In 1972, Topps released its most iconic baseball card set yet, featuring some of the most impressive baseball feats ever achieved on individual cards. Known as the “Famous Feats” subset, these 11 cards commemorated record-breaking performances and milestone accomplishments. At a time when baseball card sets typically only included a player’s picture and stats from the previous season, the Famous Feats cards took things to another level by dedicating entire trading cards to single amazing plays, games, or seasons.
The cards covered feats from the 19th century up to the early 1970s. Each card featured a dramatic photo related to the feat as well as descriptive text detailing what made it so remarkable. These cards captured the essence of why these historic baseball moments are still discussed today. For collectors and fans of the time, the Famous Feats cards brought these legendary performances to life and celebrated the incredible athletic achievements of some of baseball’s greatest stars.
Perhaps the most famous card of the set was #1, honoring Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak of 1941. That season, DiMaggio hit safely in 56 consecutive games, a record that still stands today. The card featured a photo of DiMaggio batting and text that read: “In 1941, Joe DiMaggio set a record that may stand forever by getting at least one base hit in 56 consecutive major league games.”
Another eye-popping feat was card #2, commemorating Mickey Mantle’s 500-foot home run in 1953. While playing for the Yankees at Griffith Stadium in Washington D.C., Mantle launched a ball completely out of the stadium, a feat estimated to have traveled over 500 feet. The card showed Mantle rounding the bases with the caption: “In 1953, Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hit one of the longest home runs in history, a shot estimated at over 500 feet, out of old Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.”
Nolan Ryan’s record 383 strikeouts in a single season in 1973 was the subject of card #3. Ryan, then with the California Angels, dominated hitters that year and broke Sandy Koufax’s previous record of 382 Ks. The card featured Ryan mid-windup and the text highlighted how he “shattered the modern major league record with 383 strikeouts.”
Card #4 paid tribute to Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961, breaking Babe Ruth’s longstanding single season record of 60. The photo showed Maris rounding the bases after homer #61 with a caption celebrating how he “broke Babe Ruth’s 37-year-old record by hitting 61 home runs in 1961.” This was one of baseball’s most hallowed records at the time.
Other remarkable feats chronicled in the set included Ty Cobb’s 1910 season where he batted .385 (#5), Cy Young’s 511 career wins (#6), Nap Lajoie’s .426 batting average in 1901 (#7), Josh Gibson’s estimated 800 career home runs in the Negro Leagues (#8), Honus Wagner’s .331 career batting average (#9), Cap Anson’s 3,435 career hits (#10), and Cy Young’s perfect game in 1904 (#11).
The Famous Feats cards were a trailblazing concept that brought to life baseball’s most astonishing single-game and career accomplishments. They celebrated iconic players, records, and milestones in a visually compelling way. The set was a huge hit with collectors, showcasing why these feats were so remarkable and cementing them as some of the most incredible performances in baseball history. Even today, the Famous Feats cards from 1972 remain a highly coveted and valuable subset that any serious baseball card collector seeks to obtain. They were baseball cards unlike anything seen before, immortalizing the sport’s most outstanding individual achievements in a way that has endured for generations of fans.
