The history of baseball cards in Indiana dates back to the late 19th century as the sport was growing in popularity across the United States. Some of the earliest baseball cards were produced as promotional materials or included in cigarette packs and helped fuel interest in the professional game.
One of the first major baseball card sets was produced in 1887 by a company called Goodwin & Company based in New York. Known as the “Old Judge” tobacco cards, these early cardboard collectibles featured individual player portraits and basic stats on the back. While the cards did not specify team affiliations at the time, many of the players pictured were members of National League clubs like the Cincinnati Reds, who had a large following in Indiana.
In the early 1900s, several tobacco brands produced regional baseball card sets that included players from Indiana-based minor league teams. The Allen & Ginter company issued cards between 1887-1891 that featured stars plying their trade in the Western Association, which had franchises in cities like Evansville and Indianapolis during those years. In 1907, the American Tobacco Company distributed cards highlighting the Three-I League, a Class D minor circuit with teams in towns across central and southern Indiana.
Some of the earliest baseball cards exclusively dedicated to Indiana players came in the form of local cigarette promotions. In 1911, the Terre Haute Cigarette Company offered a 25-card Indiana Collegiate Baseball set showcasing stars from college programs across the state like Indiana University and Purdue. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Cigar Company distributed cards of players on the Indianapolis Indians minor league team in their Hoosier State Brand tobacco products between 1914-1915.
The Goudey Gum Company revolutionized the baseball card industry when it began mass producing high-quality cardboard collectibles as incentives to purchase packs of gum in 1933. Their famous 1933 Goudey set included future Hall of Famers like Larry French and Earl Averill, who both hailed from Indiana. In the late 1930s, Goudey issued subsets focusing on the American Association, a Triple-A league with the Indianapolis Indians as a flagship franchise. These promoted stars in Indiana like Don Padgett and Ed Stewart.
During World War II, card production was limited due to rationing of paper products and many sets only featured a handful of players. The Bowman Gum Company still managed to issue cards in 1948 highlighting the Milwaukee Brewers minor league squad, which included future Indiana Hoosier greats like Bobby Richards and Don Lenhardt that season.
The 1950s were a boom period for baseball cards as new companies entered the market and produced innovative designs on coated cardboard stock rather than thin paper. Topps, which had taken over the baseball card license, featured many Indiana-born talents over the decade like Ted Kluszewski of the Cincinnati Reds and George Crowe of the Milwaukee Braves.
In 1953, Topps issued its first true regional set with the ’53 Bowman Collegiate Baseball issue. This included photos and stats of college stars from around the country, including Purdue’s Larry Doby Jr. and an Indiana University player by the name of Earl Weaver who would go on to fame as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
Topps continued spotlighting Indiana-connected minor league clubs in the late 1950s with subsets highlighting the Indianapolis Indians, South Bend Sox of the Midwest League, and Fort Wayne Wizards of the Three-I League among others. Homegrown major leaguers like Don Larsen, who tossed a perfect game for the New York Yankees in 1956, also earned prominent place in the flagship Topps sets of the era.
The 1960s saw the rise of the Indianapolis Indians as one of the most popular minor league franchises in the country. Topps produced annual team sets in the early part of the decade that featured future MLB stars honing their skills in central Indiana like Joe Torre, Bill Mazeroski, and Jim Bunning. In 1965, Topps even issued a special “Turn Back The Clock” nostalgia card of former Indianapolis Indians great Earl Averill from his playing days in the 1930s.
The 1970s saw the introduction of many innovative baseball card designs by companies like Topps, Fleer, and Donruss that used action shots, team logos, and bio boxes on the back. Hoosier-born talents were still well-represented, such as Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds who graced the cover of the 1974 Topps set after winning back-to-back NL MVP awards. Regional minor league stars also earned cards during the decade like Dave Tobik of the South Bend White Sox.
In the modern era from the 1980s onward, baseball cards have expanded beyond the traditional gum and candy promotions. Many companies now specialize in regional, team-specific, or vintage reprint sets in addition to the annual flagship releases from Topps, Upper Deck, and others. Indiana has continued producing major league talent that receives card treatment like Jeff Brantley, Todd Dunwoody, and current stars like Paul Goldschmidt. Meanwhile, the independent Frontier League also has Indiana-based franchises in cities like Schaumburg that have earned team sets.
Baseball cards have served as an important connection between the state of Indiana and America’s pastime for well over a century. Collecting cards remains a popular hobby for Hoosier fans to this day, whether seeking nostalgia from the early tobacco issues or chasing the latest rookies on the trading card market. The cardboard culture surrounding the game has helped spread passion for baseball across the state and preserve its rich history for future generations.
