At 24-years-old, with just 53 big league games under his belt, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez has already taken over Mickey Mantle’s spot.
Well, that is in relation to the baseball card industry, at least.
Since 1996, Mantle’s iconic No. 7 has been honored by Topps baseball cards, with the Hall of Famer appearing as the seventh card in the company’s season sets. But in 2017, the No. 7 will be brought out of retirement, and assigned to the Yankees’ next phenom.
“The executives at Topps came up with a way to honor one of baseball’s most beloved players,” Topps’ brand manager Kevin Eger told Peter Schwartz of CBS Sports. “Since then, card No. 7 had either been Mantle or no one, which meant a gap in the checklist.
“After more than 20 years, we wanted to offer the spot of card No. 7 to a young, emerging star. Gary Sanchez is part of a re-emergence for the Yankees, bringing that magic and mystique back to the team. Gary Sanchez seemed like the natural pick for card No. 7.”
In his debut with the Yankees last season, Sanchez exploded out of the gate, hitting .299 with 20 home runs and 42 RBI in 201 at-bats. He also managed to finish second in the American League Rookie of the Year race.
The last active player to appear in the No. 7 slot was Padres closer Trevor Hoffman in 1995. If that feels like a long time ago, it’s because it was.
But don’t believe Topps is undermining Mantle’s resume. In 18 seasons with the Yankees, “The Mick” won seven World Series championships and three MVP awards — not to mention he was a 16-time All Star who hit a lifetime .298 with 536 home runs.
“Topps cherishes Mickey Mantle and celebrates his career to this day,” Eger said. “Mantle was an amazing player that we will always celebrate.”
Although it won’t be considered a rookie card, the No. 7 Sanchez card will certainly become a hot collectors item for baseball memorabilia junkies. But not as hot as Mantle’s 1952 Topps rookie card, which remains as one of the industry’s most treasured artifacts.
If you want to connect with Tom Hanslin, email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @tomhanslin.
