The 1971 Topps baseball card set is one of the most iconic issues in the history of the hobby. The tenth card in the 660-card regular series features Dodger legend and future Hall of Famer Duke Snider.

Born Edgar Meyer Snider in Los Angeles in 1926, Snider enjoyed a memorable playing career that spanned 16 seasons from 1947–1964, primarily with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Listed at 6’1” and 195 lbs., Snider was an imposing right-handed batter who swung for power. He earned the nickname “The Silver Fox” later in his career due to his prematurely graying hair.

The snapshot on Snider’s 1971 Topps card shows him batting left-handed during his later playing days with the New York Mets. In the background, the viewer can see the exterior of Shea Stadium where the Mets played their home games. This card continues Topps’ trend of including action photos on many cards from this era to help tell the players’ career stories.

During his tenure with the Dodgers from 1947–1962, Snider established himself as one of the National League’s top sluggers and centerfielders. Some of his career highlights with Brooklyn include:

4 World Series appearances (1949, 1952, 1953, 1955), winning titles in 1955.
NL pennant-winning clubs in 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955.
NL MVP award winner in 1956 when he hit .309 with 42 home runs and 126 RBI despite being 30 years old.
MLB record of 4 home runs in a single World Series game, achieved in Game 1 of the 1941 Fall Classic.
NL home run champion in 1956.
Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980 in his second year of eligibility.

Snider put up some eye-popping power numbers during baseball’s high-scoring “Golden Age” of the 1950s when extra-base hits and home runs were plentiful. From 1953–1956, he averaged over 40 home runs per season, leading the NL in round-trippers in ’56. For his career, Snider belted 407 home runs which ranked 7th on the all-time list at the time of his retirement.

In addition to his prodigious power, Snider was also an excellent defender and baserunner known for his strong and accurate throwing arm from centerfield. In his prime, Snider established himself as one of the game’s preeminent five-tool players who could do it all on the field. He made five NL All-Star teams during his Dodgers tenure and appeared in the Midsummer Classic every year from 1949–1956.

When Topps created Snider’s 1971 card, he was in his post-playing career working as a Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers radio announcer. This card reflects Snider’s diminished stats from later in his career after leaving the Dodgers, shown with a .254 lifetime average instead of his more robust prime numbers. By 1971, Snider’s once record-holding home run total had fallen to 13th on the all-time list.

After wrapping up his playing days with brief stops with the New York Mets (1963) and San Francisco Giants (1964), Snider worked as a radio and television broadcaster for various teams. He provided color commentary for Dodger broadcasts from 1967–1971. During this post-playing period captured on his 1971 Topps card, fans remembered Snider not just for his stats but his energetic and highly knowledgeable analysis between innings on the radio.

Over time, card collectors have deemed Snider’s 1971 Topps issue one of the set’s most iconic due to his status as a Hall of Famer and link to Dodgers franchise history. With its game action photo and salute to a beloved star from baseball’s golden era, this card remains a highly collectible issue nearly 50 years after its original release. It provides a snapshot into not just Snider’s later career, but also the nostalgia millions of fans still feel when remembering greats like “The Silver Fox” who defined Dodgers baseball in Brooklyn and beyond from Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier through multiple World Series titles in the 1950s.