Roberto Clemente – 1955 Topps
The Pittsburgh Pirates had Roberto Clemente, the great Rightfielder who spent his whole career with them. He won a Golden Glove award 12 times and was elected to the All-Star team 15 times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame after winning two World Series championships and making 15 All-Star appearances. After hitting the 3,000th hit on his way to Nicaragua to assist with earthquake relief, “The Great One,” as he was known, died in a plane accident en route to Nicaragua.
“He played a sort of baseball that no one had seen before,” stated Mr. Angell of Clemente. The tragic death of Clemente prompted a surge in demand for his memorabilia, including this 1955 Topps rookie card. In 2016, a grade 9 card sold for $478,800.