1994 Topps Joe Carter World Series Highlights

This is another World Series Highlight card that Topps missed between 1982 and 1997. Most people know the story, but if not, I'll refresh everyone's memory. The Toronto Blue Jays were up 3 games to 2 on the Philadelpha Phillies in the 1993 World Series. They were down, however, by the score of 6-5 with runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out when Joe Carter stepped to the plate. He belted a Mitch Williams pitch into the seats for a World Series-winning Home Run. The Jays won the championship, and that has been their last appearance in the playoffs.

I decided to use the Blue Jays design from the 1994 Topps set for the front, and use a horizontal back without a picture cutout. As I have said before, I think 1994 Topps is one of the hardest designs to work with as a custom card maker. I will be using it again soon, as the next card is a 1994 Topps highlight card of the Nolan Ryan/Robin Ventura fight.

1987 Topps Mookie Wilson World Series Highlights

I have always wished that Topps would've made more World Series Highlight cards. They made some in the '60's and '70's, but if I'm not mistaken, the last year they made them in the '80's was 1981, and they didn't bring them back until 1998. They missed out on cards like a 1989 Kirk Gibson, a 1994 Joe Carter, a 1996 David Justice, and this one, a 1987 Mookie Wilson. This game is one of the most remembered games of all-time, and for Topps not to showcase it on a card is a shame. Here is my attempt at a 1987 Topps Mookie Wilson World Series Highlights card.

1989 Topps Kirk Gibson World Series Highlights

In 1989, Fleer, Score, and Upper Deck made cards highlighting Kirk Gibson's Home Run in the 1988 World Series. Donruss wasn't really into making highlight cards, but he was a Diamond King. Topps missed the boat altogether, just giving him a base card, and an All-Star card (which ironically has him listed as a Pinch-Hitter). You have to go all the way to 1997 before Topps made any form of highlight cards, and then a year later before they made World Series highlight cards. I used a little bit of the design from a 1989 Topps Gary Carter All-Star card, and a 1989 Topps Orel Hershiser Record Breaker card to make this one. So now, about 25 years overdue, we have a 1989 Topps Kirk Gibson World Series Highlight card.

1992 Topps Gene Larkin World Series Highlights

This card was recently featured in my Completing the 1992 Topps Set blog. For some reason, Topps and all the other card makers in 1992 didn't feature any highlight cards from the 1991 Playoffs and World Series. Topps did make some in their 1992 Topps Stadium Club Dome set, but it wasn't widely distributed.
Gene Larkin did what most kids dream about, and had a game-winning hit in Game 7 of the World Series. Not only that, but his hit was in the bottom of the 10th. It's weird when you compare it to other walkoff World Series hits. Most people remember that Luis Gonzalez had the Series-winning hit in 2001, but not that Jay Bell scored the winning run. Most people remember that Craig Counsell scored the Series-winning run in 1997, but also remember that Edgar Renteria had the winning hit. On Larkin's hit, however, I think most people remember that Dan Gladden scored the winning run and picture him and Jack Morris at the plate, but few people outside of Minnesota seem to remember that Larkin had the hit. Here is what his 1992 Topps World Series Highlight card may have looked like.