Eddie Murray and his rare Rookie Card
All-Time Switch Hitters with 500 or more Home Runs? Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray. That's it.
Eddie Murray Rookie Cards graded PSA Gem Mint 10? 19. That's it.
Subtlety is not the goal here. Eddie Murray was a heck of a Hall of Fame player. Over 500 Home Runs. Over 3000 hits. World Series Ring. Eddie doesn't lack from a scarce resume. However, when it comes to baseball cards you won't find many perfect cardboard Murrays. 19 PSA Gem Mint10s. That's it.
It's not uncommon for vintage cards to not have a gem mint version, but we are talking 1978. Three years before the end of vintage, not exactly the Mantle and Mays days for cards.
Murray is finishing what looks like a posed swing with the bat over his right shoulder, a left-handed swing. The border is orange color match. Color match borders have often been popular with Topps and this set is no exception. My favorite part of the card is the Topps All-Star Rookie Cup in the bottom right. There is just something about that logo that is cool.
Murray is an underrated superstar. His rough relationship with some media as a player never endeared him to the press. Maybe that's why he's not in the conversation with other great hitters. Oh, by the way, he also won three Gold Glove Awards. That is a complete player.
Danny Black serves as the Editor of Collectibles on SI. Founder of Hobby News Daily, Danny also serves as a consultant to companies in The Hobby. A former employee of the Braves and Orioles, Danny is a Maryland resident with his wife and 3 children.