When Fleer entered the baseball card market in 1960, they went all-in on nostalgia. The company’s “Baseball Greats” set featured 79 cards showcasing the biggest legends from baseball’s golden era, and collectors are still chasing these colorful pieces of cardboard today.
The 1960 Fleer baseball cards release was the company’s first legit baseball card set. Each card featured a tinted photo with colored borders and career stats on the back.
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Five Must-Have 1960 Fleer Baseball Cards
The set is loaded with Hall of Famers, but the following five cards stand out to me the most. All images and value numbers are courtesy of Sports Cards Pro, unless otherwise noted:
Nap Lajoie #1: The legendary second baseman leads off the set, and this card has recently fetched between $70 and $160 in PSA 8 condition.
Tris Speaker #10: “The Gray Eagle” checks in at an average of $108 for PSA 9 examples.
Lou Gehrig #28: The Iron Horse remains one of the set’s most valuable cards. An average PSA 9 example sale can push the $500 mark.
Johnny Mize #38: “The Big Cat” can be found for $20-$80 in PSA 8 condition, making it an affordable Hall of Famer pickup.
Hack Wilson #48: PSA 8 examples of Wilson’s card typically sell for $20-$100, but his legendary 1930 season makes this a compelling card to grab.
Johnny Mize: The Big Cat Who Could Really Hit
Over 15 seasons split between the Cardinals, Giants, and Yankees, Mize finished his Hall of Fame career with 359 home runs, 1,337 RBI, 1,118 runs scored, and a .959 OPS. He was also named an All-Star on 10 different occasions, won a batting title in 1939, and took part in five World Series-winning teams.
Mize led the National League in home runs four times, which included slugging a career-high 51 in 1947 for the Giants. You know what else is impressive about that particular season? Sure, he also led the league with 138 RBI, but Mize literally finished with more home runs than strikeouts (42). Can you imagine that happening in today’s game? Yeah, me neither.
He became the first player to hit three home runs in a single game six times. Mize finished his career by landing with the Yankees in 1949 and staying with the club until 1953. That was one of the best places to be at that time in baseball history, as all five of his World Series rings came during his tenure in the Bronx.
Hack Wilson: Baseball’s Forgotten Power Legend
Although he was just 5-foot-6, Hack Wilson put together some amazing power seasons during his 12-year MLB career. And if we’re looking at his Baseball-Reference page, what he did in 1930 jumps off the page as one of the most incredible offensive displays that’s been seen in baseball history.
Across 155 games for the Cubs, Wilson slashed .356/.454/.723 with 56 home runs, 35 doubles, 191 (!!) RBI, and 146 runs scored. He led the league in both dingers and RBI, and the outfielder unsurprisingly won MVP honors for his efforts. Those 56 taters were a National League record before Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both passed him in 1998. However, the 191 RBI he compiled is still a record that has never been seriously challenged. Nobody has come within 25 RBI of Wilson’s record since Jimmie Foxx compiled 175 RBI in 1938.
The Hall of Famer led the National League in home runs four times and drove in over 100 runs in six different seasons, finishing with 244 total homers and 1,063 RBI.
The 1960 Fleer Baseball Greats: Hobby Legacy
Fleer’s 1960 “Baseball Greats” set holds a special place in hobby history as one of the first true “retro” sets. Licensing restrictions kept the company away from current players (except Ted Williams), so Fleer focused entirely on retired legends.
The 79-card checklist reads like a who’s-who of early baseball legends, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and plenty of other Hall of Famers.
Card #80 adds an interesting wrinkle, too. Originally planned to feature Pepper Martin, it was never officially released due to contract issues. A handful of error cards exist with different player photos but Martin’s stats on the back, creating one of the hobby’s rarest variations.
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