The Iconic Series: 1973 Topps Johnny Bench

This was a tough call as his 1972 Topps cards and his 1976 Topps Card (in the classic catcher gear and dirt all around) could probably be considered more iconic cards than this one. However, it is the uniqueness of the photo that makes this card something special. The ball just about to land in his glove by the Giants dark shadow dugout is such a unique shot that it stands out more than 40 years later. Sports Card Companies since the early 1990s have been trying to capture odd shots/poses of players. Think of 1991 Topps Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens. Heck, every Topps card in the 2012 set is trying to capture some sort of personalty of the game (to the extent that makes me like good old fashioned posed shots as Heritage more). But this photo has been hard to top.