The Five Essential Baseball Cards of 1976 Topps

Though this year's Topps Heritage offering has revived a bit of nostalgia around the issue, 1976 Topps baseball is a set that largely resides well off the radar of most collectors. That tends to happen when a set boasts only one Hall of Fame rookie card and it's of a reliever no less! Still, this is a set rich with Hall of Famers—more than one in every ten cards, in fact—and innovation (Bazooka Bubble Gum champ, anyone?), not to mention one of the cheapest vintage Wagner cards you're bound to run across. Finding five essential cards was not a problem in the slightest. Finding only five? Now that was difficult!

1976 Topps Dennis Eckersley

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Let's start with the biggie, the Hall of Fame rookie card of legendary Athletics reliever Dennis Eckersley. Of course on this card he is neither Athletic nor reliever. Believe it or not, Eck spent his first dozen seasons as a starting pitcher for the Indians, Red Sox, and Cubs before making the move to the pen in Oakland in 1987. Though he was in fact an excellent starter, as confirmed by seven seasons of 4+ WAR and a pair of All-Star nods, it was of course as a closer that Eckersley was most dominant and is best remembered.

1976 Topps Hank Aaron

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There's literally never a need to justify placing Hank Aaron on any set's list of Essentials. However, this Aaron card, in particular, warrants selection as the the Hammer's final card from his playing days. True, his picture would appear on the 1977 Milwaukee Brewers team card, but this 1976 issue is the one most collectors regard as his cardboard swan song. Add to that a regal photograph from the lens of legendary baseball photographer Doug McWilliams, and you have a heckuva card!

1976 Topps Gary Carter

True, Gary Carter's rookie card came the year before, but that was along with three other players, each occupying no more than 25% of the cardboard. Here the Kid not only makes his solo debut but adds an All-Star Rookie trophy to boot. Plus, who can resist the Montreal Expos powder blues and the uniform number 57 dating back to 1974, his first year in the Bigs!

1976 Topps Oscar Gamble (TRADED)

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Clever wordplay and pinstripes aside, this card is all about one thing: Oscar Gamble's majestic 'fro. Of course, any collectors still having doubts whether a mere hairdo, no matter how epic, confers Essential status, take it from Oscar himself: "They don't think it be like it is, but it do."

1976 Topps Johnny Bench

In the end, collectors looking to add only a single card from the 1976 Topps set need look no further than the Johnny Bench. Was Bench the greatest catcher of all-time? No. That would be Josh Gibson. Was his 1976 Topps card the greatest of the decade? Maybe. Certainly the 1971 Thurman Munson provides strong competition. But could this card be any more perfect? Not a chance!