Last week, Tony Stevens wrote up a great recap on why Jacque Plante’s 1970-71 card is his favorite APBA card.
Now it’s my turn.
It may be cheating but my favorite card is a Monster Card. I featured Mark McGwire’s 1998 card back in 2013. And for good reasons! It is one of the most powerful APBA cards in modern baseball history.
| Split | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Totals | 155 | 681 | 509 | 130 | 152 | 21 | 0 | 70 | 147 | 1 | 162 | 155 | .299 | .470 | .753 |
But I have my personal reasons for liking Big Mac’s 1998 card.
Fortunately for me, McGwire was on my Twin City Thunderchickens in the Illowa APBA League and he was a lot of fun.
Clutch
Yes, Mark McGwire’s 1998 card was powerful but never in modern history have I been able to elicit a home run on a 44 dice roll so easily. McGwire has a 5 there so with a runner on first, a runner on second OR runners on first and third will go yard.
I distinctly remember rolling that 44 more than a few times in league play and it gave me an extra level of pleasure.
Breaking the Record
The 1998 Mark McGwire APBA card holds a special place in my Illowa APBA League heart because he broke the single season record for homeruns for our league. Not only that, he did it in the last game of the season… in his last at-bat.
Big Mac had a flair for drama. So much so that he broke his own record the very next year in the last game.
Winning it all
Finally and probably the most importantly, my 1999 Thunderchickens won their first Illowa APBA League World Series. I don’t think I could have made the playoffs let alone win the whole thing without Mark McGwire’s bat.
We won 102 that year which was so much better than my usual losing ways. We still ended up in second behind the Aurora Gamblers who won 104. Nonetheless, IAL managers voted for McGwire as league MVP.
I know McGwire had help. My team finally got some much-needed pitching. Moises Alou somehow hit .304 with 44 dingers. But no one can deny McGwire’s contribution to my team.
So that’s why the 1998 Mark McGwire card is a favorite of mine.
Do YOU have a favorite APBA card? Tell me what it is and why!
McGuire’s all-time stats are real close to real life.
Great card Thomas. The McGwire card for the Post-Expansion BATS (3) set is based on ’98 season and is a monster. I have a little project I’m playing off and on and he and Bonds are raking. As I approach 50 I look back on ’98 and all of the 90s as well as the 80s with great fondness. There were some tremendous players and mlb can’t just erase an era. Anyway enough of my soap box but great card????
*there should be no “?” at the end of my post lol
Yes it’s a true monster card
It didn’t recognize my emojis lol