Pos:  OF   Teams:  1954-1976 Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Milw. Brewers

Lifetime Avg:  .305   Hits:  3,771   HR:  755   RBI:  2,297   HOF:  1982

Aaron was not fully appreciated at the time he played.  Most people felt that Mays, Clemente, and even Frank Robinson were better.  Aaron never had a 50+ HR season, and always played in small media markets (if only WTBS had been around then!).  The 1956 Topps is Aaron's 3rd card.   - Dad

Hank Aaron is the all-time career leader in home runs and RBI's.  Aaron surely would have hit more than 50 HR's in a season if he had not played in Milwaukee County Stadium (a poor HR park) during his peak seasons.  A little known fact: Aaron is the only player in history to drive in 1,000 runs on HR's and 1,000 runs on other hits.   - Eric

Pos:  SS-1B   Teams:  1954-1971 Chicago Cubs

Lifetime Avg:  .274   Hits:  2,583   HR:  512   RBI:  1,636   HOF:  1977

I was taught at an early age to hate the Cubs (being a Cardinal fan), but I always liked Ernie Banks.  I remember listening to him being interviewed by Jack Buck on the radio, and he really did say, "Let's play two!".  The 1961 card set is one of my favorites.  This was Banks' last card as a shortstop.  - Dad

Ernie Banks won back-to-back MVP awards in 1958 and 1959 while playing for a fifth-place team.  He holds the major league record for home runs in a season (47) and career (293) by a shortstop.  As a SS, he led the NL in fielding 3 times before a knee injury forced him to move to 1B.   - Eric

Pos:  C-LF   Teams:  1947-1963 New York Yankees

Lifetime Avg:  .285   Hits:  2,150   HR:  358   RBI:  1,430   HOF:  1972

In 1942, Cardinal GM Branch Rickey offered a $500 signing bonus to a local prospect, Joe Garagiola.  He refused to offer the same $500 to Joe's friend, Yogi Berra, but the Yankees came up with the money and Berra went to AAA in New Jersey.  One year later, the NY Giants offered $50,000 for Berra's contract, but the Yankees politely declined.  - Dad

Yogi Berra won 3 MVP awards, and made the All-Star team 15 times.  He holds several World Series records including hits (71) and most times on the winning team (10).  He won pennants as a manager in both leagues, with the Yankees in 1964 and the Mets in 1973.  - Eric

Pos:  LF   Teams:  1962-1979 Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals

Lifetime Avg:  .293   Hits:  3,023   Runs:  1,610   SB:  938   HOF:  1985

I chose this card because it was Brock's first card as a Cardinal, after one of the dumbest trades of all-time brought him to St. Louis just in time to help the Cards win the 1964 World Series.  That would be the Cubs on the dumb end of that trade heh heh.  This card is also a "short print" card, which means that fewer were printed because of the numbering and how it appeared on the sheets, i.e. it is rare!  - Dad

Lou Brock is #2 on the all-time stolen base list, and is also #2 in SB's for a single season (118 in 1974).  He held both of these records until they were broken by Rickey Henderson.  Brock had a rare combination of power and speed.  In 1968, he led the NL in doubles, triples, and steals.  He was the first NL player to do that since Honus Wagner in 1908.   - Eric

Pos:  P   Teams:  1959-1975 St. Louis Cardinals

Lifetime W-L:  251-174   ERA:  2.91   SO:  3,117   SH:  56   HOF:  1981

Bob Gibson was the best clutch pitcher of my era.  He broke his leg during the 1967 season, and returned after 8 weeks to pitch 3 complete game victories in the World Series.  This was during his streak of 7 straight WS wins, a ML record.  He was a pretty decent hitter too, with 24 career HR.  I can recall him being used as a pinch-hitter, and not as the last player off the bench either.  He also won the Gold Glove award for nine straight seasons.   - Dad

Gibson holds the ML record for lowest ERA in a season, 1.12 in 1968.  He pitched 13 shutouts that year, and won both the MVP and Cy Young awards.  He had a basketball scholarship to Creighton, and played one year for the Harlem Globetrotters.     - Eric

Pos:  CF   Teams:  1951-1968 New York Yankees

Lifetime Avg:  .298   Hits:  2,415   HR:  536   RBI:  1,509   HOF:  1974

My peak years for card collecting were 1960-1962.  The players to get were Yankees, and THE Yankee was Mantle.  I chewed hundreds of those lousy sticks of gum trying to get a 1960 Mantle, but I never did.  So when I went back to collecting in my second childhood, this was the first card I wanted.  It cost a lot more than a nickel though.  - Dad

Mantle made the All-Star team 14 times, and won 3 MVP awards.  He played in the World Series 12 times, and holds the record for 18 World Series HR's.  He has the most career HR's for a switch-hitter, and hit the longest HR of all-time in 1960 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit (643 feet).  Even with all of his injuries, he also holds the Yankee team record for 2,401 games played.   - Eric

Pos:  RF   Teams:  1957-1968 Indians, Athletics, Yankees, Cardinals

Lifetime Avg:  .260   Hits:  1,325   HR:  275   RBI:  851   HOF:  No

This is another of those Yankee cards that I wanted, and I like the 1964 set as well.  It was nice that McGwire took time to honor Maris and his family.  Maris was treated very poorly by the press in 1961, and a lot of people didn't want him to break the record.  He was a big contributor to the Cardinal championships in 1967-68.  - Dad

A lot of people don't realize that Maris won back-to-back MVP awards - in 1960 and again in 1961 when he hit 61 HR's.  Maris' record lasted 37 years, which is three years longer than Ruth held it.  People think that Maris benefited from Yankee Stadium's short right field line, but he actually hit more HR on the road in 1961.  - Eric

Pos:  CF   Teams:  1951-1973 NY & SF Giants, NY Mets

Lifetime Avg:  .302   Hits:  3,283   HR:  660   RBI:  1,903   HOF:  1979

Mays was the first player to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases.  It is amusing to hear people rave about players like Barry Bonds after having seen Mays in his prime.  Mays could have stolen 75 bases every season if he had wanted to run that much.  Mays had the best range and arm of any outfielder in my era, including Clemente.   - Dad

Mays loved to make impossible catches.  He is best known for his over-the-shoulder catch of Vic Wertz's line drive in the 1954 World Series, but he claims his best catch was made in the 1955 All-Star game robbing Ted Williams of a homer.  He won 11 Gold Glove awards, and holds the career ML records for putouts and total chances as an OF.  He won 2 MVP awards, and was MVP of the All-Star game twice also.  - Eric

Pos:  2B   Teams:  1963-1984 Astros, Reds, Giants, Phillies, A's

Lifetime Avg:  .271   Hits:  2,517   HR:  268   RBI:  1,133   HOF:  1990

Morgan was NL Rookie of the Year in 1965 for the Astros during their first year in the Astrodome.  This card shows Morgan in an Astros uniform (not Colt 45's) and the Rookie trophy on the front.  I chose to keep this card over Morgan's 1965 rookie card for those reasons.   - Dad

Joe Morgan was a key player on the Cincinnati Reds during the 1970's, winning back-to-back MVP awards in 1975-76.  He came back to the Astros in 1980, and helped them win their first division title.  He also played a key role on the 1983 Phillies pennant-winning team.  Morgan was named to the All-Star team in eight straight seasons, and holds the record for the most home runs by a second baseman (268).  - Eric

Pos:  LF-1B   Teams:  1942-1963 St. Louis Cardinals

Lifetime Avg:  .331   Hits:  3,630   HR:  475   RBI:  1,951   HOF:  1969

Stan Musial is my favorite player.  The fact that he was the star player of the Cardinals in my youth certainly influences that choice.  Musial refused to sign the basic contract that was offered by Topps, and didn't appear on a Topps card until very late in his career.   - Dad

Musial was named to the All-Star team 20 times, and won 3 MVP awards.  He holds the NL record for most consecutive years (16) hitting over .300.  Musial got his nickname in the early 1950's when a Dodger fan said, "Uh oh, here comes that MAN again".  In 1968, the Cardinals erected a statue in his honor in front of Busch Stadium.  - Eric

Pos:  P   Teams:  1968-1993 Mets, Angels, Astros, Rangers

Lifetime W-L:  324-292   ERA:  3.19   SO:  5,714   SH:  61   HOF:  1999

I get upset when people call Nolan Ryan a ".500 pitcher".  They should have seen some of those lousy Angel teams he pitched for in his prime.  And I really don't understand how five voters could leave him off their Hall of Fame ballot.  What more does he need to do?   - Dad

Nolan Ryan is the all-time leader in career strikeouts, and has over 1,600 more than the second place pitcher, Steve Carlton.  He led his league in strikeouts 11 times.  Ryan also pitched a record 7 no-hitters.  Opposing hitters batted just .203 lifetime against Ryan, which is an all-time record for starting pitchers.  - Eric

Pos:  P   Teams:  1968-1993 Mets, Angels, Astros, Rangers

Lifetime W-L:  324-292   ERA:  3.19   SO:  5,714   SH:  61   HOF:  1999

Eric has already pointed out that Nolan Ryan was NOT an Astro in 1969, so don't bother.  We have a Met picture on his 1968 card above, and I wanted an Astro picture somewhere.  I really like those rainbow uniforms, don't you?  This was Ryan's first card pictured alone, and it is one of my top 2 or 3 favorites.    - Dad

Nolan Ryan played for 26 seasons, a very long time for a pitcher.  He is second all-time in games pitched as a starter behind Cy Young.  Ryan was the first player to sign for $1 million per season when he came to the Astros in 1981.  - Eric

Pos:  3B   Teams:  1960-1974 Chicago Cubs & White Sox

Lifetime Avg:  .277   Hits:  2,254   HR:  342   RBI:  1,331   HOF:  No

This card was purely a sentimental choice.  I always liked Santo, and I had a 1961 Banks to go with it.  I also had a 1961 Billy Williams to complete the "set", but I have no idea what happened to it.  Santo is a lot better player than many who are in the HOF, but he was always overshadowed by Banks and Williams.  He was a disciplined hitter, leading the NL in walks four times.  - Dad

Santo holds records for leading the league the most times in chances, putouts, and assists by a third baseman.  He missed only 23 games from 1961-1971, and made the All-Star team nine times.  Santo became the first player to veto a trade to another team in 1973 under a new rule, and went to the White Sox as a free agent in 1974 for one season.   - Eric

Pos:  3B   Teams:  1972-89 Philadelphia Phillies

Lifetime Avg:  .267   Hits:  2,234   HR:  548   RBI:  1,595   HOF:  1995

Schmidt had a lifetime batting average of .750 vs. the Astros.  Well not really, but it sure seemed like it.  This is Schmidt's second card, but it is his first card pictured alone.  I really like the looks of the 1974 set, and chose to keep this card instead of buying the RC for that reason.   - Dad

Mike Schmidt is one of only 4 players to win at least 3 NL MVP awards, along with Campanella, Musial, and Barry Bonds.  He led the NL in homers 8 times, and holds the career record for homers by a third baseman.  He was also an excellent fielder, winning the Gold Glove award 10 times.  He was voted the greatest Phillie player ever in a vote of their fans.  - Eric

Pos:  SS   Teams:  1978-81 Padres, 1982-96 Cardinals

Lifetime Avg:  .262   Hits:  2,460   HR:  28   SB:  580   HOF:  2002

Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie.  He was the best fielding SS in his era, and maybe ever.  He could also do a backflip from a standing position, and did so on Opening Day every year when he went to the field for the first time.  This is Ozzie's RC (rookie card), and it is rarely found in NM condition like mine because of printing problems in the set.  - Dad

Ozzie Smith had a lifetime fielding pct. of .978 and led the NL in fielding 8 times.  He holds the NL shortstop single season records for fielding (.987) and fewest errors (8).  He won the Gold Glove award at SS for 13 straight seasons, a ML record.  He is tied with Honus Wagner for the most consecutive seasons (16) with over 20 stolen bases.  He was selected to the All-Star team 15 times.  - Eric