One of Topps' patented tricks in the 1960s was to feature the wrong player picture on a card front, with the error going uncorrected. While the value of these cards isn't terribly significant (since they were never corrected), it still makes for interesting collecting experiences. This weekend I was rummaging my way through a box of 1960s common cards at a Detroit area card store. Then, I came across this beauty:
I knew at once it was Ron Santo. While Santo's official card was #252 in the '63 set, he was also featured on teammate Don Landrum's card #113. The statistical difference between the two is hard to understate: in 1963, Landrum hit .242 with 1 HR and 10 RBI. Santo, on the other hand, hit .297 with 25 HR, 99 RBI, an All-Star appearance, and was #8 in NL MVP voting.
Since Santo's my favorite ballplayer I feel lucky that there is an extra early Topps card. Nice find.
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