OT: Who Determined That Mantle's Rookie Card was the 52 Topps

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

How many feel these are RCs?

I disagree with everyone who responded "no" to this question. These are all "rookie" cards in my book! The flawed logic of having to be a nationally distributed set is why Beckett lists the 1933 Goudey Ruth as his rookie card despite the 1916 M101-5 set being WIDELY distributed and the more obvious choice for even the "purists".

And to me a rookie card can be issued many years after a rookie season. In other words, it's the card that's the rookie, not the player. Perhaps there should just be a new name used for all the "rookie card" crazy people out there.

Cards should be called the "earliest" or "earliest professional" or "earliest major league" or "earliest nationally distributed" card, not "rookie" card. It is clearly confusing for everyone, me included!