Ed Brinkman was a major league third baseman who played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners from 1968 to 1977. While he was never a superstar player, Brinkman had a long MLB career and appeared on many baseball cards during the 1970s that are still popular with collectors today.
Brinkman was drafted by the Reds in the 2nd round of the 1966 amateur draft out of the University of Southern California. He made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in 1968 and became the team’s starting third baseman in 1969. That season was Brinkman’s best statistically, as he hit .252 with 7 home runs and 46 RBI in 156 games. His defensive play at the hot corner was also excellent, as he led the NL in fielding percentage and putouts at third base.
Brinkman’s rookie cards from 1969 are some of the most sought after from that era. The Topps and Fleer versions are widely available in lower grades but can fetch hundreds of dollars in mint condition. They depict Brinkman in his distinctive Reds uniform with the solid red cap. The cards capture Brinkman early in his career when he was establishing himself as a defensive standout.
Brinkman continued to be Cincinnati’s regular third baseman through the 1972 season. During that time, he appeared in Topps and Fleer sets each year. The 1970 and 1971 issues show minor statistical updates but generally similar photos compared to his rookie cards. In 1972, Topps switched to a action shot of Brinkman fielding a ground ball.
After the 1972 season, Brinkman was surprisingly traded to the New York Mets. He spent the 1973 and 1974 seasons in Queens, where he backed up Wayne Garrett at third base. Brinkman’s Mets cards from 1973 Topps and 1974 Topps are notable for depicting him in the unique blue and orange Mets uniforms of that era. While he saw less playing time in New York, Brinkman was still a capable defender and hitter when called upon.
Prior to the 1975 season, Brinkman was dealt again, this time to the Seattle Mariners as the expansion franchise put together its inaugural roster. He spent 1975 and 1976 as Seattle’s everyday third baseman. Brinkman’s 1975 and 1976 Topps cards standing out for showing him in the Mariners’ teal and navy blue uniforms during the early days of the franchise. The Mariners struggled in those early seasons, but Brinkman provided steady defense and leadership as one of the original members of the team.
Brinkman split time at third base and as a utility player for Seattle in 1977, his final major league season. His 1977 Topps card was his last baseball card issued. It depicts a more seasoned Brinkman still giving his all for the Mariners in their sixth season. In 10 MLB seasons spanning 1968 to 1977, Brinkman hit .234 with 35 home runs and 264 RBI over 1,271 career games. He committed just 79 errors in over 5,000 career chances at third base for a stellar .976 fielding percentage.
While he never achieved stardom, Ed Brinkman had a memorable decade-long MLB career spanning three franchises. The baseball cards issued of him by Topps during his playing days from 1969 to 1977 capture the various stages and uniforms of Brinkman’s journey. For collectors today, his rookie cards from 1969 remain quite popular. But even his later cards depicting his years with the Mets and Mariners retain nostalgia and significance as representations of the player and periods in baseball history. Brinkman may not have been a Hall of Famer, but for collectors his cardboard representations endure as artifacts of the 1970s MLB experience.
