Oversized in My Collection: 1986 Donruss All-Stars (Part 6 of 6)

For a sixth (and final) Saturday, we're showing part of the 1986 Donruss oversized All-Stars set.  This week we have cards 51-59, plus the checklist, for the final installment.  The cards are based on the 1985 All-Star Game, which the NL won in a lopsided victory, 6-1.  Cards 1-9 showed the NL starters, 10-18 showed the AL starters, cards 19-38 showed the rest of the NL squad, and 39-58 are for the rest of the AL team.  With all that said, let's get to it!

Previously in this series:

1. 1986 Donruss All-Stars Part 1 (1-10).
2. 1986 Donruss All-Stars Part 2 (11-20).
3. 1986 Donruss All-Stars Part 3 (21-30).
4. 1986 Donruss All-Stars Part 4 (31-40).
5. 1986 Donruss All-Stars Part 5 (41-50)

#51. Gary Ward.

I have shown one card of Gary Ward previously.  Ward played for the Twins, Rangers, Yankees, and Tigers between 1979 and 1990, making the All-Star team in 1983 and 1985.  In the 1985 game, Ward appeared as a pinch-hitter, replacing catcher Ernie Whitt.  Ward lined out, off Fernando Valenzuela.

#52. Bert Blyleven.

Bert Blyleven pitched the fourth and fifth innings for the AL.  In the 4th, he got Terry Kennedy and Ozzie Smith to ground out, gave up a single to Garry Templeton, walked Jose Cruz, and got another groundout from Tom Herr.  Blyleven didn't fare as well in the fifth.  He started fine, getting a groundout from Steve Garvey and striking out Dale Murphy.  That's when it went downhill.  He hit Darryl Strawberry with a pitch, gave up a ground-rule double to Tim Wallach, and then a single to Ozzie Virgil.  Strawberry and Wallach both scored on Virgil's single, but Virgil was thrown out as he tried to stretch it to a double.  Blyleven didn't come to bat during his time in the game.  This was only the second of two of Blyleven's All-Star appearances, with the other being in 1973.

#53. Jimmy Key.

Jimmy Key pitched 1/3 of an inning, facing one batter, Graig Nettles, in the 3rd inning.  He got Nettles to fly out.  Key was relieving Jack Morris, the losing pitcher, who had given up 2 runs already, and left the bases loaded.  After getting out of the jam, Harold Baines pinch hit for Key in the bottom of the 3rd.  This was Key's first All-Star appearance, in his second season in the majors.  Other highlights of Key's career are leading the AL in ERA in 1987 at 2.76, leading the AL in wins in the strike-shortened 1994 season with 17, having a total of 4 All-Star selections, and winning the World Series with the Jays in 1992 and with the Yankees in 1996.

#54. Cecil Cooper.

Bert Blyleven left the game when Cecil Cooper pinch hit for him in the bottom of the 5th.  Cooper drew a two-out walk from Nolan Ryan, and was left on base when Rickey Henderson struck out.  Cooper was near the end of his career, and this was the last of his 5 All-Star appearances.  I posted a selection of my Cecil Cooper cards once before.

#55. Dave Stieb.

Dave Stieb was another of the great Toronto pitchers of the late 80s/early 90s.  Stieb was a 7-time All-Star, and led the AL in ERA in 1985 with 2.48.  In the 1985 All-Star Game, Stieb pitched the 6th for the AL, getting Ozzie Smith to fly out, striking out Ryne Sandberg, giving up a walk to Jose Cruz, before striking out Nolan Ryan to end the inning.  He didn't bat, and was replaced by Donnie Moore for the 7th inning.

#56. Rich Gedman.

Rich Gedman replaced Ernie Whitt at catcher, who had earlier replaced Carlton Fisk.  Gedman had one at bat, in the ninth.  He struck out against Goose Gossage, and was the final out of the game.  Gedman had a second All-Star appearance the next year, in 1986, and I showed his 1987 Donruss oversized All-Star card before.

#57. Jay Howell.

The final player in the set is A's hurler Jay Howell.  Howell did not appear in the game.  Howell switched from Oakland to Los Angeles in time to help the Dodgers win the 1988 World Series, earning 21 saves with the Dodgers that year.  In addition to 1985, he was also an All-Star in 1987 and 1989.

#58. Sparky Anderson.

Managing the AL squad was managerial legend and three-time World Series winner Sparky Anderson.  His 1984 Tigers beat the Padres to capture the championship.

#59. Minneapolis Metrodome.

The game was played in the Minneapolis Metrodome.  In the summer of 1998, I spent a couple of weeks in Minneapolis and made it to a game.  I think it's my only time being in a domed stadium.  I imagine newer domes are nicer.

Checklist (unnumbered).

Finally, we have the unnumbered checklist.  And that's it!  We've chronicled the whole set, and we've gone over the 1985 All-Star Game in excruciating detail!  I'll plan to show the pop-ups that I have, which are also oversized, in next Saturday's post.  I don't have a complete set of the pop-ups, though.  Thanks for reading!