The thought behind this series is very simple: “What is the oldest cards for each team in my collection?”
I’m breaking these down by the current Major League Baseball divisions. I’m also including first cards of relocations and rebrandings.
And now, let’s get on with the National League Central!
Pittsburgh Pirates – 1953 Red Man Tobacco Ralph Kiner
This card is a two-fer in my book… I own it because I loved Ralph as a Mets broadcaster and I own it because I love Red Man Tobacco cards. Thanks to the kid who included the hand-written update of this card, this could also be considered my oldest Cubs card.
Chicago Cubs – 1954 Bowman Johnny Klippstein
This card was a COMC purchase that came about simply because I had been looking for cheap 1950s Bowman. In 1960 Klippstein lead the American League with 14 saves, but that was well before “Saves” were recognized as an official statistic.
Cincinnati Reds – 1954 Topps Roy McMillan
Prepare yourself for a shocker – this card in my collection has a Mets connection… McMillan was a Mets coach when I was a kid. He also played for them in 1965 and 1966.
St. Louis Cardinals – 1955 Bowman Royce Lint
This is a pretty recent acquisition, and I bought it simply because I was amused by the name Royce Lint.
Seattle Pilots – 1969 Topps Tommy Harper
The Pilots entered the American League in 1969 (along with the Royals, Expos and Padres) but due to shaky finances and other factors they only lasted one season before moving to Milwaukee. I own all of the Pilots cards from 1969 Topps and I picked Tommy Harper from the four Pilots in the 1st series.
Milwaukee Brewers – 1971 Topps Ken Sanders
The Pilots moved to Milwaukee at the end of 1970 spring training, so Topps was not able to change the team name in the early series and I presume did not want to cause confusion in the later series. The team showed up as the Pilots all throughout 1970 Topps even while they were playing as the Brewers.
The Brewers first showed up in 1971 Topps and I own all five of the 1st Series Brewers so I picked Ken Sanders solely because I’d already had a scan of the card on my laptop.
The Shlabotnik Report 
I have a complete set of 1971 Topps and I had never noticed that the 1970 Brewers uniforms (pictured on the ’71 cards) look almost EXACTLY like the Seattle Pilots uniforms of the year before. The 1969 Pilots never had a chance to succeed and stay in Seattle — ownership was weak, the stadium and facilities were not even second-class facilities, and the investment in the team by locals and by MLB was, to say the least, laughable. I can highly recommend the book ‘Inside Pitch’ by Rick Allen which explores all of the above-mentioned aspects of the teams’ demise and how they went bankrupt in just one, miserable season. It’s sad but almost comical the number of ways the Pilots failed.
I’ve heard somewhere that Bud Selig would’ve preferred navy & red uniforms but due to the last-minute nature of the relocation they were pretty much stuck with the uniforms they had.
That book looks really interesting, I’ll definitely check it out!
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee , Wisconsin, and they compete in Major League Baseball (MLB). The team was established in 1969 as an expansion franchise. The Brewers have had a storied history, with notable players and several postseason appearances, including a World Series appearance in 1982.
The Chicago Cubs are one of the oldest and most iconic franchises in Major League Baseball , dating back to 1876. They are based in Chicago, Illinois, and play their home games at Wrigley Field, known for its historic charm and the ivy-covered outfield walls.
Those are some strange bot comments up above me.
Indeed! :-D