This is the first team that finished with a below .500 record in 1982. For the Yankees, this is also their first losing season since 1973. This team started a 13 season stretch where the Yankees didn't make the playoffs, the worst run for the Yankees since they became a team back in 1903 and didn't reach a World Series until 1921.
The Yankees get a lot of heat for buying their way into the playoffs. Funny thing is, looking at this roster, they largely bought this team and it got them nowhere. John Mayberry, Roy Smalley, Dave Winfield, Jerry Mumphrey, Ken Griffey, Dave Collins, and Butch Wynegar were all big names on other teams brought in and didn't do a whole lot to help the Yankees. In fact it wasn't until they started building a team from within in the early 1990s that they would right the ship again and get back into the playoffs.
MVP
Dave Winfield led this team in home runs and RBI, was 1 behind the team leader in runs scored and second on the team in batting average. Honorable mention goes to Willie Randolph.
Cy Young
Another hall-of-famer gets the nod here, closer Rich Gossage. Although he had a 4-5 record, he had 30 saves to go with a 2.23 ERA.
Rookie Card of the Year
Dave Righetti won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1981 and would take over for the above mentioned Rich Gossage as the closer for the team in 1984. He would be the Yankees closer through the 1990 season before he left as a free agent to sign with the Giants. He has cards in all three of the sets.
Most Interesting Non-Topps Card
George Steinbrenner was in prime form in 1982, going through 3 managers. The Yankees had 10 managers between 1974 when Bill Virdon was hired on and 1991 when Stump Merrill was let go to make room for Buck Showalter. That may not seem like that many, but there were several managers who had multiple stints, including Billy Martin who had 5 different stints as Yankee manager.
Bob Lemon was another of those managers with multiple stints. He led the team in the 2nd half of 1978 and the early half of 1979 only to be let go, but was brought back at the tail end of the 1981 season leading the Yankees into the World Series in 1981. Bob Lemon started out 1982, but was let go after 2 weeks, with a not that terrible 6-8 record. Must've had a bad spring training. Lemon is the only one of the three Yankee managers of 1982 to have a card in any of the 1982 sets.
Starters
| __ | TO | 45 | C | Rick Cerone | NYY |
| __ | TT | 67 | 1B | John Mayberry | NYY |
| __ | TO | 569 | 2B | Willie Randolph | NYY |
| __ | TO | 505 | 3B | Graig Nettles | NYY |
| __ | TT | 107 | SS | Roy Smalley | NYY |
| __ | TO | 600 | LF | Dave Winfield | NYY |
| __ | TO | 175 | CF | Jerry Mumphrey | NYY |
| __ | TT | 40 | RF | Ken Griffey | NYY |
| __ | TO | 472 | DH | Oscar Gamble | NYY |
| __ | TT | 20 | UT | Dave Collins | NYY |
| __ | TO | 538 | UT | Lou Piniella | NYY |
| __ | TT | 131 | C | Butch Wynegar | NYY |
Starting Pitchers
| __ | TO | 9 | SP | Ron Guidry | NYY |
| __ | TO | 75 | SP | Tommy John | NYY |
| __ | TO | 439 | SP | Dave Righetti | NYY |
| __ | SP | Mike Morgan |
Relief Pitchers
| __ | TO | 770 | CL | Rich Gossage | NYY |
| __ | TT | 95 | RP | Shane Rawley | NYY |
| __ | TO | 735 | RP | Rudy May | NYY |
| __ | TO | 349 | RP | George Frazier | NYY |
| __ | TO | 142 | RP | Dave LaRoche | NYY |
| __ | TT | 30 | SP | Roger Erickson | NYY |
| __ | TT | 1 | SP | Doyle Alexander | NYY |
Other Players
| __ | TO | 240 | SS | Bucky Dent | NYY |
| __ | TO | 208 | DH | Bobby Murcer | NYY |
| __ | TO | 465 | 1B | Lee Mazzilli | NYM |
| __ | SS | Andre Robertson | |||
| __ | 1B | Steve Balboni | |||
| __ | TO | 357 | DH | Butch Hobson | CAL |
| __ | TO | 706 | C | Barry Foote | NYY |
| __ | 1B | Dave Revering | |||
| __ | TO | 541 | IF | Barry Evans | SDP |
| __ | TO | 259 | MI | Rodney Scott | MON |
| __ | IF | Larry Milbourne | |||
| __ | TO | 275 | UT | Bob Watson | NYY |
| __ | UT | Mike Patterson | |||
| __ | UT | Don Mattingly | |||
| __ | TO | 354 | C | Bobby Ramos | MON |
| __ | 2B | Edwin Rodriguez | |||
| __ | C | Juan Espino | |||
| __ | DH | Dave Stegman | |||
| __ | SP | Jay Howell | |||
| __ | RP | John Pacella | |||
| __ | RP | Curt Kaufman | |||
| __ | TO | 85 | RP | Lynn McGlothen | CHW |
| __ | SP | Stefan Wever | |||
| __ | RP | Jim Lewis |
Minor Leagues
| __ | TO | 405 | MN | Rick Reuschel | NYY |
| __ | TO | 694 | MN | Dave Wehrmeister | NYY |
Manager/Coaches
| __ | DO | 635 | MG | Bob Lemon | NYY |
| __ | MG | Gene Michael | |||
| __ | MG | Clyde King | |||
| __ | DO | 387 | CO | Yogi Berra | NYY |
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