Graded rookies for a Wednesday edition of #WhatsOnYourDesk.

“It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them.” —T. S. Eliot

#BeTheGood

Mickey Mantle

A Mickey Mantle Monday edition of #WhatsOnYourDesk.

“Well, baseball was my whole life. Nothing's ever been as fun as baseball.” —Mickey Mantle

#BeTheGood

In 1983, Donruss found a creative way to add something extra to the baseball card collecting experience: puzzle pieces! The company’s oversized Action All-Stars set featured 60 cards measuring 3½ × 5 inches, with each pack also containing three pieces of a 63-piece Mickey Mantle puzzle. Collectors needed 21 puzzle cards to complete the full image.

The puzzle featured original artwork by Dick Perez, the artist behind Donruss’s popular Diamond Kings artwork. While the regular 1983 Donruss baseball set included a Ty Cobb puzzle, the Action All-Stars product offered collectors a different baseball legend to piece together: Mickey Mantle. The Mantle puzzle was also distributed in the 1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes product.

Today, this puzzle is considered one of the more challenging Donruss puzzles of the era to complete. It’s a great example of how collecting in the 1980s went beyond the traditional baseball card, combining artwork, memorabilia, and the thrill of tracking down every piece. Before online marketplaces made completing sets easier, finding all 63 pieces could be a collecting project in itself.

Ernie Banks nicknamed “Mr. Cub”, played his entire career with the Cubs from 1953-1971. Banks was a 14-time all-star and won the NL MVP twice. He was named to the MLB All Century Team in 1999. Banks was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 on his first ballot.