Jackie Robinson a Giant? Five More Baseball Legends and Unexpected Cards
In this story:
The first installment of this series looked at five baseball legends with cards on unexpected teams:
- Jackie Robinson, San Diego Padres
- Satchel Paige, Atlanta Braves
- Reggie Jackson, Chicago Cubs
- Duke Snider, Montreal Expos
- Babe Ruth, Los Angeles Angels
This next installment continues the series with even more surprising and oddball player-team combinations.
Frank Thomas on the Yankees?
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Yankee fans can only dream of how many more titles the Bombers might have won in the 1990s with Frank Thomas on the squad. Of course the Big Hurt never played for the Big Apple's AL squad apart from his fictional stint as Ricky Davis in the movie "Mr. Baseball." However, there's a card!
Pete Rose on the Tigers?
RELATED: Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson Baseball Cards Still a Gamble
Sticking with cinema, who could forget the Oscar-worthy performance of Pete Rose as Detroit Tigers legend Ty Cobb in the made-for-television "Babe Ruth" movie? Even beyond the bold casting move, the card itself carries an interesting story. Produced in 1991, it remains even to this day the final Topps-branded (intentionally produced) card of Pete Rose, whose lifetime ban from baseball took effect in 1989.
George Sisler as a Cardinal?
A tip of the old St. Louis Browns cap to collector Sean Kolodzieg for alerting Collectibles onSI to this throwback card. George Sisler is accidentally paired with the wrong St. Louis franchise. Then again, the short prints at the end of this set's checklist are so full of surprises and anachronisms that the Sisler card hardly stands out. Babe Ruth on the Atlanta Braves? Why not! Walter Johnson on the Washington Nationals? Yes, please! And who can possibly forget Ichiro's stint with the Seattle Pilots!
Mariano Rivera on the Giants?
Thanks to John Racanelli for this find that took a bit more historical research than the crew at Topps or the Sandman himself was looking to do. In truth, this card elicits a number of questions, one of which might be whether Mo is even wearing pants, More to the point, however, the throwback "NY" jersey Rivera has on seems to be a match for the 1905-06 New York Giants rather than any of the old-time Yankee squads.
Jackie Robinson on the Giants?
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If Mariano Rivera can be a New York Giant, why not Jackie Robinson. In fact, as the small print on this card indicates, Robinson really was traded to his team's archrivals in December of 1956. Many Dodger fans aware of this stain on history love to boast that Robinson hated the Giants so much he chose to resign rather than play for them. The truth, however, is not nearly as salty. Robinson had already made up his mind to retire but had promised the exclusive scoop to Look magazine who had not yet published the story.
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.