2024 Topps Heritage

This year's 1965 design for the Heritage set is one of my favorites. And I don't think I am alone. But it seems that every year, just after the set has been out for a little while, people start anticipating next year's set. But what I am really looking forward to the set 10 years from now. The 1975 set included one of my favorite subsets: the MVP cards. 1975 was the 25th year for Topps Baseball cards but 2024 will only be the 24th year of the heritage sets because they never made a set for the 1951 cards. 

In anticipation of this set, I've cobbled together a few MVP cards I hope will be included in their set.

I had to cheat on this one because Ichiro was not included in the initial heritage set but he did have a card in the 2006 Topps '52 set. Close enough.

1962 Topps NL RBI Leaders: Cepeda, F.Robinson, Mays, Aaron

 

 This is one of those cards that if I didn't make it myself, I would have sworn was a real card. I mean how could Topps not include RBI Leaders in their set? This would have been a sought after card for many years. All 4 players are Hall of Famers. At the time this card would have been produced Mays, Cepeda and Robinson had all been elected Rookies of the Year and Aaron, Robinson and Mays had all been recent NL MVPs. Topps must have realized their missed opportunities because by 1964 RBI Leaders would become a staple of every set.

When I looked at the 2011 Heritage set, I saw that Topps was true to their original 1962 set and did not include an RBI Leader card. When I looked into who should have been on this card, I was struck by the similarities. I felt compelled to create a 2011 Heritage Card That Never Was:

Once again 3 of the 4 were recent NL MVP winners and 2 were Rookies of the Year. Are these 4 also destined to be enshrined in Cooperstown?

1973 Topps Cardinals Home Run Leaders

(The Asterisk Version)

 

This was a tricky one for me. I didn't know whether I should put asterisks next to the steroid inflated records or ignore the steroid users completely. So I decided to do one of each. For the Rangers, I went 'roid-free, for the Cards I used the asterisk.

Stan Musial was a 3 time MVP and appeared in 24 All-Star games in his 22 seasons. His highest season total was 39 which ties him for 13th in the all time Cardinals list. But it is his consistency and longevity that puts him on top.

Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs in 1998. After years of denial he finally came clean. Well, almost. He claimed taking steroids for "health purposes". I don't remember where I heard it first but I'll repeat it. "Without steroids, Mark McGwire is Dave Kingman."

Albert Pujols has never hit fewer than 32 home runs in any season of his 11 year career. He is at #2 on the Cardinals all-time list at 445 and should surpass Musial next year assuming he is still healthy and wearing a Cardinals uniform. He is also #3 on the single season list with 49 homers behind Mark McGwire's suspect totals in 1998 and 1999.

Sunday Shout Out

CSD's Custom Cards 

 

This site has hundreds of custom cards. If you are a White Sox Fan then this blog is for you. As of today there are 319 different custom White Sox Cards.

 

 Another feature is his Famous Lineage Cards which isremeniscent of the 1985 Topps Father-Son cards.

All in all some pretty cool custom cards and a great way to waste some time at work.