Roberto Clemente Iconic Card: 1971 Topps #630

1971 Topps is, in my opinion, Roberto Clemente's masterpiece of a card. It may as well be, considering 1971 was a masterpiece of a season for both Clemente and his Pittsburgh Pirates. There's always something extra special about player cards released in championship years.

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The year before, 1970, was a fine year, and so is Clemente's 1970 Topps card. But that year finished with a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Championship Series. 1971 would be different, with the Pirates taking the World Series in seven games from the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles.

1971 Topps Roberto Clemente #630 — Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

So when Clemente was pictured for his 1971 Topps card, he looked like a man on a mission determined to win another championship late in his career. The black borders of the 1971 set are widely bemoaned for being prone to chipping and scuffing all around the borders. But it lends the perfect color match for teams like the Pirates.

The borders create a natural color match for black and gold. There's an endothermic-exothermic synergy between the Pirates insignia with the gold trim encasing the black letters and the card's border, encapsulating Clemente. Clemente's black sleeves also add movement to the picture by mirroring the black borders to the left and right.

Clemente's pose is unique from all the other players in the set. No one else pictured is looking at their bat, as if in meditation, to give the viewer a hint of what Clemente may be thinking as he is about to start one of his greatest seasons. Other players are pictured in their faux half-swings, but none deliver the seriousness of Clemente's expression. He's locked in at the moment the picture is taken.

The bat in Clemente's hand goes off the picture as if it'll jump out and let out a crack when it meets a baseball. It is the object of Clemente's gaze as if he is giving it the respect a samurai would give one of his swords.

His name is written in lowercase letters at the top of the card. Topps decided to use his proper name, Roberto, and not Bob for the second year in a row. From 1957-69, Topps used "Bob Clemente." This 1971 Topps card would have been ruined if Roberto were not on it. Did anyone actually call Clemente, "Bob," and why did Topps use it for so many years? (I digress).

But also notice the Pirates name at the top, in yellow, surrounded by the black border, and how it is the inverse of Clemente's jersey, which has Pirates in black letters and is surrounded by gold trim. This kind of play between colors makes the card especially appealing for the Pirates.

Then there's the 1971 season. The Pirates finished first in the NL East with a 97-65 record, and Clemente finished fifth in NL MVP voting after batting .341 with 13 home runs and 86 RBI. In the NLCS, they beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1, and Clemente hit .333 with 4 RBI.

In the World Series, the Pirates went down 2-0 to the heavily favored Orioles, who were on the verge of back-to-back championships. But Clemente helped lead the team, hitting .414 with two home runs and four RBI. The Pirates would win in seven games, thanks in part to a Clemente solo home run in Game 7, which was won 2-1. Clemente was named World Series MVP.

There are several great Clemente cards out there. Few, if any, reach the grandness of his 1971 Topps card.