The Top 20 Players of the Topps Era

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

I'd sub Nolan Ryan for Eddie Matthews, and maybe Rose for Banks.

Ryan doesn't really fit the years. He would be a later card. Rose for Mathews could work as he would be a good choice for 1964, but then there is the WAR consideration.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by rats60

Ryan doesn't really fit the years. He would be a later card. Rose for Mathews could work as he would be a good choice for 1964, but then there is the WAR consideration.

If you are looking for prime production in those years, Schmidt doesn't fit either. His career didn't really start until 1974. But I still like him.

[tiger8mush]

Arrangement rev B:

1954 - Yogi Berra

1955 - Jackie Robinson


1956 - Roberto Clemente


1957 - Ted Williams


1958 - Warren Spahn


1959 - Al Kaline


1960 - Hank Aaron


1961 - Sandy Koufax


1962 - Stan Musial


1963 - Ernie Banks


1964 - Eddie Mathews


1965 - Mickey Mantle


1966 - Willie Mays


1967 - Frank Robinson


1968 - Carl Yastrzemski


1969 - Bob Gibson


1970 - Johnny Bench


1972 - Joe Morgan


1973 - Tom Seaver


1974 - Mike Schmidt

p.s. I like Seaver's 1974 action shot, but you said Schmidt is a lock at 1974.

[Peter_Spaeth]

IMO you are a bit light on pitchers. I would put Ryan and Carlton on the list. To make room, I would lose Banks, and Kaline or Yaz. Or better yet just go to 22.

[jchcollins]

I'd agree that Nolan Ryan needs to be on the list somewhere. If we are relating all this to Topps, Ryan's RC was likely the most popular card in the entire vintage hobby for about 5 years or so starting close to 1990. I'm sure some would disagree, but it was and is still - certainly up there.

[skelly423]

I know he doesn't quite have the career counting stats, but I'm going to throw some love in Larry Doby's direction. Obviously there are exceptional factors to his case that go beyond statistics that are impossible to really measure. I just think he deserves to be mentioned in the conversation.

[Kutcher55]

Your list looks good, rats60. Of those players, here are some years that are personal favorites of mine:

Bench: The 69 is probably the obvious choice, not going out on a limb there.

Yaz: I like the 71, it's a unique look for Yaz. 62 is also nice with the triple bat illusion.

Banks: Huge fan of a 67. Great balance on this card and great smile from Ernie.

Gibson: The '68 for the historical significance. Nice portrait too. His 71 is cool as well if you demand an action shot...

Spahn: I appreciate both the 57 and the 58. Two totally different cards, so if one doesn't strike your fancy; the other one might.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I'd agree that Nolan Ryan needs to be on the list somewhere. If we are relating all this to Topps, Ryan's RC was likely the most popular card in the entire vintage hobby for about 5 years or so starting close to 1990. I'm sure some would disagree, but it was and is still - certainly up there.

I like your overall idea. I agree with the Nolan Ryan comment.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

IMO you are a bit light on pitchers. I would put Ryan and Carlton on the list. To make room, I would lose Banks, and Kaline or Yaz. Or better yet just go to 22.

The problem is that they don't fit the years. They really need to be on the correct team and that would mean adding 1971 to make room for one. Seaver could take the 1971 Topps slot and either Ryan or Carlton the 1973 slot. Those are both great looking cards. Carlton has his 27 win season. Ryan had a 2.28 ERA and 329 Ks.

[JollyElm]

Yaz has a gloriously happy 1966 card. The '71 is an awfully close-up headshot, no??

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by rats60

The problem is that they don't fit the years. They really need to be on the correct team and that would mean adding 1971 to make room for one. Seaver could take the 1971 Topps slot and either Ryan or Carlton the 1973 slot. Those are both great looking cards. Carlton has his 27 win season. Ryan had a 2.28 ERA and 329 Ks.

Or you could extend the upper boundary of your project to 1978 thus leaving slots for 25 players!

[Balticfox]

And dropping the lower boundary a year would enable this card to be added:



Unfortunately the Bob Feller card from 1952 is his Rookie card.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

Arrangement rev B:

Far prettier and thus much improved from your first arrangement! I'd shuffle four players around though to get better pictures overall (sadly none of the cards I'm picturing here are my own):

1954 - Ted Williams



The prettiest card in the set so it should be included!

1956 - Yogi Berra



Well it's really tough to find anything but head shots in the 1956 set and if Berra has to be somewhere....

1957 - Hank Aaron



A fabulous shot with that cool shoulder patch!

1960 - Roberto Clement



It's tough to find a much better shot of any well known player from the 1960 set than Clemente's!



I find it sad, however, that my favourite pitcher from the era, knuckleballer Phil Niekro, and base stealer par excellence Lou Brock aren't on rats60's player list. Methinks he should consider doubling his list so he could have two cards per year. That to me doesn't sound like too many cards.