In 1974, baseball was in the midst of a monumental change, with the American League’s designated-hitter rule a year earlier and free agency a year later. Card collectors were becoming more savvy too, valuing players’ rookie cards more than ever. Furthering that trend, Topps released its first “Traded” series in late ’74, stacking it with rookies called up from the minors and players who changed teams during the season.
