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Sometimes I'm a numbers guy who's also a forgetful guy who's also a busy guy

 
I'm in a writing stage that often happens around this time of year where ideas don't come easily and time is short.
 
I am fortunate to have a lengthy backlog of posts and several post themes. But even with those aids, it takes time to find the right one, expand on an idea, track down the cards, scan/upload the cards, and write, write, write.
 
Sometimes, like yesterday, I am down to the final 40 minutes before work or some other obligation calls, when I strike upon the right thing. But NO TIME!
 
So, that's why there wasn't a post last night but there is one now.
 
Several years ago, it's been nine to be exact, I wrote a post featuring all the Topps cards in which the card number on the back matched with the year of the card. For example, card No. 52 in the 1952 Topps set is Don Mueller. I showed each of the cards all the way up to the most recent year, which at the time was 2014 Topps.
 
I resolved to update that post yearly. Then I forgot. The next time I revisited it was 2018, four years later. I apologized profusely. Then I went through the entire Topps litany and added the cards for 2015, 2016 and 2017.
 
You're officially caught up to date. Yeah, I've forgotten again.
 
But perhaps this is the best way. It seems when I do these kinds of update posts too close together people lose interest. So hopefully most of you have forgotten this was a thing and it's all brand new to you!

Here's the rundown:



1952 Topps - Don Mueller, #52



1953 Topps - Sherm Lollar, #53
 



1954 Topps - Vern Stephens, #54
 



1955 Topps - Rip Repulski, #55




1956 Topps - Dale Long, #56
 
 
 

1957 Topps - Jim Lemon, #57
 



1958 Topps - Art Schult, #58




1959 Topps - Irv Noren, #59




1960 Topps - Gus Triandos, #60




1961 Topps - Ron Piche, #61
 



1962 Topps - Steve Boros, #62
 




1963 Topps - Cincinnati Reds, #63




1964 Topps - Ted Abernathy, #64




1965 Topps - Tony Kubek, #65
 



1966 Topps - Al Weis, #66




1967 Topps - Ken Berry, #67
 



1968 Topps - Ron Willis, #68
 



1969 Topps - Steve Hamilton, #69




1970 Topps - AL Pitching Leaders, #70




1971 Topps - AL Strikeout Leaders, #71




1972 Topps - Bruce Kison, #72




1973 Topps - Ed Herrmann, #73




1974 Topps - Minnesota Twins, #74




1975 Topps - Ted Simmons, #75




1976 Topps - Willie Crawford, #76




1977 Topps - Dyar Miller, #77




1978 Topps - Pablo Torrealba, #78




1979 Topps - Ted Cox, #79




1980 Topps - Ron LeFlore, #80




1981 Topps - Dave Stapleton, #81




1982 Topps - Bob Welch, #82




1983 Topps - Ryne Sandberg, #83




1984 Topps - Lenny Faedo, #84




1985 Topps - Mike Marshall, #85





1986 Topps - Tom Waddell, #86




1987 Topps - Mark Salas, #87




1988 Topps - Earnie Riles, #88




1989 Topps - Dave LaPoint, #89




1990 Topps - Jack Clark, #90




1991 Topps - Greg Colbrunn, #91




1992 Topps - Lenny Harris, #92




1993 Topps - Pedro Astacio, #93



1994 Topps - Phil Hiatt, #94




1995 Topps - Mark Langston, #95




1996 Topps - Cal Ripken Jr., #96




1997 Topps - Greg Myers, #97




1998 - Kurt Abbott, #98




1999 Topps - Derek Bell, #99




2001 Topps - Cal Ripken Jr., #1




2002 Topps - Mike Stanton, #2




2003 Topps - Jimmy Rollins, #3




2004 Topps - Edgardo Alfonzo, #4
 
 
 
 

2005 Topps - Johnny Damon, #5





2006 Topps - Armando Benitez, #6




2007 Topps - Mickey Mantle, #7




2008 Topps - Stephen Drew, #8




2009 Topps - Dallas McPherson, #9





2010 Topps - Clayton Kershaw, #10




2011 Topps - NL Wins Leaders, #11




2012 Topps - Wilson Ramos, Nationals, #12
 
 
 

 2013 Topps - Brett Lawrie, #13




2014 Topps - Yoenis Cespedes, #14




2015 Topps - Joey Votto, #15




2016 Topps - Rougned Odor, #16




2017 Topps - Daniel Descalso, #17




2018 Topps - Rafael Devers, #18




2019 Topps - Jacob deGrom League Leaders, #19
 
 
 

2020 Topps - Aristides Aquino, #20



 
2021 Topps - Eric Sogard, #21


 
2022 Topps - Bryan De La Cruz, #22
 
 
 
Like the earlier posts, I skipped the 2000 Topps set because there's no card 0. But you reading veterans may have noticed the lack of card-back numbers next to the cards that I own. I did that just to chart my progress on sets, but Blogger isn't letting me place the cropped number next to the card.
 
But if anyone cares, since the last time I wrote this post, I've added the 1969, 1970, 1971 and 2004 cards.
 

And there are all the cards I have by card number -- that would have gone next to the card fronts. (Also, Topps needs to change up the font/look for the card number, the last four (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) have all been the same.

So there. I'm caught up now again. Until 2023 Topps comes out next month.

Comments

Jeremya1um said…
Thanks for taking the time to make the list. I would’ve never caught the same font with the numbers if you hadn’t mentioned it. I don’t know what 2023 backs will be like, but it feels like Fanatics kept the same employees that Topps had judging from the sell sheets and insert ideas, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they have the same font again in 2023.
New to me! Love it. And the 83 Ryno rookie wins the day
Old Cards said…
I confess. I forgot you do this, but I like really like it. Allow me to point out the obvious. Most of them are not stars because they are odd numbered cards. The Cal Ripken #1 makes sense, but the Cal Ripken #96 does not. I could be missing something.
Fuji said…
There are some attractive cards... as well as some serious star power in this post. But my favorite thing is seeing all of the numbering on the back. 1956 (no surprise) is by far the coolest, but I was surprised at how cool the 1988 and 1989 card numbering looks. It's a shame it took me this long to appreciate them.
Nick Vossbrink said…
Have to admit I was expecting card 100 in 2000…
Also a good thing that 2007 wasn't one of those years Topps skipped #7.
Anonymous said…
I have only a few "57s, and the Lemon is one of them.
Chris said…
Simmons looks like a giant on that '75 card. Also, I can relate to running out of time when writing a post. I'm often too tired after a work day to finish one, so I get up early the next morning to write and before I know it... time's up! Gotta go to work. Grr... so frustrating. :/
Jafronius said…
New to me also! Fun post!
Paul Theisen said…
Reminds of the Bob Seger sound "feel like a number"

Though we aren't talking Topps FB cards here, I remember the 1974 Topps FB set had a NY Jet named Delles Howell (who was a meaningless DB) as Number 100. Apparently, it must have been reserved for Boradway Joe but somehow he didn't agree with Topps on his license and never appeared in a Topps set until after he retired.

Benjamin said…
I have an idea, but you'll hate it.

Best of 1997.

Give you a chance to wax on about the Topps red/green set, the second to last Score set ever, the classy Donruss set, the Fleer and Ultra sets with the giant names at the bottom (the former was see-through, which is kinda cool), and whatever Upper Deck was doing with that copper bar at the bottom.

I don't even know what the right answer is for the best set, to be honest. It's not Topps or Collectors Choice for sure.