[DrMitchJ]

According to Beckett news, Topps is taking number 7 out of retirement and putting it back into circulation. It was retired years and years ago in honor of Mickey Mantle. The Topps flagship Series 1 card number 7 would 'forever' be retired (unless used for a Mantle card) but I guess since The Mantle Estate and Topps couldn't come to terms the past few years, Topps isn't going to continue its promise.
My reaction in the comment section on the website as follows:

http://www.beckett.com/news/2017-topps-b...y-sanchez/

Hopefully all you baseball fans feel similarly outraged and will voice your opinions, too. Retired MEANS retired, right?

[tate31nym]

Retired MEANS retired, right?

not when there's money to be made!

[scottbdoug]

Personally, it doesn't affect me either way but if I was to choose, they said it was retired it should stay retired. Not sure why they would change it, there is no benefit to have a #7 that I can see, and it makes them look like liars when they decide to change their minds.

[baseballmason]

I agree....retired means retired. This urks me like when a star athlete has two or three retirement/comeback stints.

[zeprock]

Retired means retired. You should not be able to "unretire" a number. No team has ever taken a retired number off their wall. It looks as if this is just sour grapes on Topps part but it comes across as being disrespectful. I'm a Red Sox fan but I still think they need to leave the Yankee legend's number retired.

[oneofakindcards]

Topps made this promise a big, big deal when it made it years ago.

Now one has to wonder about Topps' honesty at least a little bit - - which isn't good given our hobby isn't exactly known to be entirely honest to begin with...

[KPRROK]

I honestly don't care. Retire it, un-retire it, whatever. Just give me quality cards at a not-insane price.

[madhatter74]

What's the fascination with Mantle, anyway? I know his cards drove the hobby for decades. But retiring Mantle, but not Mays... or Aaron... or Griffey... seems arbitrary.

As far as this topic goes - I don't care either way. I didn't even know #7 was retired until I read this thread.

[rjcj2017]

What Topps doesn't realize is that it actually comes off looking better if #7 stays retired, whether or not the issue is resolved with the estate.

The intent was to honor the player, not the contract with the estate.

I'm with Doc on this one.

[madamson]

It should stay retired...the 52 Mantle is what people think of right away when you hear "baseball cards". It's disappointing but not surprising that Topps would do this. Agreement or not with the Mantle family, it should stay retired.