1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #79 Willis Hudlin

Sunday, May 29, 2022

#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.