The 1971 Topps baseball card set featured cards highlighting the top All Stars from both the American League and National League from the 1970 season. This was the first year Topps produced special All Star cards showcasing the best players that were selected to the Midsummer Classic held at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.
The 1970 All Star Game had been an exciting one, with the National League defeating the American League by a score of 5-4. NL pitcher Tom Seaver of the New York Mets was credited with the win after tossing 2 shutout innings of relief. Cincinnati Reds first baseman Tony Perez was named the games MVP after driving in the winning run with a bases loaded single in the 12th inning off of Jim Hunter of the Oakland A’s.
Topps decided to capitalize on the popularity of the All Star Game by giving these superstar players their own special cards apart from their base card in the main set. Each league had 11 players featured, for a total of 22 All Star cards. At the time, the roster size for each league’s All Star team was 11 pitchers and 8 position players, for a total of 19 on each squad.
The cards featured a yellow and black designed border around the players photograph. Their respective league and position were listed above their picture along with their All Star Game stats from 1970 in small print. On the reverse of each card was a more in-depth career stats breakdown for that player along with a personalized biography highlighting some of their career accomplishments up to that point.
Some of the notable American League All Stars who received their own cards included pitchers Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles, Dick Bosman of the Cleveland Indians, and Mickey Lolich of the Detroit Tigers. Position players included catcher Bill Freehan of the Tigers, first baseman Frank Howard of the Washington Senators, second baseman Rod Carew of the Minnesota Twins, and outfielders Frank Robinson of the Orioles, Reggie Jackson of the A’s, and Tony Oliva of the Twins.
On the National League side, pitching standouts with their own cards were Tom Seaver of the New York Mets, Mike Cuellar of the Baltimore Orioles, and Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs. Infielders included third baseman Ron Santo of the Cubs, shortstop Bud Harrelson of the Mets, and second baseman Joe Morgan of the Houston Astros. Catcher Dick Dietz of the San Francisco Giants and outfielders Willie Mays of the Giants, Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Rico Carty of the Atlanta Braves all made the NL All Star team in 1970 as well.
The 1971 Topps All Star cards created the blueprint for highlighting top players from each league in future sets by Upper Deck, Fleer, and other card companies. They gave additional exposure to the games’ stars and showcased stats that regular base cards did not have room to include. While common in the set, the cards of recognizable HOF players like Mays, Clemente, Seaver, Carew, and Jackson have increased in value over the decades since among collectors. The whole 1971 set remains a widely collected favorite of the early 1970’s due to stylistic design, photo quality, and the innovative use of special All Star cards. They acted as a precursor to the special parallel cards produced in modern sets focused on award winners and milestones.
In the years since, subsequent All Star cards have evolved with technological changes. Stats and bios have become more detailed on the back. Photographs have improved in sharpness and action shots have become prevalent. Borders and coloring styles have adapted to the aesthetic tastes of new generations. Platinum parallels, autographed versions, and 1/1 rare cut signature patches have added excitement for high-end collectors. But the concept initially popularized by Topps in 1971 of singling out these midsummer classic performers remains an integral part of annual baseball sets from the sport’s major manufacturers. The 1971 edition that started it all remains influential as some of the earliest special recognition issues that are still widely sought after today by vintage collectors.
