Bob and Max were two young baseball card collectors growing up in the suburbs of Detroit in the late 1950s. While they had amassed sizable collections of the stars from the various baseball teams of the era in their Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron rookie cards, there were a few players that they wished had cards made but never did. This article explores some of those players that Bob and Max hoped would one day have a baseball card made in their likeness but never did.
One of the first players that Bob and Max wished had a card was Dick Donovan of the Boston Red Sox. Donovan made his MLB debut in 1957 and had a solid rookie season, going 13-8 with a 3.04 ERA. Due to some quirks in the baseball card production process that year, Donovan was left off the roster for the 1957 Topps set despite his contributions. This disappointed both Bob and Max as they were big Red Sox fans growing up and wanted to add Donovan to their collections. They thought for sure he would get a card in 1958 but again he was omitted. Donovan went on to have a decent 6-year MLB career but never saw himself immortalized on a baseball card.
Another missed opportunity was Kansas City Athletics pitcher Bill Fischer. In his rookie season of 1958, Fischer went 15-9 with a 3.46 ERA and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Al Kaline and Bob Allison. His solid numbers that year made him a favorite of both Bob and Max. When the 1959 Topps set was released, Fischer was again absent despite his breakout rookie campaign. Both boys were puzzled as to why such a promising young player didn’t get recognized with his own cardboard. Fischer continued to pitch reasonably well for the A’s over the next few seasons but personal issues derailed his career and he was out of baseball by 1963, leaving Bob and Max still wishing for a Fischer card that never came to be.
Perhaps the most glaring omission from the boys’ perspective was Kansas City Athletics outfielder Earl Robinson. In 1960, Robinson emerged as the A’s best all-around player, batting .304 with 16 home runs and 76 RBI. He led the league in triples with 12 and also stole 24 bases. Both Bob and Max were impressed with Robinson’s five-tool skillset and thought for sure he would get his due with a card after such a stellar season. When the 1961 Topps set dropped, Robinson was yet again left out. They speculated as to why such an exciting young player who finished 9th in AL MVP voting got passed over. Robinson continued to produce for Kansas City over the next few years but injuries derailed his career, and like Fischer, he never saw a baseball card in his playing days, much to the chagrin of Bob and Max.
One of the more puzzling near-misses for a card to Bob and Max was Detroit Tigers pitcher Earl Wilson. In 1961, Wilson emerged as the Tigers’ best starter, going 16-10 with a 3.14 ERA and finishing 6th in AL Cy Young voting. His breakout performance positioned him as the ace of the Tigers staff. Both boys were big Tigers fans and wanted to add Wilson to their collections. When the 1962 Topps cards came out, Wilson was absent again. They talked to other collectors who were also perplexed by this omission. Wilson went on to have a solid 13-year career, winning 20 games three different times, but never had a card in his playing days, which disappointed Bob and Max to this day.
Perhaps the most glaring oversight in need of a baseball card to Bob and Max was Kansas City Athletics slugger Dick Green. In 1963, Green enjoyed a breakout season, batting .288 with 27 home runs and 79 RBI. His 27 round-trippers led the American League that season. Both boys were impressed with Green’s power showing and thought for sure the power-hitting first baseman would receive cardboard recognition after leading the league in home runs. When the 1964 Topps set was released, Green was nowhere to be found, much to their dismay. Green continued mashing home runs over the next few seasons before injuries cut his career short, and like others on this list, he never saw a baseball card issued during his playing days, which still bothers Bob and Max to this day.
In closing, while Bob and Max amassed impressive collections of the stars from the 1950s and 1960s over the years in their Mickey Mantles, Willie Mayses, and Hank Aarons, there were several promising players who slipped through the cardboard cracks that they always wished had cards – players like Dick Donovan, Bill Fischer, Earl Robinson, Earl Wilson, and Dick Green. For whatever reasons, these talented ballplayers who had breakout seasons and career-best performances were passed over by the card companies at the time. Both Bob and Max have often discussed and debated over the years as to why such noteworthy players never saw themselves immortalized on a baseball card. While their collections grew to be the envy of their neighborhood, a few key cards were always missing that represented players they admired but never had the baseball card recognition they deserved.
