LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Sy Berger upon the occasion of his
induction into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on April 29, 2012

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
outstanding individuals from the sporting world who have distinguished
themselves through exceptional performance, attaining unprecedented
success and the highest level of personal achievement; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Sy
Berger, "The Father of the Modern Baseball Card," upon the occasion of
his induction into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame at its 20th
Annual National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be held
on Sunday, April 29, 2012 at the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and
Museum; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1993, the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and
Museum is dedicated to honoring Jewish athletes, coaches, executives and
other sports figures who have distinguished themselves in the world of
sports; and
WHEREAS, Housed at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center in Commack,
New York, each year, the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
proudly inducts outstanding athletes who have distinguished themselves
through their exceptional performance, attaining extraordinary success
and the highest level of personal accomplishment, into its Hall of Fame,
along with coaches, league commissioners and presidents, broadcasters,
authors, scholar athletes and others such as media executive Sy Berger;
and
WHEREAS, Rockville Centre resident Sy Berger was an employee of the
Topps company for more than 50 years; his first day at Topps was also
the first day Topps began to produce Bazooka Gum; in Autumn 1951, then a
28-year-old veteran of World War II, Sy Berger designed the 1952 Topps
baseball card set with Woody Gelman on the kitchen table of his apart-
ment on Alabama Avenue in Brooklyn; the card design included a player's
name, photo, facsimile autograph, team name and logo on the front and
the player's height, weight, bats, throws, birthplace, birthday, stats,
and a short biography on the back, an emblematic basic design which is
still in use; and
WHEREAS, Topps baseball cards are nothing short of an American insti-
tution and an icon representing what was a rite of passage for gener-
ations of youngsters; and
WHEREAS, Sy Berger worked for Topps from 1947-1997 and served the
company as a consultant for another five years, becoming a well-known
figure on the baseball scene, and the face of Topps to major league
baseball players, whom he signed up annually and paid in merchandise,
such as refrigerators and carpeting; and
WHEREAS, In the trenches, and later in the boardroom, at Topps for
nearly all of that historic 50 years, Sy Berger's name is forever
intertwined with baseball cards just as Walt Disney's is with lovable
cartoon characters; and
WHEREAS, Sy Berger conjured up designs for some of the most revered
baseball cards; friend and confidant of hundreds of ballplayers, his job
was, in part, comprised of every young man's dream: hanging around in
major-league dugouts and befriending the greats of the game; and
WHEREAS, A man who rose through the ranks at Topps from a summer
internship to Vice President of Licensing, Sy Berger has always been the
first to concede that he may have had the very best job in the world;
and

WHEREAS, Sy Berger was just a young kid when he joined the Topps fami-
ly and he realizes and much appreciates that they knew he was a sports
nut and just let him go do it; no one ever told him either how to nego-
tiate with the ballplayers, they just said, "go do it" and he did it
without equal; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Sy Berger upon the occasion of his induction into the National
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on April 29, 2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Sy Berger.