Something you don’t see very often, even in older sets, are baseball cards dedicated to NLCS MVP winners.
Sure, Topps would give us a glimpse of one here or there with their postseason subsets from the 1960s through the 1980s, but they hardly ever singled out the guys who took home the hardware.
We’re here to change that, though, with a run through the best baseball card of each NLCS MVP winner from 1977 (when the award started) through 1993 (the year before The Strike).
Play ball!
1977 NLCS MVP – Dusty Baker (1977 Topps #146)
These Dodgers were loaded with big stars, but Baker won the team Triple Crown with a .357, 2 HR, 8 RBI line against the Phillies in the NLCS.
And, after inventing the high five with teammate Glenn Burke on the last day of the regular season, who better to lead LA into the World Series?
Baker looks pretty happy about it all on his 1977 Topps card.
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1978 NLCS MVP – Steve Garvey (1978 Topps #350)
Baker put up another solid NLCS performance in 1978, but Garvey stole the show with four home runs, seven RBI, and a .389 batting average.
Garvey looks all red, white, and blue … and cheesy … on his 1978 Topps card.
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1979 NLCS MVP – Willie Stargell (1979 Topps #55)
Stargell hit .455 with two dingers and six RBI as the Pirates swept the Reds in the NLCS.
Within a month or so, Pops had a sweep of his own — NLCS MVP, World Series MVP, NL MVP (shared with Keith Hernandez).
He was already stepping toward glory on this 1979 Topps card.
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1980 NLCS MVP – Manny Trillo (1980 Topps #90)
This series went the full five games, with each of the last four going to extra innings.
In Game 4, the Phils were down 2-1 and facing elimination when Greg Luzinski and Trillo doubled back-to-back in the top of the tenth.
Pete Rose and The Bull scored, and the Phillies won, 5-3.
For the series, Trillo matched Luzinski’s four RBI, and his .381 was enough to cop the hardward.
On his 1980 Topps card, Trillo is just getting warmed up.
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1981 NLCS MVP – Burt Hooton (1981 Topps #565)
Hooton won Games 1 and 4 as the Expos pushed the Dodgers to the full five games.
Amazingly, Hooton turned in a perfect 0.00 ERA, though he did give up a single unearned run over 14 2/3 innings.
“Happy” is set to deal on his sun-dappled 1981 Topps card.
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1982 NLCS MVP – Darrell Porter (1982 Topps In Action #448)
As the Cardinals rolled over the Braves in three games, Porter turned in a Sabermetric showcase …
On the series, the backstop turned in a ridiculous .556/.714/.889 slash line and scored three times.
Porter also helped the St. Louis pitching staff turn in a 1.33 ERA, and his 1982 Topps In Action card has him all geared up and exercising his own throwing arm.
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1983 NLCS MVP – Gary Matthews (1983 Topps #780)
Matthews managed just ten home runs during the 1983 regular season, but he feasted on Dodgers pitching for three long balls.
Not to mention a .429 average and four runs scored.
Sarge is locked in and ready to groove another one on his 1983 Topps card.
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1984 NLCS MVP – Steve Garvey (1984 Fleer #300)
Garvey hit an even .400 and drove in seven as the Padres took out the media darling Cubs in five games.
That was enough to beat out strong performances by