Topps 60 Best Cards...#23-28!

The countdown is inching its way towards #20. Until then, and because it's been awhile since the last update, it's time to announce the cards that have been added to the countdown so far this week.

Here are card #'s 23-28 "on Topps 60 Greatest Cards of All Time":

• #28: 1982 Topps #21 Baltimore Orioles Future Stars Bob Bonner/Cal Ripken/Jeff Schneider
• #27: 1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks
• #26: 1979 Topps #116 Ozzie Smith
• #25: 1957 Topps #1 Ted Williams
• #24: 1953 Topps #1 Jackie Robinson
• #23: 1971 Topps #5 Thurman Munson

Thoughts: A couple of the cards I voted for are starting to show up. The Banks card is where I thought it should be (at least within the Top 30), the Ripken card I thought should have been voted a bit higher. That's all right though as his solo Traded card is still in play. Although now Bonner and Schneider can at least say their card was the 28th most popular according to those who voted. Gotta love the Ozzie RC. At least the Company is acknowledging their big screw up by using his 1980 Topps card as his rookie in the Archives set ten years ago (was it really that long ago???). Also a good reminder that Smith was a Padre before becoming a Cardinal (next stop...Saint...oh wait...they play in the NFL...never mind). Two #1 cards (Williams and Robinson) that are key not only because of the players depicted (and how could you go wrong with Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson), but because of the abuse the first cards always took with rubber bands and other handling. The 1971 Topps Munson card ranked within the Top 30 at #23 could have been at least in the top 15 of all time. But nevertheless, I have no arguments here. As Topps started to use action shots in their cards, how could you go wrong with a play-at-the-plate shot?

Card #22 on the countdown will be announced maybe tomorrow, maybe on Friday, depending on when it shows up on the website. Whenever it shows up, we'll get to it...eventually.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama