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Alfonso Ramon Lopez
Brooklyn Dodgers
Catcher
Born: August 20, 1908, Tampa, FL
Major League Teams: Brooklyn Robins 1928, 1930-1931; Brooklyn Dodgers 1932-1935; Boston Bees 1936-1940; Pittsburgh Pirates 1940-1946; Cleveland Indians 1947
As a Manager: Cleveland Indians 1951-1956; Chicago White Sox 1957-1965, 1968-1969
Died: October 30, 2005, Tampa, FL (age 97)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1977
Died: October 30, 2005, Tampa, FL (age 97)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1977
As a catcher, Al Lopez played in 19 seasons and was a two-time All-Star in 1934 with the Dodgers and 1941 with the Pirates. Durable behind the plate, he at one time held the record for total games caught with 1,918, broken by Bob Boone in 1987 and since bested by nine other backstops. Known more for his defense than his bat, Lopez was still a career .261 hitter and he hit 51 home runs with 652 RBIs over 1,950 games.
As a manager, Lopez built a Hall of Fame resume by leading the 1954 Indians and 1959 White Sox to the World Series, interrupting a dynasty of Yankee pennant winning teams between 1949 and 1964. Over 17 seasons as a manager he compiled a lifetime winning percentage of .584, going 1,410-1,004. In the years between 1951 and 1965, his teams finished in second place or won the pennant 12 out of 15 times. The Veterans Committee elected him into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
At the age of 97, Lopez watched the White Sox win the World Series in 2005, their first title since 1917. He passed away four days later and at the time of his death he represented the last living ballplayer who had played in the Majors in the 1920s.
As a manager, Lopez built a Hall of Fame resume by leading the 1954 Indians and 1959 White Sox to the World Series, interrupting a dynasty of Yankee pennant winning teams between 1949 and 1964. Over 17 seasons as a manager he compiled a lifetime winning percentage of .584, going 1,410-1,004. In the years between 1951 and 1965, his teams finished in second place or won the pennant 12 out of 15 times. The Veterans Committee elected him into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
At the age of 97, Lopez watched the White Sox win the World Series in 2005, their first title since 1917. He passed away four days later and at the time of his death he represented the last living ballplayer who had played in the Majors in the 1920s.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set
October 7, 2021 from Groveland, MA - Card #31
This was an impulse eBay purchase, made while I was enjoying a relaxing birthday at home. I had added this card to my watch list a while ago, and while reviewing items set to expire soon I decided to pull the trigger on its purchase. The card arrived safely a few days later from eBay seller yankees78, nestled in a bubble mailer and wrapped in a stack of napkins.
Variations Available
1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright
The final 12 cards in the Diamond Stars set, released as part of series three in 1936, contain the exact same photos and players as earlier cards from the set. Lopez shows up again as card #97, with the same text on the back save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics and Lopez's team has been updated from the Dodgers to the Bees. Also, the ink on the back of card #97 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.
The Card / Dodgers Team Set
This is Lopez's rookie card, and it's one of the more recognizable cards in the set. There's so much going on here and so many different elements to the action scene depicted on the front. Lopez is shown tossing off his catcher's mask in an attempt, I think, to catch a foul pop up. Granted, the angles and the depth perception are all wrong here, but a baseball fan would get the gist of what is supposed to be happening here. We've got shadows behind Lopez and the mystery batter, the mystery batter's hand holding the bat as he completes his backswing and four multi-color pennants in the background to fill the open yellow space beyond the outfield wall. The back of the card gives the collector a tip on how to prepare as a catcher to throw out a would-be base stealer. And in what is a first for me, or at least the first time I've seen it on the back of one of these cards, we have a reference to another card in the set! The collector is directed to view Mickey Cochrane's (#9) card for further catching tips.
The color choices used for the Dodgers' uniforms in this set continue to confuse me, as the artist decided to color Lopez's Dodgers hat red.
1935 Season
Lopez was the opening day catcher for the Dodgers, and he'd make 116 starts behind the plate for the club. Managed by Casey Stengel (#150), the Dodgers finished fifth in the National League with a 70-83-1 record. Lopez had one of his worst seasons statistically, hitting .251 with three home runs and 39 RBIs. He led the National League with 15 intentional walks, which is entirely attributable to his usually hitting eighth in the batting order, ahead of the pitcher's spot. This was Lopez's seventh and final season in Brooklyn and on December 12th, he along with Ray Benge, Tony Cuccinello (#55) and Bobby Reis were dealt to the Boston Braves for Ed Brandt and Randy Moore.
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Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars (R327) #28
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1960-1965, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen #183
209 - Lopez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/7/21.
Sources:
1965 Topps Blog
First Mainstream Card: 1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars (R327) #28
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1960-1965, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen #183
209 - Lopez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/7/21.
Sources:
1965 Topps Blog
Previous Card: #27 "Pie" Traynor - Pittsburgh Pirates
Next Card: #29 Robert Rolfe - New York Yankees
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