I think people forget this, but for the longest time a Rookie card designation was only considered if the card in question was issued in a traditional gum or wax wrapper type "pack", and had a widely accepted distribution model.
Also, oddball sized stuff was not considered (ie, Exhibits, Goudey Premiums, etc.).
Nobody even guessed what the Rookie cards of tobacco era guys were.
Even in the 80's when all those traded sets came out. Darryl Strawberry's Rookie card was 1984, Roger Clemens, Kirby Puckett and Dwight Goodens Rookie cards were in 1985.
The Raines and Ripken traded set cards, may as well have been 2nd year cards of those players.
The earlier "Traded" cards were considered pretty neat, but mostly a novelty if you couldn't pull it from a pack at a convenience store.
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