Topps adds Yu Darvish, Richard Petty and others to 2012 Allen & Ginter autograph lineup
03.28
This year’s edition of Allen & Ginter is still a few months away but that hasn’t stopped Topps from adding even more to its lineup.
And it’s the lineup that matters most to most collectors, the autograph lineup.
The company announced on Wednesday that it will be adding two MLB newcomers and two other sports legends to the popular retro-styled card line. Added to the lineup are new Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish, new Oakland A’s outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, NASCAR legend Richard Petty and former Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner.
The additions come in addition to what had been previously announced — no exclusions were mentioned — a lineup that, on the baseball side alone is topped by Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Cal Ripken Jr., Stan Musial, Ken Griffey Jr. and Albert Pujols. That’s a lineup perhaps not seen before in the six-year history of the product.
On the non-baseball side, the autographs already included Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model Kate Upton, tennis star Roger Federer, Olympian Michael Phelps, basketball coach Bobby Knight and golfing great Arnold Palmer.
Also added to the list are tennis icon John McEnroe, noted golf instructor Hank Haney and even a video game champion, Fatal1ty (aka Johnathan Wendel).
Others of note on the non-baseball inclusions are: Michael Buffer, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Al Unser Sr., Bela Karolyi, Annie Duke, Don Denkinger, Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, Colin Montgomerie, Erin Andrews, Greg Gumbel, Keegan Bradley and Ara Parseghian.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
