MY FAVORITE CARDS:

1978 TOPPS REGGIE JACKSON

 

           

Reggie Jackson was one of the most exciting and controversial sports figures of the 1970s. He broke in with the Oakland A’s, helping the club to three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 through 1974. Referring to his home runs as “taters,” he chirped incessantly to the media about his prowess at the plate and his value to the team. While this didn’t always sit well with teammates and managers, he wasn’t wrong on either count. During his prime years with the A’s (1968-1975), he led the team in homers six times and RBIs on four occasions. His mammoth home run in the 1971 All-Star Game struck a transformer on the roof of Tiger Stadium. At an estimated 520-plus feet, it is still considered the most impressive shot in the history of the Midsummer Classic.

Jackson’s arrogance was on full display wherever he went. In Oakland, he told a reporter, “I am the storm when I hit.” In New York, he branded himself “the straw that stirs the drink.” Even before he signed a massive five-year contract with the Yankees in ’76, making him the highest paid player in baseball history to that point, he bragged that they would name a candy bar after him if he played in New York. Brash as that statement was, it actually happened!

The Reggie! Bar was first marketed by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1978. It was a chocolate covered disk resembling a no-bake cookie with peanuts and caramel inside. The candy itself wasn’t new—it had actually been produced by multiple companies before falling into the hands of Standard Brands (owners of Curtiss Candy). The bars, which sold for 25 cents apiece, were visually appealing with bright orange wrappers and a handsome action picture of Jackson in Yankee pinstripes. I ate a fair share of those candy bars as a kid (they were similar to Baby Ruths but not as tasty).

 

 

Though he was already a household name by the time the Yankees met the Dodgers in the ’77 World Series, Reggie cemented his status as “Mr. October” by launching home runs off of four different pitchers in four consecutive swings of the bat (quite literally). The first one came in Game 5 off of Hall of Famer Don Sutton. The next three came in Game 6, which was the Series-clincher for New York. The unusual feat had never been previously accomplished in Fall Classic play and remains unmatched to this day.

Capitalizing on Jackson’s landmark performance, Curtiss Candy rushed Reggie! Bars onto the shelves. The Yankees held their ’78 home opener on April 13. In collaboration with Standard Brands, they gave out Reggie! Bars to fans who attended the game. Jackson didn’t disappoint. In the bottom of the first inning, he homered with Willie Randolph and Mickey Rivers on base, staking the Yanks to a 3-1 lead. As soon as the ball landed in the right field stands, hundreds of fans showed their appreciation by littering the field with the promotional candy bars. The game was delayed for several minutes as the Stadium crew cleaned up the mess. Jackson later joked that he was glad the disturbance had been prompted by a home run, not by him dropping a ball in the outfield. Manager Billy Martin remarked humorously that if it happened again, he would personally scoop up the treats and sell them at a discount.

The Topps company commemorated Jackson’s ’77 postseason performance the following year with a Record-Breaker card (“Most Homers, One World Series”). There is also a World Series highlight card with a picture of Reggie in the early stages of swinging. It reads: “Reggie and Yankees Reign Supreme.” The ’78 Topps set features a number of Hall of Fame rookies, including Eddie Murray, Jack Morris, Paul Molitor, and Alan Trammel.

(—an impressive array to say the least.)

 But to a 12-year old Yankee fan like myself still basking in the glory of the Bombers’ first championship in well over a decade, Jackson’s All-Star card was the “must-have” card in the set. The card features the pinstriped slugger in the final stages of swinging. When Jackson swung, he swung from his heels—lunging forward and putting his entire body into it. When he missed, he missed big, sometimes toppling sideways into the dirt. The ’78 All-Star card shows him with his right foot fully extended and his left knee about to make contact with the ground. The bat is in motion behind his right shoulder. His eyes are hidden behind shaded glasses, but judging by the direction of his gaze, it’s a safe bet that he has driven a pitch into right-center field.  A red-white-and blue All-Star logo in the shape of a badge/shield is displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the card.

Nowadays, raw copies of Jackson’s ’78 All-Star card can be purchased in great condition on eBay for less than $10. Graded examples are worth quite a bit more—especially Gem-Mint copies, which are rare. At the time of this writing, the PSA company had listed the population of grade 10 pieces at less than 50. One of those cards sold for over $9,000 at auction.