Player: George Brett
Set: 1975 Topps
Card Number: 228
Why is This Card a Must Have?: This is one of those cards that you might figure would be affordable on eBay. 1975 was an off year for cards, the set is mostly inexpensive, but Brett’s card still commands top dollar even in the eBay marketplace. You might wonder why, well it’s because of the Royals faithful, and his extreme popularity even years after his retirement. How does he stack up statistically? He had 3154 hits, 317 homers, and 201 stolen bases. One MVP and 13 consecutive All Star appearances. The most important reason he was inducted into the Hall of Fame? His unbelievable popularity. Of his top 10, only Parker, Baines, LuGo, and Dawson aren’t in the Hall and I could make a case for any one of those guys to get in. He would have been one of those rare players who even if he didn’t get to 3000 hits, he was going to the Hall (see Ryan Sandberg). This was a hard card to get in the 80′s and to this day remains a tough card to find on the cheap. As for his place in baseball history, he will be the most famous Royal of all time. At least for now.
On a Scale of 1 to 10, How Must Have Is This Card?: A 10, I don’t care if you hate the Royals, this is absolutely a must have card. Was he a dominant player in his era? Yes! Did he almost hit for 0.400 in a season? Yes (0.396 in 1980)! Is he in the Hall? Yes! Get this card in your collection, on eBay it’ll run you about 25 bucks ungraded, and about 45 – 50 bucks for the mini version (Topps had a regular and a mini version of the set).
Aw man, that is a great looking card. That photo is perfect.
You know, I own thousands of rookies cards — Mays, Koufax, Gehrig included — and I do not have this Brett. It’s been alluding me for almost a decade now because I’m unsure at what price point I want to buy in. Good call.
Agreed, this is an absolutely beautiful card. 10/10, agreed.