1982-1991 Donruss Diamond Kings Baseball
I bought my first pack of baseball cards in early 1991 from a KMart in Mentor, Ohio. 45 cards for $1.49. In that pack, I got my first ever Diamond Kings card: Dave Stieb, whom I had seen pitch a no-hitter live at Cleveland Stadium only months before.
Sometime around 2017, I decided to add on to my pile of sets I'm doing and try to see how far I could get on the Diamond Kings signed through 1991. I picked 1991 because it was the last year that they weren't a special, separate insert, but rather among the base set as the first 26 cards. I also would love to find the later-set King of Kings cards of Pete Rose and Nolan Ryan signed, and the Dick Perez card from 1983.
There are 263 cards total in this run; the first one I got came on August 4, 2010 with Kelly Gruber signing his 1990 card, a good seven years before I decided to start this as a project (I later upgraded it to one with a blue Sharpie sig). I hope to hit 200 signed by the end of 2025.
1982
1 Pete Rose
2 Gary Carter Trade, Phil Carter, January 2023
3 Steve Garvey TTM, May 2020
4 Vida Blue Purchase, W.R. George, May 2021
5 Alan Trammell Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
6 Len Barker IP, July 2018
7 Dwight Evans
8 Rod Carew
9 George Hendrick Trade, Darrell Halk, June 2020
10 Phil Niekro Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
11 Richie Zisk Trade, Manny Maltezakis, February 2021
12 Dave Parker TTM, August 2021
13 Nolan Ryan TTM, June 2023
14 Ivan DeJesus Purchase, Bill Brooks, March 2022
15 George Brett
16 Tom Seaver
17 Dave Kingman TTM, March 2021
18 Dave Winfield
19 Mike Norris Purchase, Greg Johnston, May 2021
20 Carlton Fisk
21 Ozzie Smith
22 Roy Smalley Trade, Patrick Page, December 2021
23 Buddy Bell IP, July 2024
24 Ken Singleton Trade, Lee Alexander, May 2018
25 John Mayberry Trade, Manny Maltezakis, February 2021
26 Gorman Thomas TTM, September 2020
1983
1 Fernando Valenzuela
2 Rollie Fingers IP, July 2024
3 Reggie Jackson
4 Jim Palmer TTM, September 2021
5 Jack Morris
6 George Foster Trade, Bob Tiefenbacher, April 2021
7 Jim Sundberg Purchase, Brian Kritz, June 2021
8 Willie Stargell
9 Dave Stieb Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
10 Joe Niekro Trade
11 Rickey Henderson
12 Dale Murphy Purchase, Jessi Yborra, September 2021
13 Toby Harrah Trade, Chris Winkles
14 Bill Buckner
15 Willie Wilson TTM, March 2021
16 Steve Carlton TTM, June 2024
17 Ron Guidry TTM, February 2017
18 Steve Rogers TTM, March 2021
19 Kent Hrbek TTM, April 2021
20 Keith Hernandez
21 Floyd Bannister TTM, December 2016
22 Johnny Bench
23 Britt Burns Purchase, Ray Novak, July 2021
24 Joe Morgan
25 Carl Yastrzemski
26 Terry Kennedy TTM, May 2017
--- Dick Perez TTM, March 2022
1984
1 Robin Yount
2 Dave Concepcion
3 Dwayne Murphy
4 John Castino TTM, October 2018
5 Leon Durham
6 Rusty Staub
7 Jack Clark Private Signing, Bob Quigley, September 2021
8 Dave Dravecky Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
9 Al Oliver TTM, July 2021
10 Dave Righetti TTM, November 2018
11 Hal McRae
12 Ray Knight
13 Bruce Sutter
14 Bob Horner TTM, September 2021
15 Lance Parrish TTM, May 2017
16 Matt Young Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
17 Fred Lynn IP, July 2024
18 Ron Kittle TTM, December 2016
19 Jim Clancy TTM, December 2016
20 Bill Madlock TTM, September 2021
21 Larry Parrish Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
22 Eddie Murray
23 Mike Schmidt
24 Pedro Guerrero Private Signing, Chris Rifon, November 2021
25 Andre Thornton Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
26 Wade Boggs Trade, Jeff Baker, December 2022
1985
1 Ryne Sandberg TTM, July 2020
2 Doug DeCinces TTM, February 2018
3 Richard Dotson Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
4 Bert Blyleven Trade, Jason Bodensteiner, May 2022
5 Lou Whitaker Purchase, W.R. George, May 2021
6 Dan Quisenberry
7 Don Mattingly
8 Carney Lansford Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
9 Frank Tanana TTM, March 2017
10 Willie Upshaw Trade, Felix Ochoa, January 2023
11 Claudell Washington
12 Mike Marshall TTM, November 2017
13 Joaquin Andujar
14 Cal Ripken, Jr.
15 Jim Rice Purchase, The Trove, January 2022
16 Don Sutton
17 Frank Viola Trade, Manny Maltezakis, February 2021
18 Alvin Davis Purchase, Raymond Castillo, April 2023
19 Mario Soto Purchase, W.R. George, March 2021
20 Jose Cruz TTM, July 2020
21 Charlie Lea
22 Jesse Orosco Trade, Lee Alexander, August 2020
23 Juan Samuel Purchase, W.R. George, March 2021
24 Tony Pena Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
25 Tony Gwynn Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
26 Bob Brenly Purchase, Greg Johnston, May 2021
1986
1 Kirk Gibson
2 Rich Gossage TTM, April 2020
3 Willie McGee Purchase, Octavio Leon, March 2022
4 George Bell
5 Tony Armas Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
6 Chili Davis Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
7 Cecil Cooper TTM, September 2017
8 Mike Boddicker TTM, April 2021
9 Davey Lopes Trade, Michael Oettiker, February 2018
10 Bill Doran Purchase, Greg Borucki, July 2022
11 Bret Saberhagen TTM, September 2021
12 Brett Butler TTM, February 2018
13 Harold Baines TTM, May 2020
14 Mike Davis TTM, November 2019
15 Tony Perez
16 Willie Randolph
17 Bob Boone Purchase, W.R. George, May 2021
18 Orel Hershiser Trade, Mark Theotikos, August 2022
19 Johnny Ray TTM, February 2017
20 Gary Ward Trade, Bobby Biggs, June 2020
21 Rick Mahler Purchase, eBay yayareasports, April 2020
22 Phil Bradley Trade
23 Jerry Koosman Purchase, W.R. George, May 2021
24 Tom Brunansky TTM, February 2017
25 Andre Dawson TTM, March 2021
26 Dwight Gooden Purchase, The Trove, January 2022
653 Pete Rose
1987
1 Wally Joyner Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
2 Roger Clemens
3 Dale Murphy (Leaf Version) Trade, Jason Bodensteiner, 5/22
4 Darryl Strawberry Purchase, W.R. George, May 2021
5 Ozzie Smith
6 Jose Canseco TTM, August 2018
7 Charlie Hough TTM, September 2019
8 Brook Jacoby TTM, February 2017
9 Fred Lynn Purchase, Pat Lancour, November 2021
10 Rick Rhoden Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
11 Chris Brown Purchase, John Mahalik, January 2025
12 Von Hayes TTM, August 2019
13 Jack Morris
14 Kevin McReynolds TTM, April 2021
15 George Brett
16 Teddy Higuera Purchase, eBay, m.d.-sportsconnection, 2018
17 Hubie Brooks Trade, Mark Theotikos, August 2022
18 Mike Scott Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
19 Kirby Puckett
20 Dave Winfield
21 Lloyd Moseby
22 Eric Davis Trade, Adam Rosenstein, December 2018
23 Jim Presley Trade
24 Keith Moreland Trade, Brian Reser, May 2020
25 Greg Walker Purchase, W.R. George, March 2021
26 Steve Sax Purchase, Stephen O'Brien, March 2023
1988
1 Mark McGwire
2 Tim Raines Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
3 Benito Santiago Trade, Shawn Bates, August 2018
4 Alan Trammell TTM, March 2023
5 Danny Tartabull Trade, Ross McDonald, June 2020
6 Ron Darling Trade, Mark Theotikos, August 2022
7 Paul Molitor Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
8 Devon White Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
9 Andre Dawson TTM, March 2021
10 Julio Franco
11 Scott Fletcher Trade, Levi Rosenquist, June 2017
12 Tony Fernandez
13 Shane Rawley TTM, April 2021
14 Kal Daniels TTM, May 2021
15 Jack Clark Trade, Chris Winkles
16 Dwight Evans
17 Tommy John Purchase, W.R. George, May 2021
18 Andy Van Slyke
19 Gary Gaetti Trade, Levi Rosenquist, July 2020
20 Mark Langston Trade, Chris Winkles
21 Will Clark TTM, August 2017
22 Glenn Hubbard TTM, May 2017
23 Billy Hatcher Trade, Neil Carrier, May 2021
24 Bob Welch Trade, Todd Palmer, January 2023
25 Ivan Calderon Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
26 Cal Ripken Jr.
1989
1 Mike Greenwell Purchase, W.R. George, March 2021
2 Bobby Bonilla
3 Pete Incaviglia IP, October 2016
4 Chris Sabo Trade, Jason Baker, November 2017
5 Robin Yount
6 Tony Gwynn
7 Carlton Fisk
8 Cory Snyder Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
9 David Cone Purchase, W.R. George, August 2021
10 Kevin Seitzer Trade, Brian Reser, May 2020
11 Rick Reuschel Trade, Levi Rosenquist, June 2017
12 Johnny Ray TTM, February 2017
13 Dave Schmidt TTM, May 2020
14 Andres Galarraga Trade, Darrell Halk, June 2020
15 Kirk Gibson
16 Fred McGriff
17 Mark Grace Purchase, Brian Radtke, April 2022
18 Jeff Robinson Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
19 Vince Coleman Purchase, Jessi Yborra, September 2021
20 Dave Henderson Purchase, eBay main-street-sports-cards-vt, 2018
21 Harold Reynolds Purchase, W.R. George, March 2021
22 Gerald Perry Purchase, W.R. George, March 2021
23 Frank Viola Purchase, eBay ian5922, February 2020
24 Steve Bedrosian Trade, Michael Taptykoff, 4/22 (Potter Sports COA)
25 Glenn Davis Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
26 Don Mattingly
1990
1 Bo Jackson
2 Steve Sax Trade, Brandon Stebbins, October 2022
3 Ruben Sierra IP, July 2015
4 Ken Griffey, Jr.
5 Mickey Tettleton IP, July 2024
6 Dave Stewart
7 Jim Deshaies IP, February 2025
8 John Smoltz Trade, Ramon Salinas, January 2023
9 Mike Bielecki Trade, Alex Kupfer, June 2017
10 Brian Downing TTM, April 2018
11 Kevin Mitchell Purchase, American Icon Autographs, June 2022
12 Kelly Gruber TTM, February 2024
13 Joe Magrane Purchase, eBay gehrkemr1-9, June 2021
14 John Franco Purchase, Randy Garrard, June 2023
15 Ozzie Guillen
16 Lou Whitaker
17 John Smiley Purchase, eBay peacock7834, May 2020
18 Howard Johnson Purchase, Jeff Boone, March 2021
19 Willie Randolph
20 Chris Bosio
21 Tom Herr Trade, Raymond Castillo, February 2018
22 Dan Gladden Purchase, Bill Brooks, March 2022
23 Ellis Burks Purchase, Main Line Autographs, July 2022
24 Pete O'Brien IP, August 2014
25 Bryn Smith TTM, February 2017
26 Ed Whitson Trade, Randy McKim, June 2020
665 Nolan Ryan TTM, June 2023
1991
1 Dave Stieb Purchase, Al Spina, June 2023
2 Craig Biggio
3 Cecil Fielder Private Signing, Chris Dulle, March 2022
4 Barry Bonds
5 Barry Larkin
6 Dave Parker TTM, August 2021
7 Lenny Dykstra Private Signing, Bill's Sports Cards, Sept. 2021
8 Bobby Thigpen IP, May 2013
9 Roger Clemens
10 Ron Gant TTM, February 2017
11 Delino DeShields Trade, Adam Rosenstein, August 2018
12 Roberto Alomar Purchase, James Harrison, February 2023
13 Sandy Alomar, Jr. IP, October 2021
14 Ryne Sandberg TTM, July 2020
15 Ramon Martinez
16 Edgar Martinez
17 Dave Magadan IP, June 2013
18 Matt Williams IP, February 2024
19 Rafael Palmeiro IP, August 2012
20 Bob Welch
21 Dave Righetti TTM, November 2018
22 Brian Harper TTM, May 2017
23 Gregg Olson TTM, March 2018
24 Kurt Stillwell TTM, May 2020
25 Pedro Guerrero Private Signing, Chris Rifon, November 2021
26 Chuck Finley Trade, David Cisneros, March 2022