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The 1988 Cape Cod Prospects Set

Andrew
Four of the most recognizable names from the 1988 Cape Cod Prospects baseball card set. Photo by smalltraditions.com.

Four of the most recognizable names from the 1988 Cape Cod Prospects baseball card set. Photo by smalltraditions.com.

If you're a fan of the Cape Cod Baseball League, you probably have a bit of merch and memorabilia. I've definitely bought a number of shirts and hats throughout the years, including a 2016 All-Star Game shirt from this year's game in Chatham. But one of the most sought after items ever produced is from 1988.

In 1988, Ballpark Cards produced a single printing of about 6000 baseball card sets with top Cape League players. The company sold them for $5 or gave them away to players and league officials/volunteers. Two of the best players were selected from each team for cards, along with a card with each team's photo. In addition to the sets, Ballpark Cards also printed an unknown number of 20"x24" oversized display cards for promotion; The League auctioned off a three-card set in 2006.

Here's the complete list of cards from the 1988 set, with some facts about the players (please leave a comment if you spot any inaccuracies or have additional details):

  1. Tom Drell (Bourne)
    MiLB: 1990-1992, reached A+
  2. Mark Johnson (Bourne)
    MLB: Pittsburgh 1995-1997, Anaheim 1998, New York Mets 2000-2002
  3. Jimmie Jones (Chatham)
  4. Jeff Bagwell (Chatham)
    MLB: Houston 1991-2005
    National Baseball Hall of Fame
    Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame
  5. Robert Gralewski (Brewster)
  6. Dennis Burbank (Brewster)
    MiLB: 1991-1992, reached A+
    Independent: 1993
  7. Brian Shabosky (Cotuit)
    Independent: 1995
  8. Jeff Litzinger (Cotuit)
  9. Thomas Raffo (Falmouth)
    MiLB: 1990-1992, reached A+
    Independent: 1993
  10. Bob Kiser (Falmouth)
  11. John Valentin (Hyannis)
    MLB: Boston 1992-2001, New York Mets 2002
    Drafted by Boston Red Sox in 1988 and never played a single CCBL game
    Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
  12. Kevin Morton (Hyannis)
    MLB: Boston 1991
  13. Jesse Levis (Orleans)
    MLB: Cleveland 1992-1995 + 1999, Milwaukee 1996-1998 + 2001
  14. Frank Thomas (Orleans)
    MLB: Chicago White Sox 1990-2005, Oakland 2006-2008, Toronto 2007-2008
    National Baseball Hall of Fame
    Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame
  15. Chuck Knoblauch (Wareham)
    MLB: Minnesota 1991-1997, New York Yankees 1998-2001, Kansas City 2002
    Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame
  16. Maurice Vaughn (Wareham)
    MLB: Boston 1991-1998, Anaheim 1999-2000, New York Mets 2002-2003
    Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
    Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame
  17. Mike Mordecai (Yarmouth-Dennis)
    MLB: Atlanta 1994-1997, Montreal 1998-2002, Florida 2002-2005
  18. Stephen O'Donnell (Yarmouth-Dennis)
    MiLB: 1989-1992, reached A+
  19. Harry Ball (Harwich)
    MiLB: 1990, reached A-Rk
  20. Brian Turang (Harwich)
    MLB: Seattle 1993-1994
  21. Brewster Whitecaps
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Dave Staton, San Diego 1993-1994; F.P. Santangelo, Montreal 1995-1998, San Francisco 1999, Los Angeles 2000, Oakland 2001; Erik Bennett, California 1995, Minnesota 1996
  22. Orleans Cardinals
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: J.T. Snow, New York Yankees 1992, California 1993-1996, San Francisco 1997-2005 + 2008, Boston 2006; Matt Howard, New York Yankees 1996; Brian Bark, Boston 1995
  23. Chatham A's
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Mark Sweeney, St. Louis 1995-1997, San Diego 1997-1998 +2002, Cincinnati 1999, Milwaukee 2000-2001, San Francisco 2006-07, Los Angeles Dodgers 2007-2008; Dave Swartzbaugh, Chicago Cubs 1995-1997; Dan Peltier, Texas 1992-1993, San Francisco 1996
  24. Cotuit Kettleers
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Tim Salmon, California/Anaheim: 1992-2006
  25. Wareham Gateman
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Kevin King, Seattle 1993-1995; Darron Cox, Montreal 1999
  26. Bourne Braves
  27. Falmouth Commodores
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: George Tsamis, Minnesota 1993; Mike Trombley, Minnesota 1992-1998, Baltimore 2000-2001, Los Angeles Dodgers 2001, Minnesota 2002; Gary Scott, Chicago Cubs 1991-1992
  28. Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Steve Parris, Pittsburgh 1995-1996, Cincinnati 1998-2000, Toronto 2001-2002, Tampa Bay 2003
  29. Harwich Mariners
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Alan Zinter, Houston 2002, Arizona 2004; Rafael Novoa, San Francisco 1990, Milwaukee 1993
  30. Hyannis Mets
    Team photo includes the following Major Leaguers: Jeromy Burnitz, New York Mets 1993-1994 + 2002-2003, Cleveland 1995-1996, Milwaukee 1996-2001, Los Angeles Dodgers 2003, Colorado 2004, Chicago Cubs 2005, Pittsburgh 2006

In total, 40 future Major Leaguers played on the Cape during the 1988 season. But not all of them were pictured in the baseball card set.

If you search for 1988 Cape Cod baseball cards, you'll run across another set by P&L Promotions with some different players and stars along the sides. At the top of each card, it says "Cape Cod League" and "NCAA Summer Baseball". Since the NCAA was not involved in the creation of the cards, this caused a bit of a problem. Subsequently, the league banned outside companies from creating baseball card sets. However, individual teams have made their own baseball card sets.

Updates:

  • 11/22/17: Jeff Bagwell is now listed as in the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Sources:

Where should the Hall of Fame move to?

Y-D Wins Eighth Championship