Hall of Champions: 1990
1990 World Series
Cincinnati Reds 5, Oakland Athletics 2
Reds win series 4 games to 0 (7-0, 5-4 (10), 8-3, 2-1).
The 1990 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1990 season, and the 87th edition of the World Series. It featured the National League (NL) champion Cincinnati Reds (91-71) against the defending champions and heavily favored American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics (103-59). It is remembered for Reds outfielder Billy Hatcher's seven consecutive hits. The sweep extended the Reds' World Series winning streak to nine games, dating back to 1975. This also was the second World Series meeting between the two clubs (Oakland won four games to three in 1972).
Game Date
Saturday, October 20, 1990
View more cards from key players from this matchup
Cincinnati Reds' pitcher Jose Rijo became the second Dominican born player to earn World Series MVP honors. He won Game 1 and the clinching Game 4, at one point retiring 20 straight batters.
View all the Baseball cards from 1990 in the Gallery
Next Up...
1991 World Series
The strength of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen and timely hitting led them to a quick sweep of the AL champions. The Reds' bullpen had three primary members - Norm Charlton, Randy Myers, and Rob Dibble - collectively they were known as the "Nasty Boys".
- Other Series heroes included Reds third baseman Chris Sabo who went 9 of 16 (.562) with 2 home runs; and Reds outfielder Billy Hatcher, who set a World Series record with 7 consecutive hits.
- The Reds, led by future Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, set an NL record by staying in first place in the division for the entire season or "wire-to-wire", which had been done only one other time, by the 1984 Detroit Tigers.
- The Reds' Eric Davis' home run in Game 1 informed the following day's headline in The Cincinnati Post, capturing the city's surprise with the headline, "Davis Stuns Goliath."
- The heavily favored A's lineup included three former AL Rookies-of-the-Year: Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire , and Walt Weiss. A's outfielder Willie McGee won a batting title that year (in the NL).
©CCM Mar 1 2022
1990 NFL Season: Super Bowl XXV
New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida. Attendance 73,813.
1990 NFL Season: Super Bowl XXV featured the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants (13-3) against the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills (13-3). The Bills and their explosive no-huddle offense were making their first Super Bowl appearance after finishing the regular season with a 13–3 record, and leading the league in total points scored with 428. In advancing to their second Super Bowl, the Giants also posted a 13–3 regular-season record, but with a ball-control offense and a defense that allowed a league-low 211 points.
Game Date
Sunday, January 27, 1991
View more cards from key players from this matchup
Giants running back Ottis Anderson, who carried the ball 21 times for 102 yards and one touchdown, was named Super Bowl MVP. He was the first awardee to receive the newly named "Pete Rozelle Trophy".
View all the Football cards from 1990 in the Gallery
Next Up...
1991 NFL Season: Super Bowl XXVI
The Bills' no-huddle K-Gun offense worked well enough for QB Jim Kelly to finish 1990 as the top-rated quarterback in the NFL, passing to future Hall of Famers Andre Reed and James Lofton. RB Thurman Thomas had an AFC-best 1,297 rushing yards.
- The game is known for Bills placekicker Scott Norwood's last-second missed field goal attempt that went wide right of the uprights, starting a four-game losing streak in the Super Bowl for the Bills. 100 Greatest NFL Games series ranked it at #10.
- The game became the only Super Bowl decided by one point and the first Super Bowl in which neither team committed a turnover. The Giants set a Super Bowl record-holding possession of the ball for 40 minutes and 33 seconds.
- The Giants defense boasted 3 Pro Bowl selections: defensive tackle Erik Howard, and linebackers Pepper Johnson and Lawrence Taylor (10.5 sacks). Linebacker Gary Reasons was also a strong force.
- The Bills had a very talented team with nine Pro Bowl selections on their roster. Their defense was led by defensive end Bruce Smith, who recorded 19 sacks, forced four fumbles, and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.
©CCM Mar 1 2022
1991 Stanley Cup Finals
Pittsburgh Penguins 8, Minnesota North Stars 0
Penguins win the series 4 games to 2 (4-5, 4-1, 1-3, 5-3, 6-4, 8-0).
The 1991 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1990-91 season, and the culmination of the 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs. The series featured the Clarence Campbell Conference champion Minnesota North Stars (27-39-14), and the Prince of Wales Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins (41-33-6). It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. This is the first and only (to date) Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the expansion group of 1967.
Game Date
Saturday, May 25, 1991
View more cards from key players from this matchup
Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux, despite missing a game due to a back injury, recorded 12 points in the other 5 games to lead all scorers the Cup Finals and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP.
View all the Hockey cards from 1990 in the Gallery
Next Up...
1992 Stanley Cup Finals
The Minnesota North Stars were the surprise winners in the Campbell Conference, after only winning 27 games in '90-91. They upset both St. Louis and Chicago, then defeated the Edmonton Oilers in a five-game conference championship series.
- Mario Lemieux scored one of the most famous goals in NHL history during the second period of Game 2, going to his backhand and sliding the puck into the net beating goalie Jon Casey (before crashing into the net himself).
- The Penguins were led in 1990-91 by Mark Recchi (40 goals, 113 points), John Cullen (31 goals, 94 points) and Kevin Stevens (40 goals). Mario Lemieux had only played 26 games during the season due to a back injury.
- The Penguins had put together a fine nucleus going forward in 1990-91, due to acquiring future Hall of Famer Ron Francis from Hartford, while Czech winger Jaromir Jagr was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
- Minnesota's victory over the Oilers in the Clarence Campbell Conference championship was so impressive that it prompted Oilers owner, Peter Pocklington to remark, "they play like we used to play."
©CCM Mar 1 2022
1991 NBA Finals
Chicago Bulls 108, Los Angeles Lakers 101
Bulls win the series 4 games to 1 (91-93, 107-86, 104-96 (OT), 97-82, 108-101).
The 1991 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1991 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1990-91 season.The Chicago Bulls (61-21) from the Eastern Conference were matched with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (58-24). This series would mark the end of the Lakers Showtime era and the beginning of the Bulls' dynasty. The Bulls, led by Jordan and small forward Scottie Pippen, would win five more championships after 1991 in a seven-year span, cementing their status as a dynasty.
Game Date
Wednesday, June 12, 1991
View more cards from key players from this matchup
Bulls guard Michael Jordan, in his first NBA Finals appearance, averaged 31.2 points on 56% shooting, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks en route to his first NBA Finals MVP Award.
View all the Basketball cards from 1990 in the Gallery
Next Up...
1992 NBA Finals
“I never thought I’d be this emotional,” said Michael Jordan after Game 5, who cried and repeatedly hugged the NBA’s championship trophy. “I’ve never been this emotional publicly.”
- Michael Jordan became only the third player in NBA history (after big men George Mikan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to capture the scoring title (over 31 points a game) and a championship in the same season.
- The Bulls had made drastic changes since Jordan’s rookie year. John Paxson was signed as a free agent in 1985. Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen were added in the 1987 Draft and center Bill Cartwright was acquired for Charles Oakley in 1988.
- The 1991 NBA Finals was billed as a matchup between two larger-than-life superstars - Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. But as the series played out, it became obvious that it took a team, not one superlative individual, to win an NBA title.
- The Lakers, who became a defensive unit under new coach Mike Dunleavy, were led by Johnson, who was 31 and playing in what would be his last full season, as well as fellow All-Star teammate James Worthy; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired 2 seasons earlier.
©CCM Mar 1 2022