Yep, I was happy about a bunch of new stuff in 81 too. What great fun!
And for a few years I'd look at nearly any box or package with a blank side or bit of excess room in the design and think "they could put a card there"
Then by the late 90's I pretty much got that. And realized how much less special it made everything.
I think cutting down was overall a good thing for both baseball and the hobby. At the time they started most companies weren't doing well and as companies failed and were bought or not bought it made things confusing.
Will my favorite set be made this year? and by who? fleerboxdeck? donruss/pinnacle/panini? Panini?! aren't those the Italian soccer stickers that look identical from one year to the next?
And with future values not only tied to production but popularity the products with stronger brands that survived would do better. (I think I'm the only one who prefers some of the extinct companies like signature rookies and collectors edge and wild card although most of those only did football. ) So they had to cut back to one or two licensees to rebuild the market for cards in general.
Steve B