474 - All-Time R.B.I. Leader (Babe Ruth)

About This Player
Babe Ruth enjoyed an illustrious 22-year career from 1914 through 1935.  Ruth started his career with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher in 1914.  Though by the time he left Boston, Ruth became one of the premier sluggers of his time.  After his contract was purchased by the Yankees in 1920, the "Sultan of Swat" became the mythic icon of professional baseball.  During his 15 seasons in New York, Ruth lead the American League in home runs 12 times and in RBI six times, lead the Yankees to their first four World Series championships and started in right field in the first two All-Star Games in baseball history.  Ruth played his final season with the Boston Braves in 1935.

At the time of his retirement, Ruth held many of baseball's all-time records including most home runs, most RBI, most runs and most walks.  He still holds the records currently for highest slugging percentage and highest OPS.  In the year after his retirement, Ruth was one of five players elected to the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame.

Ruth passed away on August 16, 1948 at the age of 53.

About This Card
This 1973 card shows Babe Ruth with a career total of 2,209 RBI.  (After historical scoring corrections, his RBI total would be updated to 2,213.)  Just as Hank Aaron was approaching the home run record, he was also approaching Ruth's RBI record.  Aaron would later surpass Hank Aaron's RBI mark in 1975.

476 - All-Time Shutout Leader (Walter Johnson)

About This Player
Walter Johnson enjoyed an illustrious 21-year career with the Washington Senators from from 1907 through 1927.  As the premier pitcher of his era, "The Big Train" earned the American League MVP Award in 1913 and 1924, won the American League Triple Crown in 1913, 1918 and 1924 and places second on the all-time wins list and, for a long time, held the first spot on the all-time strikeout list.

Johnson holds the Major League record for shutouts at 110, a record that will never be broken.  Grover Cleveland is second on the shutouts list with 90 shutouts and Roy Halladay, age 34, is the current leader among active players with 19 shutouts.

After his playing career ended, Johnson would manage the Senators from 1929 through 1932 and later the Cleveland Indians from 1933 through 1935.  Johnson was part of the inaugural class elected to the Hall of Fame in 1936.  Johnson passed away in 1946 at the age of 59.

About This Card
This 1973 Topps card displays Walter Johnson's total number of shutouts at 113.  However, as baseball historians went back through box scores and records and corrections were made, Johnson's shutouts were updated to 110. 

472 - All-Time Grand Slam Leader (Lou Gehrig)

About This Player
Lou Gehrig played 17 seasons with the New York Yankees before the disease that now bears his name ended his career prematurely and led to his untimely death.  Gehrig, nicknamed the "Iron Horse" for his toughness, longevity and his then-record 2,130 consecutive game streak, was among the greatest hitters in the history of baseball.  Throughout his illustrious career, Gehrig was a six-time All-Star, two time MVP, a Triple Crown winner in 1934 and won seven World Series with the Yankees.

Gehrig played his final game on April 30, 1930.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in December of that year; only one of three players elected without the mandated waiting period.

Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941 at the age of 38.

For more information about Lou Gehrig:
The Official Web Site of Lou Gehrig

About This Card
Lou Gehrig is listed with as the all-time leader for grand slams, a record that still holds today.  Currently Yankee, Alex Rodriguez, is now second on the list with 21 grand slams.

477 - All-Time Victory Leader (Cy Young)

About This Player
Cy Young enjoyed an illustrious 22-year career with five different teams from 1890 through 1911.  As one of the pioneers of modern baseball, Young still holds an extensive list of records that will never be matched, including wins (as well as losses), games started, complete games, and inning pitched.

Young holds the Major League record for victories at 511, a record that will never be broken.  Walter Johnson is second on the victories list with 417 wins and Tim Wakefield, age 44, is the current leader among active players with 195 wins.

Young was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937.  In 1966, one year after Young's death, the Cy Young Award was created to honor the league's top pitcher.

About This Card
Eight of the top ten still remain in the top ten today.  Since 1973, Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens have moved into the top ten, supplanting John Clarkson and Eddie Plank off of the list.

1 - All-Time Home Run Leaders (Babe Ruth / Hank Aaron / Willie Mays)

About This Opening Day
As Opening Day started in 1973, baseball enthusiasts watched in anticipation as Hank Aaron was closing in on baseball's all-time home run record.  Only 42 homers away from breaking Ruth's mark, and considering Aaron his 34 the year before and 47 the year before that, there was a small possibility that Hank Aaron could break the record in 1973.

Babe Ruth held a mythic record long thought to be unattainable.  Before Aaron and Mays began their careers, the player second on the home run list was Jimmie Foxx with 534 home runs, 180 short of Ruth.  Ruth would hold the record for 53 years.

Hank Aaron, 39 years old at the time, still remained a productive hitter.  Despite never hitting more than 50 home runs in a season, Aaron continued to rank in the home run ranks with his consistency and longevity.  Aaron would end the 1973 season with 40 home runs, only one short of Ruth's mark and two from breaking the record.

Willie Mays was third on the home run list at the time and still active in 1973.  When Mickey Mantle retired in 1968, third on the list at that time, Mays ranked second and looked like he could take the record.  However, his production decline in the following year.  In 1973, Mays would hit only 6 home runs in his final season with the New York Mets.
 
About This Card
Topps capitalized on the home run chase by featuring Ruth, Aaron and Mays as the first card in the first series of the set.  Topps continued featuring all-time records later in the fourth series.

471 - All-Time Hit Leader (Ty Cobb)

About This Player
Ty Cobb, also known as "The Georgia Peach", enjoyed an illustrious 24-year career with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics.  Throughout his career, Cobb won 11 batting titles, led the American League in hits eight times, won one Triple Crown in 1909 and a Most Valuable Player award in 1911.  At one time, Cobb held the all-time records for nearly every major batting category, including batting average, hits, and runs scored.  Cobb also managed the Tigers while as a player for six seasons.  Cobb was one of five charter members of the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted in 1936.

Ty Cobb had held of the record for career hits for 62 years until the record was broken by Pete Rose in 1985.

For more information about Ty Cobb:
The Official Web Site of Ty Cobb

About This Card
Ty Cobb is shown with a total of 4,191 hits.  In 1981, however, The Sporting News reported that a historian from the Society of American Baseball Researchers (SABR) discovered that Ty Cobb was awarded two hits too many in 1910 and that his true hit total was 4,189.  With Pete Rose in the midst of reaching Cobb's record, Major League Baseball had ignored overwhelming proof that a mistake was made.  Announced by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn at the time, "The passage of 70 years, in our judgment, constitutes a certain statute of limitation as to recognizing any changes."  Cobb's official total of 4,191 hits remains today, while most baseball encyclopedias and record books use 4,189.