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Sports are a popular topic for the US Postal Service. Throughout the latter part of the 20th century, various sports and sports personalities have been honored with postage stamps.
Not until the spring of 2000,however, has one sport been used to produce a set of "player stamps" that serve everyday postage needs.
The "Legends of Baseball" issue was produced by the USPS and features one self-sticking sheet of 20 stamps. The pictures of 20 different old-time ballplayers appear on the sheet of stamps. All of those honored are Hall of Famers. Most were honored in 1999 as nominees or honorees for Major League Baseball's "All Century Team".
The 33-cent stamps feature the following players:
George Sisler, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Eddie Collins, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, Mickey Cochrane, Rogers Hornsby, Pie Traynor, Jimmie Foxx, Cy Young, Tris Speaker, Lefty Grove, Lou Gehrig, Dizzy Dean, Josh Gibson, Honus Wagner and Satchel Paige.
While the stamps feature attractive artwork of the players, the back of the sheet features brief career biographies, turning these stamps into mini-baseball cards (albeit the non-cardboard variety!). The heading on the back reads "These players embody the glory and tradition of our national pasttime. Tales of their extraordinary abilities and larger-than-life personalities have made them much more than just ballplayers: THEY ARE LEGENDS."
Joe Saffold of Savannah, Georgia was the artist, and Phil Jordan of Falls Church, VA served as the Art Director for the project.
The stamp designs were unveiled in May when commissioner Bud Selig, Mark McGwire and others helped the Postal Service show the public what the stamps would look like upon their release in July. Dedication and first issue was July 6 in Atlanta, where Major League Baseball held the 2000 All Star Week. Family members of many of the players were present at the dedication ceremony. The stamps were released nationwide July 7, and got great reviews by sports fans, sports collectors, and philatelists.
The Philadelphia A's Historical Society held a special ceremony honoring the 4 A's greats that were depicted. Relatives of three of the four honorees attended the event including the daughter of Jimmie Foxx, the son of Eddie Collins and grandson of Lefty Grove. The postal service gave each recipient a framed 20-stamp set as a gift.
200 million of the self-adhesive stamps were printed for distribution at US Post Offices throughout the country. In addition to purchasing the stamps in the sheet of 20, collectors can also purchase a Legends of Baseball Uncut Press Sheet, which consists of six panes (120 stamps) with the marginal plate markings favored by some collectors. Also available through some on-line stamp dealers and the postal service are postal cards with the original stamp art reproduced in a booklet of 20 postcards that are ready for mailing.
The baseball stamps are popular with those who collect first day covers also. Many people who purchased the stamps during All Star week in Atlanta, had them cancelled on the first day of issue with a special postmark from Atlanta, site of the 2000 All Star game.
The USPS did not forget the great Negro Leagues with this issue, featuring the stamps of Paige and Gibson among the series of 20.
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