Sy Berger, father of modern baseball trading card at Topps in the '50s, dies at 91 in New York

The father of the modern baseball trading card who designed the famed Topps versions in the 1950s has died. Sy Berger was 91.

His daughter, Maxine Berger-Bienstock, says Berger died Sunday in Rockville Center, New York.

Using a pair of scissors and cardboard at his kitchen table in Brooklyn, Berger played around with ideas for trading cards until he struck upon a design that endured for decades: a card with team logos and simulated player autographs on the front and bios and stats on the back.

Berger told The Associated Press in 2002: "We wanted to make something attractive that would catch the eye." He added: "And we gave you six cards and a slice of gum for a nickel."

Berger is also survived by his wife, two sons, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.