The Sporting News has had a long tradition of publishing America’s favorite pastime. Founded in 1886 in St. Louis, Missouri, The Sporting News began as a weekly newspaper dedicated to covering professional baseball and other major sports. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, TSN grew to become the largest and most respected sports publication in the United States.
In 1951, The Sporting News began printing baseball cards as promotional inserts in their weekly issues. These early TSN cards featured current major and minor league players on a thick, gummed stock very similar to the Topps cards that had debuted the previous year. The 1951 set included 168 players across 13 cards. Notables included stars like Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Jackie Robinson in his rookie season. While production values were lower than Topps, the TSN cards were beloved by collectors as they provided an alternative to the mainstream brand.
In the following years, The Sporting News continued producing baseball cards each season. The 1952 set totaled 192 cards across 16 inserts. Highlights included legends Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Duke Snider among many others. Production quality slowly improved with sharper images and more vibrant color palettes. The 1953 TSN set remains one of the most coveted among vintage collectors with only 144 cards issued. Notable rookies that year included future Hall of Famers Al Kaline, Billy Pierce, and Hoyt Wilhelm.
Through the 1950s, The Sporting News cards provided fans an exciting alternative to Topps’ seemingly ubiquitous monopoly on the baseball card market. While TSN print runs were smaller and production values slightly lower, they captured iconic photos and featured many of the game’s greatest stars. In 1955, the brand transitioned to thinner cardstock more similar to Topps. That set included 168 cards highlighting legends like Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, and early MVP winner Don Newcombe among many others.
Beginning in the late 1950s, The Sporting News cards began facing increased competition from other brands like Bowman and Fleer who had entered the exploding baseball card industry. The popularity of more glossy and colorful offerings from Topps made TSN’s traditionally straightforward photography seem dated by comparison. Through the 1960s, their annual sets remained substantial in size but saw declining quality of images and production. Notable TSN rookies of the 1960s included future Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson, and Tom Seaver.
In an effort to remain competitive, The Sporting News took a brief hiatus from baseball cards in the early 1970s. They returned with a smaller 48 card set divided into six series issued with select weekly newspaper editions in 1974. Notables included rookie sensations Mike Schmidt and George Brett. This proved a one-time experiment however, as TSN exited the baseball card business for good following the 1974 season. Financial difficulties and lack of resources to compete with the major brands likely contributed to this decision.
While their baseball card runs were relatively short-lived, The Sporting News cards remain highly collectible pieces of vintage sport memorabilia today. Their simple photography and earlier production values give the sets a charming retro feel. Accessible stars from baseball’s Golden Era like the Mick, Duke, and Clemente are affordably available in high grades. The limited 1953 set in particular garners strong prices. While Topps, Bowman, and Fleer produced much longer runs, TSN cards fill an important niche in the early post-war evolution of the baseball card industry they helped pioneer. For dedicated collectors, hunting a complete run offers a rare and rewarding challenge to owning a unique part of baseball history.
After departing the trading card market, The Sporting News continued their core newspaper business through the 1970s and 1980s. While other publications began to challenge their dominance, TSN remained the foremost publication covering the business and statistics of Major League Baseball. In 1986, the paper was acquired by Times Mirror which looked to expand their sports properties. Through the 1990s and 2000s, The Sporting News transitioned to more magazine-style general sports coverage as the internet began to threaten print publications.
In 2009, Czech publisher VsechnySporty acquired The Sporting News from Time Inc. They shifted operations to digital platforms while maintaining a scaled-down print magazine. Then in 2019, VsechnySporty ceased publication of the print magazine as declining revenues no longer supported a physical product. The Sporting News survives today as a digital sports media brand covering the NFL, MLB, NBA and more via their website and social media platforms. While their distinct vintage baseball cards are distant relics, the legacy of over 130 years of baseball coverage lives on in TSN’s new digital frontier. Their early contribution to the growing baseball card craze of the post-war decades remains an iconic part of the game’s history.
