The 1970 Atlanta Braves baseball cards were issued during one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history. That year, the Braves won the National League West division title with an 81-78 record in their first season playing home games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium after relocating from Milwaukee.
Some key things to know about the 1970 Atlanta Braves baseball cards:
Design: The 1970 Topps set featured a simple yet classic design with a solid color background and team logo at the top. The Braves cards had a red background to match the team colors. Player photos were in focus with good contrast.
Roster: The set included cards for 27 members of the 1970 Atlanta Braves roster including starters and reserves. Some notable players featured were Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Rico Carty, Phil Niekro, and relief ace Dale Murphy.
Hank Aaron Chase: Hank Aaron’s chase of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record was one of the biggest sports stories of 1970. His Topps card that year featured a photo of him taking a big swing with the simple caption “Aaron 713” referring to his career home run total at that point.
Orlando Cepeda: Acquired in a late 1969 trade, Cepeda had a monster season in 1970 winning the National League MVP award while batting .325 with 25 home runs and 99 RBI. His card highlighted his offensive prowess.
Rico Carty: Enjoying the best season of his career, Carty led the NL with a .366 batting average in 1970. His card depicted him following through on a pitch with his smooth left-handed swing.
Rookies: Two future Braves stars, outfielder Dave May and pitcher Buzz Capra, had rookie cards in the 1970 set as they began their MLB careers that season.
Managers: Both the Braves manager for 1970, Luman Harris, and former Braves/Milwaukee skipper Bobby Bragan who managed the team part of the 1969 season had manager cards in the set.
Stadium Photo: One of the Braves team cards in the set showed a photo of the brand new Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium which opened in 1966 and became the team’s home for over 30 seasons.
Popularity: Due to the Braves success and national interest in Hank Aaron’s chase of Ruth, the 1970 Topps Braves cards remain some of the most sought after and collectible from the franchise. High-grade examples in near-mint to mint condition can fetch hundreds of dollars today.
Highlights Revisited: The 1970 season was one of the most exciting in Braves history. They dueled the Cincinnati Reds for the NL West title down the stretch before winning on the final day of the season. Hank Aaron continued his assault on the home run record with 37 that year.
While the 1970 Braves fell in the NLCS to the eventual World Series champion Cincinnati Reds, their division title and strong season led to the issue of very memorable and and important baseball cards. They captured the excitement of that year and remain a highlight of the long and storied Topps baseball card series documenting the game. For collectors and fans of the franchise, the 1970 Atlanta Braves cards will always have a special significance in revisiting one of the most successful early seasons after the team’s move to Atlanta.
The 1970 Topps Atlanta Braves baseball cards are a fascinating piece of sports collectibles history. They memorialized the personalities and performances from that memorable season. For condition-sensitive collectors, high-grade 1970 Braves rookies, stars, and key cards remain both desirable and expensive given the historical context of that first postseason year in Atlanta. The simple yet effective design also makes them an aesthetically pleasing set to collect even decades later.
