Fanatics Steps Up to the Plate to Take Over Baseball Card World

Since 1951, the Topps Co. has produced baseball cards that are a big part of Americana and remain popular with fans and collectors of all ages. After this year, Topps will end its 71-year run and has sold its sports card and collectibles division to Fanatics for a reported $500 million. Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times

As Major League Baseball ballparks host Opening Day events during the early days of April, America’s national pastime is set to embark on yet another year that begins with a crack of the bat, the pounding of a new leather glove, and a bit of change that’s all in the cards.

The 2022 season is marking the end of an era in Americana that stemmed from anticipation and excitement as the snow melted into spring, when fans would rush to corner stores and purchase cellophane packages filled with a pink slab of bubble gum and pictures of baseball heroes on cardboard rectangles.