Topps and a young teenage soccer player set a hobby record last week
Cavan Sullivan, the 14-year-old soccer phenom and midfielder, suited up for his hometown Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer in their win over the New England Revolution.
Sullivan became the youngest professional player to ever make his debut among the major North American sports leagues. This includes MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL and WNBA. He was 14 years and 293 days old, breaking the 2004 record of Freddy Adu of DC United by 13 days.
Sullivan came in as a substitute in the second half of the July 17 game. The moment was captured on a Topps Now base card and some game-used ball relics.
While there have been a lot of young athletes who have appeared on cards, Sullivan’s Topps Now card makes him the youngest player to ever appear on a fully-licensed North American card from a major sports league.
Adu was 15 when he had his rookie card in the 2004 Upper Deck MLS set. He was also 15 when he was included on an insert card in 2004 Donruss Elite Baseball in the Fans of the Game insert set as a Baltimore Orioles celebrity fan.
After breaking the record for being the youngest layer in MLS history, Sullivan received congratulations from Adu via a post on X.
Sullivan signed what is called a homegrown player deal with the Union, which is similar to an academy deal for a young player in European soccer. Each MLS team has territories that allow them to scout in and sign players from after they have completed 12 continuous months with the team’s academy. That period must conclude between when a player turns 14 until they turn 18. The players then become designated with a hometown tag, and their salaries do not count against the team’s salary cap. The rules was designed to encourage teams to develop local talent.
Sullivan’s homegrown deal was for a record $500,000 per year.
By doing that, the players will get a homegrown tag when signed allowing them to not count against the salary cap for a period and allowing teams to retain more money if they are transferred to another team. The rules are in place to promote local development among teams.
“Big congrats to Cavan Sullivan for his record breaking debut today. That’s a hard record to break and the kid did it. Well done and good luck my man,” wrote Adu.
Sullivan’s contract has a clause that enables him to transfer to Manchester City of the English Premier League when he turns 18.
Soccer Family
When Sullivan stepped on the MLS pitch July 17, he entered a game in which one of his older brothers, Quinn, had already scored in. Including Quinn, Sullivan has three brothers. One is already in the MLS, and the other two are on their way. His father, Brendan, was All-Ivy League at Penn and then had a six-year professional career. He then became a college soccer coach. Sullivan’s mother, Heike, captained the Penn women’s team. Sullivan’s grandfather, Larry Sullivan, was the head soccer coach at Villanova for 16 years. His uncle, Bryan Sullivan, was an NCAA Division I goalkeeper. He also has a cousin, Chris Albright, who played for the Philadelphia Union for two seasons.
Delayed debut
Sullivan was expected to make his debut against Toronto FC at BMO Field. However, he was not able to play because of his age due to Canadian laws. His debut was moved to the July 17 home game.
Sullivan got a large ovation when he came into the game in the 84th minute. He got large cheers every time he touched the ball.
After the game, Sullivan was poised and confident facing a group of reporters at the game, saying it’s the first box checked off on what will be a long journey. His main focus, he said, was to keep working hard and to keep developing.
“Every time I touched the ball, they went crazy,” Sullivan said in the media scrum after the game. “Obviously, I dreamed of this day and had some pictures in my mind of what it would look like but just hearing them behind my back every time the ball was at my foot was crazy.”
Youngest In Other Sports
Joe Nuxhall has the distinction of being the youngest player in Major league Baseball history. He was 15 years old when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944. The team signed him because they were in dire need of players due to those serving in World War II.
Nuxhall pitched two-thirds of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. He surrendered five runs and left with an ERA of 67.50.
Eight years later, Nuxhall was back as a 23-year-old pitcher and pieced together a decent career. Nuxhall’s 1952 Topps card is in the last series and sells for a few hundred dollars, even in low grade condition.
Bep Guidolin, meanwhile, was also pressed into pro service at a young age because of World War II.
He was 16 years and 11 months old when the Boston Bruins called him up to the NHL from the Oshawa Generals junior team on Nov. 12, 1942. He appeared on a BeeHive photo not long afterward.
Guidolin had a solid 10-year NHL career, but he was one of the most outspoken players in favor of forming a players’ union. Because of this, he was blackballed by NHL teams and spent another nine years playing in the minor leagues.
He because an NHL coach and was an assistant and a head coach for 25 years, including a stint with the expansion Kansas City Scouts in the 1974-75 season.
The Scouts would move to Denver and become the Colorado Rockies, and then relocate again to become the New Jersey Devils.
Andrew Bynum holds the distinction of being the youngest player in NBA history.
He was 17 years and 244 days old when he was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. He was 12 days younger than the previous youngest NBA draft pick, Jermaine O’Neal.
The 7-foot center was 18 years and six days old when he played in his first NBA game.
Bynum won two NBA championships and was an NBA All-Star in 2012.
He was included in 2004-05 draft sets but his rookie cards are in the 2005-06 NBA card products.
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