Sunday, January 30, 2022

#30 "Heinie" Manush - Washington Senators


Henry Emmett Manush
Washington Senators
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200
Born:  July 20, 1901, Tuscumbia, AL
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1923-1927; St. Louis Browns 1928-1930; Washington Senators 1930-1935; Boston Red Sox 1936; Brooklyn Dodgers 1937-1938; Pittsburgh Pirates 1938-1939
World Series Appearances:  Washington Senators 1933
Died:  May 12, 1971, Sarasota, FL (69)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1964

Heinie Manush was one of the best contact hitters of his era, winning a batting title in 1926 with a .378 average and finishing in the top three in league MVP voting in three different seasons.  Manush was consistently among the league leaders for batting average, missing a second title in 1928 by one point to Goose Goslin (#112).  He led the league in hits in 1928 (241) and 1933 (221) and compiled 200-hit seasons four times.  Goslin led the league in doubles twice (1928 and 1929) and triples once (1933).  He helped lead the Senators to the World Series in 1933, along with shortstop Joe Cronin (#123), but the Giants defeated his team in five games.  Manush was the starting left-fielder for the American League in the 1934 All-Star Game.  Also a fine fielder, he often was among the league leaders for outfielders in defensive categories, finishing in the top ten for fielding percentage nine times.

1926 Sporting News (M101-7)
Manush currently ranks 97th all-time for hits (2,524), 72nd all-time for doubles (491), 40th all-time for triples (160) and his career .330 batting average is 37th all-time.  Following his playing days, he managed in the minor leagues, scouted for the Boston Braves and coached with the Senators in 1953 and 1954.  Manush would also scout for the expansion Senators in 1961 and 1962.  In 1964, the Veterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame granted him induction for his career accomplishments.

Building the Set
January 21, 2022 from Key West, FL (Quality Baseball Cards) - Card #40
Mid-January is never a fun time for me, and needing a break during a long work day I found myself on eBay looking for the remaining Dick Bartell (#15 and #101) variations I needed.  I had recently added his most commonly found card from the set, noting his team as the Giants on the back, but I wanted to try to find his other two cards from the set as well.  In my travels, I found what I considered to be extremely unusual for this pandemic-induced collecting age - a large group of auctions from seller quality*cards from the Diamond Stars set with no bids, including the elusive Bartell card from the set's third series.  I set my opening bids, and waited a few days for the auctions to close.  Again, much to my surprise, there was little to no action on the auctions until their closing minutes.  I lost a few auctions as the seconds ticked away, but I came away with six new cards overall, including this Manush card for less than $40.  I'll write about the other five cards in upcoming posts.

Variations Available
1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright / W on his sleeve ✅
2 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright / No W on his sleeve

The Card / Senators Team Set
When National Chicle re-released this card in 1936, it used blue ink, the back reflected Manush's 1935 statistics, and most notably they removed the W from his sleeve to reflect his move to the Red Sox.  The tip on the back of the card discusses the importance of communication among fielders whenever there's a fly ball - be it in the infield, outfield or in foul territory.  The last line indicates Manush uses "his megaphone voice to direct his teammates" while on the field.

1935 Season
Now in his 13th season, and already established as one of the game's top hitters, Manush began to slip with his production.  He was again the Senators' opening day left fielder, but he'd miss stretches at a time with either Cecil Travis or John Stone filling in for him in left.  Manush appeared in 119 games, batting just .273 with 131 hits, four home runs and 56 RBIs.  Following the season, on December 17th, he was dealt to the Red Sox for Roy Johnson and Carl Reynolds.

1933 Goudey #47
1933 Goudey #187
1934 Goudey #18
1940 Play Ball #176
1954 Topps #187

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1931 W517 #28
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1954
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2013 Panini Cooperstown Colgan's Chips

132 - Manush non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/23/22.

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Sunday, January 23, 2022

#80 Louis Chiozza - Philadelphia Phillies


Louis Peo Chiozza
Philadelphia Phillies
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  172
Born:  May 17, 1910, Tallulah, LA
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Phillies 1934-1936; New York Giants 1937-1939
World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1937
Died:  February 28, 1971, Memphis, TN (60)

Lou Chiozza was a regular for the Phillies between 1934 and 1936, playing second base, third base and all three outfield positions.  Selected from the Memphis Chicks in the 1933 rule 5 draft, Chiozza was the Phillies opening day third baseman in 1934 although he'd spend most of that season playing second base.  He'd appear in no less than 124 games during his three seasons with the Phillies, knocking in no less than 44 runs in each of those seasons as well.  For the basement-dwelling Phillies of that era, he was a consistent and steady presence in the line-up.  1936 would see him play in a career-high 144 games, and his versatility allowed him to start 80 games in center field, 27 games at second base, 23 games at shortstop and five games in left field.  Chiozza was traded to the Giants following the 1936 season and he'd play three more seasons in the majors, reaching the World Series with the Giants in 1937.  He suffered a career-ending injury in 1939, colliding with Giants' outfielder Jo-Jo Moore in a game and suffering a compound leg fracture.

Chiozza would attempt a comeback in 1941 back in Memphis, but the leg injury proved too difficult to overcome.  In 616 major league games, Chiozza batted .277 with 633 hits, 14 home runs and 197 RBIs.

Building the Set
January 18, 2022 from Los Angeles, CA (Greg Morris Cards) - Card #39
I was somewhat surprised to win the auction for this card, as my winning bid was lower than I thought the card would ultimately go for.  I had bid on maybe a dozen cards, all ending around the same time, from the same dealer, ultimately losing every auction except this one.  I've won quite a few auctions from Greg Morris Cards while building our 1965 Topps set, but this is the first Diamond Stars card I've won from them.  I usually have a story to go along with a purchase or an addition to my sets, but in this case I just wanted to bid on a bunch of Diamond Stars cards and hope for the best.  

The addition of this Chiozza card gets me to just two cards away from a Phillies team set.  I still need the difficult to find Dick Bartell (#15) card that lists his team as the Philadelphia Nationals on the back, and the third series Ethan Allen (#92) card.  I thought I had the Bartell Phillies card in hand, but I had actually purchased the Bartell Giants card, posted here.

Variations Available
1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright ✅
2 - 1935 / blue back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright
3 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright

Cards 73 through 84 were issued in 1935 with either green or blue ink on the back and statistics from 1934.  These same 12 cards were issued again in 1936 with blue ink on the back and statistics from 1935.  The Chiozza card for my set is the first of the three variations available.

The Card / Phillies Team Set
I've always felt this is one of the creepiest Phillies baseball cards ever.  As the baserunner barrels towards Chiozza, he's paused to give a sinister looking smile to the camera.  It's just a bizarre picture.  I've included the picture above of Chiozza to demonstrate he didn't always appear to be smiling while hatching evil plans.  Flipping to the back, the reader gets a tip on how to approach hard hit and softly hit ground balls.  This is an ironic tip to use for Chiozza's card, as he'd struggle defensively in the field during his first few seasons with the Phillies.

1935 Season / Phillies Career
As mentioned above, Chiozza joined the Phillies for their 1934 season and was immediately inserted into the line-up as an every day player.  His bat was consistent and in three seasons with the Phillies he averaged .295 over 402 games.  Chiozza struggled in the field, perhaps leading to his frequent position shifts, as he led the league in errors by a second baseman in both 1934 and 1935.  On May 24, 1935, he was the first lead-off batter in the first major league night game, stepping up to the plate at Crosley Field in Cincinnati against Reds' pitcher Paul Derringer.  Chiozza grounded out to short in that first at-bat.

A few days later, on May 29th, Chiozza's base hit against the Braves at the Baker Bowl indirectly led to the end of Babe Ruth's (#109) career.  In the bottom of the fifth inning, Chiozza looped a ball down the left field line that landed in front of Ruth.  As Ruth struggled to reach the ball, Chiozza swiftly rounded the bases and was safe at home.  The home plate umpire called him out though, with the story going that the umpire felt badly for the aging Ruth.  Ruth would bat in the top of the next inning, striking out in his penultimate major league at-bat against the Phillies' Syl Johnson.  Hal Lee replaced Ruth in left field in the bottom of the sixth and the 40-year-old Ruth would announce his retirement from baseball a few days later.

Chiozza's brother, Dino Chiozza, appeared in two games for the Phillies in 1935, making them one of the first combinations of brothers to play together on the same team.  Lou Chiozza's time with the Phillies came to an end on December 8, 1936, when the team dealt him to the Giants for infielder George Scharein and cash.

1934 Diamond
Matchbooks
1939 Play Ball #58
1940 Play Ball #157
1941 Goudey (R324) #3

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars #80
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1074

13 - Chiozza non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/21/22.

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Sunday, January 16, 2022

#15 Dick Bartell - New York Giants (Variation)


Richard William Bartell
New York Giants
Shortstop

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  160
Born:  November 22, 1907, Chicago, IL
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1927-1930; Philadelphia Phillies 1931-1934; New York Giants 1935-1938; Chicago Cubs 1939; Detroit Tigers 1940-1941; New York Giants 1941-1943, 1946
World Series Appearances:  New York Giants 1936-1937; Detroit Tigers 1940
Died:  August 4, 1995, Alameda, CA (87)

An aggressive and fiery competitor, Dick Bartell was a veteran of 18 big league seasons, known for his ability to hit for average and his above average defense at shortstop.  Bartell played his first four seasons with the Pirates, making his big league debut at the age of 19.  He blossomed with the Phillies, serving as one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bleak roster.  Bartell led the league in 1932 and 1933 in sacrifices and was one of the Phillies' first All-Stars in 1933.  Bartell started and played shortstop in the first ever All-Star Game, joining teammate Chuck Klein (#139) who started in right field.  Dealt to the Giants following the 1934 season, Bartell would enjoy his finest seasons in New York.

He helped the club reach the World Series in 1936 and 1937, although they fell to the Yankees both times. Those were Bartell's best seasons as he batted .298 with 42 RBIs in 1936 and .306 with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs in 1937.  Despite his numbers, Bartell's combative disposition led to his frequent trades and he also led the league in getting hit by pitches a stunning five times.  He'd return to the Giants for five games in 1946, after serving two years in the Army during World War II, and then retire as a player.  Bartell played in 2,016 big league games and had a lifetime average of .284 with 2,165 hits.  He led all shortstops in putouts and assists in three seasons and in double plays turned in four seasons, and his name is often mentioned as one of the best, and most underrated, shortstops of his era.  His lifetime fielding percentage was .952.  Bartell managed in the minor leagues in the 1940s and 1950s, and served on the big league coaching staffs of the Yankees (1946), Tigers (1949-1952) and Reds (1954-1955).

Building the Set
January 13, 2022 from Tomball, TX (The Battersbox) - Card #38
This card entered my set in error, as I was specifically shopping for the Bartell Phillies card - see below for Variations Available.  Having recently won an auction for the Louis Chiozza (#80) card, which has yet to arrive in the mail as of this writing, I wanted to get closer to a Phillies team set and I specifically set out looking for Bartell's Phillies card.  Finding the card shown here at a reasonable price from The Battersbox, I clicked Buy It Now, and sat back satisfied I had crossed a pair of Phillies cards off my set's checklist in one day.  Fast forward a few days later, this card arrives, and I realize the Bartell Phillies card is still needed.  The Bartell Giants card, at least the first one in the set, has been crossed off the list.

Variations Available
1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright / team on back is the Phillies
2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright / team on back is the Giants ✅

The Card / Giants Team Set
This is the first of three Bartell cards I'll be adding to my set.  The first two are both #15, with the version released in 1934 noting his team as the Phillies on the back.  The version released in 1935 (this version) updates the back to reflect his trade to the Giants.  Finally, Bartell is also card #101 in the set, and that version, released in 1936, removes the Phillies logos from the photo on the front.  The tip on the back of the card explains the need for a shortstop to vary his throws depending on the angle of a batted ground ball and the speed of the baserunner.

1935 Season
On November 1, 1934, the Phillies traded Bartell to the Giants for Pretzel Pezzullo, Blondy Ryan (#40), Johnny Vergez (#21), George Watkins and cash.  Similar to what they did for Bartell, National Chicle also updated Vergez's card to donate his move from the Giants to the Phillies between their 1934 and 1935 issuances of his card.  Bartell started 135 games at shortstop for the third place Giants, batting .262 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs.  The 14 home runs would set a career high mark for Bartell, which he tied in 1937.

Phillies Career
The Phillies acquired Bartell from the Pirates on November 6, 1930 for Tommy Thevenow and Claude Willoughby.  With the nickname "Rowdy Richard," Bartell was perhaps the first in a long line of scrappy shortstops to come through Philadelphia.  He was the team's opening day and primary shortstop between 1931 and 1934, establishing himself as one of the best at that position in the game.  Bartell led all National League shortstops in assists in 1932 and 1934, in putouts between 1932 and 1934, and was in the top ten for fielding percentage between 1932 and 1934.  Named as the starting shortstop for the first All-Star Game in 1933, Bartell batted seventh and went 0 for 2, striking out in his first at-bat against Lefty Gomez (#118).  In 587 games with the Phillies, Bartell batted .295 with 695 hits, 386 runs scored, 146 doubles and 161 RBIs.  As mentioned above, he was dealt to the Giants following the 1934 season.

1933 Goudey #28
1933 George C. Miller (R300)
1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)
1938 Goudey Heads-Up #272
1955 Bowman #234

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #28
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1243

64 - Bartell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/15/22.

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Sunday, January 9, 2022

#71 "Ossie" Bluege - Washington Senators


Oswald Louis Bluege
Washington Senators
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  162
Born:  October 24, 1900, Chicago, IL
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1922-1939
World Series Appearances:  Washington Senators 1924-1925, 1933
As a Manager:  Washington Senators 1943-1947
Died:  October 14, 1985, Edina, MN (84)

Ossie Bluege spent decades as a player, coach, manager and front office executive for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise, retiring in 1971 after 50 years with the organization.  An accountant on the side when not playing for the Senators, Bluege was the starting third baseman for the teams that went to the World Series in 1924, 1925 and 1933.  The Senators won the Championship in 1924, the franchise's only title before winning again as the Twins in 1987.  He led the league in assists by a third baseman in four different seasons and in double plays turned by a third baseman in two seasons.  Bluege was known more for his defense than his bat, and he hit a career high .297 in 1928, while attaining career highs in home runs (8) and RBIs (98) in 1931.  He earned MVP votes in both 1925 and 1926, and was a member of the American League All-Star team in 1935, replacing Jimmie Foxx (#64) at third base for the final half inning of the game.  Bluege appeared in 1,867 games with the Senators, which is fifth on the franchise's all-time list behind other Senators/Twins notables Sam Rice (#32) and Harmon Killebrew.  Bluege collected 1,751 career hits and 848 RBIs while batting .272.  

Bluege retired as a player following the 1939 season and was a coach for the Senators until 1942, taking over as manager beginning in 1943.  He guided the club to a 375-394 record over five seasons, including two second place finishes.  Bluege began a stint as the Senators' farm system director in 1948 and was responsible for signing Killebrew in 1954.  In 1958, given his talents as an accountant, Bluege was named the team's chief accountant, their comptroller, moving with the club to Minnesota in 1961.  After ten more years with the Twins in that role, Bluege retired from baseball.

Building the Set
December 26, 2021, Christmas Present from Mom - Card #37
This was one of two cards my Mom gifted me the day after Christmas, noting both cards were an early payment for her upcoming tax return preparation services.  Along with this Bluege card was the card for Rice (#32).  We've enjoyed a tradition over the past decade or so of driving to my Mom's house the day after Christmas to spend a day with her and my sister's family eating, laughing and opening way too many presents.  This year was even a little more enjoyable as we were able to go maskless, having all been double or triple vaccinated depending on age.  

The two Diamond Stars cards acquired came with an added surprise of a vintage yellow wrapper from the set, carefully preserved inside an oversized top loader.  I'm still trying to figure out how I want to display the wrapper and whether or not I'll risk taking it out and unfolding it*.  I posted a complete summary of this year's gifts from my Mom over at The Phillies Room.  This card was housed in a top loader with a sticker on the back with the identifier, "50093 martyspsagradedcards.com."

*I did end up unfolding it and moving it to a larger top loader.  I added the wrapper to an 8 1/2" x 11" protective page and it's now at the front of my Diamond Stars set binder.

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

The Card / Senators Team Set
The baseball tip on the back is a little odd as it discusses the size of infielder's hands, noting that Bluege's are among "the largest pair of hands in baseball."  It also warns not to loan your glove to other fielders so as not to "alter the pocket and spoil its effect for your needs."

1935 Season
This was Bluege's sole All-Star season, and he finished the year with a .263 average in 100 games played. At 34 years old, he was a back-up at this point, starting 77 games total, with 54 starts at shortstop, 21 starts at third base and a pair of starts at second base.

1925 Exhibits (W461)
1933 Goudey #113
1933 Goudey #159
1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #105
1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #93

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1925 Exhibits (W461)
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #295

38 - Bluege non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/28/21.

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Sunday, January 2, 2022

#32 Sam Rice - Cleveland Indians


Edgar Charles Rice
Cleveland Indians
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  150
Born:  February 20, 1890, Morocco, IN
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1915-1933; Cleveland Indians 1934
World Series Appearances:  Washington Senators 1924-1925, 1933
Died:  October 13, 1974, Rossmoor, MD (84)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1963

In April 1912, a tornado swept through Indiana, tragically killing Sam Rice's entire family including his parents, his two younger sisters and his wife and two children.  Rice spent the following year drifting, eventually joining the U.S. Navy and slowly rekindling his pitching skills within the Navy and then with a minor league team in Virginia.  On July 28, 1915, Rice's contract was sold by the Petersburg Goobers of the Virginia League to the Washington Senators, and he subsequently changed his first name from Edgar to Sam, and also converted from a pitcher to a full-time outfielder.  What followed was a 20-year major league career that ultimately found Rice inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963.

Rice rarely struck out and was able to stretch singles into doubles as a result of his above average speed on the base paths.  Throughout the late 1910s and all through the 1920s, he consistently was among the league leaders in runs, hits, stolen bases and batting average.  Rice had over 200 hits in six different seasons, hitting a career-high 227 in 1925 and leading the league in 1924 and 1926.  He led the league in stolen bases with 63 in 1920.  Rice helped lead the Senators to the World Series in 1924 and 1925, and his team won the Championship in 1924.  The most controversial moment of Rice's baseball career came during the 1925 World Series against the Pirates, when Rice apparently robbed a home run from Pirates catcher Earl Smith.  Rice tumbled over the right field wall into the stands and out of sight.  When he emerged he signaled he had caught the ball and the umpires ruled Smith out.  (The Senators would ultimately lose the Series.)

Rice still holds the Senators/Twins franchise records for runs, hits, doubles and triples.  He batted .322 over his career, collecting 2,987 hits, with 1,514 runs scored, 498 doubles and 184 triples.

Building the Set
December 26, 2021, Christmas Present from Mom - Card #36
This was one of two cards my Mom gifted me the day after Christmas, noting both cards were an early payment for her upcoming tax return preparation services.  Along with this Rice card was the card for Ossie Bluege (#71).  We've enjoyed a tradition over the past decade or so of driving to my Mom's house the day after Christmas to spend a day with her and my sister's family eating, laughing and opening way too many presents.  This year was even a little more enjoyable as we were able to go maskless, having all been double or triple vaccinated depending on age.  The two Diamond Stars cards acquired came with an added surprise of a vintage yellow wrapper from the set, carefully preserved inside an oversized top loader.  I'm still trying to figure out how I want to display the wrapper and whether or not I'll risk taking it out and unfolding it.  I posted a complete summary of this year's gifts from my Mom over at The Phillies Room.  This card was housed in a top loader with a sticker on the back with the identifier, "50072 martyspsagradedcards.com."

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

The Card / Indians Team Set
This is Rice's final mainstream baseball card issued contemporaneously during his playing career, and it's one of the only baseball cards to feature him wearing an Indians uniform.  He's also the oldest person featured in the original run of Diamond Stars cards issued between 1934 and 1936.  The tip on the back of the card discusses the importance of a low throw to the infield or catcher from an outfielder.  This is a fitting tip to be featured on Rice's card as his 278 career outfield assists are currently 13th on the all-time list.  He led all outfielders in assists in 1926 and with putouts in 1920 and 1922.

1935 Season
On January 8, 1934, the Senators released Rice and he signed about a month later with the Cleveland Indians.  He'd appear in 97 games for the Indians in 1934, batting .293, and despite Indians' manager Walter Johnson's desire for Rice to return in 1935, the long-time outfielder opted to retire instead at the age of 44.  By the time this card was making its way to collectors, Rice was out of baseball.

1917 Collins-McCarthy
(E135) #137
1922 American Caramel
Series of 240 (E120)
1933 Goudey #134
 
1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #70
 
1980 SSPC Hall of Fame #93
 

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1917 Collins-McCarthy (E135) #137
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Panini Diamond Kings #167

129 - Rice non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/27/21.

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