Top Five: Carlton Fisk

Over the years, I've looked for reasons why I should collect something rather than reasons not to, and I suppose this has either be a peril or a joy depending on how you look at it.

Many of my collections have been triggered by an article I read or a story I heard. Sometimes it's not even that much. Maybe a year or so ago, I was looking through the handful of Carlton Fisk cards I owned. I didn't have many because he wasn't a guy I ever felt much of a connection with. But that day, for whatever reason, I thought to myself: this guy's a legend, a hometown favorite...why am I NOT collecting this guy?

I couldn't come up with a good answer, and so a collection was born -- a collection which now houses well over 100 cards, the Top Five of which I've selected for today's post.

#5 -- 1982 Topps #111 Carlton Fisk IA

One of the greatest cards of the '80s -- and now that I think of it, probably the only non-league-leader horizontal of the decade (why am I just now realizing this?!).

#4 -- 1974 Topps #105 Carlton Fisk

It's been a joy to collect Carlton Fisk because the guy has some just plain fine cards out there.

So many, in fact, that otherwise memorable ones tend to get overshadowed -- this '74 Topps is a gem I don't see mentioned too often in the Legendary Vintage discussion.

#3 -- 2007 UD Masterpieces #5 Carlton Fisk

I own many, many cards featuring Fisk's dramatic game-winning homer in the 1975 World Series, but none do it better than this one from UD Masterpieces (one of the few epically-named sets to live up to its moniker).

#2 -- 1977 Topps #640 Carlton Fisk

Few cards sum up a single rivalry better than this one, perhaps the most famous image from '77 Topps.

#1 -- 1991 Topps #170 Carlton Fisk

Poetry.