1987 Donruss Diamond Kings

The 1987 Donruss Diamond Kings set is one of the most recognizable artistic subsets from the junk-wax era and continued the tradition started by Donruss in 1982. The cards once again featured painted artwork by sports artist Dick Perez, whose portraits had become synonymous with the Diamond Kings name.

Concept of the Set

The idea behind Diamond Kings remained simple: each team’s standout star was given the “Diamond King” title and honored with a painted card rather than a photograph. In 1987, these cards were included at the front of the Donruss base set, making them easy to collect as their own mini-set within the larger release.

The 1987 Diamond Kings subset contains 27 cards, highlighting many of the biggest stars in baseball during the mid-1980s.

Style and Design

The 1987 versions kept the classic Perez art style but had a look that was very much of its time:

• Hand-painted portraits and action scenes

• Bold brush-stroke backgrounds

• A large “DK” logo on the front

• Gold and black framing that made the artwork stand out

• Player name printed in a stylized script

Unlike modern inserts, these cards were part of the standard checklist, but collectors quickly treated them as their own special subset because of the artwork.

Collector Appeal

The 1987 Diamond Kings hold a special place for collectors because they combine:

• Iconic 1980s stars

• Classic Dick Perez artwork

• The nostalgia of the late-80s card boom

While the cards were printed in large quantities during the hobby’s expansion, they remain popular among collectors who appreciate art-driven baseball cards and the long legacy of the Diamond Kings series.

Legacy

By 1987, Diamond Kings had already become one of the defining features of Donruss baseball releases. The subset continued annually and helped cement Dick Perez’s artwork as one of the most recognizable styles in sports card history.

For many collectors, the 1987 set perfectly captures the transition between the early Donruss years and the full junk-wax boom, making it both nostalgic and historically significant within the hobby.

Greg Maddux

— 2000 Season

In 2000, Greg Maddux continued to show why he was one of the most reliable and intelligent pitchers of his era, anchoring the rotation for the Atlanta Braves during their run of dominant division titles.

Maddux finished the season with a 19–9 record and a 3.00 ERA over 249.1 innings, once again demonstrating his incredible durability and efficiency. At age 34, he remained the workhorse of the Braves staff, throwing over 240 innings for the 13th consecutive season, a remarkable streak in modern baseball.

While Maddux was never known for overpowering hitters, his command and pitch movement were exceptional. In 2000 he struck out 165 batters while issuing only 38 walks, continuing his career-long mastery of control. His ability to change speeds and locate pitches allowed him to dominate hitters despite average fastball velocity.

Maddux was a key part of a legendary rotation that also featured Tom Glavine and John Smoltz (though Smoltz missed the season due to injury). The Braves finished first in the NL East with 95 wins, and Maddux’s consistency helped guide the team into the postseason.

One of Maddux’s most impressive traits in 2000 was efficiency. He frequently worked deep into games with low pitch counts, relying on weak contact and pinpoint accuracy rather than strikeouts. His ability to control the tempo of a game and keep hitters off balance remained elite.

Although he did not win the Cy Young Award that year (it went to Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks), Maddux still finished among the league’s top pitchers and added another chapter to his Hall of Fame résumé.

In short: the 2000 season showcased classic Greg Maddux—durable, efficient, and surgically precise. Even as power pitching became more common in baseball, Maddux proved that intelligence, command, and movement could still dominate the game.

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In 2000, Tony Gwynn showed that even at 40 years old, his bat-to-ball skills hadn’t disappeared.

Playing for the San Diego Padres, Gwynn appeared in 36 games, limited by lingering knee issues that had begun to slow him late in his career. Despite the injuries, he hit .323 over 105 at-bats, collecting 34 hits and reminding everyone why he was one of the purest hitters the game has ever seen.

The 2000 season wasn’t about power or accolades — it was about perseverance. Gwynn didn’t homer that year, and his playing time was managed carefully, but he continued to spray line drives and serve as a veteran presence in the clubhouse.

By that point, Gwynn was already a future Hall of Famer, and 2000 marked the beginning of his final stretch in the majors. Even in limited action, he proved that elite contact hitting doesn’t age the same way other tools do — a quiet, professional season from one of baseball’s greatest craftsmen.

A new month so time to rotate the cards in the display case. Last month was all Cardinals. This month: Bowman! As you can see, the case has some gaps. Guess I’ll have to buy some more cards to fill it up!! 😊