The late 1980s baseball card boom was fertile ground for another sports memorabilia product to gain a foothold. For 14 years, “Starting Lineup” figures captured the imagination of kids everywhere.

They were action figures produced in the form of a baseball player, basketball player, football player, hockey players, and even Auto Racing. Everyone, at least in my youthful social group, had to have as many of them as possible.

Each package included at least one figurine, one or more trading cards, and/or items like a mini-poster or small medallion. They became one of the most popular lines of sports figurines ever produced, and there is still a sizeable market for them. Pre-1992 pieces are going to be the hardest to find in good condition and those years are home to the most expensive of all the SLUs.

Behind the Lineup

In 1988, Kenner toys produced the first series of Starting Lineup figures. Based on an idea conceived by former Cincinnati Bengals player Pat McInally, the original series included athletes from baseball, basketball, and football. Each action figure came in a color coded package (blue, red, and green respectively).

By the early 1990s, the figures were extremely popular. Small conventions popped up around the country and even The National Sports Collectors Convention became a hot spot for figures. Kenner started to release a handful of convention exclusives and then established the SLU Collector Club. A few figures were issued exclusively to SLUCC members.

Today, the convention and collector club pieces, not being available through retail, usually cost a bit more money. The figures were so popular that in 1993, hockey figures, with their distinct yellow boxes, were introduced. Four years later, Auto racing was introduced.