MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1955 BOWMAN MICKEY MANTLE

 

 

            In 1927, a traveling chewing gum salesman named Jacob Warren Bowman opened his own company in Philadelphia, naming it Gum, Inc. Within ten years, the Bowman brand (known as “Blony”) had become the top-selling bubble gum in America. Looking for clever ways to market their product, the company began packaging gum with a series of non-sports trading cards that featured cowboys and soldiers. Baseball cards soon followed with the release of the first “Play Ball” set in 1939. When World War II arrived, restrictions on paper and gum ingredients forced most major manufacturers to shut down production. But Gum, Inc.—renamed in honor of its founder—re-entered the market in 1948 with a series of sports issues that included basketball, football, and baseball.

            In the 1950s, Topps emerged as a major competitor to Bowman and the two companies butted heads over legal rights to player contracts. Though a court settlement initially went in Topps’s favor, Bowman continued to have the edge in terms of exclusive player cards. This was glaringly evident in 1955, when Topps put out a 210-card set that was loaded with second-string players. Though the Topps team was able to secure the rights to Roberto Clemente, Harmon Killebrew, and Sandy Koufax that year, all three were virtually unknown at the time. In sharp contrast, the ’55 Bowman set is much larger (comprised of 320 pieces) and loaded with established stars. In addition to Bob Feller, Pee Wee Reese, and Roy Campanella (none of whom appeared with Topps in ’55), Bowman inked an exclusive deal with one of the most iconic players in Yankee history—Mickey Mantle.  

            The ’55 Bowman set is among the company’s most quirky offerings. American had entered the television age and, marking its arrival, player pictures were framed by a console TV. The design was not an original concept. In fact, the idea was borrowed from the Drake’s Cookies set of 1950. The primary difference is that Drake’s cards were printed in black-and-white while the Bowman issues appear in full color. Additionally, the Drake’s design (pictured below) was simplistic, hardly resembling a television at all.

            Mantle was entering his fifth big league season in ’55. He was a bit of a late-bloomer, having averaged just 21 home runs per year to that point. Living up to his full potential, he led the league with 37 homers, 11 triples, and a robust .431 on-base percentage. An impressive but largely overlooked stat: he also stole eight bases in nine attempts despite chronic (and at times debilitating) knee issues.  

            The 1955 season is best remembered for the Dodgers’ surprising World Series victory over the Yankees. This was due in part to Mantle’s diminished role. The Series went seven games, but Mickey was limited to three appearances due to a hamstring injury. He managed just 2 hits in 10 at-bats while demonstrating limited mobility. Years later, he was asked if he was glad that the Dodgers had finally won it all. “Hell no, I’m a Yankee,” he said. “I didn’t want any other team to win the World Series. But maybe in some hidden corner of my heart, I was kind of happy for them.”   

            Mickey’s 1955 Bowman card looks more like a cartoon than an actual photo, which adds to its nostalgic appeal. Mantle is standing along the right field foul line in his road grays. He’s wearing a cap with the interlocking “NY” as opposed to a batting helmet. Interestingly, helmets would not be mandatory in the American League until the late-‘50s. Though they were widely accepted in Mantle’s day, their use would not be strictly enforced until after the 1970 campaign.

            The switch-hitting Mantle is demonstrating his right-handed swing in the Bowman photo. A high outfield wall is visible in the background along with a section of empty stadium seats. An unidentified player is standing behind Mantle warming up. The wood console TV design creates some problems for modern collectors since defects are easily detectable. As of January 2026, the PSA website had listed the total population of Gem Mint copies at three. Grade 9 (Mint) copies aren’t much easier to come by with just nine having been evaluated by PSA at the time of this writing. One of them sold for $246,000. Even in Poor condition, copies carry price tags above $300.

            In an unexpected twist to the Bowman-Topps saga, the latter company bought out its bitter rival before the 1956 season, shelving the Bowman name for more than 30 years. In 1989, Topps finally began producing cards under the Bowman label. To this day, the Bowman rookie issues are among the most valuable and highly sought-after in the industry.   

 

MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1971 TOPPS THURMAN MUNSON

 

 

 

 

            At the time of its release, Topps’s 1971 collection (containing 752 cards) was its largest to date. Had the design team known in advance that it would be virtually impossible to assemble the set in pristine condition, they might have reconsidered the color scheme. The black borders make even the slightest defects glaringly evident. As a result, Gem Mint copies are virtually non-existent.

            Even so, there is plenty to like about the ’71 cards. Topps included player photos on the back-sides—an unusual feature for the era. Front-side action pics are abundant with a pleasing balance of vertical and horizontal alignments. The set is loaded with Hall of Famers—some who were entering the final years of their playing careers (like Ernie Banks and Bill Mazeroski). Other Cooperstown inductees appear on manager cards, including Ted Williams, Bob Lemon, and Red Schoendienst.

            In the 1970s, there was a lively debate as to who was the best catcher in the American League. Most fans in New York believed it was Thurman Munson while New Englanders typically argued in favor of Carlton Fisk. In the end, it was Fisk, not Munson who wound up in the Hall of Fame. But Fisk never won a World Series ring or an MVP Award like Munson did in the Bronx.

            The rivalry between the two backstops came to a head on August 1, 1973. In the ninth inning of a game between the Yanks and Sox, Munson was on third, Gene Michael was batting, and Fisk was behind the plate. Michael squared to bunt but failed to make contact with the pitch. Munson—not the speediest of runners—came barreling home anyway. There was a collision between the opposing catchers followed by a hellacious fight.

            Munson’s ‘71 Topps card shows him in his catcher’s gear applying a tag to A’s pitcher Chuck Dobson. Both players have their eyes closed as a cloud of dust and flying dirt partially obscures the view. The photo is horizontally aligned with the iconic gold All-Star Rookie symbol on the left side of the card. This is the old design when it more closely resembled a trophy with a batter standing on top of a pedestal. The trophy was later replaced with a gold cup. Munson was entering his second full season in ’71 and had walked away with Rookie of the Year honors the previous year. Seven All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, and two World Series titles followed.

            Although he could be gruff, dismissive, and downright ornery, Munson remains one of the most popular Yankee icons. Sadly, his life was cut short on August 2, 1979, when the private jet he was piloting crashed at the Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio. The Yankees retired his number (15) and added a plaque to Monument Park. More than 40 years after his passing, he still enters into discussions of the greatest Yankee catchers of all-time. In a 2026 MLB online survey, Yogi Berra received the most votes for franchise best with Munson coming in second. Jorge Posada and Bill Dickey ranked third and fourth respectively.

            High-grade copies of Munson’s ’71 Topps card have been known to sell for tens of thousands while mid-grade examples can be obtained on eBay for less than $200.  

             

 

 

MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1989 FLEER BILLY RIPKEN

 

 

            It’s not uncommon to see the sons of major leaguers carrying on the family legacy. It’s highly unusual to see a pair of big-league brothers on a team managed by their father. This was the scenario in Baltimore during the 1987 and ’88 campaigns, when Cal and Billy Ripken played for their dad (Cal Sr.). The net result was disastrous as the Orioles finished out of contention in both seasons. But the Ripkens (at the very least) established a unique historical precedent.

            While Cal Sr. was replaced by Frank Robinson in April of 1988, his sons jointly occupied the Orioles’ roster through the ’92 slate. Vastly more talented than his younger brother, Cal Jr. established himself as one of the greatest shortstops the game has ever known. Billy struggled to find consistency at the plate and wound up changing teams four times in a five-year span. He did, however, manage to make an indelible mark on the collectibles industry.   

            The late-‘80s/early-‘90s were known as the “Junk Wax Era” as a number of trading card manufacturers began overproducing baseball sets. In their haste to flood the market with their brands, errors became quite common and quality control dropped to an all-time low. While manufacturing blunders render many products of low value to consumers, the same does not necessarily apply to sports cards.  The 1989 Fleer baseball set was loaded with a variety of mistakes. One of them actually had collectors snapping up packs like they were going out of style.

            On cursory inspection, there’s nothing terribly alluring about Billy Ripken’s ’89 Fleer card (#616 in the set). It’s a standard close-up of the Orioles infielder with a bat resting on his shoulder. The bat, itself, is what sets the card apart. The knob is directly facing the camera and anyone carefully examining it can clearly see the words “FUCK FACE” written in black marker. When word got around about the grievous oversight, Fleer became one of the most sought-after brands of the year.

            In response to the profanity laden Ripken release, Fleer executives issued a public apology and abruptly halted production. They also invited collectors to return the card for a corrected version. Naturally, this increased the value of the original issue exponentially. At one point, card shops were selling boxes for more than $1,500 (equivalent to over $4,500 today).

            Called to the mat about it, Ripken initially claimed that he had been targeted by teammates. “I know I’m kind of a jerk at times. I know I’m a little off, but this is going too far,” he commented to reporters. As rumors circulated about who had defaced the bat (with Cal Jr. being among the suspects), collectors speculated that Fleer had deliberately issued the card to boost sales. The truth was at least partially exposed in 2008, when Billy explained what really happened.

Prior to the ’89 campaign, Ripken received a dozen new bats. Finding them too heavy, he kept just one for batting practice. In order to easily identify it among the rest of his cache, he scrawled the infamous phrase on the knob of the bat. He claimed he didn’t realize that he had been posing for a baseball card picture on the day in question. He apparently thought it was just a random photo-op. “I can’t believe the people at Fleer didn’t catch that,” he remarked. “…I think that not only did they see it, they enhanced it. That writing on the bat is way too clear. I don’t write that neat. I think they knew that once they saw it, they could use the card to create an awful lot of stir.”

            The ’89 Fleer Ripken issue remains one of the industry’s most renowned error cards. The company employed multiple methods to cover up the gaffe. In fact, there are at least five different variations (including the original unedited release). In corrected versions, the vulgarity has been scribbled out in white and black (with the words still at least partially visible). It has also been covered up completely with white-out and black boxes. Depending on the variation, high-grade copies range from under $100 to around $2,000 at auction. Ungraded examples in decent condition typically list for $70-$90 on eBay.

            In 2024, Topps released a Jackson Holliday card that paid homage to Fleer’s infamous slip. The card captures the Oriole rookie posing with a bat that says “Fun Face” on the knob. Appearing in Series 2, there are several variations.  

 

 

MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1977 TOPPS MARK FIDRYCH

 

 

            As had become customary over the previous few years, the 1977 Topps base set contained 660 cards. In this installment, the production team added a Turn Back the Clock subset showcasing pivotal moments in baseball history. There is also a Big League Brothers subset that includes four pairs of siblings, including George and Ken Brett. Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Bruce Sutter made their Topps debuts along with Braves’ great Dale Murphy, but the card most kids in my age group were chasing that year was Mark Fidrych.

            Fidrych burst upon the scene in 1976 with the Tigers. He was seldom-used until May 15, when he tossed a complete game two-hitter against Cleveland. During this exceptional performance, he drew a great deal of attention to himself with his unusual behaviors. The 21-year-old hurler compulsively walked in a circle around the mound, groomed the dirt with his bare hands, and talked to the baseball as if commanding it to do what he wanted. It was an eccentric display few fans had seen the likes of before.

Fidrych finished the season with an AL-best 2.34 ERA and a 19-9 record—numbers good enough to claim Rookie of the Year honors. Asked about his conversations with baseballs, he told a reporter that he wasn’t actually talking to the ball, he was just trying to “keep his head in the game.” Tall and lanky with curly locks, Fidrych (a right-hander) had received the nickname “The Bird” from a minor league coach who believed that he bore a resemblance to a popular Sesame Street character. The name stuck with him throughout his brief career. Fidrych’s high energy level and quirky personality endeared him to teammates in Detroit. “There’s nothing contrived about him and that’s what makes him a beautiful person,” said slugger Rusty Staub. “There’s an electricity that he brings out in everyone, players and fans. He’s different.”

By 1977, Fidrych had become a national sensation, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (the first ballplayer to make such an appearance). A staff writer asserted that he was “the embodiment of Rock-and-Roll baseball.” But misfortune struck early in the year. While shagging flies in spring training, he injured his knee and underwent surgery. He returned in late-May and won six straight games. He was off to a 6-2 start when he felt his arm give out in a game against the Orioles. He was never the same. After logging two complete-game victories in 1978, he ended up being sidelined again. Comeback attempts in 1979 and 1980 were unsuccessful. He retired in June of 1983, having appeared in just 58 major league games. A post-career medical diagnosis revealed that he had suffered a torn rotator cuff.

In April of 2009, Fidrych died in a freak accident that occurred while he was working on a dump truck that he owned. He apparently suffocated beneath the vehicle after his clothing got caught in one of the engine’s moving parts. The Tigers honored him with a moment of silence at Comerica Park.

Fidrych’s 1977 Topps issue is unusual in that it features both the gold All-Star Rookie cup and the American League All-Star designation. It remains a popular card among collectors. There are currently less than 20 Gem Mint PSA-graded examples, which carry an estimated value of $1,350. One copy sold at auction for more than twice that much. Cards evaluated in mid-grade condition can fetch close to $100 while raw copies average $10-$20 on eBay depending on how roughly they have been handled.

      

              

 

 

MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1952 TOPPS GUS ZERNIAL

 

 

            The 1952 Topps set is one of the most popular among vintage collectors—not just for the astronomical value of high-numbered cards, but also because of its appealing design. The card fronts feature brilliantly-colorized black and white photos along with team logos and facsimile autographs. Player names (paired with their signatures) appear inside white rectangular boxes that resemble movie theater marquees with their gold-starred frames. The backs of the cards feature thumbnail bios along with batting/fielding statistics. There are more than two dozen Hall of Famers in the set, including Mickey Mantle, whose card is literally worth millions in high-grade condition. Far less valuable but more interesting in a visual sense, Gus Zernial’s card was released in the first series, which includes numbers 1-80.  

            No longer a household name, Zernial was one of the most prolific sluggers of the 1950s. During his six-year heyday—which lasted from 1950 through 1955—he tied with Al Rosen for most homers in the American League. Mantle and Yogi Berra were the only AL players to surpass Zernial’s collective total for the entire decade.

Solidly built at six-foot-two, 210-plus pounds, Zernial was nicknamed “Ozark Ike” after a popular comic strip character. He grew up in the oil town of Beaumont, Texas and had an especially rough childhood. Three of his siblings died young and his father passed away when he was just 15 years-old. A multi-sport star in high school, his exceptional performances earned him three different scholarship offers. He turned them all down, pursuing a professional baseball career instead. After a two-year stint in the US Navy during World War II, he returned to the minors. His 40 home runs in 1948 earned him a promotion to the Chicago White Sox. A frequent strikeout victim in his early years, he adjusted his approach over time, averaging just one whiff per every 5.5 at-bats during his career—far better than a majority of today’s sluggers. In all, he played for three different big league clubs and retired with 237 homers. 

Zernial became famous for helping Joe DiMaggio connect with Marilyn Monroe. During spring training in 1951, Monroe’s handlers brought her to White Sox training camp to pose for publicity photos. Dressed in heels and short shorts, the glamorous starlet clowned around with Zernial and some of his teammates. After DiMaggio saw the pictures in a magazine, he approached Zernial during an exhibition game with questions about the actress. Zernial passed on the contact information for Monroe’s agent and encouraged the Yankee centerfielder to reach out. The rest, as they say, is history.

Zernial’s 1952 Topps card (#31) features an unusual photo. The slugger is facing the camera directly and making the universal “O.K.” symbol with his left hand. In his right, he is holding a bat that has six baseballs attached to it. None of the other cards in the series feature that design. That’s because the balls were intended to represent Zernial’s record-tying streak of six home runs in three games, which he assembled in May of 1951. He added another blast in the following game, tying another record set by Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri. According to Zernial, the six baseballs were stuck to the bat in the Topps photo with Scotch tape.

Since Zernial’s card is in the low-numbered series, it is far more common than the later issues. Even so, finding pristine copies is practically impossible. As of 2026, the population of PSA-graded Gem-Mint and Mint copies was zero according to the company. At the time of this writing, there were less than 50 examples in Grade 8 condition (Near-Mint/Mint). Though their estimated value was $600 apiece, one of them sold for more than twice as much. The card can be acquired by collectors in varying mid-grade conditions for around $50 to $140.   

                

                

 

 

MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1975 TOPPS HERB WASHINGTON

 

 

            Part owner, part mad genius, Charles Finley was once referred to as the “P.T. Barnum of Baseball.” After acquiring a controlling interest in the A’s before the 1961 campaign, he did everything in his power to draw fans to the ballpark. The team had posted 96 losses in 1960 while averaging just 5,000 paid admissions per home game. Looking to transform the club into a marketable commodity, Finley unleashed a series of zany promotional stunts. In one of his earliest schemes, he placed A’s tickets inside helium-filled balloons and released them into the community. He added a splash of color to everything, including bright yellow fences, pink foul poles, golden bases, and tacky green/yellow uniforms. He allowed sheep to graze beyond the outfield wall and opened a children’s petting zoo. A mechanical rabbit named “Harvey” was installed underground near home plate, supplying umpires with baskets of baseballs on demand. In keeping with the animal theme, a mule named “Charlie O.” was designated team mascot. Not only was the quadruped paraded onto the field before home games, but Finley even arranged for it to stay overnight with the team on road trips.

            Not all of Finley’s schemes were quite as bonkers. In 1964, he created the “K.C. Pennant Porch,” moving the right field fence at Municipal Stadium to a mere 296 feet from home plate. Unfortunately, this was in violation of a rule requiring all new stadiums to have outfield dimensions of at least 325 feet. League officials made Finley move the fences back after just two games. An ongoing series of roster upgrades made the A’s legitimate contenders. Upon moving from Kansas City to Oakland in 1968, the club enjoyed nine consecutive winning seasons. This included three straight World Series titles from 1972-1974. In an attempt to increase visibility for fans and players before the ’73 campaign, Finley introduced bright orange baseballs. The balls were used during a pair of spring training games and, while some observers reported that the experiment had the desired effect, the project was scrapped due to multiple player complaints.

            Finley’s quest to revolutionize the game continued undaunted. Hoping to generate more runs, he signed a world-class sprinter named Herb Washington to serve as a full-time pinch-runner. While attending Michigan State University, Washington either tied or broke world records in the 50 and 60 yard dashes on multiple occasions. Drafted in 1972 by the NFL’s Baltimore Colts, he turned down the offer so he could compete in the Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, he never qualified for the U.S. Team.

            In 1974, Washington accepted a $45,000 contract offer with a $20,000 signing bonus to join the A’s. According to multiple sources, Finley was promoting wild facial hair at the time and the requirement was included in Washington’s contract. Since the newly signed speedster was unable to grow a full moustache, he resorted to using an eyebrow pencil to create the illusion. Washington was coached by former Dodger stolen base king Maury Wills. He was not expected to learn any other skills beyond baserunning. During his brief tenure with the A’s, he never logged an official major league at-bat or received a defensive assignment.

            Long story short, the experiment was somewhat of a flop. Washington appeared in 92 regular season games in ’74. He scored 29 runs and stole 29 bases, but he was caught 16 times for a 64% success rate—not awful by any stretch of the imagination, but not quite as good as expected. Worse yet, he crumbled in the postseason. In the ALCS against the Orioles, he appeared twice and was caught stealing both times. Then, in Game 2 of the World Series, he was picked off of first base in the ninth inning by Dodger relief specialist Mike Marshall (the NL Cy Young Award-winner that year). Washington ended up being released by the A’s early in the ’75 campaign.

            Honoring Finley’s innovative strategy, the Topps company released a Herb Washington card in 1975. The groovy colors are a fitting tribute. Appearing at #407 in the set, it features the fleet-footed sprinter in an action pose leading off of first base in an empty stadium. It’s the only card in the entire Topps catalog that lists a player as a pinch-runner. The card still resonates with hobbyists even today. Raw copies in mid-grade condition can be purchased cheaply for $12-$20. But a PSA-graded Gem Mint copy sold for over $3,000 in May of 2023.   

                

             

 

 

UPCOMING BOOK RELEASE:

CARDBOARD TREASURES

 

            Greetings baseball fans! I know my blog has been quiet lately. But I’m excited to announce the upcoming arrival of my latest book, which is entitled Cardboard Treasures: The Stories Behind the Most Coveted Baseball Cards of All-Time. It’s being released through Bloomsbury Publishing and will be available in February of 2027.

            As the title implies, the book takes a deep dive into the world of sports card collecting, celebrating the rarest, the most expensive, and the most unusual cards ever produced. From the tobacco issues of the late-nineteenth century to the current era, readers will get the inside scoop on the cards that have captivated hobbyists for well over a century. I have been a collector for most of my life and, celebrating the book’s release, I’ll be posting a series of articles about some of my favorite cards. Keep an eye out for them over the next few months!