 at-bats, the Hall of Famer slashed .266/.312/.434 with 19 home runs, 75 RBIs and 69 runs scored.

He played well enough to help the Royals to an 84-78 record but there would be no postseason for the team as they finished third in AL West, ten games behind the Chicago White Sox.

After the season, Brett hung up his cleats for good with a career resumé that included thirteen All-Star selections, three Silver Sluggers, three batting titles, a Gold Glove, an MVP, a World Series ring and 3,154 hits.

Unsurprisingly, he received 98.2% of the vote for enshrinement in Cooperstown in 1999.

1993 Fleer #296 Mark McGwire

Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30

In 1992, the heavy-hitting Mark McGwire bounced back to his old ways by slugging 42 home runs with 104 RBIs.

And despite the Oakland Athletics losing to the eventual World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays in the 1992 ALCS, fans had high hopes heading into the next season.

However, those hopes went down the drain rather quickly.

The injury bug would begin to bite at McGwire hard over the next two years as foot injuries limited him to just 74 games across the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

McGwire played in only 27 games during the 1993 campaign, ending his streak of six-straight seasons as an All-Star.

When he did suit up, he hit well, batting a career-best .333 and smacking nine home runs in just 84 at-bats.

Without their slugger in the heart of the order, the A's still managed to produce runs, racking up 715 compared to 745 the year before.

However, their pitching imploded, as the team's runs allowed in 1992 ballooned from 672 to a whopping 846 in 1993.

As a result, the A's struggled to win games and fell to an abysmal 68-94 record to finish dead last in the AL West.

1993 Fleer Baseball Cards In Review

Many collectors think this set may appear rather bland, but I like the design.

But, it certainly flies under the radar for the most part.

Within the 770-card checklist there are plenty of big-name stars and Hall of Famers but the set lacks any key rookie cards.

That's what likely holds the set down the most.

Plus, it was released when the hobby bubble was bursting and just before the MLB strike the following season in 1994.

The set was divided evenly into 360 cards in Series 1 and Series 2.

Within the checklist there are some decent subsets near the back end of each series, including:

• League Leaders (#344 - 348; #704 - 708)
• Record Setters (#349 - 353; #709 - 713)
• Super Star Specials (#354 - 357; #714 - 717)

If you were looking for players from the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins, you had to wait until Series 2 was released.

Overall, collectors don't give this set much love but it still provides plenty of good memories and nostalgia from that era.