Top 5 Cards: Derek Jeter

I don't know what's caused my irregular posting schedule over the last couple of weeks and, really, the past few months.

Part of it, I presume, stems from a lack of material. I, shockingly, haven't purchased cards in a month, and the period between frankensets that took up most of December left me without a go-to post to fall back on.

Other times, my decision not to post for a day or 2 stems, honestly, from a lack of motivation. Yesterday was the most severe case of this situation.

As I was debating what kind of post I wanted to write, news broke about the shocking and tragic death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.

"Shocking" and "tragic" don't even begin to describe the emotions of sports fans and athletes worldwide, but truthfully, no words can encapsulate how I felt when the ESPN notification popped up on my phone.

I don't really collect Basketball cards (I've only purchased them a handful of times in my life), and I don't follow the sport nearly as close as I do Baseball. But I do, however, remember watching Kobe, specifically towards the end of the 2000s when his Los Angeles Lakers were the rival to the Boston Celtics.

I remember the NBA finals in 2008 and 2010; one championship went to Boston, the other to LA. Now, that rivalry seems unbelievably insignificant.

It's also important to note that 8 others died on the helicopter crash along with Bryant, including his 13-year old daughter Gianna. The false news reports that circulated afterward and TMZ's reporting the tragedy before Bryant's family could be notified are truly despicable.

Like I said, I've barely collected Basketball cards and don't follow the sport, so I don't have a proper tribute post for Kobe with photos and stories to tell. I did, however, wanted to take some time to discuss the events of yesterday before today's top 5 cards post of the almost unanimous Baseball HOF inductee from last Tuesday.

From 1 sports icon in his respective city to another, let me tell you all about my 5 favorite Derek Jeter cards.

#5 1999 Bowman's Best

Like many chrome/shiny cards that I scan and feature on the blog, Jeter's 1999 Bowman's Best looks a lot better in-person. The set design is more of a vibrant shade of gold that compliments the Yankee pinstripes much more.

Aside from the fact that his first name is spelled using a different font than his last name, I don't have any real complaints about the set design or this specific card. It does a nice job of defining the late 1990s, arguably the most successful period of Jeter's Hall of Fame career.

#4 2001 Upper Deck Vintage Retro Rules

I'm pretty certain this card is saying that the retro era of Baseball rules rather than laying out the rules of the period in MLB history, but regardless of how one interprets the name, the actual card is pretty spectacular.

Upon closer inspection, you discover that the card is literally just 3 colors: black, white, and red. Few designs can claim that they only feature 3 colors, as many have hidden details that bring the total number up.

This card clearly doesn't need to be changed whatsoever; its simplicity is what garners a spot on the countdown.

#3 2019 Topps Stadium Club

I feel like I could choose almost any Stadium Club card from one of my PCs for their respective top 5 cards post, but Jeter's from the 2019 release stood out to me among all the others.

The sky blue background at Yankee stadium is a perfect match for the iconic home pinstripes, and the angle of the shot gives us a good look at both the foreground and the background.

Sometimes, I wonder if Topps Stadium Club has lost its unique elements and is becoming repetitive, but when I see cards like the one above, I'm reminded of just how fabulous the product is.

#2 2006 Topps Heritage

I had 106 different Derek Jeter cards to choose from when deciding the top 5 for this list, yet I don't think I could've chosen one more simple than his 2006 Topps Heritage card, styled after 1957 Topps.

In addition to the incredibly minimalistic design, the photograph, taken at Spring Training, fits with the overall basic theme. It's a classic batter's stance with the bat taking up more space than the card allows, and Jeter is, once again, wearing the Yankee pinstripes.

Simple as it may be, it's easily one of my favorites.

#1 1993 Topps

As if any other card could claim the #1 spot on this list.

Purchased in a factory sealed 1993 Topps set at the card show several years back, Jeter's rookie ranks as one of the most iconic cards in Baseball history. It's no wonder we've seen a million different reprints of it over the years.

It was almost an automatic decision for me to rank this card at #1. It may not be worth as much as other rookie cards of big-name Hall of Famers, but no other Jeter card rivals his rookie from '93 Topps.

Top 5 Cards: Ty Cobb

Pretty soon, I'm gonna have to make some sort of Google Doc/spreadsheet that lists which players I've already written top 5 cards posts for because I'm past the point where I can recite them all from memory.

An essential part of my blog from the very beginning, the top 5 cards series allows me to highlight my favorite cards of players that I collect, no matter the era in which he played in nor how large the PC is.

Along with the frankenset, a series that came to an end roughly a week ago, top 5 cards is an easy, go-to post for when I'm low on ideas, but over the last 2 1/3 years, I've encountered a few problems.

The first, my not knowing all of the players who I've covered, can be solved in 30 minutes or so by entering all of the names directly from the blog onto a spreadsheet. My next issue is slightly more complex; what to do as my player collections grow.

For example, I overviewed my top 5 Ichiro cards back in September of 2017 when I had way fewer cards and, thus, less variety than I have today. If I were to write an "updated" top 5 cards post on the future Hall of Famer, you'd definitely notice some changes.

I don't know if something like what I just mentioned will ever come to fruition, but it's something to keep in mind as I continue to cover this series. Today's subject is Ty Cobb, a PC with 45 unique cards. Without any further adieu, let's get started.

#5 2015 Topps Gypsy Queen

Virtually every Ty Cobb card that I own shows him as a member of the Detroit Tigers, and there's every reason for that. He spent most (22 years) of his 24-year career setting records and making history in Detroit, but many Baseball fans, including myself, forget about his 2 seasons in Philadelphia.

Cobb played for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1927-1928, managing 843 at-bats and a .343 average before retiring at the age of 41. Though he put up phenomenal stats with the A's, card companies, rightfully so, recognize his 22 other years in Detroit rather than 2 in Philadelphia.

With that being said, I applaud Topps' efforts back in 2015 when they featured Cobb as a member of the Athletics, creating a terrific card for the Gypsy Queen release.

#4 1999 Fleer Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game

Black and white photographed Ty Cobb cards aren't exactly hard to come by, so it takes a special style, picture, and set design to impress me. Fortunately, Fleer's 1999 Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game set checks all of these boxes with a simple, Stadium Club-esque card and a terrific shot of Cobb as well.

The picture quality may not be as stellar as, say, the Sporting News Conlon Collection cards, but the card, if nothing else, showcases an action shot of Cobb, something you rarely see of early-20th century ballplayers.

I also described the set design as "Stadium Club-esque" because of its simplicity which, in turn, allows for the photograph to shine.

#3 1973 Topps The All-Time Hit Leader

Cobb may not be the all-time hits leader anymore, but he was back in 1973 when Topps paid homage to him in their Flagship set.

The card is as simple as it gets; red and blue banners paired with a black and white photo and, lastly, a pop of color from the yellow surrounding the number 4,191 in the bottom right-hand corner.

You don't typically expect to see players like Cobb featured in 70s base sets just like it would be a surprise to see someone like Wade Boggs in 2020 Topps Flagship. Because of that, I was inclined to include this card in the top 5.

#2 2012 Topps Archives

Cobb's 2012 Topps Archives card, given that it's made up of a black border, has held up pretty well over the last 7 years. With 1971 Topps set to be featured in Topps Heritage in a couple of months, I'm hoping that the cardstock doesn't allow for much damage to occur.

As for the card at hand, few Topps base designs would pair as well with a photo of Ty Cobb as 1971 Topps. There's something about the black borders that work wonderfully with the selected photo of the 1911 MVP.

#1 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game Glory of Their Time

Speaking of 1911, the #1 and final card of this countdown also pays tribute to Cobb's legendary MVP season. Numbered out of 1911, Fleer created an overall unbelievable card back in 2004 with, besides their logo, just the colors black and grey.

Everything from the font choice to the ratios of colors works exceptionally well, and like the 2012 Archives card, this has held up over the past 15 years.

While I can sometimes say that one card narrowly missed out on the #1 spot, there was no denying that Cobb's '04 Fleer insert would reign supreme at the top spot.

Top 5 Cards; Fergie Jenkins

Greetings viewers. I hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgiving.

While I wasn't able to enjoy any of yesterday's football games, I had a great holiday, celebrating with family members whom I haven't seen in quite some time and food: lots of terrific food.

Nowadays, it's challenging to even mention Thanksgiving without talking about Black Friday at the same time. Whereas stores, even a few years back, opened around 9:00 or 10:00 pm on Thanksgiving, I've seen ads over the last few days for stores opening as early as 2:00 pm the same day.

Aside from buying a reduced price phone case from a store near me, that's going out of business, I didn't partake in Black Friday, not that I've done so significantly in the past.

That said, there's one part of this mega shopping day that might lure me in over the weekend. It shouldn't come as a surprise that I might end up purchasing Baseball cards over the next few days.

Currently, eBay, Amazon, and, most notably, COMC are all having sales along with all the major wax distributors like Blowout cards.

Because I was in the area, I tried the Walmart card aisle today in hopes of snagging the 2 Donruss Optic Basketball mega boxes that I saw while purchasing Topps Gallery last weekend.

Given how much the prices have risen on that stuff, particularly the Holo rookies, I'm kicking myself for not picking those up instead. Alas, you live and you learn.

While I contemplate what, if any, Black Friday Baseball card purchase I'd like to make, I have my first top 5 cards post in ~2 weeks to get to. Today's subject is Fergie Jenkins, a silver tier player collection with 81 cards; I chose my favorite 5.

#5 2000 Fleer Greats of the Game

Topps' monopoly in the Baseball card industry may have robbed us of glorious cards like the Fleer Greats of the Game set, but it's the company's laziness and lack of quality control that irritates me more.

Because they don't have any competition in terms of licensed cards, Topps can practically do whatever they want without any repercussions. Furthermore, their quality control is pretty poor because, as I mentioned before, there's no competition to force Topps to step up their game.

If only Fleer never had their licensed revoked or Panini was given the right to use MLB logos in the first place. Then, we'd have more cards like the one above.

#4 1975 Hostess

If I were to take part in COMC's annual Black Friday sale, I'd certainly take the opportunity to pick up some 70s Hostess singles for my player collections. I don't have a ton of these at the moment, but I'm always looking to rectify that, especially because of how much I love oddballs.

The '75 Hostess design isn't something to look twice at, but the powder blue Rangers uniform heavily enhances the otherwise ordinary card. Plus, there's just so much to love about these Hostess cards, despite how plain the set design might be.

#3 1971 Topps

Top 5 cards posts of legends from the 1960s and 1970s are both more enjoyable to write and better received by the viewers, so it's a no-brainer for me to choose a Hall of Famer for one of these posts when I'm out of ideas.

I originally intended to write about the Donruss Optic Basketball boxes today, but since I was unable to get my hands on them at Walmart, I turned to a trusty top 5 cards post.

Seeing this 1971 Topps card makes me all the more excited for the release of 2020 Topps Heritage. The following year, moreover, is when my favorite Topps set (1972) will be replicated.

#2 1973 Topps

For a very short time in the 1970s, the Chicago Cubs' jerseys featured the player's number on the front in addition to, I believe, the back. Though I've seen a few of these uniforms in the 1973 Topps set, I don't recall seeing any others.

I'm a lot more knowledgeable about the Red Sox than I am about the Cubs, so I'm not sure if these uniforms were just a 1-year thing or not. Regardless, I love the contribution to Fergie Jenkins' 1973 Topps card.

#1 2005 Fleer Tradition Club 3000

I recall that my Dad, back in 2005 upon the set's release, bought 2 of these Fleer Tradition Club 3000 inserts. One featured Bob Gibson, the other Fergie Jenkins.

As soon as my memory was refreshed surrounding these cards, I knew that the Jenkins insert had to earn the #1 spot on my list. I don't have any terrific vintage card to challenge it nor a modern one to dethrone it.

The border, color combination, photo, and background all contribute to a beautiful card overall, one that I'm proud to place at the top of this countdown.

Top 5 Cards; Jacob deGrom

A couple of hours, New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom captured the 2019 NL Cy Young award, giving him back-to-back award wins for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Last year, when the right-hander posted a historic 1.70 ERA and struck out 269 batters, deGrom was a lock for his first-ever Cy Young award. Though he was, once again, fabulous in 2019 (2.43 ERA with 255 K's) he wasn't quite as dominant as the year before.

He also faced some tough competition from division rival Max Scherzer and Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, but the results, more or less, remained the same. Once again, deGrom received 29/30 first-place votes, catapulting him to his 2nd straight award win.

I'll be intrigued to see what rookie manager Carlos Beltran does with a Mets pitching staff in 2020 that'll consist of deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Marcus Stroman.

This rotation, barring any injuries or declines in performance, should be among the best in baseball, and they'll have an excellent ace at the helm.

I haven't been player collecting Jacob deGrom for all that long, but I've amassed 61 total cards of the 31-year old. This total puts him at #100 on my list of player collections, organized from largest to smallest.

Though the countdown may not feature as wide of a variety of cards as some of the other players that I collect, I'm quite pleased with how the top 5 turned out.

#5 2018 Topps Chrome Negative Refractor

When deciding which cards should make the top 5 and what the order should be, I try not to include a card solely because I like the set design/parallel. I did, however, feel obligated to make a small exception for deGrom's negative refractor from 2018 Topps Chrome.

Unlike paper parallels or even, say, other refractors from Topps Chrome, the negative encompasses the entire card, so one's feelings towards this type of refractor will dictate their thoughts on the card itself.

Because I love the look of negative refractors, this card was a no-brainer to make the top 5.

#4 2016 Panini Donruss 1982 Design

If this 1982 Donruss insert from the 2016 set had the MLB license, it could've made the top 2 on this countdown. The fact is, however, that deGrom's helmet looks incomplete without the New York Mets logo as does his home uniform.

That's not to take away from how creative Panini was with this insert card by showing a picture of deGrom at the plate rather than on the mound. He's actually one of the better hitting pitchers in the NL after launching 2 home runs in 2019.

The lack of logos may have caused this card to miss out on making it higher up on the list, but I still appreciate the little nuances that make this insert so unique.

#3 2017 Topps High Tek Blackout Parallel Pattern 1

One of the benefits of player collecting 250+ guys, both active and retired, is that it exposes me to a plethora of products that I'd otherwise be widely unfamiliar with. I can think of no better example than Topps High Tek, a set I'll likely never buy a box of in my life.

The veteran base cards, however, routinely end up in the dime bins, even serial numbered cards and parallels, like the blackout one above. I particularly like the sleek design, for the back of the card is a light shade of grey and creates a contrast from the front.

#2 2019 Topps Inception Green Parallel

I don't know if I paid a dime for the green parallel above like I did for the blackout card from High Tek, but I'm certain that I haven't opened a box of Topps Inception in my life. As a result, we have yet another instance of my collecting a surplus of players and, thus, being exposed to a ton of different products.

A lot is going on with this card, to say the least. There's the green parallel along with the purple/blue background, making for an extremely modern design.

From the handful of Topps Inception singles that I have purchased, I love the base design and wish they'd release something like this set in a more affordable format.

#1 2017 Topps Bunt Infinite

It's not as flashy as any of the parallels on this list nor as creative as the Panini Donruss insert, but the simplicity and, honestly, the overall awesome design of this 2017 Topps Bunt insert helped catapult this card to the #1 spot on the countdown.

I love the contrast between the slightly-faded picture of deGrom and the outside of Citi Field, and while that's pretty much all this card has to offer, there's something to be said about its simplicity.

Some days, I'll go for a negative refractor or a blackout parallel to capture the #1 spot on a top 5 cards list. Other times, however, I prefer something simple yet stunning, and that's exactly what the Topps Bunt Infinite card does.

Top 5 Cards; Ryan Zimmerman

Just a couple of hours ago, the Washington Nationals' 2005 first-round draft pick and mainstay of the franchise, Ryan Zimmerman, hit the first World Series home run in club history.

The team was just coming off a move from Montreal to the U.S. capitol and, for a long time, their win-loss reflected their inexperienced roster. They didn't have a winning record until 2012 when the next big Nationals rookie, Bryce Harper, made his MLB debut.

Nonetheless, Zimmerman has stuck with Washington through the good and bad for well over a decade. He's had his ups, like hitting .303 and making the NL All-Star team in 2017, as well as his low points such as his injury-plagued 2016 campaign.

He's spent his entire MLB career so far with a single team, something that has become increasingly rare in today's game. It's whether this feat will continue that's still up in the air.

Zimmerman had just 171 at-bats during the 2019 regular season, the fewest in his career since his September call-up back in 2005. Though he's come up big in the playoffs, I don't foresee the Nationals exercising the 35-year old's $18 million option.

That said, I've heard Zimmerman state that money isn't on his radar this offseason. Whether Washington wins the Fall Classic or not, this team and these players have a bright future ahead of them.

Whether he earns $18 million or $1.8 million in 2020, I expect the 2-time All-Star to remain with the Nationals until he retires.

One of my largest active player collections, I've amassed 77 Ryan Zimmerman cards since I started collecting him a few years back. Behold, my favorite 5.

#5 2009 Topps Heritage

I promise, my love of the 1960 Topps design was not the only thing that influenced my decision to include this card in the top 5, though it certainly helped.

Rather, the card shows how much Zimmerman has changed over the last decade and a half. Both he, as well as the Nationals' logo and uniform, have evolved since this card was made back in 2009.

Thus, I suppose the card can make one nostalgic for 2 different eras, 1960 and the late 2000s, which is a pretty neat thing about Heritage.

#4 2018 Topps Stadium Club

No matter how many star players continue to emerge from the Nationals' organization (Harper, Rendon, Soto), Zimmerman will forever remain the first superstar in franchise history, and he'll always be a fan favorite in D.C.

Look no further than the "ZIM!" sign in the background of his 2018 Topps Stadium Club card. Given the crowd's reaction in the background, I can only assume that he's just hit a walk-off.

#3 2018 Panini Donruss Holo Green Parallel

The combination of the green parallel with the red color of Zimmerman's 2018 Panini Donruss card makes me think of Christmas time, but there's more to this card than those 2 colors.

For some reason, this card stands out to me among the average design of most Panini Donruss sets. The holo green parallel certainly helps with this, but so does Zimmerman's alternate uniform and the timing of this photograph.

I'm sure that most collectors if they looked through my Zimmerman PC, could find a couple of other cards to put at #3 instead of this Donruss parallel, but there's just something unique about this card that influenced my decision.

#2 2015 Topps Gold Parallel

The more polished the Topps Flagship set, the more polished the parallels, particularly the golds, will appear. Because 2015 Topps remains the greatest base design of the century, the product's gold parallels pair excellently with the base design.

The photo of Zimmerman in his 2015 card is an action shot just like the 2018 Panini Donruss card. As much as I try to look past logoless cards, I'll admit that the MLB licensing helps this card out a ton and picks up where the Donruss card is lacking.

#1 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces Ryan Zimmerman

I don't think I've ever seen the Nationals play in this uniform, but after seeing this card, I really want to. Sets like Upper Deck Masterpieces and Topps Archives are perfect for special and unusual jerseys, and this D.C. uniform certainly fits the bill.

Plus, the attention to detail in regards to this card is just unreal. The photo, which features Zimmerman in the on-deck circle, is taken from quite a unique angle, something that we rarely see on Baseball cards.

Currrently, the Nats are on top of the Astros 5-3 at the top of the 8th inning. I'm not necessarily rooting for either team. I just want to watch an action packed World Series.

Whatever happens, I know an insanely talented team is going to win it all.

Top 5 Cards; Chipper Jones

If you read my 2019 playoff predictions last week, you know that while I predicted the winners of both American League Division Series correctly, I bombed when it came to the NLDS.

Not only did I predict the Dodgers sweeping the Nationals, but I had faith that the Braves would have little to no trouble advancing past the Cardinals and make their way to the NLCS.

5 games later, I ended up getting both series wrong, highlighted by St. Louis' 13-1 annihilation of Atlanta on Tuesday. Now, it's time for the championship series, including a double-header tomorrow at 4:00 and 8:00 pm respectively.

Following Atlanta's crushing defeat, which I never saw coming, Braves legend and 1st ballot Hall of Famer Chipper Jones showed his respect to teammate Brian McCann who retired following Atlanta's NLDS exit.

Though Chipper is one of my largest player collections, I haven't talked about him much on the blog, nor have I created a top 5 cards post for the 1999 NL MVP. I figured, given the events of this week regarding the Braves, that this was the perfect time to pay homage to one of their all-time greats.

Currently sitting at 173 cards, it's only a limited time before Jones reaches the 200-card mark necessary to become a platinum tier player collection. Because of the extensive selection of cards, narrowing the list down to just 5 proved very challenging, but I was able to make it work.

#5 2000 Fleer Focus Focus Pocus

An 8-time All-Star, Jones headlined a talented group of 2000s stars who spent their whole careers with 1 team along with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Joe Mauer (to name a few). There's something to be said for this level of dedication, mainly because we rarely see it nowadays.

Though the late 90s and early 2000s are notorious for shiny inserts from manufacturers like Fleer and Upper Deck, few are as colored and detailed as this Focus Pocus card from Fleer Focus. The abundance of colors and shiny design gave it the edge over the Topps Tek card to make the top 5.

#4 1999 Upper Deck Retro Distant Replay

One of the benefits of there being so many card manufacturers and sets leading up to around 2005 is the huge variety of cards, many of which are now available in the dime bins at shows.

Take the first 2 cards on this countdown, for example. The cards are only 1 year apart in age, yet they truly couldn't be more different. If you want something flashy and vibrant, go for the Focus Pocus insert. If you want something classic and simple, this Distant Replay card is the best choice.

Because I love both retro and modern cards, I don't prefer one over the other, especially when making these lists. I always go case by case to see which card impresses me more.

#3 1996 Upper Deck SP

The scan didn't turn out as well as I would've liked, but the 1996 Upper Deck SP set features a spectacular design, perfect for the action shot of Chipper that takes up most of the card.

While a set like 1987 Topps relies a little too much on wood borders, '96 SP only has a little bit of that design on the card. Most of the space is dominated by a fantastic photo of Jones and while the small headshot is a tad unnecessary, it's the only fault I can find in this otherwise stellar card.

#2 2004 Bowman Heritage

1955 Bowman remains one of me and my dad's favorite Baseball card products ever made, yet we have very few cards from the Bowman Heritage set that replicated this iconic design.

The reprint set, produced in 2004, does an excellent job of replicating the original cards, even using 2 different colored wood borders to stay true to the '55 set. I may not have all that many originals or reprints, but the ones I do have, like the Chipper card above, are outstanding.

#1 1999 Upper Deck HoloGrFX Starview

I don't expect anything to be achieved by constantly repeating this sentence, but Topps, being that they have the Baseball card monopoly, has to start producing more sets with black borders or backgrounds.

Seriously, they need to take notes on how terrific cards like this '99 Upper Deck HoloGrFX insert are. The black and silver background is sleek and spectacular, and a design like this will work for every single MLB team and player, for it allows the image to pop more than usual.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't have a preference when it comes to shiny vs retro cards. There was a balance of the 2 types on this list, so it really just depends on which set executes the style better.

Top 5 Cards; Dave Winfield

Throughout their 50 year history, the San Diego Padres have developed 2 of the game's greatest 5-tool players and guided these superstars to Cooperstown. First, we have the face of the franchise, Tony Gwynn, who spent all 20 years of his career in San Diego (1982-2001).

Then, there's Dave Winfield who spent the first 8 years of his 22-year career with the Padres before signing with the New York Yankees following the 1980 season. It's truly a shame that these 2 MLB legends and Padres icons never played a game together.

Nonetheless, Winfield accomplished terrific things in San Diego and beyond. He made the All-Star team for 12 consecutive seasons from 1977 to 1988. Though the league MVP award evaded Winfield throughout his career, his .283/.353/.475 slash line speaks volume to the kind of player he was.

After leaving New York, Winfield became a journeyman of sorts during his final years, ending up with the Angels, Blue Jays, Twins, and Indians before retiring in 1995. By that point, he'd eclipsed 450 home runs and 3,000 hits.

My Dave Winfield player collection currently sits at 85 total cards, most of which are from his days with the Yankees and Padres. As you'll see, those clubs are the only ones represented on this list.

#5 1984 Topps

After this '84 Topps All-Star card, featuring Winfield on the New York Yankees, the rest of this list will feature San Diego Padres cards only.

Aside from the fact that all 1984 Topps Yankees cards remind me of the Mattingly rookie, this card made the top 5 because it's on the same level as the fabulous Padres cards that I have of Winfield.

I almost always prefer to see Yankee pinstripes over their road uniforms, but there's something about all the elements of this card, from the picture to the All-Star banner (which I wish they'd use nowadays) that makes a terrific final product.

#4 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter

Retro-style products like Allen & Ginter and Archives are notorious for showcasing throwback uniforms, and with cards like this, it's easy to see why. Not only does the blue color splotch complement the jersey, but A&G is showing us a uniform that we rarely see on Baseball cards.

There are other San Diego jerseys that I've seen on cards, some of which you'll see later in this post, but I'm not familiar with the one above being printed on cardboard. Kudos to Topps for not taking the easy way out when it comes to this 2017 Allen & Ginter card.

#3 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen

There's something about cards from the first few years of Gypsy Queen (2011-2014) that never fail to impress me, but there's an added element of uniqueness to Winfield's 2011 GQ card.

As if the typical retro uniform and filter wasn't enough, we have an awesome and underused angle that pairs beautifully with the rest of the card. There's nothing too flashy or crazy about this card. It's simple, as far as the modern era is concerned, and it's gorgeous.

#2 1978 Topps

Technically, this card is from '78 O-Pee-Chee, but you can't tell the difference unless you look at the slightly lighter card back. Whether the card is O-Pee-Chee or Topps Flagship, this card from 1978 is outstanding. For virtually any other player, it would earn the #1 spot on a top 5 cards list.

The few times where I'm able to overlook the blandness of the '78 set is when the image is at a whole nother level than anything I could've imagined, and that's kind of how I feel about the card above. The black and yellow jersey may be one of the greatest things I've ever seen on a Baseball card in my life.

#1 1975 Topps

At the last moment, I swapped #2 and #1 on this list so that Winfield's jaw-dropping 1975 Topps card would narrowly edge out the '78 Flagship/O-Pee-Chee and end up #1 on the countdown. This copy of the card is slightly off-centered (the better copy is with my complete set), but that's not to take away from this spectacular and beautiful card.

The purple and pink color combination is perfectly representative of the '75 set, and the image is, dare I say perfection. The card doesn't need a flashy and vibrant jersey because we already get those colors from the base design. Topps, being smart, opted for something a little more subtle, and it couldn't have worked out better.

Top 5 Cards; Bert Campaneris

When thinking about the greatness of the 1970s, arguably the greatest decade in Baseball history, a plethora of superstars, mostly Hall of Famers, come to mind.

The early years of the decade, specifically, featured an unfathomable amount of talent. You've heard all of the names before, but sluggers like Aaron, Mays, McCovey, Banks, Stargell, Clemente, Yastrzemski were dominant at the plate.

On the mound, Palmer, Catfish Hunter, Seaver, and Gibson established themselves as some of the greatest to ever play the game. I haven't even mentioned the other HOFers from this era who are often overshadowed, like Orlando Cepeda and Ron Santo.

Unless all of the hyped-up rookies from the past few seasons make their way to Cooperstown, there likely won't be another period in Baseball history quite like the 1970s.

Despite the surplus of sensational players, however, some simply couldn't stay consistent and make their way into the Baseball Hall of Fame when all was said and done. Some players, though they had fabulous seasons, couldn't quite stack up with legends like Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan.

One of these players was a fabulous shortstop for, among other teams, the Oakland Athletics, Bert Campaneris. The Cuban native was a 6-time All-Star and helped the A's 3-peat as World Champions from 1972-1975.

Shortstop is not an easy position to play, yet Campy did it wonderfully throughout his 19-year MLB career. Though he had his struggles with the Rangers and Angels, Campaneris remains an underrated star of the 70s, an All-Time Fan Favorite type, if you will.

Campaneris isn't one of my larger player collections as I only have 19 cards of his. I do, however, have enough to create a reasonable top 5 to feature on the blog today.

#5 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes

One of the main reasons why I appreciate the Obsidian cards in 2019 Panini Chronicles Baseball so much is that black borders and backgrounds are few and far between in today's card collecting world. Thankfully, we have sets like '94 All-Time Heroes where all of the base cards showcase black and white images.

Not only that, but the image is from a rare interleague game between the Athletics and the Cubs, sometime in the 1970s. Props to Upper Deck for thinking outside the box not once, but twice on the same card.

#4 1978 Topps

The only non-Athletics card to appear on this list, Campy's 1978 Topps Flagship card features a shot of him on the Texas Rangers where he played for 3 seasons and hit just .230.

Despite an All-Star season in 1977, Campaneris struggled immediately after and never fully returned to the player he once was. Towards the beginning of the 1979 season, he was traded to the California Angels and though Campy stepped his game up following the move, it was a significant departure from his performance level in Oakland.

#3 1976 Hostess All-Star Team

Although the vintage design helps this card's case, I didn't choose this '76 Hostess All-Star card for the list solely because of how much I adore these oddballs. It's the combination of the red, white, and blue banners with one of the many classic Oakland A's jerseys of this time that sets this card over the edge.

I haven't had the chance in the past to purchase many Hostess cards from the 1970s. If I could complete any one of the sets, however, it would be the '76 design without a doubt.

#2 1969 Topps All-Star

I'm not a fan of card companies featuring logoless pictures if they don't have to, but there's something about this Sporting News All-Star card from 1970 Topps that challenges my preconceived notions.

For starters, the design, particularly the red banner with white stars, is a terrific take on the All-Star card. Somehow, between the logoless and full-color photo of Campaneris along with the black and white background, Topps pulled something off that I didn't think they'd be able to do.

Now, if only Panini could do something like this where, as I've said before, we're distracted from the fact that they don't have the MLB license.

#1 1966 Topps

My sole card of the 3-time World Series Champion on the Kansas City Athletics also ranks as the greatest Bert Campaneris card in my collection (excluding a TTM autograph from '76 Topps).

With all the sets to choose from in the 1960s, I rarely think twice about '66 Topps, for the design isn't all that memorable. There is, however, something about the combination of purple with the green and gold uniform that screams 1960s.

The card is colorful, the photography is creative, and the combinations are just crazy enough to work. That's what the late 60s and early 70s are all about, and that's why this card easily captured the #1 spot.

Top 5 Cards; Joe Morgan

As today's game becomes more focused on high-velocity home runs and puts less emphasis on batting average, multi-tool players are becoming scarcer.

Guys like Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, and Mike Trout are still some of the best players in the game, but it's become acceptable for players to bat around .230-.240 so long as they rectify that batting average by hitting 30 or more home runs.

2017 and 2018 were historic years for homers, and 2019 is shaping up to be the same. Each year, the total number of dingers rises along with the number of strikeouts. In exchange, there have been fewer hits (singles, doubles, and triples), and players' batting averages have, overall, gotten worse.

I won't get into whether I believe the obsession with home runs is beneficial for the game or not. However, there was a time when the contact hitters outnumbered the power hitters, and there were far more multi-tool players in the game.

One of the most talented of these players was Joe Morgan, an essential part of the Big Red Machine during the mid-1970s. Morgan made the All-Star team for 8 consecutive seasons with the Reds from 1972-1979.

Throughout his 8 years in Cincinnati, he hit .288 with 152 home runs, 612 RBI, and 406 stolen bases. Besides the Reds, Morgan played for the Astros, Giants, Athletics, and Phillies, though the best seasons by far of his 22-year career were with Cincinnati.

I've been collecting cards of Joe Morgan as well as other essential members of the Big Red Machine (Bench, Rose, Perez, Concepcion, and Foster) for several years.

At 92 cards, the Joe Morgan PC is almost at gold tier (100 cards) status, so I figured this was the perfect time to write this top 5 cards list.

#5 2013 Panini Golden Age

This is one of my only cards from the 2013 Panini Golden Age set, a product that's virtually non-existent in the dime boxes at the shows I attend. Similar to Upper Deck Goodwin Champions, Panini Golden Age combines sports figures with pop culture icons. 

One of the athletes that they chose for the '13 release happened to be Joe Morgan. Panini, likely in an attempt to hide the logoless helmet, chose a sensational photo of the 2-time NL MVP award winner and paired it with a gorgeous vintage design. 

A revive of the Golden Age brand is highly unlikely, though it would be interesting to see what Panini could make of this set if it was a part of the Chronicles product.

#4 1985 Fleer

Morgan spent just 1 year of his career with the Oakland Athletics, so it stands to reason that there aren't many cards of him on the A's out there. The only one in my collection is this beauty from 1985 Fleer, my favorite design in the brand's history.

Truth be told, there's not a single color in the '85 Fleer set that doesn't pair beautifully with the silver borders. I absolutely love the combination of light green with grey along with the simple shot of Morgan at the plate in an Athletics away jersey.

I don't know how expensive is it to purchase this set online, but I might just go for it when my birthday or the holidays come along to have a complete version of this gorgeous release.

#3 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces

Oftentimes, I find that Topps dominates the majority of my frankenset and top 5 cards posts, so it's refreshing to see other brands represented.

So far, Panini, Fleer, and Upper Deck have appeared on my top 5 cards list for Joe Morgan, the latter of which is a gorgeous painted card from 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces. This set went the same route as most art sets (Gallery, T206, National Chicle, and Turkey Red) and disappeared after a couple of years.

Thankfully, the dime bins, particularly those at my LCS, helped me to appreciate this fine product and all of its stellar cards.

#2 1970 Kellogg's

The newest addition to the Joe Morgan PC came my way via The National. One of a few cards that I have of the 5-time Gold Glove award winner on the Houston Astros, this beauty from the 1970 Kellogg's set was a bargain back when I bought it in Chicago.

Virtually everything about this card, from the Astros cap to the blue sky background and even the facsimile signature, is so cohesive together. The '70 Kellogg's design is incredibly simple, and that's exactly what makes this card such a standout.

#1 1966 Topps

I keep my relics/autographs and graded cards in separate boxes than my player collections, so I don't count the Joe Morgan rookie card that I have as a part of his PC. This allows me to focus on the other cards when it comes to making the top 5 cards list, like the 1966 Topps card above.

I absolutely love the old-school Topps All-Star rookie trophies from the 60s, and it's a shame that they won't be replicated in Heritage for much longer. In addition to the rookie cup, the Astros uniform and Morgan's pose elevate this card to the #1 spot.