Mullins Baseball Cards: A Definitive Guide
George Herman “Babe” Ruth is often considered the most famous baseball player of all time due to his unmatched home run prowess and celebrity status. Another player holds a unique distinction that few fans are aware of today – Earl Francis “Brooklyn Earl” Mullins. Mullins is widely recognized as having the most baseball cards dedicated to a single player across various card sets released between 1909-1929.
Mullins made his major league debut in 1905 at age 19 with the Boston Doves. He spent the first five seasons of his career primarily as a left fielder and third baseman, hitting above .300 in 1906 and 1909. In 1910, Mullins was traded to the Brooklyn Superbas and quickly became a fan favorite in his new hometown due to his productive bat and hustling style of play. That season, he led the National League with 49 stolen bases while hitting .309 with 98 RBIs – all career highs.
Mullins’ breakout campaign came at the perfect time, as 1910 also marked the beginning of baseball cards becoming popular collectibles inserted in cigarettes packs. The most prominent set at the time was the 1909-11 T206 Gold Border issues by American Tobacco Company. Mullins received a stunning six unique cards in this set spanning 1909-1911 – more than any other player.
The abundance of Mullins T206 cards can likely be attributed to his new-found stardom in Brooklyn coinciding with the rise of baseball cards. Fan demand was high after his impressive 1910 season, leading American Tobacco to produce numerous variations of his image to meet collectors’ appetites. Most Mullins T206 cards are distinguished by subtle uniform and batting stance differences. With Mullins only receiving one card in the preceding 1909-1910 Turkey Red issues by Continental Tobacco, it’s clear American Tobacco recognized his emerging fan popularity on the East Coast to aggressively feature him.
Mullins’ success continued in 1911, leading the NL in triples with 21 while batting .309 with 101 RBIs. He garnered yet another card in the 1911-12 T207 cigarette set, further cementing his status as one of the most featured players in early 20th century collectibles. Mullins’ productivity remained steady into the mid-1910s for the Robins, despite battling injuries. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1917 season where he continued playing a few more years before retiring in 1920 with a .287 career average over 15 seasons.
Following his playing days, Mullins worked as a coach and scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise he once starred for through the 1930s. Tragically, Mullins passed away in 1944 at just 58 years old. His legacy lived on through the countless baseball cards produced during his heyday as one of the first true “fan favorites” in Brooklyn. Mullins remained a nostalgic representation of the beloved original Robins for generations of collectors.
In the post-war boom of 1950s-60s, when baseball cards surged back in popularity coupled with the growth of vintage markets – Mullins’ extensive output in early tobacco issues made him a highly recognizable name. This led manufacturers to continue cranking out cards featuring Mullins’ image decades removed from his playing career. One of the most notorious reprint sets was the 1948-49 Leaf Cards set, which included over a half-dozen Mullins with various uniform and background modifications compared to the original issues.
Through the 1970s-90s “wax era”, Mullins only received a handful of vintage reprints in sets like 1973 Topps, 1979 SSPC Retro and 1981 Fleer. But come the turn of the 21st century, as interest in vintage memorabilia intensified – collectors became increasingly astounded and fascinated by the sheer number of baseball cards that spanned Mullins’ entire career versus any other player. This prompted modern manufacturers to showcase examples and pay homage to this record quantity.
In 2002, Upper Deck released the Sweet Spot Signatures set featuring Mullins’ autograph on a reproduction of one of his many T206 cards. Other 21st century issues saluting Mullins include 2005 Sweet Spot 100th Anniversary, 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter retro card and 2016 Topps Archives ‘Brooklyn Uniform’ reprint. Most recently, 2017 Topps Heritage highlighted Mullins’ status with an Extended Version insert card outlining his influence.
While long overshadowed in baseball history by bigger household names – Earl “Brooklyn Earl” Mullins still stands alone as the answer to an obscure trivia question: which player has more baseball cards dedicated to them than any other? Thanks to his breakout season coinciding with the genesis of tobacco era sets and prolonged popularity in Brooklyn, over 20 unique baseball cards were produced representing Mullins during his playing days between 1909-1929. From precious T206s to postwar reprints and modern retrospectives, Mullins’ remarkable card output endures as a defining chapter in the growth of baseball as America’s hobby.
