Best of 1974 Topps

[brewing]

List (highly encouraged to post pics) your top 5. The criteria of your selection is up to you (photo, great season, error, first card, favorite player, etc.).

We'll do each year starting from 1980 to 1952. I'll start a new year about once a week. I'll close voting a month or 2 after the first post of the thread and tally up the results.

With these basic rules...
1. You can only vote for a player's card twice during his entire run (Let's not make this a Mantle and Ryan love fest). Consider that when making your selections.

2. Provide a reason for each choice if you're the first person making that selection. You are encouraged, but it's not necessary to restate the point if someone already said it.

3. Pick only 5. We are going through 29 years, limiting to only Topps regular releases, tough decisions will be made. List honorable mentions if you desire, but they will not be counted in the final tally.

[brewing]

To me this is a bland set. Some nice photos could have been great if the shadows weren't so heavy. Some of my choices ended up in the honorable mention category because of the 2 card limit per player.


Start with the only HoF rookie card in the set. Nothing too awesome, but he is not sharing the card with other players. I like how he isn't looking at the camera.


Cool photo. Bat still in his hand, batting helmet in the air, checkout those stirups, and he is watching the ball.


Great photo of the Dominican Dandy's high leg kick.


A great horizontal of Fisk.


I have always loved this card. One of the best pitchers on the planet at the time in full action.

Honorable Mention:
Hank Aaron - The uniqueness of this card, plus it being the first Aaron card I ever laid my eyes on. The hammer has a couple of cards in his career I like better though.
Steve Blass, Jon Matlack, and Bobby Grich - great action photos.
Jesus Alou - error card. How did that mistake get past the proofers?
Steve Garvey - His MVP year, but the darkness kills it for me.

[ALR-bishop]

Some other 74 Topps issues

[Exhibitman]

'Nuf ced.

ETA: wrong sport, I know, but I have to give a shout out to Darnell Hillman and his mushroom cloud 'fro in the 1974-75 basketball set:

[JollyElm]

A while ago, I covered my love for the 1974 cards here:
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...light=1974%27s

And the Nolan Ryan happens to be one of the greatest cards of all time!!

[con40]

My contribution to what should have been...

[danx]

The Garvey is like a work of art - would love to have a 30" x 42" canvas of that on my wall. I am a lifelong Reds fan - grew up with the Big Red Machine - but always respected (and loved) the Dodger Teams of the 70s. Set has the perfect Reggie swing, the expression of Vida, and the pure nostalgic beauty of the Ryan (debated vs Ryan 1971 but went with this one) - the Ryan/Seaver #207 Strike-Out Leaders is a cool card, too...

[rats60]

Mike Schmidt
Catfish Hunter
Ralph Garr
Dick Green
Gary Mathews

[brewing]

I've been scanning a bunch of cards to post on ebay lately and I've been taking a look at the backs more.

I like the signature on the back of the 1974's. Is that the only year that was done?