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All-Star cards returned to Topps sets in 1968 under The Sporting News banner for a three-year run between 1968 and 1970. Topps included 20 All-Star cards in its 1969 set, featuring 10 All-Stars from each league and one player from each position, including both a right-handed and left-handed pitcher.
Building the Set / Card #639
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Richie's Sports Cards)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. After about 90 minutes of walking and buying, while running low on funds, and even lower on stamina, I found a nice display of vintage Topps star cards at Richie's Sports Cards, from Manalpan, New Jersey. I quickly and easily picked up six more star cards needed for our set from Richie's, my fourth stop of the show. This is the fifth of those six cards and it cost around $27 after a discount, making it the most expensive All-Star card I purchased for our set build.
Johnny Bench was a 14-time All-Star, going to the All-Star Game each year between 1968 and 1980, and then again in 1983 to honor the end of his career. He was the starting catcher for the National League All-Stars in 1969, batting seventh and receiving starting pitcher Steve Carlton (#255). Bench got the scoring started for the National League, hitting a second inning, two-run home run off Mel Stottlemyre (#470). He'd single in the third off Blue Mood Odom (#195), draw a walk against Denny McLain (#150) and line out against Dave McNally (#340) in the sixth, before being replaced by back-up Randy Hundley (#347).
The stock photo used in the background behind Bench has yet to be identified, but the article linked below figured out by combining the background photos on this card and Ken Harrelson's All-Star card (#417), a full action scene showing a mystery play emerges. The backs of these All-Star cards contain a puzzle piece of either Pete Rose (#120) or Carl Yastrzemski (#130). The back of Bench's card features a patch of dirt behind Rose's photo.
Topps All-Star Card Appearances (9): 1969-70, 1974-79, 1981
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Sources:
Baseball Reference
Baseball Reference
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