1995 Donruss #539 Press Proof

Card Review: 5.9  This is more or less identical to the regular '95 Donruss. Just the "Press Proof" atop the front and "1st 2000 Printed" atop the back make it different.  As the banner states, allegedly there were "only" 2,000 of these.  This is sort of the "bigfoot" or missing link between the first inserts and today's individually numbered inserts.  Only it's not really missing.  They're readily available for those who want them (but for the most part nobody does).

Once again Donruss is using photos from Wrigley Field, a common trait for Donruss Wallachs.  They must of had an office in Chicago, or contracted with a photographer out of there.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

1995 Pacific #227

Card Review: 8.1  This is a surprisingly strong card from a somewhat obscure company.  I bought a good amount of Pacific College Basketball cards in 1995 chasing cards of The Great Lawrence Moten, but I don't remember ever seeing Pacific Baseball cards.

I can't certain, and I'm not going to try to talk myself out of it, but it looks to me like Wallach is in a home run trot mode in this card.  Either his own homer, or he was on base when someone else hit one.  I went back and looked at boxscores from the Dodgers games at Wrigley in 1994 (I'm assuming this photo is from '94 and not '95) and walked away feeling even more confident that this is a picture of Wallach in a home run trot one he hit.  I just don't know what game.  The Dodgers played just three games in Wrigley during the strike shortened '94 season, and Wallach homered in two of them (he didn't score any other runs).

On June 10, 1994, Wallach hit a 2-run homer off of Steve Trachsel in the 6th inning in a 2-1 Dodgers win (do you get bonus points in WAR calculations when you actually help your team win, or just 5/5 performances in 6 run loses?)

Two days later on June 12, 1994, Wallach again hit a 2-run homer in another 2-1 Dodgers win.  This time off of Anthony Young in the 2nd inning.  That game was a 1pm Sunday start, so I'm going with that one as for when the picture on this card is from.  Wallach, ever the professional, doesn't seem too fired up about a 2nd inning homer.  Again, I'm assuming there is no bonus WAR points for actually effecting on-field results (such a ridiculous "stat").

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2016 update: 2
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: n/a
2019 update: n/a
2020 update: 3
2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 4

1995 Topps D3 #41

Card Review: 0.8  Somebody probably lost their job over this set.  I get the idea, and how it probably sounded cool when pitched as a concept, but it should have been clear from the 1st prototypes that the cards look awful.  The scan actually gives a better 3D effect than the card itself.  To make matters worse, Topps just recycled the back photo from the 1995 Bazooka card.  I'd like to know if all of these D3 cards use the photo from the Bazooka set on the back, but that would mean I'd have to get more of these D3 cards.  No thanks, I'm not that interested.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2012 update: 5
2013 update: 11
2014 update: n/a
2015 update: 12 
2016 update: 13
2017 update: 14
2018 update: 19
2019 update: 20
2020 update: 24

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 26

2023 update: 28

2024 update: 29

2025 update: 31

1992 Panini #204

"Card" Review: 6.5  I actually really like the photo on this sticker.  The back is about what'd you expect from a sticker.  I'm little annoyed that Wallach's back is a strikeout, but I'm just assuming it's random.

Number of this "card" in my collection: 5
2015 update: 6
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 7
2019 update: 16

2020 update: 17

2021 update: 18

1992 Fleer Ultra #226

Card Review: 8.8  I remember really liking these cards when they came out.  Ultra basketball cards used the same design, and I bought a ton of them.  Now, eh.  It's not a horrible design, but the back combination of "fancy" computer graphics and fake marble just really wasn't a good idea.  For this particular card, at least it's got a shot of the red b.p. jersey going in it's favor.

Number of this card in my collection: 27
2012 update: 36
2013 update: 79
2014 update: 90
2015 update: 96 
2016 update: 112
2017 update: 117
2018 update: 137
2019 update: 147
2020 update: 151

2021 update: 153

2022 update: 167

2023 update: 175

2024 update: 194

2025 update: 205

1993 O-Pee-Chee #225

Card Review: 4.5  I believe this set lends itself very well to the argument that '92 Topps and not '91, was the last "real" Topps set.  I don't agree with that argument, but I still think a valid case can be made for it.  Topps was unchanged from '57-'91.  In '92 they switched to white cardboard stock.  So I draw the line after '91.  But O-Pee-Chee was always the same design as Topps, even in '92.  It wasn't until '93 when Topps added gloss to the backs of cards, that O-Pee-Chee was issued with it's own unique (albeit ugly) design.

I've always found this card to be a little bit weird.  Besides the fact it's the first time OPC was a unique design (excluding OPC Premier), the juxtaposition of the Expos uniforms and Dodgers logos is a bit strange.  The "new" Expos uniforms also add to the strange feel of the card for me.

Fun Facts:
*Wallach is often cited as one of the last players to wear the flapless batting helmets, grandfathered in when the MLB banned them.  He's seen wearing one on the back of this card.  While Wallach was one of the last players to be allowed to wear them, I don't believe he ever actually wore them during games (look at the photo on the front).  My belief is that he wore them during batting practice, but went with the standard, one ear flap helmet, in games.

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2012 update: 3
2013 update: 4
2014 update: 5
2015 update: n/a
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 8

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: 9

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: n/a

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: n/a

2025 update: 10

1989 Upper Deck #102

Card Review: 9.7  Initially I was disappointed with this card.  My father was so impressed with these "new" cards that he went out and bought my brother and I an entire box, something he never did.  We tore through it and didn't pull a single Wallach. The photography in this set was pretty cool, with some really unique shots.  Based on what I was seeing,  I had really high hopes for the Wallach.  So my initial reaction upon pulling this card was a bit of disappointment.  However, it's grown on me over-time, and has actually become one of my favorite Wallach cards.  But as an 9 year old, it was a bit of a let down.

Like every other kid in the country, I was infatuated with Upper Deck in 1989.  That infatuation did not last, and by the mid-90's I had all but stopped collecting cards.  This had a lot to do with starting high school, but it also had a lot to do with what Upper Deck did to the traditional baseball card with it's introduction of the "premium" card.  I still hate the glossy card, like the one's Topps does today.  I'm sure they would have gone that direction eventually, but I can't help but think Upper Deck sped up the process.  I hate Upper Deck.  But there's no denying the historical significance of this set, and that as a whole is very nice looking one.

This card was also the first Wallach card I ever obtained 9 copies of.  This was important at the time, because back then I kept them all in 9 page sleeves in 3-ring binders.  So this was the first card I was ever able to completely fill a page with.

Number of this card in my collection: 39
2012 update: 43
2013 update: 74
2014 update: 136
2015 update: 162
2016 update: 176
2017 update: 180
2018 update: 190
2019 update: 212
2020 update: 270

2021 update: 278

2022 update: 291

2023 update: 304

2024 update: 318

2025 update: 320

1993 Fleer #82

Card Review: 7.0  Not a bad card for Fleer. It may be a bit tacky, way over-glossed, and be an ugly grey, but it was a rough era for cards.  Topps, Donruss, and Fleer would have been better served to just hold steady with their traditional cards rather than try to compete with the over-glossed premium craze.
Number of this card in my collection: 3

2012 update: 5
2013 update: 22
2014 update: 27
2015 update: 33 
2016 update: 41
2017 update: 43
2018 update: 57
2019 update: 82

2020 update: 85

2021 update: 89

2022 update: 98

2023 update: 101

2024 update: 104

2025 update: 112

1995 Donruss #539

Card Review: 7.1  The 90's were a rough decade for Donruss.  However, this card, and this set has grown on me some over the decades.  The photo quality is very high, and it's clear Donruss was at least trying.  Personally, I think they had it right from '82 to '91, and should have just left the template alone.  Leaf was already serving as a de facto "high end" set.  I'm not just picking on Donruss, Fleer and Topps also made the same mistake.

Fun Facts: *Tim Wallach played in the post season for just the 2nd time in his career in 1995.
*Wallach was the 6th oldest player in the National League in 1995.

Number of this card in my collection: 2
2012 update: 3
2013 update: 20
2014 update: 22
2015 update: 26 
2016 update: 39
2017 update: 41
2018 update: 46
2019 update: 48
2020 update: 51

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 52

2023 update: 53

2024 update: 56

2025 update: 65

1983 Donruss #392

Card Review: 9.4  The '83 Donruss set is nearly identical (but I believe superior) in every aspect to the 1982 Donruss design.  The knob of the bat is on the right instead of the left, and a glove replaces a ball with the team name.  The color contrast just works better for me with the brown glove versus the white ball.  The Donruss logo and year are horizontal on the left, instead of vertical on the right, and the yellow backs are better than the blue.

Fun Facts: *This was the first card to feature Tim Wallach in the field.
*This photo was taken at Wrigley Field

Number of this card in my collection: 10
2012 update: 39
2013 update: 59
2014 update: 68
2015 update: 89
2016 update: 92
2017 update: 103
2018 update: 132
2019 update: 147

2020 update: 159

2021 update: 187

2022 update: 188

2023 update: 191

2024 update: 224

2025 update: 225

2026 update: 235