Cheap Wax Wednesday Box Breaks: 1994 Donruss Series 2 Baseball
1994 Donruss Baseball was split into two series, each with 330-card base checklists. Each series also has a 50-card Special Edition parallel checklist. Of course, there are other inserts to chase as well. This release features three. Dominators are fairly plain. The other two though, Diamond Kings and Elite Series are amazing.
Diamond Kings inserts are so awesomely ’90s and featured the artwork of the amazing Dick Perez. Elite Series cards, though, still carry almost a mythical aura around them to this day. They were extremely tough pulls, too. In 1994 you could expect to find one Elite Series inserts in every 216 packs. On average, just one found in every six boxes. I have yet to pull an Elite insert in my lifetime. Maybe today is the day?
1994 Donruss Series 2 Baseball Box Breakdown:
Cards per pack: 13
Packs per box: 36
Price paid: $30
Shop for 1994 Donruss Series 2 Baseball boxes on eBay.
Jumbo box topper:
First things first, the jumbo Diamond Kings box topper. Mike Piazza (09884/10,000)
Pack 1 highlights:
Dante Bichette, John Valentin, Randy Johnson & Dean Palmer Special Edition (one per pack)
Palmer had four 30+ homer seasons in his 14-year big league career.
Pack 2:
Roger Clemens CL, Kirby Puckett, Jeff Bagwell & Andres Galarraga SE
Pack 3:
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, Larry Walker, Javy Lopez, Fernando Valenzuela & Sammy Sosa SE
Pack 4:
Vinny Castilla, Eric Karros SE & Lenny Dykstra Dominators (1:12 packs)
Pack 5:
Dennis Martinez, Darren Daulton, Andres Galarraga, Tim Wakefield & Barry Bonds SE
Wakefield sadly lost his battle with brain cancer recently. A very good man gone way too soon.
Pack 6:
Bret Boone & Lou Whitaker SE
Pack 7:
Mark Grace, Albert Belle SE & Orlando Merced Diamond Kings (1:9 packs)
Pack 8:
Dave Winfield, Barry Bonds & Jeff Montgomery SE
Pack 9:
Eddie Murray, Kevin Mitchell & Lenny Dykstra SE
Dykstra finished second in the NL MVP voting in 1993 after hitting .305 with 19 HR and 66 RBI. He also led the majors with 143 runs scored.
Pack 10:
Bobby Jones RR, Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield SE & Willie McGee Dominators (1:12 packs)
Pack 11:
Dave Winfield CL, Lee Smith, John Olerud & Sammy Sosa SE
Pack 12:
Ray Lankford, Wally Joyner & Benito Santiago SE
Pack 13:
Kenny Rogers, Lenny Dykstra & Ozzie Guillen SE
Guillen later managed the White Sox, going 678-617 over eight seasons.
Pack 14:
Jamie Moyer, Jim Abbott & Matt Williams SE
Pack 15:
Benito Santiago, Matt Williams, Mark McGwire & Jose Rijo SE
Pack 16:
Ivan Rodriguez, Terry Pendleton, Jose Canseco SE & Greg Vaughn Diamond Kings (1:9 packs)
Pack 17:
Cliff Floyd RR, Lou Whitaker & Lenny Dykstra SE
Cornelius Clifford Floyd somehow only made one All-Star team over the course of his career.
Pack 18:
Eric Karros & Tom Glavine SE
Pack 19:
Sammy Sosa & Chuck Finley SE
Pack 20:
Robb Nen RR, Travis Fryman, Jay Buhner, Albert Belle & Bryan Harvey SE
Pack 21:
Shawn Green, Frank Thomas & another Harvey SE
Though Harvey seems like an odd choice to include in the Special Edition checklist, he had just finished a monster 1993 season, amassing 45 saves with a 1.70 ERA.
Pack 22:
Eddie Murray, Andre Dawson, Greg Vaughn & Jeff Bagwell SE
Pack 23:
Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff & Andy Van Slyke SE
Pack 24:
Shawn Green, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Tim Salmon & Roger Clemens SE
Pack 25:
Julio Franco, Don Mattingly & Joe Carter SE
Julio Franco’s final major league at bat came at the age of 48.
Pack 26:
Dave Winfield CL, Lee Smith, John Olerud & Jim Abbott SE
Pack 27:
Wally Joyner & Benito Santiago SE
Pack 28:
Mike Mussina & Bobby Bonilla SE
Pack 29:
Lenny Dykstra, Greg Vaughn SE & Cecil Fielder Diamond Kings (1:9 packs)
Fielder played the 1989 season in Japan, bashing 38 home runs. He would return to the majors in 1990 and hit a career-high 51 long balls.
Pack 30:
Jim Abbott, Jamie Moyer & Don Mattingly SE
Pack 31:
Steve Finley, Matt Williams, Benito Santiago, Mark McGwire & Mike Mussina SE
Pack 32:
Tony Phillips, Lance Johnson, Jose Canseco, Chuck Finley & Eric Karros SE
Pack 33:
Roger Clemens & Greg Vaughn SE
Greg Vaughn was a beast. His career .807 OPS would’ve been good enough for top 50 status this season.
Pack 34:
Curt Schilling, Bobby Bonilla, Delino DeShields SE, John Kruk Dominators (1:12 packs) & Frank Thomas Diamond Kings (1:9 packs)
Pack 35:
Joe Carter, Harold Baines, Jim Thome, Carlos Delgado RR & Frank Thomas SE
Pack 36:
Tony Gwynn CL, Ozzie Guillen & Randy Johnson SE
Lastly, the Joe Carter card back. Though, I am a baseball stats nerd and prefer to see career stat lines on the backs, these get a pass because of the additional photos.
Unfortunately no Elite Series inserts. Luckily, the Diamond Kings inserts are still a star. Those will never get old.
Looking at the baseball schedule, we have a couple more weeks of baseball breaks. Following the World Series, football products will be featured through the end of the NFL playoffs.
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Want more installments of Shane Salmonson’s Cheap Wax Wednesday? Check out his other breaks in the archives.
