Baseball Card Collecting

1957 Topps #328 Brooks Robinson


Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum," Brooks Robinson is not only considered one of the best defensive third basemen in the history of the game, he is also acknowledged to be one of the sport's most popular figures. The 1957 Topps #328 Brooks Robinson is likewise a classic among collectible sports cards. The card is a true double play; it is the only recognized rookie card for a baseball icon and the entire 1957 Topps series is an absolute favorite among collectors.

Robinson played his entire 23-year career (1955–77) with the Baltimore Orioles. He won 16 Gold Glove Awards during his career. He was also a solid hitter. In 1964, his best offensive season, he hit 28 home runs and led the league with 118 runs batted in. In 1983 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 1957 Topps baseball series is notable for many reasons. It is considered a particularly attractive series with players in a variety of poses and an overall crisp clean design. For the first time Topps used color photographs instead of retouched black and white photos. The 1957 series also introduced the standard 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" card size which was immediately accepted as a standard. In addition to Brooks Robinson the some series keys include #18 Don Drysdale’s rookie card, #95 Mickey Mantle, and the last card #407 Yankee Power Hitters.

Robinson's overall popularity makes this card challenging to find. As with other cards from the 1957 Topps cards there are a number of problems to watch out for. White flecks known as print snow, and a tendency of the white borders to tone, both create particularly vexing eye appeal issues for this card. Finding a well centered copy is difficult, and you also need to watch for misaligned tilts resulting in uneven borders. Lastly substandard color and gloss, and a tendency to be slightly out of focus are problems as well.


Text from card reverse:
Seldom has a sandlot ball player caused as much excitement as Brooks did in Little Rock Arkansas. He was a sensation and it wasn't long before Major League scouts were wearing grooves in front of his house, trying to sign him. The Orioles won and put Brooks on their York farm team. Look at the statistics if you want a real success story. He's a superb infielder and can fill in as catcher.



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