With Strawberry, Hernandez, and Gooden, the 1980s Mets Were About As Good As It Gets

This 2002 Topps Super Teams card featuring three New York Mets legends is one of my favorite cards in the collection. I love the image and the signatures. That it’s graded is icing on the cake. This card says so many things without saying anything at all. The three guys featured on this card dominated the New York Mets Roster of the 1980s and are each remembered for their charisma and personalities. These guys are great. Let’s have a closer look:

• Darryl Strawberry: You could argue that drug problems prevented Darryl Strawberry from realizing his full potential. The bulk of his prime was spent in New York, which were his best playing years. Regardless of how much opposing fans disliked him, he was loved by New York fans. These days, he’s a faithful Christian and Pastor.¹ He and his wife, Tracy are dedicated to promoting healthy relationships and a drug-free lifestyle. I have a lot of respect for Darryl Strawberry and prefer to remember his performance on the field and who he’s become as a person. Here’s a run of his credentials.²
  • 1983-1999; ROY ’83; 8x AS (’84-’91); 2x SS

To view the current eBay auctions for Darryl Strawberry baseball cards, click here.

• Keith Hernandez: Aside from baseball and the New York Mets, every time I hear the name, “Keith Hernandez” I’m reminded of that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine dated him while Jerry had a platonic male-bonding crush on him.³ “Who does this guy think he is?” -Elaine (thinking). “I’m Keith Hernandez” -Keith (thinking). Here’s a list of his credentials.⁴
  • 1974-1990; MVP ’79; 5x AS; 11x GG; 2x SS; .344 BA in ’79

To view the current eBay auctions for Keith Hernandez baseball cards, click here.

• Dwight Gooden: A close friend of Darryl Strawberry, together they led similar off-field lives. Both struggled with drug-related problems in the 1980s. Another conversation could be made in effort to ponder how Gooden’s career could have panned out had he stayed away from drugs. No matter, however, he’ll be remembered for his dominance on the mound during his years with the New York Mets.⁵
  • 1984-2000 (Did not play in ’95); ROY ’84; CY ’85; 4x AS; 1x SS; 1.53 ERA in ’85

To view the current eBay auctions for Dwight Gooden baseball cards, click here.

References:

1. strawberryministries.org ↩︎
2. Darryl Strawberry. www.baseball-reference.com ↩︎
3. Seinfeld: Keith Hernandez (Clip) | TBS. www.youtube.com ↩︎
4. Keith Hernandez. www.baseball-reference.com ↩︎
5. Dwight Gooden. www.baseball-reference.com ↩︎