Sunday, June 26, 2022

#63 "Stonewall" Jackson - New York Giants


Travis Calvin Jackson
New York Giants
Shortstop

Bats:
  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  November 2, 1903, Waldo, AR
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1922-1936
World Series Appearances:  New York Giants 1923, 1924, 1933, 1936
Died:  July 27, 1987, Waldo, AR (83)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1982

Travis Jackson earned the nickname "Stonewall" due to his incredible range at shortstop, and his ability to form a wall in front of the outfield when fielding his position.  Considered one of the best shortstops of his era, Jackson spent his entire 15-year major league career with the Giants.  He helped his team to four National League pennants, and was a key member of the 1933 Giants squad that defeated the Washington Senators in five games in the 1933 World Series.  Often missing playing time due to illness or injury, Jackson still earned MVP votes in seven different seasons.  He batted over .300 in six seasons, including a career-high .339 in 1930.  Perhaps Jackson's best season was 1929 when he batted .294 with a career-high 21 home runs and 94 RBIs.  In 1934, on his way to a 101-RBI season, Jackson was named the starting shortstop for the National League All-Stars.

He retired as a player in 1936 with 1,768 hits and a .291 lifetime batting average.  Jackson continued his baseball career managing various minor league teams until 1960.  He was inducted by the Veterans Committee into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Building the Set
June 17, 2022 from Los Angeles, CA (Greg Morris Cards) - Card #57
I first became familiar with Greg Morris Cards while bidding on a series of the dealer's auctions for 1965 Topps cards needed for our set build.  This seller's cards are often in fantastic shape, with final winning bids of the auctions often exceeding what I'd be willing to pay.  While browsing eBay in early June, I placed a half dozen or so bids on Diamond Stars cards, starting with my best and final offer, and waiting for the clock to tick down to the auctions' close.  I lost all but the auction for this Jackson card, which I won for what I considered to be a relatively low price.  The top left corner of the card was bent at some point, but the colors are crisp, the card is clean and all four corners are fairly sharp.  Not bad for a card of a Hall of Famer.

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

The Card / Giants Team Set
The write-up on the back of the card incorrectly predicted Jackson had "years of athletic service left," and it foreshadows this bad prediction with the line, "he was handicapped by a knee injury which nearly ended his career in 1932."  The narrative continues by complimenting Jackson's ability to both hit and field at an above average level.

1935 Season
Having moved to third base, Jackson appeared in 128 games for the Giants, batting .301 with nine home runs and 80 RBIs.  His RBI tally was third on the club behind Mel Ott (#50) and Hank Leiber, who had 114 and 107 respectively, and his move to third was needed to make room for Dick Bartell (#15), recently acquired from the Phillies.  His SABR biography notes Jackson's knees were an issue throughout this season, and 1936 would be his last in the majors.

1925 Exhibits (W461)
1931 W517
1933 Goudey #102
1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #180
1940 Play Ball #158

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1925 Exhibits (W461)
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2007 SP Legendary Cuts #89

118 - Jackson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/19/22.

Sources:

Next Card: #64 Jimmie Foxx - Philadelphia Athletics

Sunday, June 19, 2022

#3 "Rabbit" Maranville - Boston Braves


Walter James Vincent Maranville
Boston Braves
Second Base

Bats:
  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'5"  Weight:  155
Born:  November 11, 1891, Springfield, MA
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1912-1920; Pittsburgh Pirates 1921-1924; Chicago Cubs 1925; Brooklyn Robins 1926; St. Louis Cardinals 1927-1928; Boston Braves 1929-1933, 1935
World Series Appearances:  Boston Braves 1914; St. Louis Cardinals 1928
As a Manager:  Chicago Cubs 1925
Died:  January 5, 1954, New York, NY (62)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1954

The diminutive and fun-loving Rabbit Maranville played 23 seasons in the National League, a mark that stood until broken by Pete Rose in 1986.  A middle infielder, Maranville spent most of his career with the Boston Braves, with his best seasons coming in the mid-1910s.  He finished third in MVP voting in 1913, second in MVP voting in 1914 and helped lead his team to a World Series title with a sweep of the powerhouse Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series.  He missed most of 1918 while serving during World War I and batted a career-high .295 in 1922 with the Pirates.  Maranville was a character, known for his sense of humor and practical joking, although both led to his quick dismissal as Cubs manager in 1925.  Resolving to stop his drinking habit, Maranville enjoyed a career resurgence in 1929 when he returned to the Braves and batted .284 as their regular shortstop.  He earned MVP votes in five of the last seven seasons of his career, finally retiring at the age of 43 following the 1935 season.

Maranville collected 2,605 hits in 2,670 big league games, batting .258 over his career.  A stellar fielder, he holds the all-time record for putouts by a shortstop with 5,139, and he's fifth on the all-time list for assists by a shortstop with 7,354.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954, a few short months following his passing.

Building the Set
June 11, 2022 from Macungie, PA - Card #56
I added this card to my eBay watch list a while ago, and in early June I received a reminder e-mail that this seller (chet126) was accepting offers on the card.  I made what I thought was a reasonable offer, and the seller quickly accepted.  Having collected nearly half this iconic set at this point, I've come to realize the hardest cards to find are from the set's first and third series.  Cards from the second series have been fairly easy to find, and I was happy to add this card from the first series at a reasonable price, especially considering Maranville is a Hall of Famer.  This card arrived as the school year was winding down and as we were looking forward to our many summer plans.

Variations Available
1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright
2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅

The Card / Braves Team Set
The tip on the back of the card explains how second baseman like Maranville turn double plays.  There's also an indication on the back that Maranville had missed the entire 1934 season due to a broken leg - see below.

1935 Season
Maranville missed the entire 1934 season having broken his left fibula and tibia in a collision at home plate during an exhibition game.  He attempted a comeback in 1935 with the Braves, playing in only 23 games and batting .149 (10 for 67) for a team that would lose 115 games.  Maranville made 18 starts at second base, including his final game on September 29th against the Giants in which he went 0 for 4.

1914 Cracker Jack (#145)
#136
1916 Sporting News
(M101-4) #112
1933 DeLong Gum
(R333) #13
1933 Goudey #117
 
1961 Fleer
Baseball Greats #124

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1914 Cracker Jack (E145) #136
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Panini Golden Age #64

157 - Maranville non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/19/22.

Sources:

Sunday, June 12, 2022

#8 Joe Vosmik - Cleveland Indians


Joseph Franklin Vosmik
Cleveland Indians
Outfield

Bats:
  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  185
Born:  April 4, 1910, Cleveland, OH
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1930-1936; St. Louis Browns 1937; Boston Red Sox 1938-1939; Brooklyn Dodgers 1940-1941; Washington Senators 1944
Died:  January 27, 1962, Cleveland, OH (51)

Playing for his hometown Indians, Joe Vosmik was one of the league's top hitters in the early 1930s.  He became the Indians' regular left fielder in 1931, keeping that job until a trade in 1937 sent him to the Browns.  Vosmik batted over .300 in six different seasons, and his best season came in 1935 when he batted a career high .348 and finished third in the MVP voting behind Hank Greenberg (#54) and Wes Ferrell (#94).  Vosmik led the league in hits (216), doubles (47) and triples (20) that season and was the lead-off hitter and starting left fielder for the American League team in the 1935 All-Star Game, hosted at Cleveland Stadium.  He'd go on to play with the Browns, Red Sox, Dodgers and Senators after leaving Cleveland.  With the Red Sox, he'd lead the league in hits again in 1938 with 201.  Vosmik still ranks high on the all-time leaders lists in a number of categories as a left fielder, including assists (90 - 46th all time), putouts (2,613 - 29th all time) and double plays turned (23 - 22nd all time).

1934 Butterfinger (R310)
Vosmik appeared in 1,414 career big league games, batting .307 with 1,682 hits, 65 home runs and 874 RBIs.  He managed in the Indians' minor league system between 1947 and 1950, activating himself occasionally to get some at-bats.  He'd also work for the Indians selling tickets and as a scout in the early 1950s.

Building the Set
June 9, 2022 from Auburn, NY - Card #55
This was a fairly random eBay win from seller jamibe, located in Auburn, New York, and upon updating my tracking schedule I realized I had won another card from the same seller a month before.  The Sam Byrd (#84) card also came from jamibe via an eBay auction.  I was the first and only bidder on this card, winning the auction at a reasonable price of $40. 

With school winding down, school sports are now over and our daily routine has become somewhat more manageable.  Doug is still playing town ball, and the photo shown here is him on the mound for the Royals, about to close out a 4-2 win on the day before this card arrived.

Variations Available
1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅
2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright
3 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1934 copyright 

The Card / Indians Team Set
This is the first card I've added to my set actually issued in 1934, as evidenced by the back of the card showing Vosmik's batting average from 1933.  The photo used also appears on a 1934 Butterfinger (R310) card for Vosmik, and the artist took the liberty here of adding a catcher in the photo behind Vosmik.  The tip on the back of the card discusses finding a comfortable stance at the plate, whether you happen to be "tall or chunky."  Mel Ott (#50), the Giants slugger and future Hall of Famer is name checked, as is Lyn Lary, an infielder at the time for the Yankees.

1934 Season
Vosmik appeared in 104 games for the Indians, with his SABR biography noting his playing time was limited due to issues with his vision and a broken right hand, suffered the previous year.  Still, he hit an impressive .341 with 138 hits and finished in fifth place in the league's batting title race.  He started 103 games in left field for the club, most often as the Indians' clean-up hitter.

1933 DeLong Gum
(R333) #20
1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)
 
1934 Goudey #77
 
1938 Goudey Heads-Up
(R323) #247
1940 Play Ball #144
 

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1933 DeLong Gum (R333) #20
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1933 Conlon Collection TSN #767

58 - Vosmik non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/10/22.

Sources:

Sunday, June 5, 2022

#81 Bill Delancey - St. Louis Cardinals


William Pinkney DeLancey
St. Louis Cardinals
Catcher

Bats:
  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  185
Born:  November 28, 1911, Greensboro, NC
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1932, 1934-1935, 1940
World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1934
Died:  November 28, 1946, Phoenix, AZ (35)

Bill DeLancey was a key member of the Gashouse Gang Cardinals team that won the World Series in 1934.  Platooning behind the plate with veteran Spud Davis, DeLancey made 65 starts to Davis' 89.  DeLancey batted .316 overall in 93 games, with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.  His home run total was third on the club behind Ripper Collins (#116) with 35 and Joe Medwick (#66) with 18.  The Cardinals faced off against the Tigers in the 1934 World Series, with the Tigers featuring an all right-handed starting pitching rotation.  As such, DeLancey caught every inning of the seven game series and contributed a home run with four RBIs.  He received the bulk of the playing time at catcher in 1935, appearing in a career-high 103 games and starting 77 times to Davis' 76 starts.

He slumped throughout the 1935 season and was diagnosed with tuberculosis following the campaign.  DeLancey voluntarily retired as a player in 1936 and a year later took a job managing the Cardinals' Class D farm team in Albuquerque.  He managed the team for three seasons and returned to the Cardinals briefly in 1940 as their third-string catcher.  DeLancey returned to the minor leagues to manage in 1942.  Inactive during the war years, he tragically passed away from tuberculosis on his 35th birthday.

Building the Set
May 3, 2022 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #54
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 DeLancey 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 DeLancey card for my set is the third of the three variations available, issued in 1936.

The Card / Cardinals Team Set
This is DeLancey's first mainstream baseball card, and one of the very few cards issued of the catcher during his brief playing career.  That could be player-manager Frankie Frisch (#17) making a cameo in the background as one of two players apparently having a pre-game conversation.  The tip on the back of the card concerns keeping your ungloved hand curled into a fist when catching, to avoid any unwanted broken fingers.  

1936 Season
With his condition worsening, and having moved to Arizona as the hope was the state's dry air would aid in his recovery, DeLancey voluntarily retired from baseball on February 12, 1936.  With the help of the Cardinals and their General Manager, Branch Rickey, DeLancey did recover enough to return to baseball in 1937 as the manager of the Class-D Albuquerque Cardinals.

1935 Wheaties (BB1) #10
1936 World Wide Gum
(V355) #15
1992 Conlon Collection
TSN #625

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars #81
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1992 Conlon Collection TSN #625

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

Sources: