Top 5 Cards; George Brett

Is it just me or are elite 3rd baseman getting more and rarer in today's game of baseball?

Other than catcher, there is no position harder than playing 3rd base, at least in my opinion. Not only do you have to always be ready for a ball to come your way, but it requires that you have a powerful arm and can field balls hit extremely fast towards you. After all, they don't call it the hot corner for nothing.

Yes, there are some talented defensive and offensive 3rd basemen, but finding a dual threat to play the position can be tough. In the past few years, we've seen Evan Longoria and Josh Donaldson decline a little in performance. That leaves 2 elite 3rd basemen left in baseball unless I'm missing one. Jose Ramirez and Nolan Arenado.

That's part of what made the 70's and 80's a fascinating era for baseball, specifically the 3rd base position. Greats like Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs, and the subject of today's top 5 cards post, George Brett, helped revolutionize the game by being magnificent defensive players while also heavily contributing at the offensive level as well.

An example of one of my player collections to reach the 100-card mark, my George Brett player collection currently rests at 124 cards with more to be added to the online inventory as I speak. It was tough, but I chose 5 incredible cards that I think do a good job of reflecting Brett as a player, at 3rd base, and at the plate.

#5 2013 Panini Golden Age 

A bit of an odd choice for the list, the 2013 Panini Golden Age set is yet another example of a Panini product that could become way more popular if only they had MLB licensing rights. When I first started seeing cards from this set in my player collections, I tried to draw conclusions about any sets these cards could be based off, but nothing came to mind. It's a pretty unique set, so it only stands to reason that it could cause some collectors to think there is too much going on, especially with the powder blue jersey. However, I just see it as a creative set attempt by Panini, so kudos to them for trying.

#4 2005 Leaf Century Collection

In case you were wondering, every card included on this list shows Brett in a light powder blue jersey. No, this was not intentional when I was making this list, but it makes sense in the long run. The iconic powder blue Royals jerseys have been a staple for some time now, and a good percent of the George Brett cards produced today show the 1980 AL MVP in the jersey above. Speaking of the card, this is a perfect example of what non-licensed products should be doing nowadays, covering up any spaces in which the logos are usually shown.

And just think the 2005 Leaf Century Collection set actually had licensed. They just happened to produce a card along the way that could almost pass off as unlicensed if not for the Royals logo on the left side.

#3 1987 Donruss - Diamond Kings

After their 1985 set, I feel like Donruss began to change their brand. The sets started to become less iconic, but that's likely because they were forced to change with an era in baseball and in general that was starting to change as well. For me, 1987 was the last year in which I liked the Donruss base set. After that, the sets started to go downhill and before you knew it, Donruss was joining the craze and producing all sorts of different sets every year. However, the Diamond Kings cards remained a strong point for many years, and the colors, designs, and all the other factors that come with George Brett's 1987 Diamond Kings card are part of what made DK great, even when Donruss wasn't at its best.

#2 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen

Of all the cards I chose for the list, Brett's 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen card does the best job at highlighting the powder blue jersey. Not only do I feel like it compliments the set very well, but it also highlights the era of baseball that Brett played in. George Brett's prime seasons were played in an era of colorful uniforms just like these. Not only does this card show that, but it also literally shows Brett swinging a bat in the on-deck circle, another small feature that helps make this card.

#1 2003 Fleer Fall Classic Pennant Aggression 

A numbered insert from the 2003 Fleer Fall Classic set and a dime box pickup, this was an easy choice for the #1 spot on my list of top 5 George Brett cards. The inserts, which I have not seen before or after grabbing this George Brett die-cut at the show, highlights pennant-winning seasons for star players and even includes a separate insert set for relic cards as well. If you think this card is great, wait until you see the relics even though only 1 is currently listed on COMC.

Just a PSA, if anyone's feeling generously once holiday season comes, any of these inserts and especially one of the relics would be greatly appreciated and would definitely merit a care package of cards in return.

But if not, I still have the George Brett insert, the obvious and only choice for the #1 spot.