Top 10 Alan Trammell Baseball Cards
Alan Trammell is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the Detroit Tigers and he has a healthy following in the baseball card world. The Alan Trammell cards in this list are some of the best choices for those looking to expand their collection of the Cooperstown-enshrined shortstop.
A regular in the Tigers lineup by the age of 20, Trammell quickly established himself as a perennial member of the American League All-Star team. He manned the shortstop position for the Tigers over 20 years, leading the franchise to its fourth World Series title in 1984, and earning induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. By the end of his career, Trammell had joined the likes of Ozzie Smith and Cal Ripken as a top shortstop from the period.
The first Alan Trammell cards appeared in 1978, with the most popular coming from Topps. Since his retirement in 1996, Trammell has been included in numerous modern baseball card releases. He has been especially generous with his signature. With his 2018 election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, he is likely to remain a relevant figure for the foreseeable future.
This list looks at the best Alan Trammell cards available. Options include his rookie cards, other notable cards from his playing career, and his earliest autograph cards.
Top 10 Alan Trammell Baseball Cards
Bolded links go directly to detailed product profiles or player guides when available.
10. 1981 Kellogg's 3D Super Stars Alan Trammell #51
The Kellogg's baseball cards were an oddball issue throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. These cards are not the toughest to find, nor the most expensive, but they can be tricky to acquire in mint condition. Over time, the plastic finish has shown a tendency to develop cracks, and these cards can often curl as well. While many star players from this era appeared in multiple Kellogg's sets, Alan Trammell's only card from the product was issued in 1981.
9. 1979 Topps Alan Trammell #358
Since Alan Trammell's initial appearance on a Topps baseball card came with three other players, his 1979 Topps card enjoys added interest. The second-year Trammell card does not touch the Ozzie Smith rookie card in the '79 set, but it is one of the more popular cards nonetheless. Centering and card stock issues for this 1970s gem can add a premium to those in mint condition.
8. 1983 All-Star Game Program Inserts Alan Trammell #25
For several years in the 1980s, Major League Baseball included a set of cards as inserts in their All-Star Game program. Similar to the Hostess cards from the 1970s, many collectors hand-cut these cards, making them condition sensitive. Most consider the cards to be in good condition as long as they are cut neatly with a small border remaining just beyond the black frame around the player picture. Alan Trammell was a fixture of the All-Star Game, so he has several different program cards available.
7. 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs Alan Trammell
The 1981 Topps Scratch-Offs set was designed to be a baseball card game with the results of a player's at-bats beneath the darkened circles on the front of the card. Packs came with three American League panels, three National League panels, and a stick of gum. Each panel had three different players with a perforation in between them. Like all the other cards in this set, the single Alan Trammell is condition sensitive. His card can also be found on Scratch-Offs panels with various subjects, including Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and George Brett.
6. 1993 Topps Finest Refractor Alan Trammell #13
Even near the end of Alan Trammell's career, card companies still gave him a spot in their best products. For the landmark 1993 Finest Baseball, Topps squeezed in cards of Alan Trammell and teammate Lou Whitaker. These two cards have helped make this one of the most popular 1990s releases with Tigers collectors. Although the iconic parallels have surged in value, the Alan Trammell Refractor is one of the most affordable Hall of Famers in the set.
5. 2002 Topps Summer School Turn Two Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker #TTR-TW Relics
The Summer School relics were a series of inserts seeded into 2002 Topps Baseball. The majority of cards on the checklist featured two or more players on the same team. Although memorabilia cards were becoming more common at this point, the Turn Two cards have steep odds and are not easy to find. As Trammell has very few relic cards to date, the limited availability and pairing with Lou Whitaker make this a great option for collectors, if they can locate one.
4. 2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams Legendary Signatures Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell Autograph
2004 Upper Deck Legends: Timeless Teams focused on 30 years of championship squads and players, starting with the 1964 Cardinals led by Bob Gibson and Lou Brock, and extending through to the 1995 New York Yankees and Don Mattingly. The Tigers have two runs of cards in the set for the 1968 and 1984 World Series winners. The autograph checklist is deep for Tigers fans, with signatures of Sparky Anderson, Kirk Gibson, and Jack Morris. There is also this Legendary Signatures card featuring Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker. Although Trammell has a fair number of autographs, there are very few options for the Hall of Fame shortstop alongside his double-play partner Lou Whitaker. The duo also signed for 2018 Flawless Baseball.
3. 2000 Fleer Greats of the Game Alan Trammell Autograph
The initial Sports Illustrated Greats of Game set produced by Fleer in 1999 was a great success with collectors. The sophomore version in 2000 dropped the Sports Illustrated name, with only Fleer listed on the product. The design of the cards obviously shifted, too. Without the SI covers, Fleer used a simple gold border, cream-colored background, and a photo of the player. There were plenty of changes made to Greats of the Game, but the one thing that remained was a great autograph checklist, which included Alan Trammell.
Another early Alan Trammell autograph comes in 2000 Upper Deck Legends. The Legendary Signatures card is a notable choice, as well.
2. 1978 Topps Burger King Tigers Alan Trammell RC #15
Promotional 1978 Topps Burger King Baseball cards came in three card-packs with the purchase of a sandwich. The Tigers were one of the four teams featured, along with the Astros, Yankees, and Rangers. Several subjects in the 22-card team sets share the same picture as the player’s 1978 Topps card. The only difference being the card number on the back does not match the regular Topps set.
In the past, the similarities between the base Topps and Burger King cards caused confusion with collectors. However, there is no mistaking the Alan Trammell Burger King card since it has a different picture than his Topps base card. There are many collectors who prefer this Alan Trammell rookie card due to the fact that he does not have to share space. No matter your preference on Alan Trammell rookie cards, this is a very reasonably priced, first-year issue for the Hall of Famer.
1. 1978 Topps Mickey Klutts, Paul Molitor, Alan Trammell, U.L. Washington RC #707
This 1978 Topps Rookie Shortstops card offers a solid group of players led by Paul Molitor and Trammell, who are both in the Hall of Fame. While Trammell and Lou Whitaker are each in the '78 set on multi-player cards, they did not end up sharing a rookie card. However, their first cards reside close in the checklist as Whitaker is on card #704. Longtime Tiger and Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Morris also has a rookie card (#703). For Detroit Tigers fans, the presence of this rookie trio has made 1978 Topps Baseball one of the most sought-after sets of the era.
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![1978 Topps - Rookie - #707 Rookie Shortstops [Molitor Auto] - PSA 10](https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/T5AAAOSw-XFkaQN9/s-l225.jpg)
Brian
A HOFer who Topps continues to ignore, especially in the recent Archives, Heritage and even 2019’s 1984 subset, primarily because he played his entire career in Detroit with the Tigers.