Although its ’63 Topps counterpart is much extra widespread, the 1963 Fleer baseball card set remains to be wanted by classic collectors.
It additionally represents a key milestone in pastime historical past…
After years of attempting to interrupt Topps’ stranglehold on the baseball card market, Fleer devised a inventive approach to launch this set.
As a substitute of providing bubble gum together with the playing cards as Topps did, Fleer provided a cookie.
Topps wasn’t shopping for it and wasted no time taking them to court docket.
And sadly for Fleer, the judicial system sided with Topps.
So earlier than Fleer might print a second sequence of playing cards, they shut down operations.
Therefore, the guidelines accommodates solely 67 playing cards.
Fleer would come roaring again with a lawsuit of its personal in 1980 that paved the best way for its return to the market in 1981.
However till then, this 67-card guidelines marked the final Fleer baseball card product within the pastime.
And on this information, we’ll check out the 15 most beneficial.
Let’s soar proper in!
1963 Fleer #5 Willie Mays
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $1,000
It have to be a sophisticated burden to be the very best baseball participant alive.
Nobody might contact Willie Mays in 1963.
The immortal San Francisco Giants heart fielder operated on a unique aircraft, sitting in the course of an unparalleled stretch of ten consecutive top-six MVP finishes.
The 1954 NL MVP and former Rookie-of-the-12 months received the bag for his brilliance, receiving a increase to $105,000 earlier than the yr to develop into the highest-paid participant within the recreation.
His ’63 numbers backed up the paycheck.
Mays completed fifth within the MVP race, slashing .314/.380/.582 for the third-place Giants with 38 dwelling runs, 115 runs, and 103 RBIs in 157 video games.
He additionally remained leagues forward as a defensive heart fielder together with his seventh consecutive Gold Glove award.
On the non-public aspect of issues, Mays struggled mightily with the burden of touring and loneliness, struggling by way of stress-related breakdowns, shaking suits, and sleepless nights each at dwelling and on the street.
1963 Fleer Guidelines
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $650
1963 Fleer #42 Sandy Koufax
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $500
Sandy Koufax’s well being nearly derailed MLB’s most dominant four-year pitching stretch.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lefty noticed his profession flash earlier than his eyes in 1962 when he jammed his hand on the plate.
The index finger on his throwing hand was by no means the identical, and but he nonetheless powered by way of.
Come early 1963, Koufax missed three begins with soreness in his left shoulder.
Many puzzled if this might develop into the norm.
The accidents would proceed, however it would not matter for fairly a while.
Koufax pushed by way of every little thing in ’63 to place collectively a historic gem.
The 27-year-old received the NL pitching Triple Crown, main the league in wins (25), ERA (1.88), and strikeouts (306).
He posted full video games in half of his 40 begins and led all MLB pitchers with 11 shutouts.
The NL Cy Younger wasn’t merely nice.
He was MVP nice.
Koufax received each regular-season and World Collection MVP honors, capping off his fascinating season with two complete-game victories in Los Angeles’ Fall Traditional sweep of the Yankees.
1963 Fleer #56 Roberto Clemente
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $500
Aside from profitable the 1960 World Collection, Roberto Clemente’s first fifteen years of profession had been spent with a franchise spinning its wheels.
After ending 93-68 in a stacked Nationwide League area in 1962, the Pirates retreated to the baseball wilderness in 1963, profitable simply 74 video games to complete eighth within the ten-team Senior Circuit.
Clemente was the exception to the rule for a light-hitting Pittsburgh squad that posted the third-fewest runs within the Majors.
The 28-year-old proper fielder was the one Pirates hitter with an OPS over .771.
He led the workforce in each main offensive class, together with batting common (.320), on-base proportion (.356), slugging proportion (.470), hits (192), runs (77), and residential runs (17).
There was no pop, consistency, or probability for the Pirates in 1963.
Clemente would get his return shot on the October highlight within the Nineteen Seventies, however the remainder of the Sixties had been a slog to get by way of.
1963 Fleer #8 Carl Yastrzemski
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $200
Carl Yastrzemski was strong in his 1961 rookie season.
He was superb in his 1962 sophomore effort.
And he was downright wonderful in his 1963 follow-up.
The 23-year-old Boston Pink Sox left fielder made the leap in ’63, incomes his first All-Star nomination and Gold Glove.
As full a participant as the sport has ever seen, Yastrezemski received his first of three AL batting crowns with a .321 common.
That wasn’t all.
The left-handed swinging wunderkind additionally paced the Junior Circuit in on-base proportion (an MLB-best .418), hits (183), doubles (40), and walks (95).
Yastrezemki’s rise to fame was all arduous work.
It additionally helped to have a mentor like Ted Williams, who took Yaz beneath his wing and confirmed the child the finer factors of the artwork of hitting.
“I feel what dawned on me was that there is usually a nice swing that’s not a house run swing on the identical time,” Yastrezemski stated of Williams’ tutelage.
1963 Fleer #43 Maury Wills Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $175
It is easy to color Maury Wills’ 1963 season as a disappointment.
In spite of everything, the Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop was coming off a jaw-dropping NL MVP season that included a modern-era file 104 stolen bases.
Wills as soon as once more led the Majors in stolen bases, however this time with simply 40 swipes.
As well as, he was nabbed 19 occasions in comparison with 13 the yr earlier than.
The factor is that, regardless of his sharp drop in stolen bases, Wills was a a lot better hitter.
After swinging at a replacement-level clip in ’62, the 30-year-old improved his OPS+ to a brand new personal-best 112.
He cracked the .300 mark for the primary time (.302) and picked up 159 hits whereas lacking almost a month of video games because of harm.
Wills struggled within the Dodgers’ four-game Collection sweep of the rival Yankees, going simply 2-for-15 with one stolen base.
Regardless, the now five-time All-Star put collectively a a lot better MVP follow-up than his stolen bases would have you ever suppose.
1963 Fleer #61 Bob Gibson
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $175
St. Louis Cardinals righty Bob Gibson took a step ahead in 1962 together with his first two All-Star nominations.
In 1963, he took a step again on a bum ankle.
In September ’62, Gibson’s breakout marketing campaign was reduce quick after he broke his ankle throughout batting observe.
The hope was that the younger fireballer would rehab the harm and return higher than ever for a ’63 follow-up.
As a substitute, Gibson was reportedly lax throughout his restoration course of and got here into Spring Coaching properly behind the eight ball.
After a robust opening begin, the 27-year-old right-hander gave up 12 earned runs over 6.2 innings in his subsequent two outings.
He adopted that up with a irritating Might, ending 3-3 with a 4.81 ERA.
By June, every little thing got here again collectively.
Gibson helped lead 93-win St. Louis to a second-place end within the NL, casting apart his sluggish begin to finish the yr 18-9 with a 3.39 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 254.2 innings.
1963 Fleer #4 Brooks Robinson
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $160
Brooks Robinson’s 1963 droop might have shut the door on his supervisor’s tenure with the workforce.
After a depressing 1962 marketing campaign, Baltimore Orioles supervisor Billy Hitchcock was on the recent seat.
The O’s had the expertise to contend however seemingly lacked the course to take the subsequent step.
All of it got here to a head in ’63.
Regardless of a lineup that included Robinson, new acquisition Luis Aparicio, and Boog Powell, Baltimore was basically a league-average workforce.
Out of these three, solely Powell had an excellent season.
Aparicio scuffled all yr lengthy, and Robinson wasn’t a lot better.
The 26-year-old third baseman dropped almost 50 factors in batting common to .253 and hit simply 11 dwelling runs in comparison with 23 the season earlier than.
Baltimore was leaning on Robinson to achieve the highest of the AL.
As a substitute, they completed fourth, and Hitchcock was dismissed at season’s finish.
It could be foolish accountable Robinson for Hitchcock’s firing, however his dangerous yr absolutely did not assist.
1963 Fleer #46 Joe Adcock
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $150
Joe Adcock was a power-hitting pressure throughout his ten seasons with the Milwaukee Braves, a powerful decade-long run that included two NL pennants and a 1957 world championship.
In 1962, the journey got here to an finish.
Adcock was dangled in commerce talks for many of the ’62 season as a recurrent proper knee harm restricted his taking part in time.
As soon as Milwaukee’s new possession workforce got here on in mid-November, Adcock’s time with the workforce was over.
By the tip of the month, he was shipped off to the Cleveland Indians.
The 35-year-old was instantly reunited with supervisor Birdie Tebbetts, who left the Braves after the ’62 season to signal a three-year take care of Cleveland.
It did not go too properly.
Adcock labored by way of harm in his one-and-only yr with the Indians, hitting simply .251 in a platoon position with a .740 OPS and 13 dwelling runs in 97 video games.
He was dealt to the Angels shortly after the marketing campaign.
1963 Fleer #41 Don Drysdale
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $145
Dodger Stadium has hosted ten Fall Classics since its opening in 1962.
The primary World Collection recreation performed on the hallowed grounds got here on October fifth, 1963.
Fittingly, Corridor-of-Famer and reigning Cy Younger winner Don Drysdale took the ball for the stadium’s maiden Collection voyage.
It was one heck of a rope-cutting.
With the Dodgers up 2-0 over the hated New York Yankees, supervisor Walter Alston turned to a well-rested Drysdale to place the Collection in a stranglehold.
Buoyed by a number of additional days off, the longer term Corridor-of-Famer surrendered simply three hits, strolling one in a 1-0 complete-game win.
Drysdale’s masterpiece broke the Yankees’ again en path to a four-game sweep.
“The additional relaxation helped me,” Drysdale stated. “I felt robust.”
It was the proper finish to the workhorse’s All-Star yr.
Drysdale pitched over 300 innings for the second of 4 consecutive seasons, posting a 19-17 file with a 2.63 ERA.
1963 Fleer #1 Steve Barber
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $125
Steve Barber burst onto the scene for the Baltimore Orioles in 1960, using a blazing, darting fastball (reportedly the quickest within the recreation) to earn MVP consideration out of the gates.
Barber’s primary was his calling card.
It was additionally an unpredictable mess that always missed the zone by a foot or extra.
After robust but wild showings in 1961 and 1962, Barber dialed in in 1963 to develop into Baltimore’s first 20-win pitcher of the twentieth Century.
The left-handed powerhouse pitched to a 2.75 ERA on the yr, which was much more spectacular contemplating he confronted probably the most batters within the American League (1096).
Barber’s huge yr coincided with a (non permanent) enhance of management.
Three years after main the Majors with an MLB-worst 113 walks in 181.2 innings, the 25-year-old reduce his free passes to 92 in 258.2 frames.
That added as much as 3.2 walks per 9, over a stroll higher than his 4.3 profession mark.
1963 Fleer #45 Warren Spahn
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $110
Warren Spahn was the prototype for each artful lefty to observe.
The Milwaukee Braves ace pitched properly into his forties because of an method predicated on working good, not quick.
“You have to be a pupil of pitching,” Spahn stated. “I by no means tried to place an excessive amount of pressure on my left arm.”
It is wild that Spahn might say that, contemplating what number of innings he ate up yr after yr.
He has a straightforward declare for probably the most sturdy beginning pitcher of the trendy period, tallying no fewer than 245.2 innings in each marketing campaign from 1947 to 1963.
The final of these seasons was one thing to marvel over.
Spahn earned his seventeenth All-Star look in ’63, ending 23-7 with a 2.60 ERA over 259.2 innings.
The 42-year-old improbably led the NL in full video games for the seventh consecutive yr (22), together with a marathon 16-inning loss to fellow Cooperstown inductee Juan Marichal.
1963 Fleer #64 Orlando Cepeda
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $110
Orlando Cepeda was a goal of San Francisco Giants supervisor Alvin Darkish’s racist tirades many occasions throughout Darkish’s four-year stint with the workforce.
Cepeda was one among a number of Latin gamers on the workforce who frolicked collectively, and Darkish noticed their collective friendship as a detriment to the workforce.
He made it clear many occasions that he hated their music, tradition, and the truth that all of them spoke Spanish within the clubhouse.
In 1963, Darkish singled out Cepeda and tried to make an instance of him, calling him out for a perceived lack of hustle.
The longer term Corridor-of-Famer was really pushing by way of a knee drawback, however Darkish insisted he was faking an harm.
It was a horrid state of affairs for Cepeda.
Remarkably, he nonetheless produced.
The 25-year-old first baseman made his ninth All-Star squad in ’63 regardless of Darkish’s pointed criticisms, hitting .316 with a .929 OPS, 34 homers and 97 RBIs in 156 video games.
1963 Fleer #32 Ron Santo
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $105
The woeful Chicago Cubs managed exactly one profitable season from 1947-1966.
The 1963 Cubs had been a quick beacon of hope for Main League Baseball’s loveable laughing inventory.
Beneath new supervisor Bob Kennedy, Chicago rode a robust first half to narrowly end within the black at 82-80.
It was solely good for seventh place, but it was nearly as good as a championship for the win-starved Wrigley trustworthy.
The Cubs’ temporary flirtation with competency coincided with the rise of younger third baseman Ron Santo.
After a promising first two seasons, Santo slumped closely all through the 1962 marketing campaign.
He shook all of it off with a incredible 1963.
A primary-time All-Star, Santo slashed .297/.339/.481 with 25 dwelling runs and 99 RBIs.
The 23-year-old performed all 162 video games for the second straight yr, and his stellar protection on the sizzling nook was essential to retaining the Cubs on the plus aspect of the ledger.
1963 Fleer #59 Invoice Mazeroski
Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Worth: $95
Three years after his legendary Collection-winning walk-off dwelling run, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Invoice Mazeroski discovered himself because the chief of a really completely different ballclub.
Following the commerce of double-play associate Dick Groat to the St. Louis Cardinals within the winter of 1962, Mazeroski was named Groat’s successor as workforce captain.
The 1963 Pirates nonetheless had some core items in place from the 1960 championship workforce, together with the good Roberto Clemente.
Nevertheless, the magic simply wasn’t there anymore.
Pittsburgh by no means sniffed rivalry in a dog-eat-dog Nationwide League, ending eighth at 74-88.
Many Pirates gamers, together with Mazeroski, had down years.
After one among his stronger offensive seasons in ’62, the 26-year-old regressed, hitting .245 with an OPS over 100 factors worse than the earlier yr (.622).
Mazeroski remained an influence Gold Glove defender and picked up an eighth All-Star nomination.
His bat went backward, although, as did the Pirates.
1963 Fleer Baseball Playing cards In Assessment
Probably the most fascinating half about this set is the authorized story behind it.
The cardboard design is moderately bland.
However not less than it contained full-color pictures and the one Maury Wills rookie card within the pastime since Topps left him out of their ’63 lineup.
Nonetheless, the authorized battle from Topps to fend off yet one more competitor created many fascinating questions.
For starters, would we’ve seen a Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Lou Brock, Roger Maris and extra big-name superstars of the period?
Would there have been a second Pete Rose rookie card to gather?
And what may a few of the Fleer designs that might have adopted appeared like?
These are all enjoyable issues to consider.
Nonetheless, what stays is a strong, but tiny, guidelines stuffed with big-name gamers that’s comparatively simple to finish.
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