The history of baseball cards in Seattle is a long and fascinating one stretching back over a century. Some of the earliest baseball cards featuring Seattle players date back to the late 19th century when the city was still in its infancy.
Even before Seattle had a major league team, players who got their start in the Pacific Northwest appearing on baseball cards that were popular nationwide. Figures like Edgar Martinez and Randy Johnson who went on to have Hall of Fame careers all had their earliest baseball card appearances when playing in the minor leagues in or around Seattle in the 1970s and 80s.
As Seattle’s sports culture began to take shape in the early 20th century, baseball cards provided an affordable way for local fans to collect pieces of the area’s baseball history. While the teams and players have changed over the decades, the tradition of baseball card collecting in Seattle remains an integral part of the city’s sports legacy.
One of the first notable Seattle players to appear on cards was Lefty O’Doul who got his start with the minor league Seattle Giants in the 1920s. O’Doul went on to have a successful MLB career and later became renowned as a hitting coach, but Seattle fans of his era could find and trade cards featuring the young lefty from his early Pacific Coast League days.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Seattle was home to several successful minor league teams including the Rainiers and Pirates who competed in the Pacific Coast League, then a high level AAA circuit. Stars like Rocky Colavito, Maury Wills, and Bobby Richardson all had Seattle-era cards which are now highly collectible for local historians and vintage baseball enthusiasts.
The arrival of the Seattle Pilots in 1969 brought big league baseball to the Emerald City for the first time. Unfortunately, the Pilots only lasted one financially troubled season before relocating to become the Milwaukee Brewers. Their brief existence allowed Seattle fans to collect cards from that inaugural 1969 Topps set featuring the original Pilots like Jim Bouton, Mike Hegan, and Don Mincher.
Pilots cards from that long out-of-print series have grown greatly in value in recent years as Seattle’s baseball history has been rediscovered. For devoted collectors, finding intact 1969 Pilots rookies or commons can provide a tangible link to that lost first season in the city.
After the Pain left, Seattle would have to wait another 16 years before the Mariners brought the MLB back for good in 1977. That season saw future Mariners greats like Alvin Davis and Jay Buhner receive their rookie cards. Since then, collecting Mariners cards has been a staple of Seattle’s baseball fandom.
Over the decades, the Mariners have featured many stars who received widespread coverage in national card sets. Future Hall of Famers like Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ichiro Suzuki all had legendary card runs with the Mariners. Their rookie cards and prime years remain highly sought after by collectors today.
In the late 80s and 90s, the golden era of baseball cards saw Seattle shops like Magnuson’s, Westlake Cards, and Rainy Day become hubs where kids could trade, buy and sell the newest Mariners and visit players at in-store autograph signings. Brands like Fleer, Donruss, and Upper Deck released Mariners stars in sets that took the hobby to new heights.
As the card industry declined in the 2000s, Seattle shops closed or transitioned to focus more on memorabilia. The city’s card collecting tradition lives on through today’s thriving online community. Sites like Mariners Card Collector allow fans to share their collections, discuss the team’s card history, and arrange meetups and group breaks.
Seattle’s long baseball past is preserved through the cards collected over decades by fans young and old. Whether seeking vintage greats or today’s emerging stars, card collecting remains a favorite hobby for Mariners supporters across generations. The cards not only commemorate players, but the memories and community built around the city’s love of America’s pastime.
