I am naturally drawn to the 1962 Topps set; it's in my blood, it may even be one of those strange genetic traits that get passed down from generation to generation. And I know what you're thinking....no, I did not go all Abraham Lincoln on this world, being born in a log cabin. I was born in a hospital with hospital-colored walls of which I saw every single one as I was run down the hallway for some inexplicable reason (I guess that would be one of those long stories).
This was the set of my father. He always talked nostalgically of the wood-bordered set from 1962. It was the first year that the Mets made appearance on the cardboard. It was the year that led off with two-time MVP Roger Maris. It was the year that, in a 8 year old's head, trading Yogi Berra straight up for Art Mahaffey was a great idea.
Of course, there have been other moments where the 1962 brand made its mark. It was the first pre-1970 card brand in my collection when I was 12 (Orlando Cepeda), it was a gift to the father who had moved on from the hobby after the baseball strike of '94 (Tom Tresh), it was the perusing the unmarked vintage stack at card shows until something was found that was awesome (see pictured).
Luis Aparicio is an interesting Hall of Famer. He was not ever a great hitter, but he was a great base stealer and great fielder for many years. The first time I remember reading about the Go-Go Sox of 1959 was on the back of a Nellie Fox TCMA card.
I rescued this card from the stack for a mere $2. It is a 1962 Topps card; there's a classic cap, and it is of Luis Aparicio, shortstop extraordinaire. The capper to all this is that I met him at the 2007 Fanfest before this, and was happy to have a card display next to the signed baseball. $2? Nothing, for a true card connection.
