The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, founded in 1881. As one of the National League’s original teams, the Pirates have a long and storied history that can be explored through their baseball cards spanning over 100 years.
One of the earliest notable Pirates baseball cards comes from the 1888 N172 Old Judge tobacco card set. This set featured cards of star players from that era, including Pirates player/manager Lou Bierbauer on card N172. While the photo and other detailing is sparse, it represents one of the earliest known examples of a Pirates player being commemorated on a baseball card.
In the early 20th century, tobacco companies began using baseball players extensively to help market their products. Two of the most famous tobacco brands, T206 and T205, featured multiple Pirates players. The 1909-1911 T206 set included cards of Pirates stars Honus Wagner, Claude Ritchey, and Chief Wilson. Perhaps the most famous baseball card of all, Wagner’s T206 is one of the rarest and most valuable in the hobby due to his demands that the card not be produced. The 1910-1911 T205 set also featured multiple Pirates including Wagner and Ripper Collins. These early tobacco cards helped popularize collecting and provided early looks at Pirates stars from that exciting period in the team’s history.
In the 1920s and 1930s, numerous regional baseball card sets featured Pirates players as the team achieved success including three World Series titles in 1925, 1927, and 1960. Goudey released large sets in 1933 and several subsets in the late 1930s that pictured the likes of Arky Vaughan, Freddie Lindstrom, and many others. While the photo quality and production values improved from the tobacco era, many of these early 20th century cards still provide a glimpse at the uniforms, styles, and players from baseball’s earliest decades.
The post-World War 2 era saw the rise of modern mass-produced baseball cards as part of the 1950s “golden age.” Topps dominated the market, and their offerings from 1951-1965 provided iconic photos of Pirates stars like Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski, and many of their 1960 World Series champions. These colorful cards helped rekindle baseball card collecting on a widespread scale after WW2. Clemente’s impressive batting and fielding prowess made him one of the biggest sports stars of the 1960s, and his Topps cards from that decade are still highly sought after by collectors today.
The Pirates success continued into the 1970s, winning the World Series again in 1971 behind the pitching of Steve Blass and Willie Stargell’s leadership. Topps retained the baseball card license, and their 1971-1979 designs showed the Pirates in colorful action shots and posed team photos. Dock Ellis’ famous 1970 no-hitter and Dave Parker’s 1975 batting title season are just two of many memorable Piratesmoments captured on 70s-era cardboard. The mustaches, afros, and classic uniforms make cards from this period instantly recognizable as representing the era that many grew up enjoying the team.
While the Pirates struggled competitively for much of the 1980s and 1990s, their players were still featured in the annual Topps and other sets of those decades. Stars like Jason Thompson, Sid Bream, and Andy Van Slyke provided highlights during down periods for the franchise on the field. The late 1980s also saw the rise of new baseball card manufacturers like Fleer, Score, and Donruss adding diversity and competition to the marketplace. Rosters from the 1990-1992 World Series teams that renewed Pirates pride were featured across the new manufacturers’ offerings.
Into the 21st century, the PiratesHave enjoyed renewed success including three straight playoff appearances from 2013-2015 captured by leading manufacturers like Topps, Panini, and others. Modern parallels, autographs, and memorabilia cards have grown the collecting hobby exponentially, while apps and online platforms keep card imagery available anytime. From Andy Oliver’s rookie season to Gerrit Cole’s breakout years, present-day Pirates continue to be featured prominently.
Whether starring Honus Wagner’s earliest tobacco cards or Showcasing current stars like Bryan Reynolds, Pirates players have been inspiring and being collected on cardboard for well over a century. Their baseball cards serve as tangible reminders of the team’s history, accomplishments, and some of the game’s all-time greats to have worn the black and gold. With the franchise’s long tenure in Pittsburgh, their baseball cards are sure to remain popular with collectors for many generations to come.
