Starting Lineup (toy line)

Starting Lineup is a brand of sports action figures originally produced from 1988 to 2001, first by Kenner and later by Hasbro. They were conceived by Pat McInally, himself a former professional American football player with the Cincinnati Bengals. The figures became very popular, and eventually included sports stars from baseball, football, basketball, and hockey; and, to a lesser extent, auto racing, boxing, track & field, skating, soccer, and golf. In the late 2010s, the figures made a comeback as a promotional item at several sporting events.

McInally, who graduated cum laude from Harvard University and is the only NFL player with a verified perfect score on the Wonderlic test, came up with the idea during a visit to a toy store. He noticed that there were many figurines available of the likes of G.I. Joe, but none depicting famous athletes, whom McInally considered to be just as recognizable to children. Today, the figures are collector items, with prices per figure sometimes ranging in the hundreds.

A typical figure stands about 4 inches (10 cm) tall, but the brand at times launched various special series that can be much larger including a 14" NBA line and came with a sports card of the respective athlete.