The Ultimate Topps Hank Aaron Triple Auto Grail Card
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Topps has been making quite a splash lately with various autographed cards and inserts, ranging from the return of Mookie Betts to legendary physicist Robert Oppenheimer to--of course--the Paul Skenes MLB Debut patch/auto. Oh, and how could we forget "Fun Face?!" (Related article: A Short History of Naughty Bat Knob Cards!)
𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃: The Jackson Holliday 1/1 “Fun Face” card has been hit .
— Topps (@Topps) January 30, 2025
The card features a game-used bat knob inscribed by Jackson himself. How much do you think this card is worth? 👀 pic.twitter.com/M7ESOkbfKt
A Short History of Naughty Bat Knob Cards
Among the most intriguing of the newer Topps autos are the double and triple autos featuring various legends of the game, including this pairing of two of the game's ultimate unicorns.
Topps will make the first ever Barry Bonds/Shohei Ohtani dual autograph card
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 28, 2025
(via @Topps) pic.twitter.com/HQF6f7be8s
With today being a certain legend's birthday, these autos got me thinking about which signatures the ultimate Hank Aaron triple auto card would include.
Hammerin' Hank ❤️🔨 pic.twitter.com/fGefFHHMhp
— Topps (@Topps) February 4, 2025
Ultimately, I ended up with three finalists, any of which would be an absolute grail card for any Hank Aaron collector or even baseball fan.
Old School Home Run Champs
While Barry Bonds is Major League Baseball's all-time home run leader, collectors of a certain vintage will always have a soft spot for the "big three" who topped the list when they first became fans of the sport: Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays!
Without a doubt, pulling an auto of any of these three players would be incredible. Pulling an auto of all three would be absolute insanity!
Beyond the MLB Bubble
Of course, why limit oneself to the home run kings of Major League Baseball when you can cover three leagues at once. What could possibly beat a triple auto featuring these three titans of the sport?
For those unfamiliar, the two men paired with Aaron would be Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh (858 NPB home runs) and Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson, whose Hall of Fame plaque credits the catcher with "almost 800 home runs."
Less is More?
The last ultimate Hank Aaron triple-auto breaks the rules a bit in that it might boast only two signatures. Still, I have to imagine there would be plenty of collectors in agreement that you "can't touch this" when it comes to awesome Hank Aaron auto pairings.
What fans of the 1980s and 90s hip hop icon MC Hammer might not know is that during his time as an Oakland A's batboy he was given his nickname, by Reggie Jackson no less, for his resemblance to Hank Aaron! But speaking of Reggie, if we did want to add a third auto to the mix, it's hard to imagine doing any better than Mr. October.
So what do you think, Topps? This hot streak for autos you're on is definitely "too legit to quit." How about giving us Hank Aaron collectors what we really want? After all, it's the Hammer's birthday!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.