Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>Here's a stray thought from the very top of my head (read: I haven't done any research!):<br />Which year/issue do you think has the best class of rookie cards in it?<br />My obvious choices would be:<br />1951 Bowman (Mays, Mantle, Ford)<br />1954 Topps (Banks, Aaron, Kaline)<br />1957 Topps (both Robinsons, Maz, Drysdale, Bunning?)<br /><br />any other thoughts on the subject?<br /><br />I suppose you could also look at it not only from the perspective of how many HOFers had RCs in the issue, but also just the pure number of rookie cards, or perhaps the dollar value of the RCs (in NM for instance), or some other measure?<br /><br />

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Phil Garry</b><p>How about 1955 Topps w/Koufax, Clemente & Killebrew......

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Marc S.</b><p>with Ichiro and Pujols may end up being one of the better years...

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>75 Topps will probably some day have 4 HOFer rookies: Brett, Yount, Gary Carter, Rice

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>1947 BOND BREAD........<br /><br />Larry Berra<br />Gil Hodges<br />Ralph Kiner<br />Stan Musial<br />Jackie Robinson<br />Bobby Thomson<br /><br /><img src="http://www.freephotoserver.com/v001/tedzan/abondbread1947musial.jpg"><br /><br /><br />1949 LEAF........<br /><br />Larry Doby<br />George Kell<br />Leroy Paige<br />Jackie Robinson<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.freephotoserver.com/v001/tedzan/paige2.jpg"><br /><br /><br /><br />1949 BOWMAN........<br /><br />Richie Ashburn<br />Roy Campanella<br />Larry Doby<br />Leroy Paige<br />Robin Roberts<br />Duke Snider<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.freephotoserver.com/v001/tedzan/leroypaige.jpg"><br /><br /><br />TED Z<br />

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>indeed, so many greats.<br /><br />you know, those lists have many of the players whom I really wish I could have seen play, like Satch, Campy and Berra. -just to have a better understanding of who they were and how good they were. I still rememeber the stories my Dad has told me about going to see Campanella play, and how he would be amazed at how Campy could throw out base stealers without getting up from his crouch! THAT is the stuff I wish I could see. The things you need to be there for first hand in order to believe it. For me, it's Ichiro's throwing arm, Andre Dawson's size and Strawberry's arcing swing... <br /><br />His stories about going to see games during his childhood are the reasons I collect cards of the players he remmebers seeing: Eddie Mathews, Campy, Snider<br /><br />Thanks

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Marc S.</b><p>on how you define rookie. Using a strict definition, I can't imagine any could argue anything other than the Old Judge set...given its preponderance of HOF rookie cards...<br /><br />but that is a result of a structural dynamic (first big card set)<br /><br />Marc

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>and for that reason, I would be tempted to disqualify some of Ted's too, right? since those sets were the first major issues of the post-war period and had some "catching up" to do...<br /><br />a much more recent exmaple - I have the same "problem" with the 1986 Fleer basketball set, where you find the "rookie" cards of Malone, Jordan, Barkley, Drexler, etc...hardly their first year.<br /><br />What to do? What to do?

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jim VB</b><p>&lt;&lt;I guess it also depends on how you define rookie. &gt;&gt;<br /><br /><br />You are exactly right, Marc. Using the Beckett's definition, the 1933 Goudey set had about 237 "rookie" cards in the set. (Speaker, Lajoie and one other I forget were excluded.)<br /><br />However all of us realize that the Babe was hardly a rookie in 1933. <br />

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Phil Garry</b><p>You guys are right about the Old Judge cards but this thread is in the post-war section so it should only include late 1940's - 1980's cards, correct?

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>nbrazil</b><p>ted...isnt doby's rookie the 48 leaf?<br /><br />and do you know of any earlier snider cards?<br /><br />thanks!

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>boxingcardman</b><p>To Yount, Brett, Rice and Carter add Keith Hernandez, Phil Garner, Fred Lynn<br><br>Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Phil Garry</b><p>Although it is not really a card, Duke Snider's first appearance is on a 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers Team Issue Photo Pak. These are 6 1/2" X 9" and are difficult to maintain because of their size and none of the grading companies are able to encapsulate them.

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>NBRAZIL<br /><br />I forgot to list Larry Doby in the 1949 Leaf issue. And, my research indicates that the 1949 Leaf card is his 1st card.<br />Doby's 1949 Bowman Hi# card was issued after the Leaf's were already in the market.<br /><br /><br />And, guys....why are we talking about OLD JUDGE cards here in this section of the Forum ?<br />This section is the Post-WWII forum......not a Post-Civil War one.<br /><br />TED Z

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Mark</b><p>51's amazing with Fox/Mantle/Mays/Ford/Irvin but I'm partial to the 54 year with Aaron/Kaline/Banks.<br />

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>Eddie Murray<br />Alan Trammell<br />Lou Whitaker<br />Paul Molitor<br />Jack Morris<br /><br />2nd year cards:<br />Bruce Sutter<br />Andre Dawson<br />someone else I am forgetting...Dale Murphy?

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jason L</b><p>1956(Aparicio only?), 1964 (only Niekro?) or 1970 (no one?)<br />

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>howard</b><p>Thurman Munson's rookie card is in the 1970 set.

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Jimi</b><p>Gotta put a spot in here for my favorite Topps set, the 57s! How about TWO Robinsons in Brooks and Frank, Jim Bunning, Drysdale, and Mazeroski. Aside from the HOFers, it also has RCs from Colavito, Herzog, Boyer, Richardson, and Kubek. Plus, the Mantle, Williams, and Koufax are pretty popular cards from that set, not to mention the #407 card "Mantle/Berra."<br><br>Jimi

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>NickM</b><p>Carlton, Morgan, Hunter, and Perez, plus a faux rookie of P. Niekro (card calls him a rookie).<br /><br />1957 also has IIRC Dick Williams' rookie card, while 1954 has Tom Lasorda. HOF managers deserve more love than they get.<br /><br />WRT 1933 Goudey, Eddie Collins was also a holdover from prior national sets, and since many players appeared on multiple cards, have fun deciding which are rookie cards. :-D

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Phil Garry</b><p>Nick:<br /><br />I believe 1952 Topps High # is Dick Williams' RC.

Best year for Rookies?
 

Posted By: <b>Eric Brehm</b><p>To me a rookie card isn't very exciting unless it's of a pretty major player. My vote for the best group in one set goes to 1954 Topps Aaron, Banks, and Kaline.