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He doesn't recall any other kids having sets when he was growing up. Though the show was short-lived (it ended with host Mark Scott’s tragic death in July 1960), it was nonetheless chock-full of memorable performances. Among the 19 players to take part were future Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Gil Hodges, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, and Duke Snider. The sluggers to make the most appearances were Aaron , Mantle , Mays , Jackie Jensen , and Killebrew .
Struss added that these were printed on thinner stock than traditional cards. Brian Karl, who owns the No. 3 Current Finest 1959 Home Run Derby set on the PSA Set Registry, agreed. "They just don't come up very often," said Brian Dwyer, president of Robert Edward Auctions. "As far as sets from the 1950s are concerned, I would say we see this set with much less frequency. I believe we have only ever sold two or three complete sets." The highest-graded collection on the PSA Set Registry boasts a GPA of 6.05.
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Scott noted that Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was chosen to host the event because its fence distances were symmetrical, favoring neither right-handed nor left-handed hitters. Despite Scott's assertions, the left field wall was actually a few feet higher than the right field wall, which slightly penalized right-handed line-drive hitters such as Gus Triandos. The Los Angeles Dodgers played at the Memorial Coliseum during 1958–1961, a site that would have given an unfair advantage to right-handed batters. Each inning consisted of three outs, and any ball not hit for a home run, including called strikes, would be recorded as an out. If the two batters tied, extra innings would be played until the tie was broken.
"If you were going to hang on to a card, it would probably be your favorite ballplayer and not the host of the show." Another tough card to obtain in top grade is the single devoted to host Mark Scott. Of the 19 submitted, the five PSA EX 5s represent the highest-graded examples.
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Some players wore golf gloves during the show—a notable addition because the batting glove was still years away from being a normal part of a player's gear. The 1980s also ushered in a new era for the sports collectibles and memorabilia market, and few were a bigger draw than Mickey himself. He was unquestionable the biggest draw in the industry up until his death and he frequently insisted that lesser-known former teammates accompany him so that they too could capitalize on the recent boom. Mantle's hard living eventually caught up to him as he underwent treatment for alcoholism an eventually required a liver transplant.
Any pitch hit in that direction had to clear the wall or hit the top of the trees that stuck out over the wall to count as a home run. The winner's award of $2,000 doesn't sound like much now but if one adjusts for inflation that amount would be equivalent to almost $16,000 in 2013 dollars. Hank Aaron, due to his success over several contests, earned the equivalent of a bit over $100,000, which isn't too bad for a day's work. 1959 Home Run Derby cards of Jim Lemon, Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison.
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"That's when I sent a set to the fellow that put out the Ball Card Collector and had him create a checklist for the set in his magazine." Hobbyist Bill Zimpleman recalls being presented with these cards for the first time when he accompanied his father to purchase a family car at an AMC dealership in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1960. It's hard to pinpoint all of the different ways these cards were distributed, but a large portion of them were handed out at American Motors Corporation car dealerships. We know this because cards have been uncovered with dealership names and addresses stamped on their backs. There has been some debate as to whether the cards should be identified as 1959 or 1960. While the photos were reportedly snapped in 1959, Struss noted that the cards were not distributed until 1960.
This card features the legendary, five-tool slugger in a batting pose staring intensely at the camera. AÂ PSA 6 sold for $4,500 in a Robert Edward Auctions sale in May 2018. The switch-hitting great batted right during the Home Run Derby and is pictured in the follow-through of his right-handed swing. Of the 37 evaluated, there has been one PSA NM-MT 8 and two PSA NM 7s.
Each single showcases a black-and-white photo of one of the sluggers that participated in the Home Run Derby television show that ran from January 9 to July 2, 1960. The short-lived TV show was the brainchild of renowned writer/director Lou Breslow, amongst others. An inset circle within this photo encouraged people to watch Home Run Derby. The player's name and team were highlighted in black print in the white border at the bottom. The Home Run Derby TV show ran for 26 episodes, with each show pitting two big league sluggers against each other in a nine-inning contest.
Nineteen players, including nine future members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, participated in the series — "almost all the power hitters of the era." Other than the regular cards and reprints, however, there is not a lot memorabilia that exists revolving around the program. Perhaps the most common item of the era to supplement one’s “Derby Display” shows up in the April 9, 1960 issue of TV Guide — a program ad picturing Mantle and Mays.
One of the most elusive cards of Hall of Famers in high grade is the Snider single. "In my opinion, they were issued in pretty similar numbers," said Struss. "The only reason I say that is because if kids had their choice of cards, every one of them would've chosen Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron. And you see these cards, including the card of Mark Scott, in pretty even numbers." "I don't think that there are a lot of people working on this set because there just aren't enough cards to go around," said Rice. "I didn't really trade any of the sets until 1971 when Crawford Foxwell, from Cambridge, Maryland, had a get-together at his house," remembered Zimpleman, adding that about 30 collectors were present. "I took the sets there and I started trading them for a Goudey Babe Ruth and stuff like that. It was like a bonanza, but I kept one set for myself."
There were also umpires along both foul lines to help judge fly balls that were close calls. Here are some recent auction prices realized, rounded to the nearest dollar, for some 1959 Home Run Derby cards . The legacy of this “colorful” show, and its card set, will continue resonating for decades, a perennial vote of sorts on one’s All-Star ballot. While some frown about those and other Home Run Derby elements, it appears many more celebrate them.
Yet, all that info aside, after so many decades it likely will continue to be known as a 1959 offering. Several all-star batters will take similar swings on Monday during the fan-favorite Home Run Derby, an All-Star Game staple since 1985.
Though his career was riddled with injuries that kept The Mick out of the lineup far too often, Mantle finished his playing career with a .298 batting average, 2,415 hits including 536 home runs and drove in 1,509 RBI. Filmed in December 1959, “Home Run Derby” was a groundbreaking weekly television series that pitted baseball’s top sluggers against one another in head-to-head battles for long ball supremacy. The show took place at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles (home of the Pacific Coast League’s Angels), chosen because of its near-symmetrical dimensions. Unlike modern derbies, hitters were allowed three outs per inning ; the player with the most homers after nine frames was declared champion. Winners received $2,000, with an additional $500 going to anyone who hit three consecutive big flies (another $500 was awarded for a fourth straight home run; anything beyond that was worth $1,000).
Normally listed as a 1959 set, it really should be labeled a 1960 collection. The copyright year on the episodes reads 1960, and the cards debuted during that season. The American Motors Corporation sponsored the show and distributed a 20-card Home Run Derby trading card set featuring all of the program’s hitters. The issue presumably found its way to collectors through prospective vehicle buyers (and their families, with kids likely along for the “car-buying ride”) at AMC dealerships. The inaugural MLB Home Run Derby was held in 1959 in a minor league ballpark in Los Angeles.
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