Steve Carlton 1985 Drake's Big Hitters and Super Pitchers

 

1985 Steve Carlton Drake's Big Hitters and Super Pitchers (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

The back of the 1985 Drake's used a red card stock-much easier to read than the green on the 1985 Topps cards. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Drake’s Snack Cakes are a product that I was not familiar with growing up in the Midwest. According to Wikipedia, Drake’s are mainly distributed on the East Coast. Why do I bring this up? Well, for several years in the 1980’s, Drake’s made a series of baseball cards. The cards started in 1981 as “Drake’s Big Hitters,” featuring powerful sluggers of the day. Drake’s had some kind of licensing deal with Topps, as they used a unique design on the front of their cards, and different photos from Topps, but the backs were identical to the Topps cards of that year. In 1985, Drake’s set “Big Hitters and Super Pitchers” was the first to include star hurlers. It’s only fitting that Steve Carlton was featured in that set.

For 1985, Drake’s used a red stock rather than the green that Topps used. It was a wise choice, because you can actually read the backs of the Drake’s cards. It’s especially noticeable when you have 20 years of stats on the back of your card, like Lefty had.

I really like this photo of Carlton in mid-delivery, as it looks like the ball is coming right at you. It’s very similar to the photo used on Carlton’s 1985 Topps Record Holders card. You’d better be ready to hit, as it looks like Lefty’s bringing the heat. Just try to lay off the slider in the dirt—easier said than done!