1951 Topps Red Back #50, Monte Irvin ⭐ MLB Pioneer
Before Topps produced arguably the most iconic baseball card set in the hobby (1952 Topps Baseball Cards), they released their 1951 Baseball Card Set.
The 1951 Topps baseball card set was Topps' debut set, featuring black-and-white player portraits on a colored diamond background and distributed as two separate series, the Red Backs and Blue Backs. These are small playing-style cards, designed to be played as a card game using game actions printed on the fronts.
This card of Monte Irvin is a key card because he is a legendary Hall of Famer and MLB Pioneer having played in the Negro League for Newark Eagles.
Monte Irvin was the first Black player for the NY Giants. He debuted with the Giants on July 8, 1949, along with Hank Thompson, becoming the first two Black players to integrate the Giants.

1953 Topps #1, Jackie Robinson ⭐ MLB Pioneer
IMO, this is one of the most beautiful cards in the hobby.
Amazing imagery and artistry.
Jackie Robinson earned the coveted Card #1 slot in the 1953 Topps baseball set as Topps wanted a player with unmatched fame & moral stature to elevate the brand.
By that time, he had won the 1947 Rookie of the Year, the 1949 MVP, led the Dodgers to multiple pennants, and had become one of the most famous athletes in America.
This is the nicest looking 1953 Topps baseball card you will ever see in a PSA 1.5 holder.

1952 Topps #27, Sam Jethroe Black Back ⭐ MLB Pioneer
It's always nice to start the day with a great smile, like this one from Sam Jethroe.
If you don't know much about Sam, aside from his great smile, here's a Reader's Digest.
Sam Jethroe was an outfielder & MLB Pioneer who became the first Black player in Boston Braves history when he debuted in 1950, breaking the team’s color barrier. Known for his blazing speed, he led the N.L. in stolen bases his first two seasons & won Rookie of the Year honors in 1950 at age 32. Before reaching the majors, Jethroe was a star in the Negro Leagues for the Cleveland Buckeyes & helped the Buckeyes win the 1945 Negro World Series championship.

1955 Bowman #68, Elston Howard RC ⭐ MLB Pioneer
On November 6, 1963, Elston Howard became the first African-American player to win the American League MVP.
Elston Howard played in the Negro League for the Kansas City Monarchs.
Elston Howard broke the color barrier for the mighty NY Yankees becoming the first African-American to take the field for the Bombers in a game on April 14, 1955.

2001 Topps Archives Chrome Game-Used Bat, Jackie Robisnon ⭐ MLB Pioneer
This 2001 reprint of Jackie Robinson's iconic 1952 Topps card is one of my favorites, regardless of the year it was released.