Looking at the 1993 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on my posts from the past couple of weeks featuring pinbacks from the Dodgers Unocal pin sets, I now share with you the pins from the 1993 set.  This is the very last pin set Unocal made.  Go here to check out my previous post on these sets.

Pin #1 - Rookies of the Year (Jackie Robinson Award) - In 1992, Eric Karros became the 12th Dodgers overall, and 8th LA Dodgers to win the Rookie of the Year Award, a major league record.  Dodger winners include Jackie Robinson, 1947; Don Newcombe, 1949; Joe Black, 1952; Jim Gilliam, 1953; Frank Howard, 1960; Jim Lefebvre, 1965; Ted Sizemore, 1969; Rick Sutcliffe, 1979; Steve Howe, 1980; Fernando Valenzuela, 1981; Steve Sax, 1982; Karros, 1992.

Pin #2 - No-Hitters - Since the Dodgers moves to LA in 1958, no other Major League team's pitchers have hurled more no-hitters (through 1992): Sandy Koufax, 6/30/62; 5/11/63; 6/4/64; 9/9/65 (perfect game); Bill Singer, 7/20/70; Jerry Reuss, 6/27/80; Fernando Valenzuela, 6/29/90; Kevin Gross, 8/17/1992.

Pin #3 - Dodger Stadium Hosts Rockies - This Collector's pin commemorates the Dodgers' first game against the expansion Colorado Rockies on Friday, May 21, 1993, at Dodger Stadium.

Pin #4 - Dodger Stadium Hosts Marlins - This Collector's pin commemorates the Dodgers' first game against the expansion Florida Marlins on Monday, June 7, 1993, at Dodger Stadium.

Pin #5 - 35th Anniversary of Dodgers in LA - The Dodgers played their first game in Los Angeles on April 18,1958.  Since then, the club has won 5 World Championships and 9 National League pennants, both league highs.

Pin #6 - Largest Crowd - A major league record crowd of 93,103 packed the LA Coliseum on May 7, 1959, as the Dodgers mat the Yankees in an exhibition game that featured an emotional salute to Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella.

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Looking at the 1992 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on my posts from the past couple of weeks featuring pinbacks from the Dodgers Unocal pin sets, I now share with you the pins from the 1992 set.  Go here to check out my previous post on these sets.

The 1992 Dodgers' Unocal pin set focuses on the 30th Anniversary of Dodger Stadium. 

Pin #1 - Four World Championships - Since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962 the Dodgers have captured four World Championships ('63, '65, '81 & '88).  No other Major League Baseball club has won more World Championships during this time.

Pin #2 - 30th Anniversary Logo - This official logo commemorates the 30th Anniversary of Dodger Stadium.  Since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, it has hosted 8 World Series, 7 NL Championship Series, 2 tie-breaking playoffs and several international events; including the 1984 Olympic baseball competition.

Pin #3 - Total Wins - Since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, the Dodgers have compiled more wins (2,621) than any other Major League Baseball club.  In that time the Dodgers have won 4 World Championships, 8 NL Pennants and 7 NL Western Division titles.

Pin #4 - 10th Player - Dodger fans, known since 1980 as the 10th Player, support the Dodgers in record numbers year in and year out.  Nearly 80 million fans have enjoyed Dodger baseball at Dodger Stadium since the ballpark opened in 1962.

Pin #5 - Dodger Managers - Since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, the Dodgers have had only two managers, Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda.  In the club's 30 years at Dodger Stadium, Alston and Lasorda led the Dodgers to 20 first or second place finishes and 8 NL Pennants.

Pin #6 - Eight NL Pennants - Since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, the Dodgers have won 8 NL Pennants ('63, '65, '66, '74, '77, '78, '81, '88).  No other Major League Baseball club has won as many pennants during this time.

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Looking at the 1991 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on my posts from the past couple of weeks featuring pinbacks from the Dodgers Unocal pin sets, I now share with you the pins from the 1991 set.  Go here to check out my previous post on these sets.

One of the benefits of putting together this checklist of Dodgers' Unocal pins is that I am forced to take a close look at my own sets.  As I was preparing to write this post, I discovered that I had a hole in my collection.  For reasons unbeknown to me, I had a duplicate pin in place of Pin #1 of the 1991 set.  Hopefully, I will soon rectify that error.  In the meantime, take a look at an image I took off of eBay of that pin below.

The theme of the 1991 Dodgers' Unocal pin set are record breaking/setting Dodger accomplishments.

Pin #1 - Record Setting Infield - Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey comprised the longest-standing infield in Major League history.  The four men played together from 1973 through 1981.

Pin #2 - Pinch-Hitting Records - Manny Mota set a record with 150 career pinch-hits and hit a remarkable .322 as a pinch-hitter with the Dodgers.  Lee Lacy tied a Major League record by slamming three consecutive inch-hit home runs during May 1978.

Pin #3 - Consecutive Shutout Innings - Don Drysdale's 56 1/3 consecutive shutout innings in 1968 set a record that was broken by Orel Hershiser's 59 straight shutout innings in 1988.  Fernando Valenzuela set a record with 41 1/3 straight shutout innings at the start of a season (1985).

Pin #4 - No-Hitters in LA - Sandy Koufax, Bill Singer, Jerry Reuss and Fernando Valenzuela have hurled no-hitters for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Koufax tossed four no-hitters in all, including a perfect game against the Cubs at Dodger Stadium on September 9, 1965.

Pin #5 - Four Teammates with 30 Homers - Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), Ron Cey (30) and Dusty Baker (30) are the only foursome in Major League history to each hit 30 or more homers in a single season (1977).

Pin #6 - 18 Strikeouts in a Game - Sandy Koufax tied a Major League record by striking out 18 Chicago Cubs on August 31, 1959, at the Los Angeles Coliseum.  Ramon Martinez duplicated Koufax' feat against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on June 4, 1990.

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Looking at the 1990 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on my posts from the past couple of weeks featuring pinbacks from the Dodgers Unocal pin set, I now share with you the pins from the 1990 set.  Go here to check out my previous post on these sets.

The 1990 Dodgers' pin set celebrates the 100 year anniversary of the Dodgers in the National League. 

Pin #1 - Official Logo - One hundred years of great moments and great memories are commemorated in the official logo for the Dodgers' Centennial Celebration in the National League

Pin #2 -1st Game in NL 1890 - The Dodgers' first National League game was played on April 19,1890, versus the Boston Beaneaters.  Final score: Boston 15, Dodgers 9.

Pin #3 - World Series Titles - The Dodgers have won six World Series Titles: 1955 vs. Yankees, 1959 vs. White Sox, 1963 vs. Yankees, 1965 vs. Twins, 1981 vs. Yankees, 1988 vs. A;s.

Pin #4 - Retired Uniforms - #1 Pee Wee Reese, #4 Duke Snider, #19 Jim Gilliam, #24 Walter Alston, #32 Sandy Koufax, #39 Roy Campanella, #42 Jackie Robinson, #53 Don Drysdale.

Pin #5 - 1st Game in LA - The Dodgers played their first game in Los Angeles on April18, 1958, versus the San Francisco Giants in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  Final score Dodgers 6, Giants 5.

Pin #6 - NL Pennants - The Dodgers winning tradition includes twenty-one pennants in their one-hundred year history: 1890, 1899, 1900, 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1988.

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Looking at the 1989 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on my posts from last week featuring pinbacks from the Dodgers Unocal pin set, I now share with you the pins from the 1989 set.  Go here to check out my previous post on these sets.

Check out all 6 pins from the 1989 pin set below.  The descriptions are from the cardboard backing that came with the original packaging for the pins.  As you can see, there is a definite theme involved.  Each one celebrates a Dodgers' World Series Championship.

Pin #1 - 1988 Dodgers vs. A's -Kirk Gibson's dramatic 2-run pinch-homer in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 set the stage for the Dodgers' sixth World Championship, fifth in LA.  Orel Hershiser won two games, a 6+0 shutout and the complete game Series clincher, to earn MVP honors.

Pin #2 - 1981 Dodgers vs. Yankees -Rick Monday's winning homer against Montreal in the NLCS sent the Dodgers to the World Series.  After losing the first two games at Yankee Stadium, the Dodgers clinched the title by winning the next four straight.  The Series marked the first tri-MVP selection in World Series history - Steve Yeager, Pedro Guerrero and Ron Cey.

Pin #3 - 1965 Dodgers vs. Twins -The Twins had been blanked only twice all year, but the Dodgers shut them out three times, once by Claude Osteen and twice by Sandy Koufax.  Koufax was named Series MVP as Sweet Lou Johnson hit the game-winning homer in Game 7.

Pin #4 - 1963 Dodgers vs. Yankees -The Dodgers used only four pitchers - Sandy Koufax, Johnny Podres, Don Drysdale and Ron Perranoski - who compiled a team ERA of 1.00.  Koufax was named MVP, setting Series records by striking out 15 in Game 1, including the first five batters he faced.

Pin #5 - 1959 Dodgers vs. White Sox -An all-time attendance record was set as the Dodgers won their first World Series in Los Angeles.  Larry Sherry became the first pitcher to finish all four wins in a World Series, earning him MVP honors.  Charlie Neal (.370, 2 HR's, 6 RBI), Gil Hodges (.391, 1 HR) and Chuck Essegian (2 pinch-HR's) were the hitting stars.

Pin #6 - 1955 Dodgers vs. Yankees - The Dodgers won their first-ever World Championship and became the first to win seven games after losing the first two.  Pitcher Johnny Podres was the Series MVP and Duke Snider was the hitting star (.320, 4 HR's, 7 RBI).  Sandy Amoros turned in the play of the Series with a running catch that saved at least two runs, in game seven.

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A Look at the 1988 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on Wednesday's post featuring all 6 pins from the 1987 Dodgers Unocal pin set, I now share with you the pins from the 1988 set.

Unocal decided to go with a theme for the 1988 set.  All 6 pins feature LA Dodgers award winners.  Check them all out below.

Pin #1 - Move Valuable Players - In 1962 and 1963, the Dodgers had back-to-back National League MVP's in Maury Wills and Sandy Koufax.  Om 1974, Steve Garvey became the third Los Angeles Dodger to be honored with the league's most prestigious award.

Pin #2 - Stolen Base Champions - The LA Dodgers have two players lead the National League in stolen bases.  Maury Wills captured the stolen base championship six times from 1960-1965, including a record setting 104 in 1962.  Davey Lopes won the title in 1974 and 1976.  Lopes stole a career-high 77 bases in 1975.

Pin #3 - World Series MVP's - In 1959, Larry Sherry became the first World Series MVP the Dodgers had in LA.  Sandy Koufax led the World Champion Dodgers in the 1963 and 1965 World Series and he earned MVP honors in both series.  In 1981, Pedro Guerrero, Ron Cey and Steve Yeager were the sparks for the Dodgers, earning tri-MVP honors.

Pin #4 - CY Young Award Winners - The Los Angeles Dodgers have had four players earn the top honor for pitchers in the National League:  Don Drysdale (1962), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965, 1966). Mike Marshall (1974), and Fernando Valenzuela (1981).

Pin #5 - Batting Champions - Tommy Davis collected two hits on Sept. 28, 1963, to finish with a .326 average and become the second youngest player in history ever to win two consecutive batting crowns.  In 1962, Tommy led the league with a .346 average.

Pin #6 - Rookies of the Year - The LA Dodgers have produced seven Rookies of the Year, including four consecutive winners from 1979-1982.  Frank Howard (1960), Jim Lefebvre (1965), Ted Sizemore (1969), Rick Sutcliffe (1979), Steve Howe (1980), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), and Steve Sax (1982.

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A Look at the 1987 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

I still remember the days when every new Dodger season meant a new Dodger promotion at local Union 76 gas stations.  I'd wait patiently for the newest commercial telling me what they had in store.  Then, I would needle and prod my parents to get their gas there.

Let me tell ya, those gas executives are insidious folks.  They knew parents couldn't resist the screams of a youthful rabid Dodger fan like myself.

In the late '80's to early 90's, my favorite promo of all-time came out.  They were the Dodgers historical pins, and over the next coming weeks I'll share every pin they made.  Today, we look at the 1987 Unocal pin set.

From what I remember, you could buy one pin with the purchase of eight or more gallons of gas at Unocal 76 gas stations.  A total of 6 different pins were available.  Check them all out below.

BTW, this pin promotion ran for 7 years, and 6 pins were released each year.  They are very affordable today, and can be purchased for just a few bucks a piece on eBay.

Now, on to the pins.

Pin #1 - Logo Pin - This year marks the 25 Anniversary of Dodger Stadium. Since 1962, more than 64 million fans have visited baseball's greatest shrine to witness some of the game's most exciting moments and most talented players.  Over 25 years, the Dodgers have won 3 World Championships, 7 NL Pennants, and 6 NL Western Division Titles.

Pin #2  World Series Titles Pin - During the past 25 years at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers have captured 3 World Series titles:  Behind Koufax, Drysdale and Podres, they swept the NY Yankees in four straight in 1963.  In 1965, the Minnesota Twins fell in 7 games.  And in 1981, after losing the first two games, the Dodgers won four straight to beat the Yankees.

Pin #3 - 1st Game at Dodger Stadium Pin - Dodger Stadium opened its doors fot eh first time on April 10, 1962.  A crowd of 52,664 fans witnessed the inaugural game as the Reds behind Bob Purkey beat Johnny Podres and the Dodgers 6 to 3..  Cincinnati's Wally Post hit the first home run at Dodger Stadium.  Duke Snider go the Dodgers first hit - a single in the 2nd inning.

Pin #4 - 7 Pennants in 25 Years Pin - No Major League club has won more pennants than the Dodgers' seven during the past 25 years.  Under Walter Alston, the Dodgers captured titles in 1963, 1965, 1966 and 1974.  Tommy Lasorda piloted the Dodgers to NL pennants in his first two years of managing: 1977 and 1978, and again in 1981.

Pin #5 - Baseball in the Olympics Pin - Baseball's greatest involvement in the history of the Olympics took place at Dodger Stadium in 1984 as teams from eight countries competed.  More than 385,000 fans viewed the eight day tournament as Japan took the Gold Medal, USA the Silver and Chinese Taipei the Bronze.

Pin #6 - All-Star Game Pin - July 8, 1980 - Dodger Stadium was the site of baseball's 51st All-Star Game.  Dodger All-Stars in 1980 were Bill Russell, Reggie Smith, Bob Welch, Steve Garvey, Jerry Reuss and Davey Lopes.  The National League won the game 4 to 2 before 56,088 fans with Reuss as the winning pitcher.

BTW, below is an example of what the complete pin packaging looks like.  I have not personally kept the cardboard backing for my collection, so I took the below photo from eBay.  As you can see, pins were attached to cardboard backing with a description of each pin.

(1987 Unocal Pin Set)

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