10 Cecil Fielder Baseball Cards That Help Tell the Story of His Career – Instant PC
With so many different base cards, subsets, parallels, memorabilia cards and autographs, building out a collection for a single player can be overwhelming.
Luckily, the 10-Card Instant PC article series is here to help.
There are more than 1,300 Cecil Fielder cards, according to the Beckett database.
So where does one begin putting together a Cecil Fielder PC?
These 10 cards serve as an excellent representation of his playing career and footprint on the hobby, making them a great place to start.
1986 Donruss #512 Cecil Fielder RC
A 21-year-old Cecil Fielder made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985, posting a 135 OPS+ with four doubles and four home runs in 81 plate appearances. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the 1982 draft, and the Blue Jays acquired him in exchange for veteran outfielder Leon Roberts prior to the 1983 season.
His strong first taste of the big leagues was enough to earn him a place in the 1986 Donruss, Fleer, O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets. His Donruss Rookie Card is, arguably, the best-looking of the bunch.
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1987 O-Pee-Chee #178 Cecil Fielder
After spending the bulk of the 1985 and 1986 seasons in the minors, Fielder finally carved out a bigger role in the majors during the 1987 campaign. In 82 games, he hit .269/.345/.560 with 14 home runs and 32 RBI in 197 plate appearances while splitting time with a young Fred McGriff in the designated hitter role.
Given his Canadian roots playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, it’s only fitting to have an O-Pee-Chee card in this collection. The O-Pee-Chee brand mirrored the Topps flagship release each year, often with a trimmed back checklist that focused more heavily on the Blue Jays and Expos.
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1990 Topps Traded #31T Cecil Fielder
Despite his power production, a breakout 1988 season from Fred McGriff and the emergence of third baseman Kelly Gruber pushed veteran Lance Mulliniks into the DH role. This left Fielder without a clear role on the 1988 Blue Jays. He was ultimately sold to the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. Fielder hit .302 with 38 home runs during the 1989 season.
That sent his stock soaring and he returned stateside on a two-year, $3 million deal with the Detroit Tigers where he quickly became the face of the franchise alongside an aging core led by Alan Trammel (32) and Lou Whitaker (33). His first Topps card in a Tigers uniform is part of 1990 Topps Traded Baseball.
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1991 Upper Deck #83 Cecil Fielder
In his MLB return in 1990, Fielder became the first player since Cincinnati Reds outfielder George Foster in 1977 to reach 50 home runs in a season. He hit .277/.377/.592 with 51 home runs and 132 RBI to finish runner-up in AL MVP voting, launching homers No. 50 and 51 on the final day of the regular season.
His 51-homer performance was honored on a special card in the 1991 Upper Deck set that’s the perfect low-cost option to commemorate his epic 1990 performance.
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1994 Triple Play Nicknames #1 Cecil Fielder
As one of the most prolific sluggers of the 1990s, Fielder was featured on a wide variety of insert cards during the boom that swept the hobby in the mid-90s. Most can be scooped up for a dollar or two, and there are some great-looking ones available.
The Triple Play brand was a low-cost option catered toward kids from Donruss, and despite the cheap price point, it featured some solid insert cards. The 1994 release includes a “Nicknames” insert set that focused on team nicknames. The Fielder card set against a wild tiger background is one of the best of the bunch. They are a tough pull at 1:36 packs.
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1995 Leaf Cornerstones #2 Cecil Fielder/Travis Fryman
Despite his own individual success, the Detroit Tigers never reached the postseason during Fielder’s six full seasons with the team, and they were largely lacking in star-level talent around their middle-of-the-order slugger.
Travis Fryman was one notable exception, earning All-Star nods in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996 while racking up 27.5 WAR in eight seasons with the Tigers. The duo was featured together in the six-card 1995 Leaf Cornerstones insert set, which are found in 1:18 Series 1 hobby and retail packs.
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1996 Score Reflextions #16 Mark McGwire/Cecil Fielder
Fielder helped paved the way for the 1990s home run explosion with his 51-homer season in 1990s. Mark McGwire came away with the headlines before the decade came to a close with his 70-homer season in 1998.
The prolific power-hitting duo was featured together in the 20-card 1996 Score Reflexions insert set. Exclusive to Series 1 hobby packs, the checklist features a wide variety of duos, including established stars and young players who shared a position and high-profile teammates.
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1996 Circa #63 Cecil Fielder
The Yankees acquired Fielder from the Tigers at the 1996 trade deadline in exchange for veteran slugger Ruben Sierra and pitching prospect Matt Drews. He posted a 108 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 37 RBI in 53 games following the trade. Fielder also hit three home runs during the postseason as the Yankees went on to win a World Series title.
Only two 1996 sets managed to feature Fielder in a Yankees uniform—1996 Circa and 1996 Leaf Limited.
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1998 Topps #374 Cecil Fielder
After a 13-homer, 61-RBI season with the Yankees in 1997, Fielder joined the Anaheim Angels on a one-year, $2.8 million deal. He hit .241/.335/.423 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI in 103 games before he was released on Aug. 10, and he finished out his career with a brief stint with the Cleveland Indians.
His final Topps card pictures him in an Angels uniform. While it does not feature a full stat back since he was not included in the 1999 set, it’s a must-have bookend to close out his playing days.
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2021 Topps Archives ’91 Bazooka Shining Stars Auto #91BZACF Cecil Fielder
In 13 seasons, Fielder hit .255/.345/.482 for a 119 OPS+ with 319 home runs, 1,008 RBI and 17.2 WAR, and his 245 homers in a Tigers uniform rank sixth all-time in franchise history.
As a franchise icon, he is regularly featured in present products that include retired players. His autograph in the 2021 Topps Archives set made to mirror the 1991 Bazooka set is a nice grab for Fielder collectors.
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