[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by BobC

Because there is no consensus on what the definition of a "rookie" card should be. Many people, often based on a lot of early price guides like the Beckett's, still seem to follow the thinking that a "rookie" card has to be an actual card, so photos, postcards, premiums, stickers, etc., etc. do not count and cannot be true "rookie" cards. Also, many early guides pushed the idea that a true "rookie" card also could only be one available through a nationally distributed set.

And like the '33 Goudey cards being shown as Ruth's "rookie" cards, many of those same early price guides and books would show the '48 Leaf cards as player's "rookie" cards, despite often having numerous other earlier cards and items issued for them, just as you mentioned Feller's '36 and '38 card issues, and other items of his released before his Leaf card. .

I think this is true generally, but it is still perplexing that Goudey is ok for Ruth's "rookie" but not for Feller's.