The 1970 Topps baseball card set was released during a time of great change and turmoil in America. It featured 660 total cards including player cards, manager cards, team checklists, and varioussubsets. Some of the biggest names in baseball at the time like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Johnny Bench graced the cardboard. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the notable players and stories from the 1970 Topps baseball card list.
The 1970 set is arguably most famous for featuring the final card of Willie Mays’s legendary career. Mays appears on card #1 in the set sporting his new Giants uniform after being traded from the Mets. It would be his final season in the majors. The card pictures “The Say Hey Kid” grinning in his distinctive batting stance. It’s a special piece of cardboard to commemorate one of the greatest players who ever lived wrapping up his Hall of Fame career.
Another living legend featured prominently was Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves on his card #13. “Hammerin’ Hank” was in the midst of his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, which he would break in 1974. Fittingly, Topps highlighted his home run prowess on the front of his card. Aaron had hit 40 or more home runs in each of the previous two seasons for the Braves.
Rookies had their own separate subset section in the 1970 set. One of the most significant rookie cards was Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds on card #606. Bench would go on to have a Hall of Fame career mostly with the Reds winning two World Series titles in the 1970s. He was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 1968 establishing himself as one of the best overall catchers in baseball history.
Top prospect disorder and player strikes affected the layout and availability of the 1970 Topps cards. Due to disputes between Topps and the MLB Players Association, complete sets are harder to come by as certain players refused to sign photo releases. Notable young stars like Reggie Jackson and Bill Freehan were left out of the set completely. The disputes also led to variations in team checklists missing photos of some stars.
The 1970 set had plenty of stars throughout besides the familiar names already mentioned. Future Hall of Famers like Brooks Robinson, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Rod Carew all had prominent cards capturing them in their primes. Fergie Jenkins won the Cy Young Award in 1971 giving Canada its first such honoree. Joe Morgan began building a Hall of Fame second base resume with the Houston Astros in 1970.
The design aesthetic of the 1970 Topps cards featured a simpler look compared to sets from later decades. Most cards depicted the primary image of the player in action with a white or gray border. Statistics ran vertically along one side with team logos and uniform colors prominently displayed. Glossy photo stock printed the crisp images that would endure tests of time and condition for collectors.
The 1970 Topps baseball card set highlighted many future Hall of Famers and living legends during a period of social change. While incomplete due to disputes, it remains a significant vintage release. Rookie cards of Bench and future stars add to the set’s nostalgic charm for collectors and fans. Willie Mays’s farewell appearance and Hank Aaron’s continuing home run assault were fitting topics. The simpler design showcased the sport’s biggest personalities and maintained the traditional baseball card aesthetic.
