Crocodile Dundee and the Quest for '53

#82 Mickey Mantle

2022-07-01T08:41:00.001-07:00

#82 Mickey Mantle

94 of 274

34.3% complete

"His Walk About" - Mickey Mantle played in 12 World Series and won seven World Series Rings during his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees. A three-time MVP award winner, he led the American League in home runs four times, and retired with 536 homers. He 1956 he won the Triple Crown while batting .353 with 52 homers and 130 RBI's.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a drain cover in the outfield grass. As a 19 year old playing in his first of 12 World Series, Mantle tore cartilage in his knee backing up Joe DiMaggio on a fly ball off the bat of Willie Mays (some names in that sentence). As crazy as Mantle's career numbers are, it's not hyberbole to think they could have been even more absurd.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card is about as rough as they get. Paper loss for tape that was removed, tape still removing, non-existent corners, and a good amount of creasing. That said, I still find it to be a pretty incredible card

"Down Under" - Mantle is card #311 in the '52 set (maybe you're familiar with it). It's not one I have or ever anticipate having, so I'm basing my call to say I like the '53 better off of pictures alone. While there's no denying how iconic the '52 Mantle is (in my opinion it's the most iconic of all-time), from a strictly aesthetic point I view, I think the '53 is a better looking card. The '53 set now leads 36-33-7.

"At the Oscars"

7x World Series Champion

12x AL Pennant Winner

1974 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee

3x AL MVP

16x All-Star

1956 AL Triple Crown Winner

1st AL Home Runs '55

1st AL Home Runs '56

1st AL Home Runs '58

1st AL Home Runs '60

1st AL Batting '56

1st AL RBI's '56

1st AL Runs '54

1st AL Runs '56

1st AL Runs '57

1st AL Runs '58

1st AL Runs '60

1st AL Triples '55

1st AL BB's '55

1st AL BB's '57

1st AL BB's '58

1st AL BB's '61

1st AL BB's '62

1st AL OBP % '55

1st AL OBP % '62

1st AL OBP % '64

1st AL Slg.% '55

1st AL Slg.% '56

1st AL Slg.% '61

1st AL Slg.% '62

#63 Gus Niarhos

2022-06-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

#63 Gus Niarhos

93 of 274

33.9% complete

"His Walk About" - Gus never appeared in more than 83 games in any one of his 9 MLB seasons. He spent about half of his 315 career games as a Yankee, and another 100 as a Red Sock. He also spent time with the White Sox and Phillies. He retired as a .252 career hitter with 174 hits. He appeared in one game during the 1949 World Series with the Yankees, winning a ring, but not making a plate appearance.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a very proud and loving family, or friend, presumably. The Wikipedia page for Gus Niarhos is extremely well documented with more than a few dubious claims, particularly some generous comparisons/mentions related to another Yankees catcher you may have heard of. Which is great, good for whoever took the time to write the page. Every former MLB'er should be so lucky.

"More of a love bite really..." - The darkening on the lower left corner is the biggest flaw on this card. It's a common defect and I'm not entirely sure what causes it.

"Down Under" - Niarhos is card #121 in the 1952 set. The Niarhos in the '52 set is one of the better looking cards in the entire set, and choosing it over this '53 is an easy call. The '53 set's lead continues to shrink and has narrowed to 35-33-7.

"At the Oscars"

4th AL Putouts as a catcher '48

4th AL Fielding % as a catcher '48

#59 Karl Drews

2022-06-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

#59 Karl Drews

92 of 274

33.6% complete

"His Walk About" - Drews played for four teams during his eight years in the bigs. He retired with a record of 44-53 and a 4.76 ERA. He won a World Series Ring with the Yankees in 1947, appearing in 2 games and throwing 3 innings.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a Staten Island Native. Drews is in the small club of New Yorker City kids that have taken the field for the Yankees.

"More of a love bite really..." - The corners and edges on this card show the wear and tear of 70 years of being traded and sold.

"Down Under" - Drews is card #352 in the 1952 set, that's a high number that I don't have. I wish I did, because it's a nice looking card that I much prefer to his '53. Drews looks more like a coach than a player on his '53. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 35-32-7.

"At the Oscars"

World Series Ring '47

3rd NL Shutouts '52

6th NL Complete Games '52

7th NL ERA '52

9th NL Wins '52

#51 Frank Campos

2022-06-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

#51 Frank Campos

91 of 274

33.2% complete

"His Walk About" - Frank appeared in 71 games with the Washington Senators from 1951-53. He saw the most action in 1952, playing in 53 games and collecting 29 hits in 112 at-bats, good for a .259 average. He retired with 41 hits, 13 RBI's and a respectable .279 mark next to his name.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a .423 batting average on Frank's baseball reference page. In 1951 Frank had 11 hits in just 26 at-bats as a September call-up, putting .423 on his resume that will be there for as long as people keep track of these sorts of things.

"More of a love bite really..." - There is some darkness in the lower left corner of this card. I think it's a result of sunlight (or lack of), but it could also be water damage.

"Down Under" - Frank is card #307 in the 1952 Topps set. Despite his relatively brief cup of coffee in the big leagues, Frank was fortunate enough to land in two Topps sets. Hopefully he has grandkids that appreciate this. I prefer his '52 to his '53, but they're both nice cards, and in another stroke of luck for Campos, they're not too similar. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 35-31-7.

"At the Oscars"

Nothing in the Majors

Batting Champ in "Tri-State B-League" '51

#47 Bubba Church

2022-06-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

#47 Bubba Church

90 of 274

32.9% complete

"His Walk About" - Bubba went 15-11 with a 3.53 ERA and 15 complete games for the Phillies in 1951, the best season of his six year MLB career. He retired with a record of 36-37 and 4.10 ERA, compiled as a Phillie, Red, and Cub.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a "Whiz Kid." Church was a member of the Pennant winning Philadelphia Phillies as rookie in 1950.

"More of a love bite really..." - This cards color has dulled a little over the last 70 years, but it doesn't have any major issues to speak of.

"Down Under" - Church is a high number, card #323, in the 1952 set and not one that I am in possession of. From the pictures I've found, I slightly prefer his '52 over his '53. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 35-30-7.

"At the Oscars"

4th NL Shutouts '51

9th NL Shutouts '50

3rd NL Doubles '49

6th NL Triples '47

7th NL Home Runs '46

#45 Grady Hatton

2022-06-22T08:32:00.003-07:00

#45 Grady Hatton

89 of 274

32.5% complete

"His Walk About" - Grady spent parts of 9 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in a total of 12 seasons, suiting up for the Red Sox, Cubs, Orioles, White Sox, and Cardinals over his final 3.5 years in the league. He retired with 1,068 hits, 91 homers, and a .254 career average, but was known primarily for his glove. In 1952 he made his only All-Star team despite batting a meager .212, well below his career average.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a lot of ties to Texas. Hatton was born in Beaumont, Texas in 1922, attended the University of Texas, and managed minor league teams in Houston and San Antonio after he retired. Prior to the 1966 season he was named manager of the Houston Astros while also holding the titles of club Vice-President and Co-General Manager.

"More of a love bite really..." - The corners long ago lost their points, but I don't see any thing else to complain about.

"Down Under" - Hatton is card #6 in the 1952 set. This is a rare instance where I prefer the "boring" yearbook photo to the semi-action shot. I don't know, I guess the artist won me over with the water tower and other background flair on the '53. As a side note, the backgrounds on the 53's are all artistic liberties, and many of them repeat. There are also a lot of "Topps" billboard ads sprinkled in the backgrounds of the cards. That extends the '53 set's lead to 35-29-7.

"At the Oscars"

1.6% Hall of Fame Vote '66

NL All-Star '52

3rd NL Doubles '49

6th NL Triples '47

7th NL Home Runs '46

#40 John Lipon

2022-06-21T09:28:00.002-07:00

#40 John Lipon

88 of 274

32.1% complete

"His Walk About" - Johnny Lipon appeared in 9 MLB seasons, with a three year gap in the middle lost to military service. He retired with 690 hits and a .259 career average. He spent parts of seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers, but also made cameos with the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Browns.

"That's Not a Knife" - But it probably still really annoyed Bob Feller. In 1951 while facing Bob Feller and Cleveland, Lipon reached base on error, stole 2nd, reached 3rd on an errant pick-off attempt and then scored on a sacrifice fly. It was the only Detroit run while Feller threw a no-hitter, and the Indians won 2-1.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card doesn't have the look of one that got around much. It's very well preserved and in about as good of shape as I can hope for.

"Down Under" - Lipon is card #89 in the 1952 set. I'm not entirely sure that the artist didn't use the photo for both cards, so in a close one, I'm going with the '53. That extends the '53 set's lead to 34-29-7.

"At the Oscars"

5th AL Stolen Bases '50

7th AL Hits '50

10th AL Runs '50

#39 Eddie Miksis

2022-06-20T08:55:00.001-07:00

#39 Eddie Miksis

87 of 274

31.8% complete

"His Walk About" - Eddie made is MLB Debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944 at the age of just 17. He would go on to play for five different teams over 14 MLB seasons, mostly with the Brooklyn Dodgers (7 years) and Chicago Cubs (6 years). A .236 career hitter, Eddie amassed 722 hits and 44 home runs. Eddie was part of two NL Pennant winning Dodgers teams, and appeared in 9 World Series games.

"That's Not a Knife" - But it is the last time you're going to see that glove. Miksis lent Ernie Banks his glove when Banks made his MLB debut with the Cubs. Presumably, Miksis, a utility infielder, subsequently saw his role as a shortstop significantly reduced.

"More of a love bite really..." - Creases, color fading, and corner wear are all easy enough to spot on this card, but none of them to such a degree that they're the first thing you notice either.

"Down Under" - Miksis is card #172 in the 1952 set. The cards are very similar, and neither one is all that memorable, but I slightly prefer the '52. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 33-29-7.

"At the Oscars"

0.5% of the Hall of Fame Vote in '64 (must of known a voter)

8th NL Stolen Bases '53

10th NL Stolen Bases '51

#36 Johnny Groth

2022-05-17T08:21:00.001-07:00

#36 Johnny Groth

86 of 274

31.3% complete

"His Walk About" - A .279 career hitter over the course of his 15 seasons in the majors, Groth retired with 1,064 hits. He had one and two year stints with four different clubs, and spent the bulk of his time (11 years) with the Tigers.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's 11 children. Johnny, who lived to the age of 95, had 11 kids with his wife Betty.

"More of a love bite really..." - These cards are in really good shape when I'm reduced to pointing out that one is slightly off-center like this Groth. There are a few other issues, but nothing to get excited about.

"Down Under" - Groth is card #25 in the 1952 set. They're very similar "photos" but I think I prefer the brightness of the '53. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 33-28-7.

"At the Oscars"

8th AL Hits '50

8th AL Doubles '50

8th AL Triples '50

#33 Bob Kennedy

2022-05-16T07:46:00.003-07:00

#33 Bob Kennedy

85 of 274

27% complete

"His Walk About" - A Bob appeared in 16 MLB seasons between 1939 and 1957. He spent a decade with the White Sox and another 7 as an Indian. A .254 career hitter, Bob retired with 1,176 hits. He appeared in one World Series, winning a ring as a member of the Cleveland Indians in 1948.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a pop corn vendor. Bob worked as pop corn vendor at Comiskey park as teenager. He would also make his debut as a White Sox while still a teenager at the age of 19.

"More of a love bite really..." - Color fading is the biggest defect this card can boast, but that's going happen given it's age.

"Down Under" - Kennedy is card #77 in the 1952 set. It's always been one of my favorite cards in the 1952 set, and no disrespect to this '53, but I prefer the '52 and it's an easy call. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 32-28-7.

"At the Oscars"

23rd AL MVP Voting '40

4th AL Sacrifice Hits '50

3rd AL Intentional Walks '51

#32 Clyde Vollmer

2022-05-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

#32 Clyde Vollmer

84 of 274

30.7% complete

"His Walk About" - Clyde Vollmer has ten major league seasons to his name between 1942-52. In three of those seasons he appeared in over 100 games. He also appeared in 12 games or fewer in three seasons. He retired with 508 hits, 69 home runs, and a .251 career average.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a red hot July. During a 21 game stretch with the Red Sox in 1951, Vollmer collected 31 hits, 13 homers, and drove in 40 runs, earing himself the nickname "Dutch the Clutch."

"More of a love bite really..." - There's some sort of stain on the lower left corner of the front of this card, but it's not too distracting.

"Down Under" - Clyde is card #255 in the 1952 set. Both the '52 and '53 are very nice looking cards, and very similar pictures, but I think I slightly prefer the '53. That extends the '53 set's lead to 32-27-7.

"At the Oscars"

8th AL Home Runs '51

#29 Hal Jeffcoat

2022-05-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

#29 Hal Jeffcoat

83 of 274

30.3% complete

"His Walk About" - Hal Jeffcoat batted .248 and collected 487 hits over parts of 12 Major League seasons. Far and away his best season at the plate was as a rookie with the Cubs in 1948 when he batted .279 with 132 hits while appearing in 134 games, all career highs. Hal would see his playing time as a hitter slowly diminish to near zero in 1954 when he transitioned to being primarily a pitcher. From 1954-1959 Hal posted a record of 39-37 with a 4.22 ERA.

"That's Not a Knife" - ...Maybe it was a knife? Hal earned a Purple Heart while serving as a paratrooper during World War II.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card is more or less how a 70 year old baseball card is supposed to look in my mind. Correct me in the comments if I'm wrong.

"Down Under" - Jeffcoat is card #341 in the 1952 set. That's a high number that I don't have. It appears that Hal was consistent in the way he wore his hat on the two cards, and while neither is all that memorable, I prefer the '53. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 31-27-7.

"At the Oscars"

Hitting

3rd NL Stolen Bases '49

Pitching

6th NL Saves '55

7th NL Saves '54

7th NL Saves '58

#28 Eddie Pellagrini

2022-05-04T09:24:00.005-07:00

#28 Eddie Pellagrini

82 of 274

29.9% complete

"His Walk About" - Over the course of 8 MLB seasons Eddie Pellagrini spent time with five different clubs. His 184 games as a St. Louis Brown was his longest tenure with any team. He retired with 321 hits and a .226 career average.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's Omaha, Nebraska. After his playing career, Pellagrini was head coach of the Boston College baseball team from 1959 to 1990. He led the Eagles to three appearances in the College World Series ('60, '61, and '67).

"More of a love bite really..." - There is some dark discoloration on the lower left corner of this card. I'm not sure what caused it and am not that concerned about it either.

"Down Under" - Pelligrini is card #405 in the 1952 set. That's a high number that I don't have. That said, I feel confident saying that I prefer the '53 even without seeing the '52 in hand. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 30-27-7.

"At the Oscars"

4th AL Double Plays turned as SS '48

#26 Dale Mitchell

2022-05-03T14:05:00.002-07:00

#26 Dale Mitchell

81 of 274

29.6% complete

"His Walk About" - Dale spent the vast majority 11 MLB seasons as a member of the Cleveland Indians. His final 19 regular season games (and 4 World Series games) in 1956 were as a Brooklyn Dodger. A two-time All-Star, Dale retired with an impressive .312 lifetime average. While amassing 1,244 career hits, Dale twice had 200+ hits in a season.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's Dale Mitchell making the final out in Don Larson's Perfect Game in the 1956 World Series. Mitchell was pinch hitting in place of Sal Maglie for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was a rare strike out for Mitchell who still holds the record for two highest season averages at University of Oklahoma (.467 in '45 and .507 in '46). Mitchell insisted until his death that the called strike-three was in fact a ball. Given that he only struck out once every 34 at bats over his MLB career, maybe it wasn't just sour grapes. The 34-1 ratio is good for 7th best all-time.

"More of a love bite really..." - There are some decent creases to be found on this card, but nothing I would describe as too distracting.

"Down Under" - Mitchell is card #92 in the 1952 set. I prefer the '52 and it's not close. My copy below could probably use an upgrade, but even in that sort of shape it's still an easy call. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 29-27-7.

"At the Oscars"

2x All-Star '49, '52

Led AL in Hits '49

Led AL in Triples '49

88th All-Time Career Average

World Series Ring '48 (Cleveland)

2nd AL Batting '52

3rd AL Batting '48

4th AL Batting '49

6th AL Batting '47

2nd AL Hits '48

7th AL Hits '52

4th AL Triples '47

4th AL Stolen Bases '48

5th AL Stolen Bases '49

#24 Ferris Fain

2022-01-20T08:24:00.001-08:00

#24 Ferris Fain

80 of 274

29.2% complete

"His Walk About" - A 2x Batting Champion and 5x All-Star, Ferris spent the majority of his 9 MLB seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, before closing out with a couple of years as a White Sox, and a split season between Detroit and Cleveland. He collected 1,139 hits and batted .290 over his career.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a lot of marijuana. Fain was arrested after police found more than 400 marijuana plants at his residence in 1988.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card as some minor centering issues, and suffers from the sort of cloudy discoloration that you see on a lot of these older cards.

"Down Under" - Fain is card #21 in the 1952 set. Despite the nice looking palm tree on the 1952, I slightly prefer Fain's '53 card. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 29-26-7.

"At the Oscars"

5x All-Star

Led AL in Batting '51

Led AL in Batting '52

Led AL in OBP '52

Led Al in Doubles '52

6th AL MVP Voting '51

6th AL MVP Voiting '52

2nd AL Walks '50

2nd AL Walks '53

3rd AL Hits '52

6th AL Stolen Bases '50

8th AL Stolen Bases '48

9th AL Doubles '47

9th AL Doubles '51

#23 Toby Atwell

2022-01-10T08:35:00.003-08:00

#23 Toby Atwell

79 of 274

28.8% complete

"His Walk About" - Atwell played for the Milwaukee Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs over the course of his 5 seasons in the majors. He was named to his only All-Star team as a member of the Cubs during his rookie season in 1952 when he batted a career best .290 and played in 107 games, also a career high. He retired a .260 hitter with 290 hits and 9 home runs.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's 10 player trade. Atwell was part of a 10 player deal following his rookies season that saw him shipped to Pittsburgh in a transaction that sent Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner to the Cubs.

"More of a love bite really..." - I'm guessing it was a dull blade at the printing press that led to the frayed right edge of this card. It's problem I often see on 70's O-Pee-Chee hockey cards.

"Down Under" - Atwell is card #356 in the 1952 set. That's a high number that I don't own. I'm not wild about either card, but I'll give the nod to the '52 by virtue of the partial catcher's mitt that's visible. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 28-26-7.

"At the Oscars"

All-Star ('52)

38th NL MVP Voting '52

9th NL Intentional Walks '55

#21 Billy Johnson

2022-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

#21 Billy Johnson

78 of 274

28.5% complete

"His Walk About" - Billy Johnson was named to his only All-Star team in 1947 as a member of the New York Yankees when he batted .285 and drove in 95 runs. Johnson spent parts of 7 of his 9 MLB seasons as Yankee (winning four World Series Rings) before retiring with the Cardinals following the '53 season. He finished with 882 career hits and as a .271 hitter

"That's Not a Knife" - It's the last surviving member of the 1943 World Champion New York Yankees. Johnson worked as a shipping supervisor in Augusta, Georgia following his playing days. When he passed in 2006 he was the last living member of the '43 Yankees.

"More of a love bite really..." - The corner on the lower right is a little dinged, but this card is otherwise more or less flawless as far as I can tell.

"Down Under" - Johnson is card #83 in the 1952 set. Typically I prefer the quasi "action" shot like the one on Johnson's '52 to the generic portrait like on his '53, but in this instance I prefer the '53. I find the coloring on the '52 a bit odd. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 28-25-7.

"At the Oscars"

All-Star ('47)

4x World Series Champion

Led AL in Games '43

4th AL MVP Voting '43

3rd AL RBI's '43

5th AL RBI's '47

5th AL Hits '43

10th AL Triples '47

#19 Mel Parnell

2022-01-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

#19 Mel Parnell

77 of 274

28.1% complete

"His Walk About" - Mel spent all ten of his MLB seasons with the Boston Red Sox, amassing a career record of 123-75 while posting a 3.50 ERA. A two time All-Star, Mel finished 4th in AL MVP voting in 1949 when he led the American League with 25 wins and 27 complete games.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a no-hitter. On July 14, 1956, Parnell no-hit the White Sox at Fenway Park. Parnell remains the Red Sox all-time leader in wins and IP for a left handed pitcher.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card suffers from a little water damage, but is otherwise in pretty great shape.

"Down Under" - Parnell is card #30 in the 1952 set. I've got no issues with this '53, and would call it better looking than average, but I still prefer the '52. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 27-25-7.

"At the Oscars"

3x All-Star ('49, '51)

Led AL in Wins '49

Led AL Complete Games '49

2nd AL ERA '49

2nd AL Wins '53

2nd AL WAR '49

3rd AL Complete Games '50

3rd AL Shutouts '53

4th AL Wins '50

4th AL MVP Voting '49

4th AL Strikeouts '53

4th AL Shutouts '49

5th AL ERA '48

5th AL Complete Games '48

5th AL Shutouts '51

Inducted into The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997

#11 Sal Yvars

2021-12-21T08:38:00.002-08:00

#11 Sal Yvars

76 of 274

27.7% complete

"His Walk About" - Sal retired with 102 hits over eight MLB seasons. He spent his first six and half years with the New York Giants before retiring as a Cardinal in 1954. A .244 career hitter, Sal hit 10 home runs and drove in 42 runs in the big leagues.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's the shot heard round the world. Born in Manhattan's Little Italy to a Spanish grave digger and Italian laundress in 1924, Sal is "credited" as being the bullpen catcher who relayed stolen signs to teammates during the Giants Pennant run in 1951.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card, like so many others from this set, suffers from what I describe as "flaking," with minor paper loss around some of the edges.

"Down Under" - Yvars is card #338 in the 1952 set. That's a high number I don't own, but having just looked it up, it's immediately on my radar as one I really want to own. The '52 blows this '53 out of the water. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 27-24-7.

"At the Oscars"

4th NL Passed Balls '52

#4 Ben Wade

2021-12-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

#4 Ben Wade

75 of 274

27.4% complete

"His Walk About" - Wade compiled a career record of 19-17 with a 4.34 ERA over the course of five major league seasons. Three of his five seasons, also his three most productive seasons, were spent with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He had 9 of his 10 career saves as Dodger. Wade broke in with the Cubs in 1948, before closing out his career with brief stints as a Pirate and Cardinal.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's two home runs in the same game off of Warren Spahn. On July 6, 1952, Wade hit two home runs off of Warren Spahn while throwing six innings and picking up the win in a 8-2 Dodgers victory over the Braves.

"More of a love bite really..." - There is what some may consider to be heavy rounding of the corners on this card, and some color loss. Otherwise it's in pretty much perfect condition for anyone but the most ridiculous of nit-picking collectors.

"Down Under" - Runnels is card #389 in the 1952 set. That's a high number and one I don't have. The photo selection of the cards is very similar, but I like the '53 better on the basis of the logo on the hat being more visible. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 27-23-7.

"At the Oscars"

8th AL Strikeouts '52

4th AL Walks '52

#219 Pete Runnels

2021-05-29T07:52:00.004-07:00

#219 Pete Runnels

74 of 274

27% complete

"His Walk About" - A .291 career hitter, Runnels amassed 1,854 hits over 14 seasons. A two-time league batting champion as a member of the Red Sox, he never hit below .314 in Boston. Runnels narrowly missed out on a 3rd batting title in '58, finishing 2nd to his teammate Ted Williams. He split most of his career between the Senators and Red Sox, before spending his final two campaigns as a member of the Colt .45's.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's 9 hits in a double header. On August 30, 1960 Runnels went 6 for 7 in the first game of a double header against the Tigers and followed it up with a 3 for 4 performance.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card is in pretty nice shape with good edges. The color is a little bit off, and it's slightly off-centered, but I'm not sure what needs to happen in a person's life for them to be upset about such minor details. I know I'm not.

"Down Under" - Runnels is card #2 in the 1952 set. The cards are more or less identical, right down to what appears to be the same building or shed in the background. I'll go with the '53 by a the smallest of margins. That stretches the '53 set's lead to 26-23-7.

"At the Oscars"

3x All-Star ('59, '60, '62)

Led AL in Batting '60

Led AL in Batting '62

2nd AL Batting '58

3rd AL Batting '59

10th AL MVP Voting '58

2nd AL Runs '58

3rd AL Hits '59

4th AL Hits '58

4th AL Hits '60

2nd AL Triples '54

4th AL Doubles '56, '58, & '59

2nd AL Walks '59

33rd NL MVP Voting '50

9th NL Home Runs '54

5th NL Triples '52

8th NL Triples '53

#218 Les Fusselman

2021-05-03T13:21:00.002-07:00

#218 Les Fusselman

73 of 274

26.6% complete

"His Walk About" - In his two big league seasons Les appeared in 43 games, all with the Cardinals, in 1952 and 1953. He had 12 hits and one home run while batting .169 as a hitter.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a 31 year old rookie. Fusselman spent a decade, seven years in the minors and three in WWII, before making his debut with the Cardinals in 1952.

"More of a love bite really..." - The corners are bit soft, and the card may be slightly off-centered vertically, but it's in more than acceptable shape.

"Down Under" - Les is card #378 in the 1952 set. That's another high number that I don't own. These cards are nearly identical, but if I have to make a choice, I slightly prefer the '52. They're both pretty forgettable, though I'm sure the Fussleman family was pretty stoked that his 43 games in two seasons resulted in two Topps cards. That cuts the '53 set's lead down to 25-23-7.

"At the Oscars"

*Signed as a Free Agent by the Cardinals prior to 1942 season

(Not much to work with here)

#155 Dutch Leonard

2021-04-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

#155 Dutch Leonard

72 of 274

26.3% complete

"His Walk About" - When this card came out, Dutch was playing in his final, and 20th major league season in 1953. He spent his first four seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers after making his debut in 1933, before moving on to Washington for nine seasons, then two as a Phillie, before spending his final five with the Chicago Cubs. A four time All-Star, Dutch retired with a 191-181 career record and 3.25 ERA.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a knuckle ball. As a Washington Senator in 1945 Leonard went 17-7 with a 2.13 ERA. Along with Mickey Haefner, Johnny Niggeling and Roger Wolff, Leonard formed what may be the only four man rotation in MLB history comprised entirely of knuckleball pitchers. Washington finished a game and half back of the Tigers in the AL Pennant Race.

"More of a love bite really..." - The crease running across the center of this card is pretty severe, but it doesn't hurt the eye appeal of the card in any fundamental way. The photo selection on the other hand...

"Down Under" - Leonard is card #110 in the '52 set. I prefer the '52, and if Dutch were still alive, I'm pretty sure he would agree. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 25-22-7.

"At the Oscars"

4x All-Star

Led NL Saves '38

3rd NL Saves '52

3rd NL Saves '53

3rd AL Wins '39

4th AL Wins '41

2nd NL ERA '48

4th AL ERA '38

4th AL ERA '45

4th NL ERA '47

1.8% of the Hall of Fame Vote in '68

#148 Mickey Grasso

2021-04-11T08:15:00.001-07:00

#148 Mickey Grasso

71 of 274

25.9% complete

"His Walk About" - Grasso played in 322 major league games over parts of 7 seasons. 303 of those games were as a member of the Washington Senators. He also appeared 15 times as a Giant (7 in '46, and 8 in '55) and 4 as Cleveland Indian (plus one additional as an Indian in the '54 World Series). A .226 career hitter, Grasso retired with 216 hits and 5 home runs.

"That's Not a Knife" - ...And Grasso wouldn't be scared if it was. A fan favorite in Washington due to his fiery temper, Grasso was captured and taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans in World War II, only to escape his captors while being marched with other POW's.

"More of a love bite really..." - If you're going to find something to complain about with this card, there isn't much to find. It's a little off-centered and the corners have seen better days, but that can be said for all of us.

"Down Under" - Grasso is card #90 in the 1952 set. I prefer the '53 and it's a pretty easy call. The backwards cap is the biggest factor, but far from the only. That pushes the '53 set's lead to 26-24-7.

"At the Oscars"

3rd AL Assist as a Catcher '52

3rd AL Defensive Games as a Catcher '52

#145 Harry Dorish

2021-04-10T07:32:00.001-07:00

#145 Harry Dorish

70 of 274

25.5% complete

"His Walk About" - "Fritz" pitched in 323 games over ten seasons, 283 of them coming out of the bullpen. His best seasons came with the White Sox, but he also saw time with the Red Sox, and Browns/Orioles. He retired with a 3.83 ERA, 45-43 record, and 48 saves.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's the last major league pitcher to steal home. Dorish stole home as part of a double steal on June 2, 1950. Imagine the pearl clutching by the Pro-DH crowd if Greinke or Kershaw (or any pitcher that doesn't embrace the "half-player" ethos) tried to pull that off today.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card is slightly off-centered, but in otherwise beautiful shape, even having a couple of corners that might be described as "sharp."

"Down Under" - Dorish is card #303 in the '52 set. It's close but I'm going to give the edge to the '53 card for reasons that remain elusive. It's just a gut call. That cuts the '53 set's lead to 25-24-7.

"At the Oscars"

Led AL in Saves '52

2nd AL in Saves '53

8th AL in Saves '54

8th AL in Saves '55