The history of baseball cards in Spokane Valley is a long one stretching back over a century. Some of the earliest baseball cards produced featured players from the early minor and professional leagues that called the Spokane area home in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
One of the first minor leagues to operate in the region was the Inland Empire League, which was founded in 1894 and included teams from Spokane, Walla Walla, and other nearby cities. While no baseball cards are known to have been specifically produced featuring players from this early minor league, it helped develop interest in the sport locally in Eastern Washington.
In the early 1900s, Spokane was home to teams in the Northwestern League, which was a Class B minor league operating from 1903 to 1952. Some of the early Spokane teams in this league included the Spokane Indians from 1903 to 1952 and the Spokane Beavers from 1909 to 1915. These early minor league teams helped expose local baseball fans to the sport and some of the players likely had their photos and stats featured on tobacco cards or other early baseball cards of the time.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Pacific Coast League operated teams in Spokane including the Spokane Indians from 1937 to 1952. The PCL was considered a high minor league or “Triple-A” league and often had future major leaguers playing for its teams. Pacific Coast League players regularly appeared on baseball cards produced by companies like Goudey and Play Ball in the 1930s-50s era. As a result, Spokane baseball fans of this period would have had opportunities to collect cards featuring players who suited up for the local Indians squad.
Topps began producing modern style baseball cards featuring gum or candy in the package in 1951 and their cards soon came to dominate the baseball card market. In the 1950s, Topps cards frequently featured PCL players, meaning Spokane Indians players from that era likely appeared in the annual Topps sets of the time. Players like outfielder Earl Averill, who played for the Indians in 1951, may have been included in the very first modern Topps set that same year.
Into the 1960s, Spokane continued to be home to minor league teams affiliated with major league organizations. The Spokane Indians switched affiliations over the years but were partnered with teams like the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers during the ’60s. Topps remained the dominant baseball card producer and featured many minor league players, ensuring Spokane players still found their way into annual card sets. Players like pitcher Tom Bradley, who played for Spokane in 1963, could be found in the 1963 Topps set.
The 1970s saw the arrival of competition to Topps as new baseball card companies entered the market. Fleer and Donruss began producing annual sets that also included minor leaguers. Throughout the ’70s, the Spokane Indians were affiliated with teams like the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres, so their players appeared in the Fleer and Donruss sets of that era too. Pitchers like Dave Tomlin, who played for Spokane in 1977, had cards in the 1977 Fleer and Donruss releases.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the baseball card boom took off as collecting became a mainstream hobby. Spokane was still home to the Indians affiliate, now primarily with the San Francisco Giants organization. The arrival of upper deck in the late 80s brought even more competition and exposure for minor leaguers. Stars of the future like Will Clark played in Spokane in 1981 before breaking out in the majors, and he had a popular rookie card released that year by Topps. The 90s saw even more card manufacturers like Score, Leaf, and Pinnacle get involved.
Today, the Spokane Indians remain a short season Single-A affiliate, most recently of the Colorado Rockies. While the baseball card market has declined from the boom years, the handful of modern companies like Topps, Panini, and Leaf still feature Indians players. Future major leaguers continue to hone their skills in Spokane before hopefully one day seeing their own baseball card released. Card collecting also remains a popular hobby among local baseball fans interested in commemorating the players who have suited up for their hometown Indians over the decades.
The history of baseball cards in Spokane Valley is in many ways a microcosm of the broader history of the baseball card industry in America. From the early tobacco cards that may have included some local minor leaguers, through the post-war boom years dominated by Topps, and into the modern era with its proliferation of card companies—Spokane area baseball fans have been able to follow and collect cards showcasing the players who represented their community on the diamond for over a century.
