7 Great Baseball Cards That Never Were!
Wouldn’t it be nice to go back in time and correct these baseball card wrongs?
Each Happy Hobby Sports Card Newsletter For Collectors has a handful of great sports card subjects, helping sports card collectors working with limited budgets!
This Week’s Newsletter Highlights!
⚾ 7 GREAT BASEBALL CARDS THAT NEVER WERE
⚾ BASEBALL CARD TRIVIA!
⚾ CARDS THAT MAKE US HAPPY!
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⚾ 7 GREAT BASEBALL CARDS THAT NEVER WERE!
Topps churned out 246 total rookie cards in their three 2024 flagship sets – making it pretty unlikely they’ll miss printing a card for a player in the 21st century. Let’s look back to a time when Topps was a little more judicious in which players got cards, letting some great cards fall through the cracks for whatever reason. Here are seven cards we’d like to see printed!
1. 1952-1957 Topps Stan Musial
While “Stan the Man” did have Bowman cards from 1948 through 1953, as well as a 1948-49 Leaf card, he never signed a contract with Topps once his deal with Bowman ran out. Musial was an all-star each season in that four-year period, and he ranked as one of the most popular players in the majors. Topps’ executive Sy Berger remarked in a USA Today interview in 2001 that Musial “just didn’t want to sign (a contract) for cards.”
More like, “Stan, Come on, man!”
Thankfully, his 1958 All-Star card is considered a triple-print, making his first Topps card an affordable one for a diamond legend.
2. 1952 Topps LeRoy “Satchel” Paige
Paige started pitching professionally in 1926 with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts of the Negro Leagues. He would pitch a few more decades after that, including time with the Cleveland Indians, which is when his true rookie card was printed in the 1948 Leaf set, with another RC following in 1949 Bowman. But Cleveland Iet him go after the 1949 season, and he went back to pitching for barnstorming teams. When former Indians owner Bill Veeck bought the St. Louis Browns in 1951, he brought the charismatic pitcher back to the majors for the next three years.
All collectors got from that time span is the misspelled 1953 Topps Satchell Paige card, which is still a glorious one, no doubt. But if Paige had a card printed in the 1952 set, you have to assume it would rank up there with the Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson cards!
3. 1998-2000, 2004 and 2019 Topps Garth Brooks Spring Training SPs
OK, so people aren’t exactly banging down the door to get Topps cards of the country singer’s Spring Training appearances with the Padres (1998 and 1999), New York Mets (2000), Kansas City Royals (2004) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2019).
In our current era of inserts being created for any 15-minute celebrity throwing out the first pitch at a baseball stadium, the Garth Brooks cards seems like a natural fit. Will Ferrell got some cards, how about one for Chris Gaines’ alter ego!?!
4. 1954 Topps & 1955 Topps Mickey Mantle
Once Bowman signed Mantle to a contract, keeping Topps from producing The Mick’s cards for a couple years, we lost our shot at an unbroken Topps Mantle run. Considering the beauty of Mantle’s Topps cards, including his returning years at Topps in 1956 and 1957, it’s frustrating to think of what we missed from Mantle and Topps. Both of the 1954 and 1955 Topps sets would have shown Mantle in an action shot behind a portrait pose.
5. 1959 Topps Maury Wills Rookie Card
In the early days of Topps, after they bought out Bowman, top prospects were being offered $5 to sign a card-licensing contract in 1959. Topps reportedly didn’t think Wills was worth the $5 contract as a prospect. It was true that he was a 26-year-old prospect with very little power, but let’s not forget there were just 16 Major League teams back then. It wasn’t like some banjo-hitting journeymen couldn’t have been bypassed just to make sure another rookie card got created.
Wills learned how to switch-hit, replaced injured shortstop Don Zimmer, and won a World Series with the Dodgers in 1959. After stealing 104 bases in 1962, Wills was named the MVP, and he’d go on to play into the 1972 baseball season.
Wills signed an exclusive contract with Fleer, once Topps passed, but Fleer didn’t create cards again until 1963. The 1963 Fleer Maury Wills rookie card (four years after his MLB career began!) came in a pack with a cookie, instead of gum, since Fleer had to figure out a workaround for Topps’ monopoly on gum trading cards.
Here’s another amazing story about how Topps tried to rectify the lost Wills rookie card.
6. 1969 Topps Roger Maris
Maris retired after the 1968 MLB season, but Topps chose not to produce a career-ending card for him, despite the fact he beat the greatest single-season statistic in sports history up to that point. The new single-season home run champion ranked among the all-time under-celebrated players in baseball history. He broke Babe Ruth’s HR record in 1961 with the Yankees, much to the chagrin of Mantle lovers everywhere.
The Yankees traded the slugger to St. Louis in 1967 (and Topps refused to give him one more Yankees card), and his career limped to the finish in ’68. Even so, one more card with his full stat run on the back as one of the best hitters in that small time span would’ve been nice.
7. 1977 Topps Reggie Jackson (Orioles)
On April 2 of 1976, A’s fans must’ve felt like they had an April Fool’s Day hangover, as Oakland traded their superstar slugger Reggie Jackson to the Baltimore Orioles for Don Baylor and some other players. Jackson was granted free agency at the end of that 1976 season, which allowed the N.Y. Yankees to finally swoop in and bring him to the Bronx.
But that 1976 season, when Jackson reported a month late to Baltimore because of a contract dispute, was never really reflected in a Topps baseball card (well, sorta). That lost month cost Reggie an All-Star appearance (the only year he wasn’t an All-Star between 1970 to 1984), and he finished with 27 homers and a career-high 28 stolen bases. His 5.3 WAR that season was the highest mark he’d post for the remainder of his career, including his time with the Yankees.
There were rumors that Topps used a ’77 Topps Reggie Jackson card as a proof, one of their test prints before their final production run. But they were never seen until 2004, when Topps opened up “The Vault, proving there was a proof card made, with Jackson in an Orioles uniform – but with the Yankees team banner at the top!
BONUS: 1994 Topps Shortstops Prospects with Alex Rodriguez / Derek Jeter
While Derek Jeter already had a 1992 draft pick card serving as his rookie card in 1993 Topps, Alex Rodriguez didn’t get his first Topps card until 1998 because of a contract dispute. Instead, Upper Deck would carry the A-Rod torch in his early years, which robbed us of an awesome 4-shortstops prospects card, with A-Rod and Jeter.
Remembering back to cards we missed from yesteryear is one thing, but looking ahead can help us appreciate the cards we’re about to get, that will someday become vintage treasures.
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⚾ BASEBALL CARD TRIVIA!
Send me the answer to this question – you could win this free card from me: 1992 Donruss Nolan Ryan #707!
I am a right-handed pitcher who joined the majors in 1967, pitching for 19 years on four different clubs, making two All-Star teams. I did NOT make the Hall of Fame, and I led the league in losses twice. Yet, my rookie card is considered one of the most expensive cards of the ‘60s. Who am I?
Email your answer to gonoscards@gmail.com and you can win this 1992 Donruss Nolan Ryan #707 card! Rather than take the first person who answers it right, I’m going to do a random drawing of all the people who answer this question before midnight, Friday, June 13. The winner will be announced in the June 19 newsletter.
From May 29 newsletter: Which year did Topps start having fans vote for which baseball player should be Card No. 1 in the flagship series the following year? Prize: 2021 Bowman Shohei Ohtani #85 card. Answer this question before midnight, Friday, June 6. The winner will be announced in the June 12 newsletter.
From May 22 newsletter: What was the first season for Topps Heritage to come out? Answer: 2001. Prize: 1984 Topps Rickey Henderson #230 card. Winner: Kelly Neely! Congrats, Kelly! Well done, my man!
⚾🏈🏀 HAPPY HOBBYIST COMMENT OF THE WEEK!
Each week, I want to share one of the great comments from one of our readers, viewers, commenters, from our universe, which includes our YouTube channel, Substack newsletter, Substack chat, our podcast, and website.
The first comment of the week comes from our Happy Hobby Substack Chat, from MJ Family Time Cards. Josh and his son try to build sets out of Bowman each year, so they would buy base packs on eBay cheap, since there were no hits/parallels. That changed this year, though!
"In year's past, base packs [of Bowman Mega Boxes] had no parallels at all. This year they put the Red RC in there which gives them some more value. You can buy them in lots pretty cheap $1-3 a pack, if you’re just looking for base and prospect cards." — Josh Scarberry of
Thanks, Josh!
⚾ CARDS THAT MAKE US HAPPY! 1985 Topps Mark McGwire Team USA #401
This past week, Happy Hobbyist Scott Hedrick showed me his awesome graded cards display that he loaded up with just a ridiculous grouping of ‘70s and ‘80s superstars. In the discussion, before he talked about the cards in the display, he cited that it’s missing an ’85 Topps McGwire Team USA (he has some, just none graded).
I thought his comment was odd because he certainly has every “must-get” among his rookie cards, including several in multiple brands (Donruss, Fleer & Topps Kirby Puckett RCs! The Puck-fecta!).
Scott’s point, though, was valid – any display of ‘80s cards has to have this card in it.
What makes this card so special?
This ’85 Topps Baseball set was the first to show cards of Olympians wearing Team USA uniforms, and the whole card is red, white and blue, which looks pretty cool.
Let’s list some things as to why the card might not be awesome:
The Team USA set is interesting, but none of the cards have action poses.
The players all kinda look ‘80s goofy, mostly due to the big-lettered USA on the hat.
The ’85 Team USA set is also notable for missing Will Clark, one of the best college hitters ever, and a beast of a pro.
Since McGwire is in his Team USA digs, he’s not in his pro uniform, which is unusual for a player’s true rookie card.
Despite being one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history, it’s still a card of a player that’s a poster child for the Steroids Era. That ruins McGwire’s immediate chances of entering Cooperstown, and that kills this card’s value.
Now, why the card is awesome:
This is the first professional card of the man who topped both Babe Ruth and Roger Maris in home runs in one of the most exciting baseball seasons of the past 50 years.
Kids of the ‘80s don’t care about steroids. When “Junk Wax” is thrown out like an insult, we wear it with a badge of honor. Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco made our childhood better.
That’s what makes this card awesome.
Coming Next Week!
⚾ WHY WE LOVE/HATE 2025 TOPPS SERIES 2 BASEBALL!
⚾ BASEBALL CARD TRIVIA!
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Great stuff as always David! It is interesting to look back in time at missed opportunities for great RCs, however, I miss the simplicity of that era when compared to today's cards at times. Jump into the hobby today and try and find your favorite players RC: The results you get may include a Bowman 1st card, a Short Print, maybe an auto insert in a previous series, the topps chrome card, the Update Series Rookie Debut card, maybe even a Topps Now card. It can be difficult to navigate and this isn't even mentioning all the parallels and numbered cards.
I also find the 80s and 90s cards of players involved in the steroid era to be cards I want in my collection. Bonds, McGuire, Sosa, Clemens, they played in a time when they weren't breaking any rules and the entertainment was excellent. I considerer current players who get caught now with PED use to be different, almost intentional rule breakers and I don't look to buy their cards.
Really cool edition this week (not that they aren’t, usually). I’ve often thought about how we were cheated out of cards of Mantle and Musial. Those cards that never were that Topps have done have always piqued my interest. And I had no idea about the Maury Wills story, very interesting!
I’m so glad you did a ‘85 McGwire “Cards that Make us Happy.” Despite my Cardinal prejudice, that card has so much hobby cache, especially from the home run chase days. As you alluded to, I’ve always wanted to pull a solid gradable copy, and have thus far been unsuccessful, but still hope to one day. It’s just a TOUGH card IMO.
Well done, thoroughly enjoyable.