MLB’s Carded new season highlights Negro Leagues cards

Have no fear, card collectors everywhere: MLB's Carded presented by the eBay Vault is back with a brand new episode to kick off a season of shows. Just as you can't keep yourself from ripping into a brand new pack of cards when the new set drops every year, Carded couldn't stop from diving deep into the treasure trove of collectible stories that are out there.

What's in store this time around? Topps' Creative Director, Michael Linkens, pulls back the curtain on the company's newest artist-led set, Project 100. Coming on the heels of the wildly successful, innovative and exciting Project 2020 and Project 70, this one is a scaled back set featuring only 100 cards designed by five artists.

We're always shocked by how youthful baseball players appear -- maybe it's that whole thing about playing a kid's game for a job -- but Angels outfielder Gary Pettis looked really young on his 1985 Topps card. Like, he could still be in high school young. Turns out, there's a reason for that: Pettis' 14-year-old brother was in the photo.

How did that all happen? Let Pettis share the story:

When you think of most rare baseball cards out there, you probably think of Mickey Mantle's 1952 Topps card or Honus Wagner's legendary T206. But the truth is the rarest card is probably one featuring a Negro Leagues great, like Josh Gibson's Toleteros card from the winter of 1950-51.

Why's that?

"There are no cards issued in the United States of Negro League players," Al Jurgela, who owns the largest collection of Negro Leagues cards, told the show. Check out his amazing collection in the clip at the top of this story.

Finally, you can't have a baseball card show without a pack rip, so Mookie Wilson dropped in to tear into some vintage wax. Where else could you learn such facts like Hall of Famer Andre Dawson being one of the slowest talkers in history? For the full episode, check out MLB.TV.