Roger Clemens Rookie Cards: The Ultimate Collector’s Guide

The Five Types of Roger Clemens Rookie Cards

Roger Clemens came along during a time when the hobby was just about to get really carried away with the number of different sets available to collectors.

Five rookie cards may seem like a lot when you consider most players during the vintage era had only one.

But, compared to the late 80s when players like Don Mattingly, Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. had a plethora of rookie cards to their names, five isn't so bad.

And you may be surprised at how well some of these cards have held up over time considering the cloud that still hangs over his legacy.

1984 Fleer Update #27

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $600

Distinction: Fleer's "Update" product line was its answer to the Topps Traded sets which featured players who were traded or called up from the Minors during the season. Because Clemens was called up to the Red Sox on May 15, 1984 he was then included in the 1984 Fleer Update set. And along with Clemens' 1985 Topps rookie, this is his most recognizable and desirable.

Number: This is card #27 in a set of 132 cards.

Front Design: I actually think this card is the best-looking of all five of his rookies.

The set design itself is straightforward but the bright-faced Clemens and the clear blue sky background make for some fantastic eye appeal.

Sure, it could've been even better had Fleer pictured him in action on the mound but the pose from the chest up still works.

Back Design: The reverse side has all the tell-tale signs of those early Fleer sets: a simple color scheme, stripes through the stat lines and a decent-sized trivia write-up along the bottom.

When you look at his Minor League stats, it's easy to see just how quickly he breezed his way through to his Red Sox debut.

Fleer's inclusion of a photo on the back helped set them apart and was always something I enjoyed.

One thing that always had me curious was how they didn't mention his time in the Minors in 1984 with Pawtucket.

Condition Issues: The biggest challenge collectors face with this card is centering.

And that goes for both the front and the back as Fleer always seemed to struggle in that area in with its early 1980s issues.

1985 Donruss #273

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $160

Distinction: This is the key rookie card in the 1985 Donruss set which also featured rookies of Kirby Puckett and Doc Gooden.

Number: Donruss included 660 cards in their set with Clemens' card #273.

Front Design: Say what you will about Donruss but they clearly had some of the most recognizable designs of any company during the 1980s.

With so many sets featuring white borders, I always enjoyed it when a company mixed things up with colored borders and this set was no exception.

And I love that Donruss logo in the upper-left corner, too.

I know I said earlier that his 1984 Fleer Update card was probably my favorite design but this one is right there with it.

And with the action shot of him ready to fire one across the plate, it just may take the top spot.

Back Design: The reverse side is instantly recognizable as a Donruss design.

The horizontal layout, the fonts, the colored background...everything about it has that classic Donruss look and feel to it.

And that layout made room for an elongated stat box which includes full words for categories instead of abbreviations like "SO" for strikeouts and "BB" for walks that you see on Topps and Fleer designs.

I always appreciated how Donruss included additional information like players' contract statuses and how they were acquired.

Donruss was clearly trying to set itself apart from Fleer and Topps and I think they did so quite well.

Condition Issues: Centering is also a tough challenge with this card.

But those colored borders that easily show wear and tear are typically the key component that will prevent a pack fresh card from being graded at the PSA 10 level.

1985 Fleer #155

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $350

Distinction: This is again the key rookie card in a set which also featured rookies of Doc Gooden and Kirby Puckett.

Number: Like Donruss, Fleer also included 660 cards in its set with Clemens' being #155.

Front Design: Fleer was also known for its sets with non-white borders during the 1980s.

The grey borders may come off looking a bit bland but the bright red borders and Red Sox logo at the top help balance out the card with just enough pop.

And how about that look on Clemens' face?

He may be staring down a base runner on second...or just staring down someone in general...but you can definitely get a good idea of how intense he was from this image.

This card has a more serious tone to it overall than the others but it's still a great-looking card.

Back Design: The reverse side side again has those classic Fleer design elements to it that we covered with his 1984 Fleer Update card.

We do see that Fleer included his time with Pawtucket in early 1984, something that I always thought was noticeably absent from his 1984 Fleer Update rookie.

Condition Issues: Centering is a tough issue with this card as are those grey borders since they can also easily show wear.

1985 Leaf #99

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $325

Distinction: Leaf once acquired Donruss in order to position itself as a card manufacturer for the Canadian market, pretty much like the relationship between O-Pee-Chee and Topps.

And this was the key card in their 1985 release.

Number: The 1985 Leaf set was much smaller than its Donruss counterpart as it included only 264 cards instead of 660.  

You'll also notice the numbering of the sets was different as Clemens is card #99 in the Leaf set versus #273 in the Donruss set.

Front Design: Obviously, the Leaf design was nearly identical to that of Donruss with the glaring difference on the front being the leaf symbol right next to the Donruss logo in the upper-left.

Back Side: The reverse side also has the same look and feel to the reverse side of the Donruss issue.

However, there are a few obvious differences here as well, primarily the inclusion of both English and French text, the card #99 in the upper left, and the mention of the Leaf company in the upper right.

Condition Issues: The quality of the cardboard stock used for these cards wasn't the greatest so they're often easily dinged up and tougher to find in high grade than their Donruss cousins.

Condition Issues: The most common condition obstacle with this card is centering but you'll also sometimes see print bubbles as well.