David Bowie had it right: Few baseball seasons contained the magic and excitement of 1984, a year of upsets, new superstars, and many surprises. Now, you’ll be able to put your managerial acumen to the test and Strat-O-Matic releases the 1984 season on Opening Day. Naturally, these cards will be updated as our season set debuts roll in Super Advanced form.

All eyes were on the Detroit Tigers throughout the 1984 campaign, as the team started off with a nine-game winning streak and never looked back all the way to a World Series championship against the San Diego Padres. Even on a team with veteran stars Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, and Kirk Gibson, it was closer Willie Hernandez who unexpectedly clinched both the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards. Hernandez’s exception performance included pitching in 80 games, achieving a 1.92 ERA, and securing 30 saves. Noteworthy contributions also came from Jack Morris, with 19 wins including a no-hitter, Gibson’s 91 RBI, and Trammell’s .314 batting average and .382 on-base percentage.

While the Tigers roared their way to wins all season, the Padres earned their NL pennant thanks to a balanced lineup that featured Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who snagged his first batting title with .351 average and 213 hits, and stellar pitching from Goose Gossage and Eric Show.

The National League saw its top awards going to Chicago players: Ryne Sandberg grabbed the MVP with a .314 average, 19 homers, 84 RBI, and sterling defense, while Rick Sutcliffe’s 20 outstanding starts with the Cubs (16-1 record and 2.69 ERA) earned him the Cy Young. Rookie of the Year Dwight Gooden led the NL in strikeouts with 276, and Rick Langston topped the AL with 204.

Do you like mashers? Tony Armas led the AL with a career-high 43 homers, while Dale Murphy of Atlanta and Mike Schmidt of Philadelphia tied for the NL lead with 36 each. Swipes were hype in ’84, with speeders such as Tim Raines (75 swipes), Juan Samuel (72), and Alan Wiggins (70) among the leaders in larceny. Test your SOM managerial acumen and see if your skills can propel your favorite squad past the Padres or Tigers.

756 total cards, averages over 29 players per team!

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