Recently, at the National in Cleveland, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of The Diamond King by filmmaker Marq Evans. It is a wonderful story about the life and career of renowned sports artist Dick Perez.
There are lots of artists who paint images from the game of baseball. I would argue that none are as prolific as Dick Perez. If you have collected cards for any length of time then you undoubtedly have seen his work. Beyond cards, Perez has had a long and distinguished career as a baseball artist.
He has been the official artist of the Philadelphia Phillies since the early 1970’s. For over 20 years, he has been the official artist of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. He has painted portraits of every Hall of Fame inductee and many of his paintings still reside there. Every year Perez paints the official portraits of newly inducted members for display at the Hall of Fame during the player’s induction year.
To me, Perez really captures the essence of the game of baseball with his art.
Why Do I Love it:
My earliest memories as a collector include Dick Perez. The early years of Diamond Kings and the Hall of Fame Heroes set were a huge influence on me. Cards and art have always felt like a wonderful marriage to me. My card room is filled with items from many of the great baseball artists over the years, but none have meant as much to me as the works of Dick Perez.
My Project:
Hall of Fame autographs are one of my favorite hobby passions. Several years ago, I decided to embark on a project that seemed monumental, if not impossible. As ambitious as it is, I am trying to get every Dick Perez item issued picturing a Hall of Famer signed that can be signed.
Believe it or not, there are almost 450 different cards and postcards that picture a Hall of Famer and feature Dick Perez artwork.
As of August 2024, I have already collected 369 of them. That is close to 85% of the project being complete.
There are many items in which the Hall of Famer passed away prior to the issuance of a particular card. And still more where the Hall of Famer passed away shortly after some sets were released making finding signed copies very difficult, if not impossible.
As I go through each of the different sets, I will not only give the history of that set, but also my progress in obtaining autographs of all of the Hall of Famers within it. Each of the cards pictured are part of my collection.
I hope you enjoy this look through the history of baseball cards and Dick Perez. I hope you will learn some stuff and maybe develop a deeper appreciation for his impact on baseball cards. Let’s get started.
Diamond Kings:
History: Included as a staple in every base Donruss set from 1982 – 1996 were Diamond Kings. Perez himself was allowed to choose which player represented each of the teams each year. I remember eagerly opening packs of Donruss to see who would be the Rangers representative on the Diamond Kings card that year. Over time, the designs changed, but the beauty of Deck Perez’ art on the cards never did. By the time he finished painting the cards in 1996, Perez had selected 98 future Hall of famers as Diamond Kings.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 100 I have: 88 Complete: 88.00%
Hall of Fame Diamond King Puzzle Cards:
History: After including gum in its inaugural set in 1981, Donruss lost a lawsuit allowing Topps the exclusive right to market trading cards with gum. Therefore, from 1982 to 1991 Donruss included 3 puzzle pieces in each pack. Each 63-piece puzzle depicted a Hall of Famer. Also inserted into packs a trading card showing what the completed puzzle would look like. Eight of those can be signed.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 8 I have: 5 Complete: 62.50%
Donruss Triple Play Gallery of Stars:
History: In both 1992 and 1993, Donruss issued a kid friendly set called Triple Play. The subset, Gallery of Stars, featured 10 current players. Of the 20 cards over the two years, half would eventually make it to the Hall of Fame.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 10 I have: 7 Complete: 70.00%
Donruss Grand Champions:
History: Issued in 1984, this 60-card oversized (3 1/2” x 5”) set highlighted a “Grand Champion” and those current players that were currently behind him in various statistical categories. Only the Grand Champions feature artwork by Dick Perez. Of the 10 Grand Champion Hall of Famers, only 5 were still alive when the set was released.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 5 I have: 4 Complete: 80.00%
Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes:
History: Issued in packs in 1983, this was one of the first sets that introduced me to the all-time greats via cardboard. There were 42 cards in the set and a Mickey Mantle puzzle to complete. Only 25 of the depicted hall of famers were alive when the set was released.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 25 I have: 25 Complete: 100.00%
Leaf Candy City Team:
History: The 1987 Leaf Special Olympics set has 18-cards featuring 12 Hall of Fame baseball players and six cards of various Special Olympics sports. The set's design is modeled after the 1983 Donruss HOF Heroes set, but has a "Leaf Candy City Team" logo on the front. In fact, this set is commonly referred to as the "Candy City" set. Proceeds from the set went to the Special Olympics. Leaf Candy was a sponsor of Special Olympics World Games VII.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 12 I have: 6 Complete: 50.00%
Donruss Masters of the Game:
History: Issued in 1993, this was a 16-card, oversized (3”x5”) set featuring some of the top stars of the game. It has 8 current HOFers.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 8 I have: 4 Complete: 50.00%
Perez-Steele Celebration Postcards:
History: This set of postcards was produced in 1989 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hall of Fame. The set pays homage to the 1887 W.S. Kimball & Co. Champions. The set was created for autograph seekers. Forty-four of the living Hall of Fame members at the time agreed to be included in the set. Willie Mays and Joe DiMaggio declined. Lou Brock agreed, but backed out at the last moment. Three of the HOFers, Bill Terry, Judy Johnson and Jocko Conlan died in 1989 and only Conlan is known to have signed any of the postcards after they were released.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 41 I have: 40 Complete: 97.56%
Perez-Steele Masterworks:
History: Issued in 1990, this postcard set features ten living hall of famers with 5 different cards each making the total set 50 cards. There are 5 different designs used for each player in the style of four turn-of-the-century baseball card issues; the 1888 Goodwin Champions, 1908 Rose Postcards, 1909 Ramly and the 1911 T205 Gold Border, along with a fifth card design by Dick Perez. This innovative set was numbered and limited to 10,000 sets.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 50 I have: 32 Complete: 64.00%
Perez-Steele Great Moments:
History: This set began publication in 1985. It was limited to 5,000 numbered sets with periodical updates. The set is fashioned after Dick Perez’ all-time favorite card set, the colorful T-3 Turkey Red cabinet cards of 1911 and salutes the defining moments in the careers of the Hall of Famers in the set. The complete set is comprised of 108 cards, which were issued in nine different series of 12 cards each.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 70 I have: 65 Complete: 92.86%
Perez-Steele HOF Postcards:
History: Started in 1981, this is easily the most recognized modern postcard set ever created. For 20 years, Perez-Steele Galleries published 15 different series of every Hall of Famer to that point. There were 253 cards in the set and they were numbered to 10,000. Perez continues to paint portraits in the same style as players get elected to the Hall of fame every year.
In My Collection:
Total HOFers: 107 I have: 91 Complete: 85.05%
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the screening of the movie about Dick Perez. It was a wonderful portrayal of all that Dick Perez has accomplished as well as a great tribute to his contributions to the hobby. I highly encourage you to watch it if you see it pop up on your favorite streaming service. Details have not been disclosed yet as to where and when the movie will be distributed.
I, for one, am grateful as well because my collection is better for it.
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