Topps baseball 貿易（する）ing card creator, Sy Berger, dies at 91

By Associated 圧力（をかける） and Rachel Pincus For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

?Sy Berger, the father of the modern baseball 貿易（する）ing card who designed the famed Topps 見解／翻訳／版s in the 1950s has died at age 91.

His daughter, Maxine Berger-Bienstock, says Berger died of natural 原因（となる）s Sunday in Rockville Centre, New York.

Using scissors and cardboard at his kitchen （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, the World War II vet played around with ideas for 貿易（する）ing cards until he struck upon a design that 耐えるd for １０年間s: a card with team logos and ふりをするd player autographs on the 前線 and bios and stats on the 支援する.

Sy Berger, the father of the modern baseball card, has died at 91. He designed the famed Topps trading cards using scissors and cardboard at his kitchen table

Sy Berger, the father of the modern baseball card, has died at 91. He designed the famed Topps 貿易（する）ing cards using scissors and cardboard at his kitchen （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する

Berger told The Associated 圧力（をかける） in 2002: 'We 手配中の，お尋ね者 to make something attracti ve that would catch the 注目する，もくろむ.' He 追加するd: 'And we gave you six cards and a slice of gum for a nickel.'

Baseball cards in the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs date 支援する to the 19th century, but they were small and monochrome. (によれば the New York 地位，任命する, however, there are exceptions that have become collectibles: only 10 copies 生き残る of a 1914 Babe Ruth card showing him as a 新人, and one is 存在 sold for $695,000).

History was in Berger's 好意 while he was working for the Topps company in the 1950s. The 戦後の baby にわか景気 meant an 異常に large 全住民 of young boys, and the rise of television 許すd them to watch their baseball heroes at home.

Boys growing up in the postwar years, like in this picture, accumulated shoeboxes full of cards and played games with them like 'Flip' and 'Pitch.' Rare cards eventually reached sky-high values

Boys growi ng up in the 戦後の years, like in this picture, 蓄積するd shoeboxes 十分な of cards and played games with them like 'Flip' and 'Pitch.' Rare cards 結局 reached sky-high values

によれば the New York Times, Berger's cards, 解放（する）d in 1952, were the first to be printed in color and to be graced by players' stats and facsimiles of their 署名s. Kids would flip the cards, calling out '前線' or '支援する,' or 'pitch' them at the 塀で囲む (the card 上陸 nearest to the 塀で囲む was the 勝利者).

Cards that 生き残るd the closet きれいにする of baby boomers' mothers reached 以前 信じられない values in the にわか景気 years of the late 80's and 早期に 90's, with a 1952 Topps card of Mickey Mantle fetching as much as $3,000. In 2004, he was 栄誉（を受ける）d with his very own card.

Berger was also a tireless negotiator who offered players exclusive contracts fo r their appearances on cards. He was honored with a card of his very own in 2004

Berger was also a tireless 交渉者 who 申し込む／申し出d players 排除的 契約s for their 外見s on cards. He was 栄誉（を受ける）d with a card of his very own in 2004

Aside from 存在 a natural at design, Berger was also 副／悪徳行為 大統領，／社長 of licensing at the Topps chewing gum company, out-hustling competing companies by 申し込む／申し出ing players $125 排除的 契約s for the use of their likenesses.?

Berger is also 生き残るd by his wife, two sons, five grandchildren and two 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandchildren.??

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