1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #72 "Tony" Piet

Sunday, October 31, 2021

#72 "Tony" Piet - Chicago White Sox

Anthony Francis Piet

Chicago White Sox

Second Base-Third Base

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'0" Weight: 175

Born: December 7, 1906, Berwick, PA

Major League Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates 1931-1933; Cincinnati Reds 1934-1935; Chicago White Sox 1935-1937; Detroit Tigers 1938

Died: December 1, 1981, Hinsdale, IL (74)

Tony Piet was a middle infielder who spent parts of eight seasons in the majors. As the regular second baseman for the Pirates in 1932, he led the league in games played with 154, and drove in a career-high 85 runs. The following season, Piet finished third in the National League in batting average with his .323 mark, finishing behind teammates Chuck Klein and Spud Davis from the Phillies, who hit .368 and .349 respectively. He was dealt to the Reds following that season and then sold to the White Sox in June 1935. Piet enjoyed a few solid seasons with the White Sox in 1935 and 1936, playing either second or third base for the club. After a final season with the Tigers in 1938 as a part-time player, Piet retired from baseball. He'd settle in Chicago, opening a car dealership.

Building the Set

October 12, 2021 from Champaign, IL (Monster Cards) - Card #32

I came across this card at some point in September, adding it to be Watch List in eBay and not immediately pulling the trigger as the photo used for the card's back in the auction listing was from the 1934-36 Batter's Up set. But the price was reasonable ($35) and the seller's feedback was high, so I pulled the trigger on purchasing the card. Fortunately, when it arrived a few days later from Monster Cards in Champaign, Illinois, the card's back was just as clean as the front and it did not have a Batter's Up back. (Which would have made for an interesting story and an even more interesting inclusion in my set!)

Variations Available

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

The Card / White Sox Team Set

Interesting enough, the back of the card make reference to Piet as a "former Pirate infielder," but he's wearing a Reds hat, from his more recent team, in the photo used on the front of the card. The chain link fence behind Piet is fantastic, and the yellow and blue stripes for some contrast are a nice touch too. The tip on the back of the card implores hitters to use the "standup type" of batting stance and not the more challenging stance used by "crouch hitters." There's quite a bit of information here about how to stand, how to hold the bat and how to swing. Finally, National Chicle lists Piet's city of birth as Chicago, while his Baseball Reference page has him as being born in Berwick, Pennsylvania.

1935 Season

Piet began the season with the Reds and was sold to the White Sox on June 4th. He'd make 58 starts at second base for the White Sox, trading off time at the position with Jackie Hayes through long stretches of games. Hayes ultimately made 81 starts at second. Piet batted a solid .298 for the White Sox, with 87 hits, 17 doubles and 27 RBIs.