Baseball Card Hall of Fame

With the automatic induction of the Topps® Mickey Mantle card of 1956 into the Baseball Card Hall of Fame, The Golden Age of Baseball Cards address the other cards that contend with the Mantle card and which someday may attain the distinction of the "Greatest Baseball Card Ever".  In 2007 we inducted the first ten cards into the Baseball Card Hall of Fame to form a top ten list of baseball cards. In 2008 we inducted another 10 cards, bringing the total number of cards in the Baseball Card Hall of Fame to 20.

Criteria for Consideration

Since this is a work in progress, the criteria can change over time.  It is hoped that over time there will be some sense of legitimacy to this work.  At present, it is nothing more than the opinion of this website.

Partial List of Criteria:

• Topps® 1952 to 1974 --- This limits the cards eligible to become the “Greatest Baseball Card Ever” to those that were most popular with boys growing up, when cards were purchased throughout the summer as each series became available, before factory sets could be easily obtained, and when collecting cards was something that kids did for fun, not for investment purposes.
• The Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide provides the basis for part of the evaluation providing an impartial value for popularity, scarcity and other factors contributing to the current monetary value of a baseball card.
• Level that the card image portrays the person as baseball player
• Level that the card image depicts baseball as a sport
• Emotional substance of the card (Wow Factor)

An example may provide more insight into the process.  The Topps 1956 #239 baseball card of Harry Simpson contains the necessary ingredients for a great card.  The action shot is almost a reverse image of the famous Joe DiMaggio shot that many of us have seen.  If Harry 'Suitcase' Simpson could have had the career of a DiMaggio or Mantle, this card would qualify for greatest.  As it stands, it is a very good card for a player whose career tailed off after 1956.

Card images provided by "The Virtual Card Collection" of Dan Austin hosted by Vintage Card Traders.

 Inductees into the Baseball card Hall of Fame

The following are the twenty cards currently in the Golden Age of Baseball Cards Baseball Card Hall of Fame. Scroll over the embossed image of the card to see the real thing.

Buy Baseball Cards Today

Personal Recollections

Roberto Clemente

I have personal recollections of all of the players listed above.  Actual memories of the players helps considerably in evaluating whether a card truly represents that player accurately.  We have all seen films of many great baseball players from before the fifties, but it is our fathers and grandfathers who have the memories that can accurately validate the stories. One memory of mine relates to Roberto Clemente — the home run that he hit on May 17, 1959 in Wrigley Field which is considered the longest home run in Wrigley Field history.  It was a double header with 32,017 in attendance.  Clemente had a powerful swing, but was known as a line drive hitter, often going to right field.  He only hit 4 home runs in 1959, but on this day he would rival the swings of Babe Ruth. The thing that sticks out most in my mind as I remember Clemente making contact was the awful sound of the ball hitting the bat.  It was one of the loudest cracks that I had ever heard, but the silence that followed indicated something special had happened.  The sound of the crowd was like that of someone getting the wind knocked out of them.  The crack of the bat and then an "oomph", then silence, as the ball sailed out of the park over the fence in back of the bleachers to the left of the scoreboard.  The ball would not have struck the scoreboard if it had been hit to center field, only because it wasn't hit high enough.

You Tube Representation

The following video was produced by a visitor to this site who made good use of the embossed representations.

Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron's home run record has been broken by Barry Bonds, and we now can appreciate the accomplishments of Hammerin' Hank a little more.  His home run record was accomplished with poise, humility and God-given talent.  It has been my opinion that he possessed the most beautiful swing in baseball.  Powerful wrists and exquisite timing were the key ingredients of his swing.

On May 30, 1956 I saw Hank Aaron for the first time from a box seat in Wrigley field.  I sat with my father as I worried how to avoid getting killed by a foul ball should one come in my direction.  My father told me that Aaron was going to be a great player.  In the first inning, Eddie Matthews, Aaron and Bobby Thomson hit consecutive home runs before Russ Meyer of the Cubs beaned Bill Bruton. The dugouts emptied and a fight ensued.  I didn't know what was going on, but I thought that it looked cool with 50 players in the infield.

I also remember the day and where I was when Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record. I felt sorry for him then because he didn't get all the credit he should have.

Aaron's 1957 card isn't listed in the top ten for one simple reason. It was printed backwards. Topps should reprint the card in the right direction to honor the greatest home run hitter of all time.  Since I don't expect them to do that I have taken this opportunity to do it myself.  Henry looks much better from this point of view. -->