Lyman Bostock had a promising baseball career cut short when he was murdered at the young age of 27, but his legacy lives on through the baseball cards produced featuring his image during his playing days in the major leagues. Bostock made his MLB debut in 1973 with the Minnesota Twins and played parts of 5 seasons in the big leagues before his tragic death in 1978. While his career was relatively short, it yielded several iconic baseball cards that remain cherished by collectors today for commemorating one of the game’s “what if” stories.
One of the earliest and most notable Bostock baseball cards comes from his rookie season with the Twins in 1973. That year, Topps produced Bostock’s rookie card as part of their standard baseball card set. The card features a clean photo of Bostock in a Twins uniform with his key stats from 1972 printed on the back, as was customary for rookie cards at the time. Because Bostock seemed poised for stardom after finishing second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 1973, his rookie card became quite popular and retained value among collectors for decades. Even now, graded high-quality versions of Bostock’s 1973 Topps rookie card can fetch prices over $100 due to his untimely death preserving him as a “what if” player from the 1970s.
In 1974 and 1975, Topps continued to issue Bostock cards as he established himself as a solid outfielder and hitter for the Twins organization. His 1974 and 1975 Topps cards are relatively common in collectors’ hands today, but they still hold appeal for fans wanting representations of Bostock during the prime of his career. One interesting parallel is that the photos on Bostock’s 1974 and 1975 Topps cards depict him playing for the Twins, but he was actually traded to the California Angels after the 1975 season. This makes those latter Twins cards slightly anomalous relics from a period of Bostock’s career he had already moved on from.
Bostock’s first season with the Angels in 1976 brought about another popular card featuring his new team. That year, Topps captured Bostock in an Angels uniform for the first time on one of their standard 1976 baseball cards. While with the Angels, Bostock enjoyed some of his most productive seasons and established career highs in several key offensive categories like batting average, home runs, and RBI. This positioned him as a everyday contributor for the rising Angels franchise. As such, his 1976 Topps card commemorating that breakout Angels campaign is still a coveted piece for fans of Bostock and collectors of mid-1970s Angels memorabilia.
In 1977, Topps broke from their traditional vertical baseball card design and issued their cards in a new horizontal “sp-type” format that year. This created quite a distinct look that is still popular among collectors today. As one of the better hitters in the Angels lineup in 1977, Bostock was naturally included and depicted hauling away from the batter’s box in an action shot. While common, the 1977 Topps “sp-type” Bostock card is a unique piece of the brand’s historic design change as well as a final representation of Bostock before his tragic death.
Tragically, Bostock would never see the release of his 1978 Topps card, as he was shot and killed in September 1978 at the young age of 27. Topps still chose to recognize Bostock’s career and what could have been by including him in their 1978 set release the following spring. Bostock appears in an Angels batting practice jersey with the dates “1955-1978” printed below the image. This simple but poignant 1978 Topps card became a memorial piece cherished by fans as one of the last physical baseball cards honoring Lyman Bostock’s life and career. Even today, it remains one of the most significant vintage issues for collectors seeking to commemorate Bostock’s untapped talent and too-early passing.
While his playing career was cut short at its peak, Lyman Bostock left an indelible mark on the 1970s baseball landscape and its card culture. From his 1973 rookie card to his posthumous 1978 issue, Topps continually featured and celebrated Bostock’s achievements and potential during his time in the majors. As a result, his baseball cards spanning the 1973-1978 era have endured as prized keepsakes not just for their visual historical record, but as tangible tributes to one of baseball’s “what if” legends. Nearly 45 years after his death, Bostock’s inspiring story and lasting contributions continue to resonate with collectors through the iconic cards produced of his promising career.
