• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Around the Hobby / Gregg Olson Q&A: Topps Rookie Card, Mancave in the Making and Conversations with Castro

Gregg Olson Q&A: Topps Rookie Card, Mancave in the Making and Conversations with Castro

November 30, 2020 By Tony Reid

Nebraska native Gregg Olson was a high school pitching phenom. He led Omaha Northwest High School to four state titles, even throwing a no hitter in the state championship game to cap off his senior season. He was featured as one of the “Faces in the Crowd” in an issue of Sports Illustrated back in 1984.

The powerful closer attended the Auburn University and continued to dominate on the mound over the course of his three collegiate seasons.

Olson was drafted in the first round (4th overall) of the 1988 Amateur Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He wasted no time making an impact, as he became the first reliever to ever win the American League Rookie of the Year award, setting a rookie record for saves with 27 while posting a 5-2 record with a minuscule 1.69 ERA all while recording 90 strikeout in 85 innings pitched.

Olson’s career spanned 14 seasons with nine different teams. He retired with over 200 saves and was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.

He spoke with us about opening a box of Topps baseball to find his rookie card, the mancave in the making and conversations with Fidel Castro.

Tony Reid– Your rookie cards appeared in a slew of products in 1989 including Bowman, Topps and Upper Deck to name a few. Do you remember the first time you saw yourself on a card?

Gregg Olson-I was back visiting my grandmother in Fremont, Nebraska. I don’t know how I found out that the cards came out but we went to the local pharmacy and bought a box of Topps and went diving through it trying to get one of me. We finally found one later night but yeah, that was a pretty cool moment.

TR–You were still in your Auburn uniform on that Topps card, being a draft pick, right?

GO– Yeah. That was exactly it. It was that moment where you tell yourself, alright now I’ve made it to the Big Leagues. It was a really cool moment. I didn’t realize that the picture was going to be used on my first baseball card otherwise I would have taken that picture a little bit more seriously.

TR–I’ve talked to a number of retired players and their rookie cards have them pictured in their practice uniforms, in odd preseason poses and things of that nature. Back in the day they didn’t have multiple photo shoots and technology to create great cards, sometimes they used whatever picture they could take or find.

GO-I think that is what they did with the Auburn picture. They pulled that random picture and used it on the card. I wish they would have let me know that was going to be on a baseball card.

TR– Were you a card collector as a kid?

GO– Everybody collected cards in the seventies when I was growing up. If anybody did anything seriously at the time with baseball cards I didn’t know about it. Everybody had Topps cards. You would trade guys and try to compete your set. I collected in the seventies and then I got to college and a couple of my roommates decided to take it up again. That was when Donruss was out and Score came out. We started doing those three sets and trying to put them together. We would get baseball cards whenever we could. So, I started collecting again when I got to college.

TR–You were a major college player collecting cards. That is pretty cool.

GO– Baseball card collecting started to get really hot then. I don’t know if it was trying to get the 1985 Olympic Team guys or what. It got hot and we started doing it. The next thing you know, within a year, I am playing against a bunch of the guys on those cards.

TR– In 1989, you were the American League Rookie of the Year beating out Ken Griffey, Jr and Tom Gordon. You set the Orioles saves record and the list goes on and on. It was an off the charts season. What are your fondest memories from the crazy rookie year?

GO– The main memories are the rollercoaster ride. When I get back to Baltimore, everybody brings up a game or two that they remember from that year. For me, it was just getting a shot early in April. Frank Robinson was my manager and he gave me a shot. I just ran with it. I hit a slump in the middle but got hot at the end. The most fun about it was that we were in a pennant race when we should have been in last place in the AL East. This was before an AL Central or an NL Central. It was a big AL East and for us to go from last place to just a game or two back from Toronto in 1989 was a great run. The city of Baltimore was on fire. It was a blast.

TR–We mentioned the Rookie of the Year Award, you were an All-Star in 1990, you went on to become an Orioles Hall of Famer, and you passed the 200 career save mark. Do you have an office or mancave where you have memorabilia or items displayed?

GO-I have in the past. We moved from Southern California to Auburn, Alabama. We haven’t purchased a house yet. We are looking. I have no mancave as of right now. I had a decent one in Maryland. I had a good one in California. I have my jerseys. I collected bats and baseballs. I had those all displayed. The photos were in a different office.

I have some interesting photos from over the years of running across the presidents. The presidents would come into Baltimore on Opening Day before the Nationals existed. We had George Bush, Bill Clinton and I have multiple photos with all the presidents that came in. I have a photo with the Queen of England. She came in for something and came down to the dugout and met the Orioles. That was a cool photo. I have a photo of Fidel Castro and myself from the USA Team in 1987 when we went down and played in Cuba.

TR–Anyone what knows baseball knows how much of a hotbed Cuba is for baseball. For better or worse, Castro was very influential in growing the sport there. There was a weird relationship with him and the United States. Did you share a moment or have a conversation with him?

GO– Yeah. I was in between starting and relieving for Team USA. I was going back and forth. I was relieving one night. I don’t remember the exact number but I struck out a lot of Cubans one night. He came down out of the stands. The USA Team hadn’t won there in decades. We won that night. We ended up winning two out of the seven games. He came down and wanted to meet me and talk about my fastball that night. My breaking ball got taken away from me by some 38-year-old pinch hitter that hit it at my forehead.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Vince Biegel Q&A: Collecting Autographs as a Kid, Investing in Cards as an Adult Card Back Q&A: Gregg Olson Talks Diamond Kings, ‘Paralyzing’ Curveball and Studio Serial Killer Card Tommy Polley Q&A: Basketball Stardom, Signing Rookie Cards, Grabbing Deion’s Last Cleats Catching Up with Brian Mitchell: Former NFL Standout Talks Collecting Bo Jackson 1989 Score Supplemental footballA Look Back at Some of 1989’s Coolest Base and Update Cards 30th Anniversary Brings Back Memories of Bowman’s Stunning Return 1989 Was A Revolutionary Year In Baseball Cards Autographed 2131 photo Cal Ripken Jr.Ramblings: Ripken Recollections as Anniversary Approaches

About Tony Reid

From the time he was a little kid, Tony has been a huge sports fan. If he could play sports, watch sports and talk about sports it was a great day. From as early as he was drawn to sports, Tony was drawn to collecting sports cards. Not much has changed over the years. He collects RCs of star players in baseball, basketball and football. He also has a soft spot for first autographs of MMA stars. If you want to talk to Tony about the greatness of Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson or Ken Griffey, Jr. you can reach him at [email protected] and @tonyreidwrites on social media.

Filed Under: Around the Hobby Tagged With: 1989 Bowman, 1989 Donruss, 1989 Fleer, 1989 Score, baltimore orioles, Fidel Castro, Gregg Olson, Q and A

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Pristine Auction Offers Monthly Elite Auction Ending Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023
  • REA Midwest Consignment Trip – Consign Today
  • MEARS Auction of Memorabilia and More Ends October 7, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window