Donruss 1986 Jose Canseco Rookie Card 879200

The Oakland A's had a genuine stud in Jose Canseco, who became 1/2 of the now "infamous" bash brothers. Mark Mcgwire and him were literally "double trouble," and Canseco could be even more dangerous, as he not only had power but could steal bases. When he was in his peak, I literally thought, "this man has Hall of Fame written all over him." Now its the "Wall of Shame," due to steroid use, domestic issues, along with the never to be forgotten jet fuel incident with his sports car. Sadly Jose Canseco never lived up to his potential, because while he had some great seasons, we now know that they were tainted. This history of baseball is commonly referred to as the "steroid era," and Mr. Canseco is among its more notable players.  His brother also played in the league, although Ozzie never had much of an impact.

This 1986 card is good looking. I like the graphics used, along with the picture quality. My major complaint is that its not an action shot. Cards that have a player either at bat or in the field, heck even the dugout steps, have a better overall appearance than just a man in a hat and jersey. That's what you'll get here. The #22 card is blue on the back, and shows his minor league career, along with his height, weight, and birth information. It covers a decent amount of ground, and its easy to read.

One very important aspect of older cards is how they hold up. This one has been in a protective case, but it still looks brand new. A lot of this can be attributed to the cardboard quality. A lot of Donruss cards "went cheap" here, but in this series they did not. That has helped this and other cards I have from that year, stay in good quality, thus giving them a better chance at keeping their value. You can find this one pretty easily, because his stock dropped after numerous revelations, and a career cut short by injuries and other shenanigans.

I've seen this on the Internet, selling anywhere from $5-$50. For an accurate pricing, you should probably check with the folks at Beckett publications. This one just doesn't seem as it should be in that kind of demand, considering he will never see Cooperstown, and has so much baggage still carried around with just the mentioning of his name. He could have been a great player, but with his issues he failed in the spotlight. His career overall was productive when on the field, but you have to look at the final numbers, and these are far lower than they could have been. The Bash Brothers in their prime were fun to watch, but as we learned about the cheating in baseball, they took quite a "hit with their reputations." Its a shame, not only for the game, but because this is quite a good looking card. 

Recommend this product? Yes