And one more time

Okay, one last post about Donruss card numbering. 

I don't know if anybody else is interested in this kind of thing, but I'm a numbers guy so of course clearly I find it interesting.

At any rate, after repeating card number patterns in 1982-1983, and 1984-1986, Donruss did it one more time.

In 1989-1990.

There's the right side of the infield for a year or two.

I think this was around the nadir of quality for Donruss, when you take into account card stock, design, and mass production.

You could probably go back to around 1987 and forward to 1991 when you talk about forgettable Donruss offerings.

Never a big fan of either of these guys.  Nothing against them either.  Just, eh.

Another player moving down a number in the succeeding year.  Joyner 52-94 and McCaskill 136-170.

Downing there was Mr. Angel before Tim Salmon came along, so he has a special place in the PCs for me.

There's the left side of the infield for a few years.

Run on pitchers.

There's Trevor's big brother.  Sherman is no relation to Doug Corbett, who has an infamous place in the 1986 ALCS.

Maybe Donruss back-loaded their sets with the pitchers?

Kent's brother is one of the few Phillies I have in my new favorite set.

Why did the Angels love sluggers who were no longer sluggers?

Okay, I'll quit with the Donruss numbering now.

If it ain't broke....

I think Donruss probably realized that 1984 was a good year/set for them.

After all, they spent the next two years using basically the same numbering scheme.

I've said this before, but I've never been the huge fan of 1984 that the rest of the hobby seems to be.

I think Fred Lynn there might just illustrate why.

Ron Jackson isn't so bad there.

Boone is a bit dark.

I bought literally no 1985 or 1986 Donruss back in the day.

I did get some 1984, and seemed different somehow.

DeCinces is like Lynn there.  Dark and contrasty.

In 1985 I ended up with a box of Fleer, and a couple of packs of Topps.

1986 was all about Topps.  Boxes and boxes of the stuff.

Two lefties and a righty there.

Two infielders and a pitcher.

Three U.S. imports.

Who are we kidding?  Reggie was a DH.

That might be the simplest Angel logo ever.

Avg age at retirement: 40

They front loaded with stars I guess.

In 1985 and 1986. Donruss put the Angels on both 545 and 573 as well.

Donruss Card Numbering too

So, what I was getting at in my last post really, was to ponder how Donruss' card numbering affected my Angels.

I think there's been alot written about Topps ripping off its own 1983 design in 1984.  And Topps used the same numbering patterns in the two sets as well.  Donruss did the same things one year earlier.

pitchers

Interestingly, I think in both cases I'm in the minority in that I like the second year's design as much as or more than the first.

more pitchers

Donruss took the numbering reuse to more extreme than Topps even.

big names brought in by Autry

I like the script on 1983 more than the block on 1982.

OF/DH types

Maybe its just sentimentality though.

I never saw 1982 Donruss until a couple of years later.

more pitchers

And I collected 1983 Donruss in 1983.

catchers

Taking a look through the pairs of cards..

corner infielders

there are some coincidences.

pair of Freds

more pitchers

more pitchers

 

shortstops

outfielders

more pitchers

these guys even have the same name

Both had big years for Salt Lake City in 1979

Is that the same photo??

and more pitchers.