While many consider the golden age of baseball to have ended with the first game televised in color in 1951, few deny that the 1950s put out some of the game’s all-time greats. While many of the best 1950s baseball players played for the New York Yankees, a few other ball clubs put their mark on history in this transitional era of the sport.
When we look back at the 1950s today, though, who stands out? Which players built enduring legends in the era where Topps and Bowman fought to stand at the top of the card-collecting heap?
Keep reading as we walk through one of baseball’s historic eras.
1. Mickey Mantle
With a crushing swing on either side of the plate, Mickey Mantle remains baseball’s number one switch hitter. While Mantle’s early career proved unremarkable other than a 565-foot home run in 1953, he came into his own in the middle of the decade. 1956, his best year, saw him put up more than 130 runs and close to 200 hits.
Mantle’s excellence extended beyond the plate. He showed patience by walking often and maintained a solid pace around the bases despite knee injuries.
Mickey Mantle’s legendary status has given his baseball cards similar legendary value. In 2022, the finest known example of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle sold for more than $12 million.
2. Stan Musial
Stan Musial’s legend may have been clipped by playing for the somewhat average St. Louis Cardinals, but his career is one of Major League Baseball’s most storied. Playing in the major leagues from 1941 to 1963, Stan Musial appeared in 24 All-Star Games, putting him in a tie for second-most appearances overall.
Few players have careers that match both this length and consistency. That consistency came despite a distinct batting stance with a tilted head, narrow feet, and hands held low.
3. Willie Mays
With an unremarkable early career and a season missed due to the military draft of the Korean War, Willie Mays could have been a footnote in baseball history. Instead, he went on to become one of the sport’s all-time greats and the other 24-time All-Star Game participant alongside Stan Musial.
Mays started his pro ball career in the segregated Negro Southern League at 16 and was signed by the New York Giants the day he finished. Despite a slow start in the major leagues in which he went hitless for twelve at-bat appearances, he found his footing. He earned National League MVP twice in his career.
Mays performed as well in the outfield as at the plate. He holds the record for all-time putouts by an outfielder.
4. Duke Snider
Duke Snider earned the nickname “Duke” for his self-confident gait at just five years old. He retained that nickname through athletic excellence. Playing high school baseball, basketball, and football, he entered the minor leagues out of high school and hit the majors in 1947.
Though today people speak of Snider in the same breath as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, the 1950s were a tumultuous time in his career. His batting average slipped in 1951. While he rebounded, lingering injuries led to a second slip in 1958.
Nevertheless, Duke Snider’s performance from 1953 to 1957 stands out in Major League Baseball. Each of these seasons saw him hit more than 40 homers.
5. Eddie Mathews
Shoulder injuries in the late 1950s have left fans of the sport to wonder how high Eddie Mathews’s star could have climbed. During his heyday, many viewers thought he would be the next all-time home run record holder. Like Snider, he broke 40 home runs a year in back-to-back seasons.
Unlike many other 1950s greats, whose careers took a little while to take off, Mathews came out of the gate swinging for the fences. In his rookie year, he hit more than 25 homers.
Like many 50s baseball players, Eddie Mathews’s 1952 Topps rookie card commands a high card value. Even poor-quality examples often go for more than $600. Those signed or kept in good condition can go for more than a hundred times that.
6. Ted Williams
One of the oddest greats of 1950s ball, Ted Williams didn’t always complete his seasons during the era. A Korean War jet crash, a broken arm, retirement, and a collarbone injury all sidelined him at various times during the decade.
One of Ted Williams’s most remarkable traits as a hitter came in knowing what pitches not to hit. Williams drew more than 2,000 walks throughout his career.
7. Minnie Miñoso
Minnie Miñoso had a unique knack for getting bases by any means necessary. Whether by hitting, walking, reaching on error, or getting hit by pitches, Minnie Miñoso proved one of baseball’s most reliable players. He also led the league in triples and stolen bases three times.
Miñoso’s baseball career spanned five decades, though his appearances in the 1970s and 1980s were brief.
8. Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra didn’t lead the league in any particular category but made up for it with a consistency that made him a three-time MVP Award winner. In 1950, he struck out only 12 times in more than 650 appearances at bat. He often appeared in top-10 lists in hitting categories, even if he never hit the top spot.
More than that, Berra had one of the all-time greatest personalities in the sport. His enduring popularity comes in part from his tendency to say things that, while quotable, often made little to no sense.
Other Great 1950s Baseball Players
These players represent a small slice of 1950s baseball legends. The resurgence of sports card collecting has led many to take a second look at this great baseball era.
All-time greats like Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks also got their start during the 1950s. Almost every member of the era’s New York Yankees excelled at something. The era has many more legends than those listed here.
All-Time MVPs
These 1950s baseball players made their mark on history at the plate and elsewhere. While not all of their careers led to a corresponding increase in card valuation for every baseball card, most of them added value to their team that extended to the card auction block.
Wondering if the baseball cards from your childhood might command a high price? Looking to trade in a preserved heirloom?
At American Legends, we’ve spent more than 40 years building a reputation for honesty, integrity, and fairness. Contact us today to sell your cards.
