Topps Rookie Banquets

[ALR-bishop]

From 1959 until at least 1966 ( maybe longer) Topps held Rookie Banquets in NY after the season. In some years, 58-60 for sure, they had pack inserts that allowed purchasers to vote for their favorite all star rookies. They also accumulated votes through the Boy Scouts and other youth organizations. The winners appeared with the designation and trophy on next years cards and it the next banquet program.

There were paper programs for 59-63 and 65-66. There may have been one for 64 but I have not seen it. There was however a boxed set of cards that comprised the program for 64, and it is a sought after Topps item since it features among others, Pete Rosen on one of the cards.

The programs themselves are cool with a lot of neat baseball and Topps info

[ALR-bishop]

[geor952]

Very fascinating Al! As I said earlier, this is new topps history for me. Thanks for posting.

[geor952]

Were actual trophies ever given to the players? The picture on the program appears to be real hardware.

[D.P.Johnson]

Great post. Thanks Al.

[Zach Wheat]

Al,

Neat stuff. Have you seen and of the '64 boxed sets available? Thanks for sharing.

Z Wheat

[JollyElm]

Cool stuff, Al!!!

[Samsdaddy]

Very cool stuff Al. This is new to me as well.

The all star trophy cards of the 1960s and early 70s were some of my favorite baseball cards, regardless who was on them.

[ALR-bishop]

The full boxed 64 Banquet sets do not show up very often. The individual cards show up from time to time on ebay. I think PSA or someone grades them. Below is a link to sales of some in REA.

I would guess the players got trophies but they may have been cheap ones, otherwise you would think some of them would have shown up in auctions somewhere



http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/.../2012/692.html
http://robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2010/953.html

[MattyC]

Al, thanks for an awesome post! Ever since I saw my first "cup" cards (for me it was the Murray, the 64 Rose, and of course 1987 Topps), I was a huge fan of these cards. When I got into graded cards, I even started amassing every one Topps did-- but it grew too large of a project. The top hat trophy has so much flavor.

[toppcat]

I have some details on the banquet programs on my blog: http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/se...uet%20Programs

The 1964 set also came with a program but it was issued separately (probably on the table at each seat) and meant to be inserted into the box with the cards (it is a smaller program).

Topps issued programs after 1966 but the format changed and it was essentially printed on 11 x 17 paper and folded to make a four page program from what I know if it. This truncated style went on for years.

Basically, once the players union got stronger with Marvin Miller in command he tried to freeze Topps out by offering a blanket deal to Fleer in 1966, which they turned down. Topps subsequently purchased Fleer's player contracts (they had over 4000 non exclusive ones, although Topps had more) in 1966 and I imagine their payout for same ($395K), the extra royalties for new sets and other expenses related to defending an FTC complaint that came down in 1965 made Topps pare back on things like the banquet programs.

The programs are great, I only have two plus the 64 box and a sample card from that year. The 64 boxed set is really going up in value-they could be had for about $2K a few years ago. I think the 64 banquet set is one of the nicest things Topps ever produced.

If anyone has programs to sell, I might be interested.

Here is a picture form the 1966 banquet:



The trophies did indeed exist and I suspect they were made of the same material as other trophies of the era that were given out to high school players and the like. here is a look at the trophies, from 1961:

[geor952]

Dave--this is great! You answered my question and provided proof. Thank you.

[MattyC]

Holy Cow. Somebody help me get one of those trophies for my desk. That is fresh to death. I gotta get one.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Holy Cow. Somebody help me get one of those trophies for my desk. That is fresh to death. I gotta get one.

Fresh to death-never heard that before but that's a great phrase!

FYI, left to right at the 66 banquet: Bill Shea, Joel Shorin, Joe Garagiola, Sy Berger. Then Don Schwall (maybe not?) and Billy Williams in the 1961 photo.

I think there is a trophy in the Topps box under the program in front of Shea. You guys want the trophy but I want that box......actually I want a trophy too!

[Samsdaddy]

Awesome thread. Learning so much here. It is cool that Topps actually did issue the trophy's to the All-Star rookies.

Thank you Dave and Al.

[ALR-bishop]

Thanks for posting Dave, we have discussed these before. I sure would like to run down one of the 64 paper inserts and one of the post 66 paper programs. Have not seen one. And since many players at some point sell their stuff I am surprised the trophies have not shown up on the market, maybe some have.

Dave-- do you know when the Banquets ended ?

[frankhardy]

Great thread. I love these test issue and oddball threads. I actually have the cards that feature Julian Javier and Fred Whitfield for my Cardinals team sets. They were not easy to come by. I looked for a very long time. I didn't know about the programs. Those are neat.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Thanks for posting Dave, we have discussed these before. I sure would like to run down one of the 64 paper inserts and one of the post 66 paper programs. Have not seen one. And since many players at some point sell their stuff I am surprised the trophies have not shown up on the market, maybe some have.

Dave-- do you know when the Banquets ended ?

I think the later programs are tougher since they were not as special and not really intended as keepsakes so many must have been tossed. I think they went with this 4 page format at least into the 1980's; I used to have a scan of a program from 1984 but can't locate it-it may have died with a hard drive crash many years ago. I am not even sure they kept the banquet format going forward from 1967 or where to programs were issued then on but locating a later program would help answer that obviously.

It seems like it's just a press release now when they name the rookie team.

[ALR-bishop]

In prior posts I showed the Rookie Banquet programs I have from 59 ( the first one) through 1966. I have not seen one for 67 or any other year until 1981, shown below. I then have them through 2004 ( except for 1982, 1983 and 2003)

But the numbers on the ones below indicates they had Banquets or Awards between 1967 and 1980. Anyone have anything from those years...or post 2004






By the way, here are some cards that never were from the 59 Program ( unless maybe they do exist somewhere )

[JustinD]

I am positive I saw one of the trophies come up before as I remember being outlandishly upset I could not afford it at the time.

I think Topps had several different awards that were given out at these banquets that are not well documented. I have a a watch from 69' that was a presentation piece that I have never seen another of. I believe it was for football, but still unable to track down who it was presented to.

Even though I posted years ago about it, there are still photos in this thread. It's post #35. If anyone can offer more info on it, I would be very happy. I think I have never been to a show and not had someone ask about it as I love to wear it.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...900#post930900

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I am positive I saw one of the trophies come up before as I remember being outlandishly upset I could not afford it at the time.

I think Topps had several different awards that were given out at these banquets that are not well documented. I have a a watch from 69' that was a presentation piece that I have never seen another of. I believe it was for football, but still unable to track down who it was presented to.

Even though I posted years ago about it, there are still photos in this thread. It's post #35. If anyone can offer more info on it, I would be very happy. I think I have never been to a show and not had someone ask about it as I love to wear it.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...900#post930900

I missed that thread originally. Never seen the watch-wow!

There used to be college All American Baseball Players. I assume one of these ten first teamers received that watch at some point:
P Larry Gura
P Burt Hooton
C Bob Williams
1B Mike Walseth
2B Dick Gold
3B Les Rogers
SS Bill Stein
OF Bob Long
OF Paul Powell
OF Larry Pyle

[ALR-bishop]

Thanks to Bob Lemke I was able to get this program from 1978. Topps had the rookie banquet dinners every year from 1959 to at least 2004. I have not seen any after 2004. Can anyone confirm they continued after that date ?

I have them from 1959 to 1966, then nothing until 1978, and then a run from 1980 to 2004 ( missing 1983 and 2003). Does anyone have one from the years I am missing ?

[Neal]

Since I wasn't truly aware of this forum at the time of the OP, I obviously missed it ...... great read, Al!

Thanks for sharing!

[toppcat]

Two HOF and Bob Horner, not bad......earliest one I've seen to boot. Here's what the Scout of the Month Award looked like, similar to the Minor League Player of the Month certificate shown on Al's BAA scan:

[RayBShotz]

Beyond amazing historicals.
Al - Thanks for starting this one.
RayB

[perezfan]

Finally captured one of these amazing Topps "Top Hat" Trophies. This one was awarded to Joe Garagiola, who was the perennial host/emcee of the event.

This was presented to Joe at the 1967 Banquet..... at 25" tall, it's much larger than the Players' 9" version (which was much like a Little League Trophy). It is crafted with a bit more fine detail as well.

The 9" players' Trophies never come up for sale, and the only two I've ever seen are Willie McCovey and Tommy Harper. So I was thrilled to snag this one from Heritage.

[perezfan]

And here's a cool photo of the 1963 Banquet, with Pete Rose hamming it up. The photo demonstrates the size difference between the large and the small trophies. Not sure who was awarded the large version pictured here.

Also, a close-up shot of Tommy Harper's Trophy and his corresponding Topps Card...

[perezfan]

The large trophy sits behind the riser/platform, so it's actually a lot bigger then it appears.

[whiteymet]

SO COOL Mark! Congrats!

I am looking for a players award from the 1960 team.

[ALR-bishop]

Great pics Mark.I still have not seen a 1967 program.

I have the Banquet Programs from 59 to 66. And after 1967 I have nothing through 1978, for which I have a Topps Achievement Award program. Not sure what year the shift to Achievement Awards took place. I think I have seen one from 1977 ( Dave Hornish ?).

I am missing anything from 1979 but have the Achievement Award programs for 1980 through 2004 ( missing 1983 and 2003). Nothing after 2004. All of the Achievement awards are numbered consecutively back through 1959, which would seem to indicate some kind of program occurred every year through at least 2004. Not sure if programs were issued for all those years or why if they were they seem so scarce. Not sure what exists after 2004

[Harliduck]

Awesome stuff...LOVE the trophy. Cards with the rookie trophy have been a favorite of mine since I was a kid like all the rest have mentioned.

The picture of the solo 63 Rose card looks like they had one made up for the picture. Makes you wonder if that card or any others survived and sitting somewhere. I can't even imagine the value of that card?? Those 59's of Pumpsie and McCovey the same...but that Rose...WOW.

[Gorditadogg]

Joe Garagiola was emcee of the banquets.