Sets in My Collection: 1987 Fleer Limited Edition All-Stars (Ben Franklin Stores)

1987 Fleer Limited Edition Baseball All Stars.

In this Sunday's edition of "Sets in My Collection" we feature the 1987 Fleer Limited Edition Baseball All Stars set.  You can read online that this set was distributed at Ben Franklin stores, which is a chain I've never heard of.  They even appear to still exist, although they aren't as extensive as they once were.  It's a little surprising to me that I've never heard of these stores, though, since I work in Philadelphia and travel frequently to Boston, both of which are very Ben Franklin-centric places.  The box looks very 1980s to me, especially the lettering for "1987 Limited Edition."

Brian Downing.

Harold Baines.

Before I got the complete set, I had a number of these in my collection already.  A kid down the street had the set, and rather than keep the set together, he didn't mind trading them.  So I got a few of individual players that way, in 1987 or 1988.  A few years later at a show, I bought the whole set.

Jose Cruz.

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd.

Jose Cruz is, I think, a little before my time.  I started seriously paying attention to baseball in 1987, and he retired midway through the 1988 season.  He was on the Astros when they won the division in 1980 (losing the playoffs to the Phillies) and in 1986 (losing the playoffs to the Mets), and was a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner.  I remember being interested in the Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd card because of the unusual nickname.  Boyd had some promise with the Red Sox, but didn't turn out to have a long career, playing 1982-1991 with a record of 78-77.

Mike Witt.

Pete Rose.

Mike Witt was famous for throwing a perfect game at the end of the 1984 season, and was otherwise the ace of the 1986 division-winning Angels team.  Witt went downhill starting in 1987, but one career highlight was being the relief pitcher in a combined no-hitter with starter Mark Langston in 1990.  Then we have Pete Rose, one of the very few greatest players ever, and also a disgrace to baseball.

Jesse Barfield.

Jody Davis.

Jesse Barfield was one of many excellent Blue Jays players in their run-up to their back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993.  Barfield was only with them through 1989, though, being traded to the Yankees mid-season.  Barfield was the AL home run leader in 1986 with 40, and finished his career with 241.  Jody Davis was a catcher with the Cubs 1981-1988, and with the Braves 1988-1990.  He was an All-Star in 1984 and 1986, and won the Gold Glove in 1986.