1974 Kellogg's Baseball #5, Carlton Fisk

17 years ago this week, Carlton Fisk broke the major league record for games caught at 2,226. In a curious move, the Chicago White Sox cut him just a few days later, stating they'd kept him on the roster only to let him set the mark. (Time does heal some wounds: Fisk's bronze likeness now stands inside their park.)

I like cards that catch players enjoying themselves. This one's a slightly odd kneeling-with-bat pose, but Fisk makes it look good. His power, game-calling, and reliability matched up well with a generation of great backstops that included postseason rivals Johnny Bench of the Reds and Thurman Munson of the Yankees.

Immensely popular in both Chicago and New England, New Hampshire named Fisk their all-time greatest athlete in 2004. (More info at his Wikipedia article.)

Value: Fisk is a Hall-of-Famer and fan favorite, but Kellogg's cards plummet in value once the surface starts cracking. (Check the lower-left corner, near his name banner.) Low-grade versions will cost $5 or less.

Fakes / reprints: The distinctive plastic and paper combo makes counterfeiting a Kellogg's pretty tough. I've never seen one in the market.