Sy Berger, modern baseball card pioneer, dies

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- In 1951, Sy Berger sat at his kitchen table with a ruler, scissors and cardboard to create the first modern-day baseball card. That single card launched an niche industry and turned the Brooklyn,N.Y.-based Topps company into a household name.

Berger died Sunday of natural causes, his family said. He was 91.

Berger's passion for baseball cards started when he was a kid, but it didn't lead to a career for decades. He started with Topps in 1947 after serving in the Army Air Force during World War II.

Topps was founded in 1938 as a chewing-gum company, making cards with figures like Davy Crockett and Hopalong Cassidy. In 1951, the company went into baseball cards. Berger revolutionized the typical black-and-white cards by adding a color photo, stats and a copy of the player's signature. He also persuaded players to sign exclusive contracts with Topps, paying them up to $125 a year for the privilege.

Berger was the vice president of Topps before retiring in 1997. He later served as a consultant for the company. He is survived by his wife Gloria, a daughter, two sons and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.