Cards That Never Were #17

1951 Topps - Nelson Fox

After experimenting with baseball cards in the 1948 Magic set, Topps issued two sets of 52 baseball cards in 1951, which were used in a card game of baseball.

With only 104 cards between the two sets, not including the few update variations, there wasn't room for a lot of players. One of the overlooked players was Nelson Fox, better known to today's generation as Nellie Fox.

Nelson was traded to the Chicago White Sox from the Philadelphia Athletics, at the end of the 1949 season, for Joe Tipton. Fox's first season with Chicago saw a dip in his batting average as his games played increased from 88 to 130. Nellie's fielding was spectacular though.

How could Topps know that Nelson Fox would become one of the premier second basemen of the fifties? They couldn't. Topps also couldn't predict that Nellie's bat would come around too.

In hindsight, Nellie should have been an easy addition to one of the sets. Sometimes it's hard to see things in the moment. Topps also left out (shockingly) then rookie, Mickey Mantle. Topps has created a '51 Mantle as a modern day insert, but I've yet to run across a 1951 Topps Nelson Fox.