All About the Base - 1994 Topps

Year: 1994

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 310

Card Type: Base

Here we are the end of the road.  Robin's final Topps flagship card.  He would get a few more tribute cards next year before the Yountless years of 1996-1998.  Robin announced his retirement on February 10th so being featured in the first series meant the checklist had already been finalized and most likely printing started for the set.  Which for us Yount collector's is a nice ending.  This year the Topps Gold parallel cards were a little more subdued with just the player name and the Topps Gold Logo being foiled.  This year Topps returned to the horizontal backs but still squished all the player stats over to the right side to allow for a back photo.

Whew that was a long ride.  I'm going to go back to doing some random card posts, but I do plan to do an All About the Base series for Robin's, Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck, and Score flagship runs.

All About the Base - 1992 Topps

Year: 1992

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Topps Flagship Baseball

Card Number: 90

Card Type: Base

This is the dawn of a new era.  This year Topps upgraded it's card stock to a brilliant white.  Topps also introduced it's first inserted parallel set, Topps Gold, although they were tough pulls.  This set pretty much started the parallel craze as we know it.  Topps really nailed the early nineties in regards to it base set designs.  1992 is another multi-bordered set, but this set had some great photography.  I think everyone remembers the Benito Santiago card from this set.  But Yount's photo is pretty awesome as well.  A nice portrait shot in the dugout with the bat cubby behind him and Robin is leaning on one of his custom made bats with his facsimile auto on the bat strategically placed.

All About the Base - 1990 Topps

Year: 1990

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 290

Card Type: Base

Just got back from a two week trip to Wisconsin.  Got to see the Brewers lose to the Cubs in Milwaukee and got to eat a lot of fried food.  But I'm back and we are close to the end of this round of All About the Base.  

1990's Topps is one of my all time favorite sets.  Sure it's smack dab in the middle of the Junk Wax Era, but man compare it to the other 1990 offerings this set stood out.  Hell this set would stand out in almost any era.  On top of that we get a great photo of Robin with a huge cheese eating grin relaxing at the ball field.  And in 1990 Robin had a lot to smile about.  He'd just won his second MVP award the previous year and while his 89 season wasn't his best it was still damn good for the elder statesman.

Now there's no room on the back of his Topps cards for anything other than career stats.  

All about the Base - 1988 Topps

Year: 1988

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 165

Card Type: Base

Continuing our march in Robin Yount's career we've hit the 1988 Topps set.  Coming off the 1987 woody set, 1988 Topps is almost a let down.  But the overall simple design is deceiving.  At first glace the set is pretty plain, but Topps does feature a nice big photo.  And look closer, the player is actually in front of the team name.  Almost making the player jump out of the card.  1988 Topps gets a bad rap mainly because it's at the center of the Junk Wax era, which I can attest to with a 5000 count monster box full of these cards.  

 Topps also brings back is classic baseball graphic for the back of the card and the backs feature a very nice sized card number well placed for easy sorting and collation, which I did a lot of with this set.  This far along in Robin's career we no longer have any room on the back for fancy trivia and write-ups, but we do have one small extra stat on the bottom of the card with game winning RBIs.

All about the Base - 1987 Topps

Year: 1987

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 773

Card Type: Base

The 1987 Topps set holds a special place in my heart as it's the first set I ever tried to put together.  And I bought a lot of packs.  Wax packs from my LCS, cello packs from the convience stores, rack packs from the grocery store.  Plus the wood grain border reminds me of my fathers den decked out in the fake wood paneling.  And of course the set brings back memories of the 1962 Topps.  And I might have a fondness for the set as a Brewers fan with the backs of the cards featuring a Brewers color scheme.  

The card backs feature a nice sized and well placed card number.  This year marks the first year that Robin's stats over take the back of the card and don't allow for any more trivia or stat write-ups, instead the only bonus we get is the game winning RBIs that was placed on Robin's card last year and will be the only extra for year's to come.

All about the Base - 1986 Topps

Year: 1986

Manufacturer: Topps 

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 780

Card Type: Base

1986 was the first year I remember actually buying baseball cards.  Up until then I was pretty much all into comics.  But even then I didn't bother to put the set together until much later.  Every so often Topps' experiments with black bordered cards.  The black borders have the effect to really magnify defects in the edges and corners.  In 1986 we get a split between a black border and a white border and you'd never guess that there are conditions issues with the set.  Centering, as always, is an issue as well, and miscentering also shows up incredibly well in these cards.   The set does feature a nice big player photos and this year we get what looks like Robin warming up catching a few balls.  While I'm neutral on the front I really do like the color scheme on the backs.  The black on red really pops and is easy to read.  Plus we get a nice sized cards number high on the left hand side for easy collation and the player name is very prominent.  

We also get a couple game winning RBI stats and there is still just enough room with Robin's career stats for one small factoid at the bottom.  No mention of brother Larry though.

All about the Base - 1985 Topps

Year:  1985

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 340

Card Type: Base

Ah the mid-80's.  In 1985 the family moved to El Paso, Texas and I would spend a good part of my formative year's there.  It's also were I discovered sports cards and comic books.  Not that I didn't know they existed, but for the first time I can remember I actually cared.  But that would be another year or so.   The 1985 set marks another period in Topps history where they started playing it safe with similar, simple designs.  Again these are terrible, but they aren't all that memorable, well maybe with the exception of the 1987 set.  

I've always thought the design looked like bumper stickers.  With the team name and logo plastered on the card like a kid putting a bumper sticker on a car, but with most of the card elements on the bottom of the card it leave a lot of room up top for the player photo and for me that works pretty well.  I'm not a huge fan of the color scheme on the back of the card, the red and green clash and red lettering can be a little hard to read.   

But man look at the photo of Robin.  Flip up sunglasses, baby blue uni with the trucker hat and those wrist bands!!  Classic 80's, cue the Devo.

All about the Base - 1984 Topps

Year: 1984

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Flagship

Card Number: 29

Card Type: Base

The 1984 set marks the second year in a row Topps has dual photos on the front of the card.  Where the 1983 base set was very curvy and the lines flowed, this year's design is very boxy.  Not a terrible design. Again we get a nice action shot with a player headshot in the lower left hand corner.  The team name is nice and big.  The back of the cards have a nice large card number and a huge team logo.  All the basics are on the back with player vitals, full career stats and Robin still has a little room from some highlights from the previous year.  

All About the Base - 1983 Topps

Year: 1983

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 350

Card Type: Base

Well here we are one of the greatest Topps sets of all time.  It had been 20 years since Topps had put two photos on the front of the card and coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, the set looks very similar to the last set that featured two player images, 1963 Topps.  This set and the 1981 Topps set are my two favorite from the 80's.  This is such a great looking design.  With the dual color borders on the top and bottom.  The two player photos.  The back of the card features the card number high on the upper left hand side for easy collation.  We also get a baseball graphic on the back and some stats from the previous year.  Would have been nice to have some World Series stats back there as well.  This year would be another first for Robin on cardboard, being featured on more than one card in the base set.  As a matter of fact he's featured on 3 cards and I'll feature all of them in their own posts.

All About the Base - 1982 Topps

Year: 1982

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Flagship

Card Number: 435

Card Type: Base

1982 was the big year for Robin.  Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Awards, AL MVP, second All-Star Game appearance, and almost winning the World Series.  Of course all of that would happen well after this card was released, but 1982 was a big year.  I've always called this set "the hockey sticks."  It probably would have worked well as a hockey card design.  I like the design.  I screams 80's.  The colors, the pinstriping of the card.  This is not full blown MTV 80's, that's a few years away, but this card very much represents the shrugging off of the last vestiges of the 1970s.  Ahem.

Robin is still young enough in his career that he's able to afford the room on the back of his card for some Topps trivia and a cartoon.  Soon enough there won't be any room on the back of his cards for anything, but stats.  The card number is a little low and it goes back and forth in 1982 Topps.  Most veterans don't have the room for the upper trivia box and the card number is placed higher.

All About the Base - 1981 Topps

Year: 1981

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Flagship

Card Number: 515

Card Type: Base

Here we are at one of my favorite sets from the 1980's.  It has to be the hat on graphic on the front of the card.  As a matter of fact I like the set so much this is one of the first sets outside of the modern and junk wax era I decided to build. I'm still a few cards shy, but very close to completion.  Topps also brings back the front and back baseball graphics.  Maybe it's just me, but I like using the baseball graphic to frame the card number.   And the it's definitely the hat graphic that's color coordinated to the team, mostly, and houses the team and position.  Player name on the front could be a tad larger. 

The back of the card is almost perfect as well.  The stats steal the show on the back this year taking up most of the real estate, but card number is large and well placed and we even get a pair of cartoon enhanced player facts. 

All About the Base - 1980 Topps

Year: 1980

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Flagship

Card Number: 265

Card Type: Base

Welcome to the 80's!  The Topps design team didn't shake much up for the start of the new decade.  The 1980's design pretty much was just a continuation of the styles from the late 70's.  Like most of the designs not terrible just not memorable.  But I will say I can spot a 1980 Topps' card from a mile away.  Back is the facsimile auto on the front and I like the banners with a shadow for the team and position.  

The card backs are also typical and well done.  The card number is a little small, but very readable and high on the back of the card.  As a set collector and one that stores most of his sets in card boxes the placement of the card number is key for easy collation.  Full career stats and the comics are back.  And once again Robin's brother is mentioned.  At the end of this series I'm going to go back and see how may times Larry Yount is mentioned on the backs of Robin's cards.

All about the Base - 1979 Topps

Year: 1979

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Flagship

Card Number: 95

Card Type: Base

Here we are at the end of the decade.  This card always kind of freaked me out.  Maybe it's the look of surprise that seems to be on Robin's face.  I do however love the first appearance of the new Brewers logo on that hat, the logo itself appear the year before.  Still my favorite Brewers logo. The design is pretty par for the course for the late 70's.  Another year of a pretty basic design, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work, it's just not all that memorable.  This year Topps pulled out all the stops not only using a baseball graphic on the front of the card to frame it's logo, but also brought it back to the back of the card to once again frame the card number.  I still find it interesting that this is Robin's 5th Topps flagship card and his brother Larry is mentioned on three of them.  

All about the Base - 1978 Topps

Year: 1978

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Flagship

Card Number: 173

Card Type: Base

Welcome to 1978.  Robin was entering his 5th year in the majors and already had close to 600 hits.  This year's design might be even more subdued than the 1977 design, but like most of the 70's sets it's not unappealing.  The previous 2 years Topps had used the baseball graphic to frame the card number, this year Topps moved the baseball to the front of the card for the player position. 

While the card number is a little small it's high on the back of the card for easy box collation.  Gone is the card back cartoon and this year there's a game to be played.  Small error on the back in the write up.  Robin only played for the Newark Pilots in 1973, not 1971.  The card wasn't corrected and is listed as an UER.  

Over all the nice staged photo, but a departure from the great action shot on his 1977 card.  And man that looks like a huge pile of dirt behind him.

All about the base - 1977 Topps

Year: 1977

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 635

Card Type: Base

The late 70's Topps' sets all blend together for me.  When I'm looking through cards I continually have to look on the back to see what year it is sometimes.  The designs aren't terrible, but they don't show a lot of effort.  I guess that's what happens when you don't have much competition.  For Robin's third Topps card we get a nice action shot of what looks like Robin about to lay down a bunt.  

The overall card design, while pretty, basic has all the right elements.  The player name on the back of the card is huge. My one drawback is the card number is smaller this year and position pretty far down the card making box collation a little tougher.  I do like the that the back of the card is made to look like a billboard or scoreboard.  It's the little touches like that that makes me love the vintage Topps sets.  I also find it interesting that Topps mentions Robin's brother Larry, who has no baseball cards by the way and also has the distinct pleasure of being the only pitcher in MLB history to appear in the official record books but never faced a batter.

All About the Base - 1976 Topps

Year: 1976

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 316

Card Type: Base

I've often thought about trying to put together a set from the 70's.  Sure everyone's doing a 75 set, but for me it would be a toss up between 1974 and the 1976 sets.  

The 1976 set is so subdued compared to its predecessor.  I love the look of the set.  It's not flashy, but it's very functional and personally very appealing to the eye.  Robin's 76 card features a 20 year old Robin Yount entering his third year in the majors.  I love the classic Brewers uniform and the perfect staged batting stance.  The basic design of the card works so well.  The two bars on the front featuring the player name, position, and team, a cool graphic, and  a great border.  

I'm also a big connoisseur of the backs of cards and this is one of the best from the 70's.  The integration of the card number and bat/ball graphic is great and the card number is the perfect size for ease of collation.  Plus Robin's complete major league batting record.

All about the Base - 1975 Topps

Year: 1975

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Flagship

Card Number: 223

Card Type: Base

Over the course of the next few weeks I want to feature each of Robin's Topps Flagship cards in chronological order, from 1975 to 1994.  It's something I've wanted to do for awhile now and I know I've probably feature a few of the cards before, but what can you do?  I'm also toying with doing this for his Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck, and Score cards, but I'll probably break up the series'.

First up is Robin's rookie card out of the classic 1975 Topps set.  Robin broke into the league in 1974.  As a matter of fact Robin was on the roster and played during the Brewers opener on April 5th, 1974, they lost to the Red Sox.  So why wasn't Robin in the '74 set?  Well 1974 was the first year Topps switched from issuing their product in series' and put the whole set out all at once.  So where Robin might have been in one of the later series', there was none. And the traded set was exclusively for traded players.  Robin had to wait till 1975 to grace cardboard.

The 75 set is pretty iconic and a hobby favorite.  I didn't realize the card I chose to scan was so mis-cut, but I wasn't going to dig out another card.  I currently have 5 1975 Topps Yount rookies in my collection all in varying conditions.  But it's so true what they say,  "You never forget your first."  I would love to say that the card scanned was my first Yount rookie, but to be honest I can't remember which one it was anymore.  But I vividly remember when I picked my first rookie up.  

I was living over seas in Germany.  My father was in the army and stationed in Berlin.  We got there just after the Wall fell in December of 1989.  Berlin was a divided city not just East and West, but in the Western sector between the British, French, and Americans.  The US didn't have a centralized base in the city, rather it was spread out in what they called Kasernes.  I can remember going over to the Air Force Kaserne, called McNair, and they hosted a periodic sports card show.  It's there I met a guy who had a ton of vintage cards there with him and he was going around asking what people collected.  I had set up a table selling as many singles as I could from my dupes.  The guy had asked me who and what I collected and I told him I was a Brewers collector and really liked Robin Yount.  He came back a few minutes later with a 75 Yount rookie.  We talked for awhile and I took the card home for about $50.  I thought I'd gotten a good deal then.  Robin's rookie cards were still commanding around $200 and while the one I got wasn't in mint condition it was a card I'd never thought I'd own.  I can say that's the most I ever spent on one of my rookie cards, but it's still a great memory.