I Have Completed The 1968 Topps Game Set – YES!!!!

I Have Completed The 1968 Topps Game Set – YES!!!!

Yes, 33 weeks after debuting my first card from this legendary set, I have completed the entire set.

It was a lot of fun to focus my attention on this set, and at times I thought that my goal of completing the set was unattainable. 

Before I get into a few notes about this set and what it took for me to put it together, let me show you the whole thing.

Here are the cards:

Pretty sweet, huh?  Yeah, this one easily ranks as the best set of cards I have built since getting back into the hobby more than four years ago.  The set is packed with baseball history, and is a very solid representation of ‘true vintage’.

While going through the process of putting this set together, I found out quite a bit about the players that were included.  And while I could never find the details as to why  Topps chose these 33 players, some are very obvious due to their career achievements and others due to their fantastic 1967 baseball seasons.

A few more random notes about the set:

• the full set cost me just under $50 to put together
• the most expensive card for me to obtain was the Mickey Mantle card, followed by Roberto Clemente and then Brooks Robinson
• there are notable ommissions from the set – Jim Palmer, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Maury Wills, Phil Niekro, Fergie Jenkins, and Luis Tiant.
• Amazingly, many of the cards from this set can still be had for just $1.00
• The cards seem to take on a yellow hue, most likely due to age and how they were handled.  I tried my best to limit my intake of these yellowed versions as much as possible

This set was a blast to put together – and I am very happy that I challenged myself to do so.

I have a few things in mind for the next subset that I want to build, but I am not certain that any set can live up to the joy that this 1968 Topps Game set brought me.

🙂

1968 Topps Game – Mickey Mantle

1968 Topps Game – Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle retired after the 1968 baseball season.  It is nice to see him included in this set.

Mickey Mantle was the boyhood idol to millions of baseball fans during the 1950s and 1960s.  The memories that he created for them still live on today as he is one of the most cherished personalities that the sport has ever had.

Mantle played in the major leagues for 18 seasons, all with the New York Yankees.  A great athlete, Mantle combined the skills of contact hitting, power hitting, and speed on the base paths to give Yankee fans something to cheer for at each game he played in.

Mantle’s career numbers are superb; and to think that he accomplished much of these grand milestones while injured confirms just how uber-talented he was.

The resume looks like this:  2415 hits, .298 batting average, 344 doubles, 536 home runs, 153 stolen bases, 1509 RBI, 1676 runs scored, 16-time All-Star, 1 Gold Glove, 3 MVP Awards, 7 World Series championships, 1956 Triple Crown Winner, and member of the Hall of Fame.

Progress – 33/33

1968 Topps Game – Henry Aaron

1968 Topps Game – Henry Aaron

Hank Aaron is one of the most accomplished baseball stars in the history of the sport.

Among the top of the leaderboards of almost every major offensive statistical category, Aaron is cemented as one of the greatest players of all-time.

Aaron is third in games played, third in hits, first in total bases, fourth in runs scored, second in home runs, tenth in doubles, and first in runs batted in.

Aaron is a member of the 1957 World Series championship winning Braves.  He is a 21-time All-Star.  He won three Gold Gloves for defensive excellence and the 1957 National League MVP award.

Progress – 32/33

1968 Topps Game – Rod Carew

1968 Topps Game – Rod Carew

I consider Rod Carew to be one of the most underrated superstars in baseball history.

Yes, I know he’s a Hall of Famer.  And yes, I know he is an 18-time All-star.  And yes, he was a constant threat to win the league’s MVP award for most of his career.

But when people talk about the greatest hitters in the sport’s history, Carew gets very little credit yet his numbers stack up quite well to the competition.  In 19 seasons, Carew collected 3,053 hits alongside a .320 batting average.  He also managed to score 1,424 runs, drive in 1,015 runs, and steal 353 bases.

The reason that Rod Carew still remains under the radar in the world of baseball card collecting is because he played for very low-profile teams – the Twins and Angels.  If he suited up for the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, or Reds he would be as sought after as any of the best hitters in the sport’s history.

Progress – 31/33

1968 Topps Game – Brooks Robinson

1968 Topps Game – Brooks Robinson

The resume of Brooks Robinson is more incredible each and every time I take a peek at it.  I’ve always known him to be a great defensive ball player, but his offensive and team success during his 23-year career cannot be denied.  While Mike Schmidt may be the more explosive, and Chipper Jones may be the better pure hitter of the bunch, Brooks can certainly hold his own in the conversation ranking the best third basemen in baseball history.

Robinson is known for his glove first, and with 16 consecutive years of Gold Glove level performance it is clear to see why. On offense he has collected 2,848 hits, 268 home runs, 1,357 RBI, 1,232 runs scored, and a lifetime average of .267.  And the Orioles teams he played for did well too.  He is a member of the 1966 and 1970 World Series championship teams.

Progress – 30/33

1968 Topps Game – Tommy Davis

1968 Topps Game – Tommy Davis

Tommy Davis played in the big leagues for 18 seasons.  During that time, he suited up for ten major league teams. And he was a solid contributor for most of them.

Davis’ career numbers are pretty solid – .294 batting average, 2,121 hits, 272 doubles, 153 home runs, 811 runs scored, 1,052 RBI, and 136 stole bases.

Davis won two batting titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962 ans 1963.  He was also an All-Star in those two campaigns. 

Davis’ Dodgers team won the World Series in 1963.  In the 4-game sweep of the Yankees, Davis hit .400 as he tallied 6 hits and 2 RBI in 15 at-bats.

Progress – 29/33

1968 Topps Game – Gary Peters

1968 Topps Game – Gary Peters

Gary Peters played in 14 big league campaigns.  Hi s debut came in 1959, but with very limited action in his first four seasons, he was still tagged as a ‘Rookie’ in 1963; the year that he won the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award.

In his first full campaign, Peters started 30 games while posting a 19-8 record.  He threw 13 complete games, including 4 shutouts.  Peters amassed an ERA of 2.33 during his rookie season while also striking out 189 batters in 243 innings of work.

For his career, Peters posted a record of 124-103.  He was a 2-time All-Star and never made a postseason appearance.

Progress – 28/33

1968 Topps Game – George Scott

1968 Topps Game – George Scott

There is no doubt as to why George Scott was included in this 1968 set.

Simply stated, Scott had a fantastic sophomore-season in 1967.

As a 23-year old member of the Boston Red Sox, George Scott put together the kind of season that the ‘Fenway Faithful’ attaches to the tag os ‘Superstar’.

Scott’s efforts in 1967 landed in 10th place for the AL MVP Award, and he also brought home a Gold Glove Award too.

The numbers – 159 games played, .303 batting average, 171 hits, 21 doubles, 7 triples, 19 home runs, 74 runs scored, and 82 RBI.  It looks as though Scott’s achille’s heel was the strike out – 641 plate appearances in the ’67 season, Scott struck out 119 times.  It was an improvement over his league leading 152 K’s from his rookie season in 1966, but it is a far cry from a disciplined hitter too…

Scott would go on to win 8 Gold Glove Awards during his time in Boston and Milwaukee.  He would finish in the Top 25 for the MVP Award five times. 

Progress – 27/33

1968 Topps Game – Pete Rose

1968 Topps Game – Pete Rose

I am a Pete Rose fan.  I am a Pete Rose supporter.  I undoubtedly believe that Pete Rose belongs in  the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The list of accolades are endless.  His accomplishments are amazing.  He is a record-breaking, hit producing, ball player that ranks with the sport’s all-time greats.

I am proud to say that one of the greatest memories from watching baseball with my dad in my youth was watching Pete Rose collect hit number 4,192 of his career.  That moment on the field, and that memory formed in my living room as a 9-year old kid, lives with me today more than 25 years later.

Progress – 26/33

1968 Topps Game – Joe Torre

1968 Topps Game – Joe Torre

Most baseball fans know Joe Torre as the former World Series winning New York Yankees manager.

Many know him for his tenure as skipper of the Dodgers, Mets, and Cardinals.

I was first introduced to Joe Torre as the leader of the Atlanta Braves.

Very few of us recognize just how solid of a major league player that Joe Torre was…

Joe Torre was a big-leaguer for 18 seasons.  He amassed 2,300+ hits, 250+ home runs, drove in 1,100+ runs, and almost scored 1,000 runs.

Torre was the runner-up for the Rookie Of The Year award in 1961.  He won the MVP Award in 1971.  He was a 9-time All-Star and also won a Gold Glove Award in 1965.  Torre won a batting title in 1971 with his .363 average.

Most importantly, Joe Torre was a solid teammate.  Players that suited up alongside Torre thought the world of him and his attitude towards the game.  Torre played hard each and every day, and he was a great role model for the younger players.

Progess – 25/33