by Phoenix Desertsong, Red Sox Fan for Life
Willie McGee was a popular baseball player who mostly played for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, but also played stints with two other teams: the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox. While his time with the Red Sox was short, only 67 games in 1995, there are a couple of cards of the former 1985 MVP in a Red Sox uniform.
The 1995 Upper Deck “Traded” Willie McGee Baseball Card
If you want to collect Willie McGee baseball cards depicting him on the Boston Red Sox, you need only find two - three if you include a limited edition parallel. His first Red Sox card is featured in 1995 Upper Deck, card number 484. It features McGee running the bases - something he always did quite well - although McGee only stole 5 bases (and was caught twice) with the Red Sox.
This card is actually more scarce that you might expect, due to the fact that it was only available as a “Traded” redemption available from cards pulled from 1995 Upper Deck Series Two packs. Because of its limited distribution, you will have to keep an eye out for a copy, since they don’t very often come up for sale - partly because McGee was, and still is, a popular player in the hobby. The good news is if you are trying to collect a true “base set” of Willie McGee’s career, this card isn’t considered to count.
The 1995 Upper Deck “Traded” Willie McGee Baseball Card
If you want to collect Willie McGee baseball cards depicting him on the Boston Red Sox, you need only find two - three if you include a limited edition parallel. His first Red Sox card is featured in 1995 Upper Deck, card number 484. It features McGee running the bases - something he always did quite well - although McGee only stole 5 bases (and was caught twice) with the Red Sox.
This card is actually more scarce that you might expect, due to the fact that it was only available as a “Traded” redemption available from cards pulled from 1995 Upper Deck Series Two packs. Because of its limited distribution, you will have to keep an eye out for a copy, since they don’t very often come up for sale - partly because McGee was, and still is, a popular player in the hobby. The good news is if you are trying to collect a true “base set” of Willie McGee’s career, this card isn’t considered to count.
The 1996 Donruss Willie McGee Baseball Card
Fortunately, if you really can’t find a copy of the 1995 Upper Deck “Traded” card, you can find a much more easily acquired 1996 Donruss card. Despite this being a regular base card, it’s still not easily found for sale - although it’s certainly easier to find than the 1995 Upper Deck redemption.
Personally, I like this card more than the Upper Deck for a few reasons. The front depicts Willie swinging away, and the back features him showing bunt. It also features his complete career stat line through 1995. Also, there is a parallel of this card, a Press Proof with a print run of only 2000. Good luck finding that one.
If you were ever interested in completing a Willie McGee master set on the PSA Set Registry, you’d actually only need the base 1996 Donruss Willie McGee. Currently, as of late October 2019, there aren’t any PSA 10 copies - so whoever happens to submit the first gem mint copy will have a nice little achievement.
Of course, these Willie McGee cards are a must have for any serious Willie McGee baseball card collector or hardcore Red Sox collector. Unlike so many cards from the mid 1990’s, these are actually fairly difficult to find, making for a nice little hunt for interested collectors.
Fortunately, if you really can’t find a copy of the 1995 Upper Deck “Traded” card, you can find a much more easily acquired 1996 Donruss card. Despite this being a regular base card, it’s still not easily found for sale - although it’s certainly easier to find than the 1995 Upper Deck redemption.
Personally, I like this card more than the Upper Deck for a few reasons. The front depicts Willie swinging away, and the back features him showing bunt. It also features his complete career stat line through 1995. Also, there is a parallel of this card, a Press Proof with a print run of only 2000. Good luck finding that one.
If you were ever interested in completing a Willie McGee master set on the PSA Set Registry, you’d actually only need the base 1996 Donruss Willie McGee. Currently, as of late October 2019, there aren’t any PSA 10 copies - so whoever happens to submit the first gem mint copy will have a nice little achievement.
Of course, these Willie McGee cards are a must have for any serious Willie McGee baseball card collector or hardcore Red Sox collector. Unlike so many cards from the mid 1990’s, these are actually fairly difficult to find, making for a nice little hunt for interested collectors.
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