1957 Topps Frank Robinson

This 1957 Topps Frank Robinson rookie card is the first baseball card of the Hall of Fame outfielder. A fairly expensive vintage Topps rookie card, this one is only a buy target of the most serious collectors. The fourteen time All Star won two world series with the Baltimore Orioles after being traded from the Cincinnati Reds in 1966. Robinson was named the 1956 National League Rookie of the Year after blasting 38 home runs in his rookie season. He remains the only player to win the Most Valuable Player award in both leagues (1961 with the Reds, 1966 with the Orioles).

You may see that this card actually says that Robinson is a member of the "Cincinnati Redlegs". The reason for this is that the "Reds" decided to change their name for a few years to avoid any bad publicity resulting in a potential association with Communism during the Second Red Scare. So this card is not only the rookie card of a great player, but also an interesting (or embarrassing) footnote in baseball history.