Stan Musial - The Missing Years (1954-1957)
 

The Topps/Bowman competition in the fifties to sign players for exclusive rights to produce baseball cards is well known.

Stan Musial was apparently in the Bowman camp through 1952 and 1953.

Neither Topps or Bowman signed him in 1954 or 1955 (Bowman's last year).

And Topps didn't pick him up in 1956 or 1957. No contract. Stan refused.

In 1958 Stan signed with Topps at the urging of the Cardinals' management tied in with a charity promotion.

Any other insight as to why "The Man" went 4 years in the peak of his career without a card. Was he taking a cue from Honus Wagner's T206? Did he ban bubble gum in his restaurant? Has any other postwar Hall of Famer gone 4 years without a card?

Maury Wills has a similar gap where he doesn’t appear in cards but he’s only a former MVP, not a HOFer.

There have been some fun threads on here where the Photoshop Aces are able to design the missing years.

Musial would have been an amazing addition to the missing high numbers in 1955.

Hal Newhouser, as recently discussed -- 1948(9) Leaf, then 1953 Topps, may be the closest for a HOFer.

Mike Cuellar is interesting. He appeared in 59 and 60 Topps, then not again until 65.

In FB, Gino Marchetti is in 52 Bowman, then nothing until 57 Topps.

In a 2001 interview with USA Today on the 50th anniversary of Topps baseball cards, Topps executive Sy Berger said Musial “just didn’t want to sign (a contract) for cards.”

Musial does of course appear in Red Man and Red Heart and other less common regionals, such as this one.

Fantastic card Pete!

In a 2001 interview with USA Today on the 50th anniversary of Topps baseball cards, Topps executive Sy Berger said Musial “just didn’t want to sign (a contract) for cards.”

The breakthrough came in time for Topps’ 1958 set. Berger said Cardinals owner Gussie Busch was raising money for charity and asked Topps for a donation. Berger said Topps offered to donate $1,500 to the non-profit of Busch’s choice if Musial would agree to sign a Topps contract to appear on a 1958 baseball card. Musial did. The retired Cardinals star continues to be featured on Topps baseball cards today.

(In the book “Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man” (2001, Missouri), author James N. Giglio claims “insufficient compensation” was the reason Musial didn’t sign with Topps until 1958.)