1934-36 Diamond Stars

Sunday, March 1, 2026

#145 Johnny Mize - St. Louis Cardinals

John Robert Mize

St. Louis Cardinals

First Base

Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 215
Born: January 7, 1913, Demorest, GA
Major League Teams: St. Louis Cardinals 1936-41; New York Giants 1942, 1946-49; New York Yankees 1949-53

World Series Appearances: New York Yankees 1949-53

Died: June 2, 1993, Demorest, GA (80)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1981

Nicknamed "The Big Cat" and "Big Jawn," slugging Johnny Mize found success with the Cardinals, Giants and Yankees over a 15-year career interrupted for three full seasons while he served during World War II. He earned the first of ten All-Star game nods in 1937, his first superstar season in which he batted a career-best .364. Mize's two-year tear in 1939 and 1940 saw him lead the league in home runs both seasons, and in 1940 he clubbed 43 home runs. Mize also collected 137 RBIs in 1940, the first of three seasons in which he'd top the league in that category. He'd finish as MVP runner-up to Bucky Walters in 1939 and Frank McCormick in 1940. Dealt to the Giants in December 1941, Mize would put up his typical superstar numbers in 1942 before missing all of 1943, 1944 and 1945 during the war.

He'd have a career year in 1947 with the Giants, leading the league in runs scored (137), home runs (51) and RBIs (138) - all three career high water marks. Decreased playing time in 1949 resulted in Mize requesting a trade, and he was shipped to the Yankees on August 22nd for $40,000. While with the Yankees, Mize served as a back-up first baseman and successful pinch-hitter. He'd win five straight World Series rings with the Yankees between 1949 and 1953, batting .286 (12 for 42) in the postseason with three home runs. In retirement, Mize worked as a broadcaster and hitting coach for the Giants (1955-60) and Athletics (1961).

In 1,884 career major league games, Mize batted .312 with 2,011 hits, 359 home runs and 1,337 RBIs. His .562 slugging percentage is currently 19th all-time. Mize was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1981.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company. Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money. Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price. These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set. What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #121, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.

As I slowly collect the originals from the 1930s, I'll also highlight each of the cards from these extension sets with their own posts. The complete set came with a small disclaimer card, indicating Dean and five other former players appear under license authorized by Curtis Management Group.

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

It's a shame the original Diamond Stars set didn't include Mize's rookie card, but the creators of this extension set right that wrong. The back of the card recounts Mize's ascent during his rookie season, and there's a bit more about his leg problems in the summary below.

1936 Season

Mize had ended the 1935 season on the voluntarily retired list, at the age of 22, due to the pain caused by spurs on his pelvic bone. From his SABR biography, written by Jerry Grillo:

[Cardinals' club surgeon Dr. Robert] Hyland performed a daring bit of surgery that winter, and by the time spring training began, Mize had made an amazing recovery. He made the Cardinals’ big-league roster and by midsummer had moved [Ripper] Collins (#116) off first base. Mize’s rookie campaign was nothing short of brilliant - in 126 games he batted .329, with 19 homers and 93 RBIs. Moreover, he was on pace to lead National League first basemen in fielding percentage had he played in enough games to qualify. Mize actually led his league in percentage, assists, and putouts twice each. Then again, he also led in errors twice and finished second in that dubious category three other times. "He was a big, lumbering guy, and some groundballs got by him, sure, but if he could reach it, if he ever got his hand on the ball, he held it," [Cardinals' teammate] Don Gutteridge said.

1936 National Chicle Pastels (R312)

1941 Double Play #99-100

1949 Bowman #85

1951 Bowman #50

1953 Topps #77

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1936 National Chicle Pastels (R312)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3): 1951-53

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2025 Topps Allen & Ginter #344

800 - Mize non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/1/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #144 Bill McKechnie MG - Boston Bees

Next Card: #146 Johnny Moore - Philadelphia Phillies

Sunday, February 22, 2026

#144 Bill McKechnie MG - Boston Bees

William Boyd McKechnie

Boston Bees

Manager

Bats: Both Throws: Right Height: 5'10" Weight: 160

Born: August 7, 1886, Wilkinsburg, PA

Major League Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates 1907, 1910-12; Boston Braves 1913; New York Yankees 1913; Indianapolis Hoosiers 1914; Newark Pepper 1915; New York Giants 1916; Cincinnati Reds 1916-17; Pittsburgh Pirates 1918, 1920

As a Manager: Newark Pepper 1915; Pittsburgh Pirates 1922-26; St. Louis Cardinals 1928, 1929; Boston Braves 1930-35; Boston Bees 1936-37; Cincinnati Reds 1938-46

Died: October 29, 1965, Bradenton, FL (79)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1962

Bill McKechnie had a respectable career as a major league player, playing in 11 seasons overall and enjoying his best season in 1914 as the starting third baseman for the the Frontier League's Indianapolis Hoosiers. He batted .304 that season with 47 stolen bases. McKechnie would begin his lengthy and successful managerial career the following year as the player/manager for the Newark Pepper, and he'd get his first National League job with the Pirates in 1922. McKechnie guided the Pirates to a National League pennant in 1925, with his club defeating the Washington Nationals in seven games in the World Series. After an acrimonious end to his time with the Pirates, McKechnnie briefly managed the Cardinals, leading that team to a World Series in 1928. They were swept by the powerhouse Yankees.

McKechnie would spend eight years at the helm for the Braves/Bees, never finishing higher than fourth place in the league. He'd join the Reds in 1938, with Cincinnati winning back-to-back pennants in 1939 and 1940, and winning the World Series in 1940 with a seventh game win over the Tigers. Focusing on strong pitching and defense throughout his career, McKechnie became the first manager to win a World Series title with two different teams. He retired as a manager following the 1946 season with 1,892 career managerial wins, ranking fourth in major league history at the time. McKechnie would coach for the Indians (1947-48) and Red Sox (1952-53), winning another World Series ring with the Indians in 1948. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Header cards included with the complete set
Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Bees Team Set

The back of the card mentions the low point of McKechnie's Hall of Fame career - the 115 loss season with the Braves in 1935. It also foreshadows his success yet to come with the Reds in a few years.

1936 Season

In a huge improvement over the disastrous 1935 season, the newly-named Bees finished the season with a 71-83 record, in sixth place in the National League, 21 games behind the pennant-winning Giants. From McKechnie's SABR biography, written by Warren Corbett:

[Boston owner] Judge Fuchs had run out of money, credit, and hope. Before the 1936 season the National League took over the franchise and engineered a recapitalization with the longtime baseball executive Bob Quinn as principal owner. The 65-year-old Quinn had a knack for picking lost causes. He had owned the Red Sox after Harry Frazee plundered the team and then served as president of the debt-ridden Brooklyn Dodgers. Quinn changed the team nickname to Bees but kept the manager. McKechnie started rebuilding again. He acquired a few useful players, including Al Lopez (#97) and Tony Cuccinello (#55), possibly as an act of charity by the rest of the league, and improved the club’s record by 33 wins in 1936, good enough for sixth place.

1912 American
Tobacco (T207)

1940 Play Ball #153

1980-87 SSPC HOF #88

1994 Conlon Collection
TSN #1066

2004 Topps Fall Classic Covers
#FC1928

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1912 American Tobacco Company Brown Background (T207)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2004 Topps Fall Classic Covers #FC1928

47 - McKechnie non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/22/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #143 Joe McCarthy MG - New York Yankees

Next Card: #145 Johnny Mike - St. Louis Cardinals

Sunday, February 15, 2026

#153 Judge Kenesaw Landis - Commissioner

Kennesaw Mountain Landis

Commissioner

Bats: Unknown Throws: Unknown

Born: November 20, 1866, Millville, OH

As Commissioner: 1920-44

Died: November 25, 1944, Chicago, IL (78)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1944

Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Tough on big business and and those he thought were opposing the country's war efforts during World War I, Landis was named the first commissioner of Major League Baseball in 1920, as the owners sought an iron fist to rule over the game. One of Landis' first actions was the permanent banning of eight White Sox players allegedly involved in throwing the 1919 World Series. Ironically, given the proliferation of sports betting in all major sports these days, Landis focused on cracking down on gambling during his tenure as commissioner. And while he restored confidence in baseball as a fair game, uninfluenced by gambling, he's viewed as having stalled the overall segregation of the game. Landis instituted the All-Star Game, with the contest first being played in 1933. He was inducted by special vote into the Hall of Fame in 1944, a few weeks following his death.

Header cards included with the complete set
Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card

Landis sure does look ornery here, and I imagine he was a difficult personality to be around. The back of the card references the first instance a designated hitter rule was considered for the game, back in 1928. It's also safe to surmise that Landis' leadership along with the spectacle of Babe Ruth (#110) helped restore the game and increase its overall popularity following the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.

1936 Season

The Yankees easily won the American League pennant and then defeated the Giants in the World Series in six games. An article in The New York Times from October 23rd wrote that Landis had mailed checks for $6,430 to each Yankee player as the winning share from the series, with each Giants player receiving $4,655.

1960 Fleer Baseball Greats #64

1980-87 SSPC HOF #28

1994 Upper Deck Baseball:
The American Epic #33

2014 Panini Golden Age #50

2019 Topps Revolution of the Game #REV-2

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1944-45 Albertype Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards (Type 1)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2019 Topps Revolution of the Game #REV-2

56 - Landis non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #152 "Gee" Walker - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #1 James "Cool Papa" Bell - Pittsburgh Crawfords

Sunday, February 8, 2026

#143 Joe McCarthy MG - New York Yankees

Joseph Vincent McCarthy

New York Yankees

Manager

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'8" Weight: 190

Born: April 21, 1887, Philadelphia, PA

World Series Appearances: Chicago Cubs 1929; New York Yankees 1932, 1936-39, 1941-43

As a Manager: Chicago Cubs 1926-30; New York Yankees 1931-46; Boston Red Sox 1948-50

Died: January 13, 1978, Buffalo, NY (90)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1957

Despite never having played in the majors, Joe McCarthy would author a Hall of Fame career in the big leagues as a seven-time World Series winner as a manager. McCarthy played 15 seasons in the minors between 1907 and 1921, spending the last of those six seasons with the Louisville Colonels in the American Association. A player-manager for the Colonels until 1921, he switched to full-time managing in 1922 and was hired to lead the Cubs in 1926. McCarthy led the Cubs to the World Series in 1929, but they were defeated in five games by the Athletics, led by McCarthy's boyhood idol, Connie Mack (#142). Fired by the Cubs at the end of the 1930 season, McCarthy was hired to lead the Yankees beginning in 1931. He'd win eight pennants for the Yankees, and seven World Series titles, including four championships in a row between 1936 and 1939. Struggles with alcoholism ended his Yankees tenure, as he resigned at the start of the 1946 season.

McCarthy returned to manage the Red Sox between 1948 and 1950, but again left his post due to health issues. The first manager to win pennants in the National League and American League, McCarthy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957. His career winning percentage in the regular season (.615) and postseason (.698) are the highest in major league history, and his 2,125 career wins currently rank 10th all-time.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Yankees Team Set

Lou Gehrig (#130) and Joe DiMaggio (#126) make a cameo in the background of McCarthy's card, depicting a famous photo of Gehrig jumping over a bat held by DiMaggio early in the 1939 season. The bio on the back of the card recounts his managerial successes to date.

1936 Season

The Yankees were 102-51 in McCarthy's sixth season leading the team, easily winning the American League pennant by finishing 19 1/2 games ahead of the second place Tigers. They would defeat the Giants in six games in the World Series, the second title overall for McCarthy as manager of the Yankees.

1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums (R314 Type 1)

1991 Conlon Collection
TSN #28

2020 Panini
Diamond Kings #8

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card*: 1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums (R314 Type 1)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2020 Panini Diamond Kings #8

*This is a tough one. McCarthy appeared on a bunch of minor league issues, food issues, team issues, pins and postcards between 1911 and the early 1960s, but I wouldn't consider any of the mainstream baseball cards.

229 - McCarthy non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #142 Connie Mack MG - Philadelphia Athletics

Next Card: #144 Bill McKechnie MG - Boston Bees

Sunday, February 1, 2026

#112 Joe DiMaggio - New York Yankees

Joseph Paul DiMaggio

New York Yankees

Outfield

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 193

Born: November 25, 1914, Martinez, CA

Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1936-42, 1946-51

World Series Appearances: New York Yankees 1936-39, 1941-42, 1947, 1949-51

Died: March 8, 1999, Hollywood, FL (84)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1955

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, reached almost mythic status during his 13 years with the Yankees. Beloved by the Bronx fans and famous worldwide, DiMaggio made his debut on May 3, 1936, and was a bona fide superstar from his time as a rookie to his retirement in 1951. He was an American League All-Star each year he played and helped guide the Yankees to 10 pennants and nine World Championships. He batted .346 in his sophomore season of 1937, attaining career best marks for home runs (46) and RBIs (167). DiMaggio won MVP honors in 1939, 1941 and 1947, the latter award made even more impressive due to the fact he had missed three full seasons while serving in the military during World War II. His best season was perhaps 1941 when he accumulated a 56-game hitting streak, finishing the year with a .357 average, 30 home runs and 125 RBIs.

DiMaggio retired following the 1951 season, ranking fifth all-time in career home runs (361) and sixth all-time in slugging percentage (.579). In 1,736 regular season games, DiMaggio batted .325 with 2,214 hits, including 389 doubles and 131 triples. His #5 was retired by the Yankees in 1952, and DiMaggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955. He remained in the spotlight following his retirement from baseball, marrying Marilyn Monroe in 1954 and forever immortalized in Simon & Garfunkel's 1968 song, "Mrs. Robinson." DiMaggio continues to be regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time.

Building the Set

December 22, 2020 from McKeesport, PA (Steel City Collectibles)

In 2014, the third and final "extended" set of Diamond Stars cards was released, repeating three of the players available in the 1993 extended set, including DiMaggio, and adding a pair of cards for Babe Ruth (#109b and #110b). According to this article, the five cards were made available at the 2014 National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC) held in Cleveland between July 30 and August 3, 2014. The cards were originally slabbed by PSA, numbered to 500, and given away to collectors when they signed up for a Gold or Platinum level PSA Collectors Club membership.

Steel City Collectibles was selling a lot of four of these five-card sets on eBay for the reasonable price of $17.95 before Christmas, and I eagerly added these cards to my collection. One set now lives in my Diamond Stars set binder and another set made its way into my oldest son's Doug's collection. That leaves me with two extra sets looking for a good home or homes.

I wish PSA and the sponsor of these sets, Historic Autograph Company, had paid attention to the extended sets issued earlier. Instead of repeating card numbers 109 to 113, they could have started with card number 154, picking up where the 1993 extended set had left off.

Variations Available

1 - 2014 / green back / 1935 statistics / 2014 copyright

The Card / Yankees Team Set

I'm partial to the first "what if" version of this Diamond Stars card, from the Chicle Fantasy Extended Edition set, issued in 1993 (#126). The write-up on the back of this card highlights DiMaggio's fast rise to fame via the Pacific Coast League. The four players the Yankees gave up for DiMaggio were Doc Farrell, Floyd Newkirk, Jimmy Densmore and Ted Norbert. Farrell refused to report to the Seals, with the Yankees adding in $5,000 to complete the deal.

1936 Season

DiMaggio entered spring training as the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (#109), who had departed the Yankees two years prior. Roy Johnson was the team's opening day left fielder, but DiMaggio made his debut and first start on May 3rd in left, moving to center field in late July. He'd hit .323 his rookie season, with 29 home runs and 125 RBIs. DiMaggio was one of five players in the powerful Yankee line-up with at least 100 RBIs, with Lou Gehrig's (#130) 152 leading them all. The Yankees defeated the Giants in the World Series, with DiMaggio playing every inning in center field for all six games. He batted .346 (9 for 26) in his first postseason play.

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #250

1939 Play Ball #26

1941 Play Ball #71

1948-49 Leaf #1

1980-87 SSPC HOF #75

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1938 Goudey Heads-Up (R323) #250

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2025 Topps Living #832

2,103 - DiMaggio non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/31/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #111 Lou Gehrig - New York Yankees

Next Card: #113 Bob Feller - Cleveland Indians

Sunday, January 25, 2026

#50 "Mel" Ott - New York Giants

Melvin Thomas Ott

New York Giants

Outfield

Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 5'9" Weight: 170

Born: March 2, 1909, Gretna, LA

Major League Teams: New York Giants 1926-47

World Series Appearances: New York Giants 1933, 1936-37

As a Manager: New York Giants 1942-48

Died: November 21, 1958, New Orleans, LA (49)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1951

Short in stature, Mel Ott was nevertheless one of the premier power hitters of his era, playing in parts of 22 seasons with the Giants and leading the league in home run six times. He never played a minor league game, going directly from high school to the majors, and making his debut just a few months following his 17th birthday. Ott was a force at the plate, capable of the long ball but also hitting for average. He hit over 30 home runs in eight seasons, including a career-high 42 home runs in 1929. He led the league in both home runs (35) and RBIs (135) in 1934, the first of 11 consecutive seasons he'd go to the All-Star Game. A lifelong Giant, Ott helped his team to three National League pennants and a World Series title in 1933. He was also an above average fielder and displayed some speed on the base paths, making him truly an exceptional five-tool player at the peak of his career. He spent the last six seasons of his playing days also serving as the Giants' manager, guiding his team to a 464-530 record.

Ott was the first National League player to collect 500 home runs, and his 511 career blasts are currently 25th all-time. Most of his career marks are still among the best all-time in baseball - 1,859 runs (15th), 2,876 hits (45th), 1,860 RBIs (14th), 1,708 walks (9th), 256 assists as an outfielder (21st). His #4 was retired by the Giants in 1949, and he was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1951.

January 11, 2026 - Citizens Bank Park lit up green
for the Eagles' playoff game
Building the Set

January 20, 2026 from Dan Barrett Sportscards - Card #116

My wife and I have reached the point where we mutually agree not to get each other anything crazy for Christmas, as (a) we really don't need anything and (b) if there was something one of us needed, we'd likely want to go and pick it out on our own. She's left it up to me over the past several years to find "one big card" for her and our sons to present to me on Christmas morning, and I feign surprise each year, even though I'm the one who plotted the card's purchase for weeks or months in advance. This past Christmas snuck up on me. I don't know if it was stress at work or the ongoing transition of having our oldest son away at college for his first semester, but I completely whiffed on finding the "one big card" in time for Santa to leave it for me under the tree.

I hadn't planned on buying this Ott card, but I received an offer of a deep discount from eBay seller, Dan Barrett Sportscards, and after a quick confirmation that Santa still owed me "one big card," I clicked buy at some point in early January. It's only the third card I've added to my Diamond Stars set build since the beginning of 2025, and with the addition of this card, I'm down to needing just three, but likely only two more cards for my version of a set.

I say likely only two, as I had every intention of adding both the error and corrected version of the Hank Greenberg (#54) card to my set, but either version of the card is crazy expensive, and I'm slowly talking myself out of needing both. With the addition of a Greenberg card, preferrably the corrected version, and the high series Stanley Hack (#107) card, my set quest will be complete.

Actually . . . one more thing left on my to-do list is to track down reprints of the cards in my set currently slabbed. Right now there are holes in my nine-pocket pages where the graded cards should go, and I've decided to use reprints of those cards as placeholders so there are no gaps whenever I'm flipping pages and admiring the set.

Variations Available

1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright

The Card / Giants Team Set

What a fantastic card, and a card I've seen countless times under glass display cases in my 40 years of collecting baseball cards. This is the only card in the set featuring a player without his hat, and I wonder what made Ott decide to pose without his hat on? Having now seen all the cards in the set, I'd say this card and the Jimmie Foxx (#64) card are by far my two favorite cards in the set, in all their 1930s art deco glory.

The back of the card features a baseball tip that still applies to today's hitters. It's not about killing the ball, or swinging the bat as hard as you can. Rather, it's about making contact with the ball at the sweet spot or the "sweet part" of the bat, and spending hours practicing a hitter's craft. Ott was a master at this, resulting in a Hall of Fame career.

1935 Season

In 152 games with the Giants, Ott batted .322 with 31 home runs and 114 RBIs. Once again the MVP of the Giants, he and first baseman Bill Terry (#14) helped lead the club to a third place finish in the National League.