#79 Willis Hudlin - Cleveland Indians

George Willis Hudlin

Cleveland Indians

Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190

Born:  May 23, 1906, Wagoner, OK

Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1926-1940; Washington Senators 1940; New York Giants 1940; St. Louis Browns 1940, 1944

Died:  August 5, 2002, Little Rock, AR (96)

Willis Hudlin pitched in parts of 16 different seasons in the major leagues, with all but 16 of his 475 appearances coming with the Indians.  He won at least 12 games in nine different seasons, including a career-high 18 wins in 1927, and he pitched at least 200 innings in six different seasons between 1927 and 1935.  Hudlin's best season statistically came in 1929 when he was 17-15 with a 3.34 ERA in 40 games, including 33 starts.  Although he never pitched on the national stage in a World Series, he did make the national headlines when he surrendered Babe Ruth's (#110) 500th career home run on August 11, 1929.  Ruth was the first player to reach the 500 home run threshold.  In 1940, Hudlin's last season in the majors before a one-game appearance in 1944, he pitched for four teams - the Indians, Senators, Giants and Browns.  In 491 major league games he was 158-156 with a 4.41 ERA and 677 strikeouts over 2,613 1/3 innings pitched.  He's currently third on the Guardians all-time franchise leaderboard in games pitched (475), fourth in innings pitched (2,557 2/3) and seventh in wins (157).

Between 1941 and 1946, Hudlin pitched for the Little Rock Travelers and he was also part-owner of the club.  He managed the team in 1942, winning the Southern Association pennant.  Hudlin continued working in the minor leagues throughout the 1940s, and purchased the Greenville, Mississippi franchise in the Cotton States League in 1953.  As the Greenville club was affiliated with the Tigers, Hudlin worked for the team in various capacities throughout the 1950s, including as the Tigers' major league pitching coach between 1957 and 1959.  He mentored a young Jim Bunning during his time working in the Tigers system.

Building the Set

May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #53

Growing up in South Jersey, I'd look forward to the Ocean City Baseball Card show every summer, saving my precious birthday or gas mowing money so that I could spend it all during one glorious afternoon inside the Ocean City Music Pier among dozens of tables of vintage baseball cards.  When my wife Jenna texted me that there was a baseball card show coming up in Ocean City on April 30th, I admittedly got giddy.  We needed 11 cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, I had plans to begin collecting a 1969 Topps set, and I figured I'd add a Diamond Stars card or two to that growing set.  We loaded the family in the car, trekked down to Ocean City, and I stepped inside the Music Pier for the first time in over 20 years.

The memories came flooding back, but none of the former baseball card dealers from my youth did.  There were maybe 15 tables scattered on the lower portion of the Music Pier floor and I immediately scanned mostly shiny slabbed cards, bobble heads, signed jerseys, and nary a vintage baseball card in sight.  It was a little depressing.  Determined to come away with something, anything for my collection, I scoured a "3 for $20" box and came away with a few cards for Doug's collection, namely Alec Bohm relic cards, and six cards from sets I'm not even collecting yet.

All of this is meant as a prelude to how this Hudlin card ended up in my collection.  My budgeted show money burning a hole in my pocket, I navigated over to Gar Miller Cards' online store when we got home and held my own virtual baseball card show.  I added four cards to our Diamond Cards set, crossed off three more cards for our 1965 Topps set and threw in a few cool cards to add to the 1969 Topps pile I've started.

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 Hudlin card for my set is the third of the three variations available, issued in 1936.

The Card / Indians Team Set

The back of the card extols Hudlin's fielding abilities.  He led the league in assists by a pitcher in 1929 and 1934, and his 734 career assists are currently 78th on the all-time list.  The specific tip given reminds pitchers to "act instantly" if a bunt from the batter is sensed.

1936 Season

Hudlin appeared in only 27 games for the Indians, making seven starts, and had a record of 1-5 to go along with a 9.00 ERA.  Arm injuries limited his output to 64 innings, the lowest total since his rookie season of 1926.

1929 Kashin Publications (R316)

1933 Goudey #96

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #48

1936 National Chicle Fine Pen Premiums (R313)

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1929 Kashin Publications (R316)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1936 National Chicle Fine Pen Premiums (R313)

27 - Hudlin non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/12/22.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #78 Joe Kuhel - Washington Senators

Next Card: #80 Louis Chiozza - Philadelphia Phillies

#78 Joe Kuhel - Washington Senators

Joseph Anthony Kuhel

Washington Senators

First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180

Born:  June 25, 1906, Cleveland, OH

Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1930-1937; Chicago White Sox 1938-1943; Washington Senators 1944-1946; Chicago White Sox 1946-1947

World Series Appearances:  Washington Senators 1933

As a Manager:  Washington Senators 1948-1949

Died:  February 26, 1984, Kansas City, KS (77)

Joe Kuhel was one of the best defensive first baseman of his era, and his power numbers suffered throughout his career as a result of the number of home games he played in spacious Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.  Kuhel was a steady hitter throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, batting a career-best .322 in 1933 and helping the Senators win the American League pennant.  He struggled in the World Series however, as his club fell to the Giants in five games.  Kuhel drove in at least 100 runs twice (1933, 1936) and hit a career-high 27 home runs for the White Sox in 1940.  He spent his 18-year big league playing career entirely with two franchises, having two separate stints with both the Senators and White Sox.  

April 30, 2022 - Inside a mostly empty Music Pier

Playing in his final games in 1947, Kuhel retired with 2,212 career hits, a .277 batting average, 131 home runs and 1,049 RBIs.  His longevity as a first baseman puts him fairly high on several all-time leaders lists for the position, including assists (32nd with 1,163), games played (16th with 2,057) and putouts (10th with 19,386).  Kuhel managed in the majors briefly, guiding the Senators to a 106-201 record over two seasons in 1948 and 1949.  He managed the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues, in 1950.

Building the Set

May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #52

Growing up in South Jersey, I'd look forward to the Ocean City Baseball Card show every summer, saving my precious birthday or gas mowing money so that I could spend it all during one glorious afternoon inside the Ocean City Music Pier among dozens of tables of vintage baseball cards.  When my wife Jenna texted me that there was a baseball card show coming up in Ocean City on April 30th, I admittedly got giddy.  We needed 11 cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, I had plans to begin collecting a 1969 Topps set, and I figured I'd add a Diamond Stars card or two to that growing set.  We loaded the family in the car, trekked down to Ocean City, and I stepped inside the Music Pier for the first time in over 20 years.

The memories came flooding back, but none of the former baseball card dealers from my youth did.  There were maybe 15 tables scattered on the lower portion of the Music Pier floor and I immediately scanned mostly shiny slabbed cards, bobble heads, signed jerseys, and nary a vintage baseball card in sight.  It was a little depressing.  Determined to come away with something, anything for my collection, I scoured a "3 for $20" box and came away with a few cards for Doug's collection, namely Alec Bohm relic cards, and six cards from sets I'm not even collecting yet.

All of this is meant as a prelude to how this Kuhel card ended up in my collection.  My budgeted show money burning a hole in my pocket, I navigated over to Gar Miller Cards' online store when we got home and held my own virtual baseball card show.  I added four cards to our Diamond Cards set, crossed off three more cards for our 1965 Topps set and threw in a few cool cards to add to the 1969 Topps pile I've started.

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 Kuhel card for my set is the first of the three variations available, issued in 1935 with green ink used for the back.

The Card / Senators Team Set

The #3 peaking through on the back of Kuhel's jersey is a little mysterious, as according to his Baseball Reference page, Kuhel didn't wear that number until the 1938 season when he was playing for the White Sox.  Kuhel wore #23, #21, #2, #5, #6 and #7 during his first stint with the Senators.  The defensive tip on the back encourages first baseman to not fear ranging too far off the bag in order to track down ground balls, and to count on your pitcher to cover the base if needed.

1935 Season

Once again the everyday first baseman for the Senators, Kuhel led the league with 723 plate appearances.  He batted .261 with a pair of home runs and 74 RBIs as his club finished in sixth place in the league.  He led all American League first baseman with 150 double plays turned.

1933 Goudey #108

1934 Goudey #16

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #80

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #243

1941 Play Ball #31

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #108

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #188

53 - Kuhel non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/7/22.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #77 Charlie Gehringer - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #79 Willis Hudlin - Cleveland Indians

#42 Jimmy Dykes MG - Chicago White Sox

James Joseph Dykes

Chicago White Sox

Third Base-Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  185

Born:  November 10, 1896, Philadelphia, PA

Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1918-1932; Chicago White Sox 1933-1939

World Series Appearances:  Philadelphia Athletics 1929-1931

As a Manager:  Chicago White Sox 1934-1946; Philadelphia Athletics 1951-1953; Baltimore Orioles 1954; Cincinnati Redlegs 1958; Detroit Tigers 1959-1960; Cleveland Indians 1960-1961

Died:  June 15, 1976, Philadelphia, PA (79)

Jimmy Dykes played 22 seasons in the majors and was a key contributor to the Athletics' dynasty of the late 1920s/early 1930s that won World Series titles in 1929 and 1930.  Dykes played all three middle infield positions and batted over .300 in seven different seasons.  He enjoyed a career year in 1929 for Connie Mack's (#142) club, batting .327 with 13 home runs and 79 RBIs, as part of a potent line-up that also boasted catcher Mickey Cochrane (#9) and first baseman Jimmie Foxx (#64).  Dykes batted .421 (8 for 19) in the 1929 World Series as the Athletics defeated the Cubs in five games.  Dealt to the White Sox following the 1932 season, Dykes was named to the first two American League All-Star teams, starting at third base in the first Mid-Summer Classic in his home ballpark of Comiskey Field.  He went 2 for 3 in the game.

Dykes assumed player-manager duties for the White Sox in 1934, and he'd play his last games as a player in 1939.  For his playing career, Dykes was a .280 batter with 2,256 hits and at the time of his retirement he ranked eighth all-time in American League games played (2,282) and ninth in at-bats (8,046).  He still holds the Athletics franchise record for career doubles with 365, and his 115 times hit by pitch rank second in American League history.  Dykes would manage for parts of 21 seasons, compiling a lifetime record of 1,406-1,541.  His teams never reached the postseason, often finishing in the second division.

April 30, 2022 - Ocean City Music Pier

Building the Set

May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #51

Growing up in South Jersey, I'd look forward to the Ocean City Baseball Card show every summer, saving my precious birthday or gas mowing money so that I could spend it all during one glorious afternoon inside the Ocean City Music Pier among dozens of tables of vintage baseball cards.  When my wife Jenna texted me that there was a baseball card show coming up in Ocean City on April 30th, I admittedly got giddy.  We needed 11 cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, I had plans to begin collecting a 1969 Topps set, and I figured I'd add a Diamond Stars card or two to that growing set.  We loaded the family in the car, trekked down to Ocean City, and I stepped inside the Music Pier for the first time in over 20 years.

The memories came flooding back, but none of the former baseball card dealers from my youth did.  There were maybe 15 tables scattered on the lower portion of the Music Pier floor and I immediately scanned mostly shiny slabbed cards, bobble heads, signed jerseys, and nary a vintage baseball card in sight.  It was a little depressing.  Determined to come away with something, anything for my collection, I scoured a "3 for $20" box and came away with a few cards for Doug's collection, namely Alec Bohm relic cards, and six cards from sets I'm not even collecting yet.

All of this is meant as a prelude to how this Dykes card ended up in my collection.  My budgeted show money burning a hole in my pocket, I navigated over to Gar Miller Cards' online store when we got home and held my own virtual baseball card show.  I added four cards to our Diamond Cards set, crossed off three more cards for our 1965 Topps set and threw in a few cool cards to add to the 1969 Topps pile I've started.

Variations Available

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

The Card / White Sox Team Set

The back of this card describes how to properly execute a run-down, by forcing the runner back to the base from which he came, and limiting run-down throws to just two.  I'm surprised there's no mention of Dykes now managing the White Sox, as he had taken over for the departed Lew Fonseca (#7) just 15 games into the 1934 season.

1935 Season

While also serving as the manager of the White Sox, Dykes was the club's regular third baseman, appearing in 117 games.  He batted .288 with four home runs and 61 RBIs for a team that finished in fifth place in the American League with a 74-78-1 record.  Shortstop Luke Appling (#95) was the star of the team, leading the White Sox in hitting (.307) and driving in 71 runs.

Phillies Connection

Following his retirement as a manager, Dykes hosted a postgame Phillies radio show from his native Philadelphia.

1921-23 National Caramel (E220)

1933 DeLong Gum (R333)

1933 Goudey #6

1951 Bowman #226

1960 Topps #214

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1921-23 National Caramel (E220)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1960-1961

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1150

108 - Dykes non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/7/22.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #41 Harvey Hendrick - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card: #43 Ted Lyons - Chicago White Sox

#84 Sam Byrd - Cincinnati Reds

Samuel Dewey Byrd

Cincinnati Reds

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175

Born:  October 15, 1907, Bremen, GA

Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1929-1934; Cincinnati Reds 1935-1936

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1932

Died:  May 11, 1981, Mesa, AZ (73)

Given the nickname, "Babe Ruth's Legs," Sammy Byrd was often inserted into games as a pinch-runner or late inning defensive replacement for the aging slugger (#110).  He made 71 pinch-running appearances for the Yankees between 1929 and 1934, 120 pinch-hitting appearances and started 385 games at all three outfield positions.  He was a member of the Yankees team that swept the Cubs in 1932 World Series, playing the ninth inning of Game 4 in left field as Ruth watched his team clinch the title from the Yankees' bench.  Byrd got the chance at regular playing time in 1935 after the Yankees sold him to the Reds.  He was the Reds' opening day left fielder, switching over to center fielder for the bulk of the season.  Byrd appeared in a career-high 121 games, batting .262 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs.  His final season in the majors followed in 1936, with Byrd back serving in a reserve role.  The Reds traded him to the Cardinals following the 1936 season, but Byrd announced his retirement from baseball to focus on his professional golf career.

May 2, 2022 - Ben finishing strong

Successfully making the switch from baseball to golf, he finished third at the Masters in 1941 and fourth in 1942, making him the only person to have played in a World Series and in the Masters.  Byrd won six PGA events during his golf career, retiring from the tour in 1949.

Building the Set

May 2, 2022 from Auburn, NY - Card #50

May 2022 was marked by a horrible bout of seasonal allergies, coordinating my work schedule around Doug's freshman baseball games and Ben's middle school track meets, dealing with a frustrating and underperforming Phillies team and the addition of the 50th card to my Diamond Stars set.  The addition of this Byrd card was a pleasant surprise.  

Looking for a temporary distraction from an online meeting that could have been an e-mail, I casually browsed eBay and came across this Byrd card with a reasonably low opening bid.  I met the opening bid, noted the auction had a full week to go, and went about my day.  I was reminded I had bid on the card shortly before the auction ended, and I was happy to see I was still the only bidder for it.  The auction clock ticked down, the auction ended with just my one bid, and the card was mine.  It arrived a few days later from eBay seller jamibe, located in Auburn, New York.

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 Byrd card for my set is the third of the three variations available, issued in 1936.

The Card / Reds Team Set

The source photo for this card appears to be from the 1934-36 Batter-Up set, with the National Chicle artist altering Byrd's Yankees uniform and hat to a Reds uniform and hat.  Byrd wore #24 with the Yankees in 1932, and the 4 is peaking through on his back.  The narrative on the back of the card foreshadows his future as a professional golfer, noting that "golf does not spoil the natural flow of a batters swing."  The tip goes on to note the similarities between swinging a baseball bat and a golf club, with importance placed on the swinger to be relaxed, never tense.  This is the final card in the set's 60-card second series.

1936 Season

Once again a back-up outfielder after getting a taste of regular play in 1935, Byrd appeared in 59 games for the Reds, batting .248 with a pair of home runs and 13 RBIs.  On May 23rd, Byrd pinch-hit for pitcher Don Brennan in the bottom of the ninth inning at Crosley Field, with the Reds trailing the Pirates, 3-0 and the bases loaded.  Byrd connected for an "ultimate" grand slam, sending the Reds to a walk-off 4-3 victory, hitting a home run to deep left off Pirates' pitcher Cy Blanton (#57).

1933 Goudey #157

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #56

1935 Goudey 4-in-1 (R321)

1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums #A12

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #157

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #281

19 - Byrd non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/7/22.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #83 Paul Waner - Pittsburgh Pirates

Next Card: #85 Julius Solters - St. Louis Browns

#113 Bob Feller - Cleveland Indians

Robert William Andrew Feller

Cleveland Indians

Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185

Born:  November 3, 1918, Van Meter, IA

Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1936-1941, 1945-1956

World Series Appearances:  Cleveland Indians 1948

Died:  December 15, 2010, Cleveland, OH (92)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1962

Bob Feller made his debut with the Indians in 1936 at 17 years old, and over the next six seasons he'd establish himself as one of the best young pitchers of his era.  He missed almost four full seasons while serving in the Navy during World War II, and upon his return he picked up where he had left off, ultimately leading the Indians to a World Championship in 1948.  Feller was an eight-time American League All-Star, and finished in the top three for the league's MVP voting in 1939, 1940 and 1941.  He won a career-high 27 games in 1940, one of six seasons he won at least 20.  A workhorse, Feller led the league in complete games three times, in shutouts four times and in innings pitched five times.  He won the league's ERA title in 1940 with a 2.61 mark.  Amazingly enough, his best season statistically was 1946 after he had been away from the game for three full years.  Feller went 26-15 that season with a 2.68 ERA and led the league in complete games (36), shutouts (10) and strikeouts (348).  He threw three no-hitters in 1940, 1946 and 1951, and he shares the record of 12 one-hitters along with Nolan Ryan.

Feller retired following the 1956 season and had his #19 retired by the Indians that same year.  At the time of his retirement, his 2,581 career strikeouts were third all-time behind Walter Johnson and Cy Young.  His lifetime record was 266-162, with a 3.25 ERA in 570 games pitched, including 279 complete games and 44 shutouts.  Feller and Jackie Robinson were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, both on their first ballots.

In 2002, while journeying cross country from Chicago to Denver and back, I spent a pleasant hour inside the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa, located in the house where Feller was born in 1918.  In 2015, the house was donated to the city of Van Meter and is now the town's city hall.

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 Feller, 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 / Indians Team Set

This is Feller's second "extension" card for the Diamond Stars set, with his first appearing in the 36-card set released in 1993.  As mentioned above, the cards were created for the National held in Cleveland in 2014, so Feller's inclusion here makes sense.

1936 Season

Feller joined the Indians while still in high school and made his major league debut on July 19th with a scoreless inning of relief against the Senators.  He made his first start on August 23rd, pitching a complete game win against the Browns while striking out 15 batters.  He'd strike out 17 Athletics batters in a start on September 13th, and Feller was quickly becoming a nationally known name.  He appeared in 14 games that fist year, going 5-3 with a 3.34 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched.  Baseball writer Richard Goldstein said at the time Feller was "the best-known young person in America, with the possible exception of Shirley Temple."

1950 Bowman #6

1951 Topps Red Backs #22

1952 Topps #88

1956 Topps #200

1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes #36

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums (R314) #C9

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1951-1953, 1956

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Update Topps Platinum Players Die Cuts #PDC-64

1,166 - Feller non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/24/22.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #112 Joe DiMaggio - New York Yankees