Topps, it's time for Jackie Robinson to get the Mickey Mantle treatment

My wife found a yard sale on Craigslist the other day that advertised 2010 and 2011 factory sets, so I ran by and picked them up for $15 each. Not a steal by any means, but definitely a deal. So I'm sitting down and sorting them, and I run across the obligatory Mickey Mantle card (including a red parallel in the value pack). It reminded me that starting in 1997, Topps "retired" card number 7 in Mantle's honor, largely in part to his helping establish the company as top dog in the baseball card business. Then in 2006, Topps inked a 10-year exclusivity agreement with the Mantle estate. As we all know, every base Topps set since then has given us a new Mantle pose. All fine and good.

I believe it is past time for Topps to do the same with card number 42. With Robinson now appearing regularly across all products, there is no reason he shouldn't be similarly honored. Baseball has retired Jackie's number; Topps needs to do likewise.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Leaf retired card #42 for the 1997 and 1998 Leaf base sets, as their way of commemorating his 1949 Leaf RC. Jackie Robinson doesn't have an iconic Topps card (as Mantle does) or a Topps RC, so I can't see a good reason for Topps to retire #42.

DeliciousBacon said:

Leaf retired card #42 for the 1997 and 1998 Leaf base sets, as their way of commemorating his 1949 Leaf RC. Jackie Robinson doesn't have an iconic Topps card (as Mantle does) or a Topps RC, so I can't see a good reason for Topps to retire #42.

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Mantle doesn't have a Topps RC either.

I agree with you. It is a "slippery slope" however...people will always say the same thing about someone else.

IMHO, Jackie's should be retired....I never felt retiring 7 was necessary.

jbhofmann said:

Mantle doesn't have a Topps RC either.

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But he does have an iconic Topps card, possibly the most instantly recognizable card out of every single card ever made.

DeliciousBacon said:

But he does have an iconic Topps card, possibly the most instantly recognizable card out of every single card ever made.

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which admittedly is what forevermore helped put Topps first in the modern collector's mind. However, Jackie's contributions to baseball's history and future as a whole should be recognized, in my opinion. Some will agree with MisterT's statement that "retiring 7 was (un)necessary", and some will say that if Jackie gets his card honored, then why not Aaron and why not Mays and why not Gehrig and why not Harper... I'm not saying we run the risk of opening Pandora's Box or anything. I'm saying Topps should step up and honor the man that endured so much to break the color barrier, that's all.

TNP777 said:

which admittedly is what forevermore helped put Topps first in the modern collector's mind. However, Jackie's contributions to baseball's history and future as a whole should be recognized, in my opinion. Some will agree with MisterT's statement that "retiring 7 was (un)necessary", and some will say that if Jackie gets his card honored, then why not Aaron and why not Mays and why not Gehrig and why not Harper... I'm not saying we run the risk of opening Pandora's Box or anything. I'm saying Topps should step up and honor the man that endured so much to break the color barrier, that's all.

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I wish Topps would cut out all the Mantle crap. It's unnecessary to have 100 new Mantle cards a year, and if that happened to Robinson, there's the chance of people just getting sick of seeing his card pop up in every single set for no reason.

I want to see more PATCHES Topps, see sig

TNP777 said:

I believe it is past time for Topps to do the same with card number 42. With Robinson now appearing regularly across all products, there is no reason he shouldn't be similarly honored. Baseball has retired Jackie's number; Topps needs to do likewise.

Thoughts? Opinions?

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Topps is the manufacturer, Jackie was not a Yankee. 'nuff said.

If the player is/was a Yankee, Topps goes overboard like a young girl crushing to be Tom Cruise's wife #4. If the player isn't Yankee-related, Topps doesn't care.

TNP777 said:

which admittedly is what forevermore helped put Topps first in the modern collector's mind. However, Jackie's contributions to baseball's history and future as a whole should be recognized, in my opinion. Some will agree with MisterT's statement that "retiring 7 was (un)necessary", and some will say that if Jackie gets his card honored, then why not Aaron and why not Mays and why not Gehrig and why not Harper... I'm not saying we run the risk of opening Pandora's Box or anything. I'm saying Topps should step up and honor the man that endured so much to break the color barrier, that's all.

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I agree with you. You are just more articulate in saying it than I.

I agree that Jackie's card # should be retired, just as his jersey # was by MLB.

As far as a slippery slope, I think that the honor should here on out be reserved for #'s retired by the MLB. Mantle's #7 can be grandfathered in since Topps already did it.