Do you know when the very first Baseball figures were produced and who by?

What were they like?

Did they resemble the players?

The very first baseball figure was similar in design and look to Hasbro's popular GI Joe figure with interchangable uniforms and a generic look rather than the modern day versions that are made to look like specific players and personalities.

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Johnny Hero is considered to have been THE first of many baseball figures that have come since and although technically not a baseball figure ( he came with a track and field uniform) Rosko Industries who manufactured him also produced separate baseball team uniforms.

Released in 1966, just a year after Hasbro's groundbreaking G.I. Joe figure, Johnny Hero is considered by many to be the granddaddy of sports figures who is often forgotten, neglected and over looked by fans and collectors despite his place in history.

Uniforms were available for 17 of the 20 Baseball League teams with only Houston Astros, Kansas City Athletics, and Milwaukee Braves not being issued due to the uncertainty surrounding them in the league at the time.

Unfortunately Johnny was a bit ahead of his time and proved to be unpopular with the kids, so after only being featured in the Sears catalog for two seasons he was dropped.

A few sporadic lines of baseball figures appeared on the market over the coming years but it wasn't until 1986 that we were to see any major lines of baseball action figures released.