1952 Topps #384, Frank Crosetti ⭐
1952 Topps Baseball is my favorite set as a collector. This set set the baseball card collecting world on its head and was the most important card collecting innovation, IMO.
I've learned so much collecting this set, like this set is really like 2 sets.
The first is the low numbers from #1-310 and the second set "Hi-Numbers" from #311-407. The low numbers are very affordable IMO, while the "Hi-Numbers" not so much.
Additionally, I learned about Frank Crosetti.
I'm not a Yankees fan, per se, but I admire the organization and long history of great players.
Frank Crosetti was the quintessential Yankee - a steady shortstop and tireless third-base coach whose 37 years in pinstripes tied together every dynasty from Ruth to Mantle.
While most casual fans would say Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, or Jeter are the greatest Yankees, Crosetti is often seen as the true “Mr. Yankee” — the ever-present thread through the golden age of the franchise.
As a player he was a slick-fielding shortstop, a capable leadoff hitter, and an unselfish team man. As a coach, he was famously strict and disciplined, keeping Yankee players sharp.
He was part of an amazing 23 World Series teams, winning 17 championships. No one else in baseball history has been on the field, dugout, or bench for as many Yankees title runs.
Crosetti spent 37 straight years in a Yankee uniform, first as a shortstop (1932–1948) and then as a third-base coach (1946–1968). Few figures in baseball have ever been tied to one franchise for that long.