Sunday, November 27, 2022

#67 Marvin Owen - Detroit Tigers


Marvin James Owen
Detroit Tigers
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  March 22, 1906, Agnew, CA
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1931, 1933-1937; Chicago White Sox 1938-1939; Boston Red Sox 1940
World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1934-1935
Died:  June 22, 1991, Mountain View, CA (85)

Marv Owen spent nine seasons in the majors, helping the Tigers reach the World Series in 1934 and 1935. Originally called up to the Tigers in 1931, he spent all of 1932 in the International League batting a combined .317 and winning league MVP honors.  He'd return as a regular with the Tigers in 1933 and was the third baseman in one of the strongest infields of the era, along with Hank Greenberg (#54) at first base, Charlie Gehringer (#77) at second base and Billy Rogell (#76) at shortstop.  Owen batted a career-best .317 in 1934 with 98 RBIs, with his Tigers team falling to the Cardinals in the seven game World Series.  During the final game of that series, Owen and Cardinals' slugger Ducky Medwick (#66) were involved in a fight that led to Medwick having to leave the game when Tigers fans wouldn't stop throwing debris his way as he stood in left field.

In 1935, Owen and the Tigers returned to the World Series, this time defeating the Cubs in six games.  The following season, Owen's last great year, he batted .295 with 105 RBIs.  Dealt to the White Sox following the 1937 season, he'd play in parts of three more seasons before retiring as a player.  Owen then began a decade-long career as a minor league manager between 1944 and 1954.  He'd also serve as a scout for the Tigers until the 1970s.  In 1,011 games, Owen batted .275 with 1,040 hits, 167 doubles and 499 RBIs.

Building the Set
November 18, 2022 from Newtown, NJ - Card #67
In a case of pure coincidence, the 67th card added to my Diamond Stars set is card #67 in the set.  This was a somewhat surprising addition, as I didn't expect to be the high bidder on this particular eBay auction.  Seller bcards79 from Newton, New Jersey listed a few Diamond Stars cards for sale, including this Owen card, and I set a relatively low opening bid and ultimately won the card for only $18.50.  Of the 67 cards added so far, this is the fourth least expensive added to date.

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

The Card / Tigers Team Set
I'm going to imagine those are Owen's legendary Tigers infield teammates behind him on this card.  I've heard third base often referred to as the hot corner, but never as the "red light" spot as noted on the back of the card.  Owen was a steady defender at third, leading the league in putouts twice (1934 and 1936) and finishing in the top four for assists in four different seasons.

1935 Season
Owen started 131 of the Tigers' 152 games at third base, batting .263 with a pair of home runs and 72 RBIs.  He slumped in the World Series, batting just 1 for 20 (.050), but he filled in admirably at first base over the final four games of the series when Greenberg went down with an injury.

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #168
1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums #A81
1938 Goudey Heads-Up #287
1993 Conlon Collection TSN #941

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars #67
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1993 Conlon Collection TSN #941

23 - Owen non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/20/22.

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Sunday, November 20, 2022

#7 Lew Fonseca MG - Chicago White Sox


Lewis Albert Fonseca
Chicago White Sox
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  January 21, 1899, Oakland, CA
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1921-1924; Philadelphia Phillies 1925; Cleveland Indians 1927-1931; Chicago White Sox 1931-1933
As a Manager:  Chicago White Sox 1932-1934
Died:  November 26, 1989, Ely, IA (90)

Injuries prematurely shortened the playing career of infielder Lew Fonseca, but he batted over .300 in six different seasons, winning the American League batting title in 1929.  He's credited as one of the first players to use film to analyze games and study both his own and opposing players, and he'd enjoy a second career producing baseball films following his playing days.  Fonseca spent the first four years of his career with the Reds as a part-time player and appeared in a then career-high 126 games with the Phillies in 1925.  Holding out for a larger contract, Fonseca found himself in 1926 playing for the independent Newark Bears where he had his best professional season.  He batted .381 with 40 doubles and 21 home runs, and the Bears sold the popular player to the Indians following the season.  Fonseca began the most successful stretch of his career with Cleveland in 1927, batting over .300 in three straight seasons, culminating with his league leading .369 average in 1929, to go along with 44 doubles and 103 RBIs.  He had come back from a broken leg suffered during the 1928 campaign, making his career year even more impressive.

He'd join the White Sox in 1931, being named as the club's player-manager following that season.  Still on the active roster, he'd appear sparingly in 1932 (18 games) and 1933 (23 games), and no games in 1934.  His White Sox clubs went 49-102 in 1932 and 67-83 in 1933, and got off to a 4-11 start in 1934 before Fonseca was dismissed and replaced with Jimmy Dykes (#42).  He continued to put his interest in film to good use, working as director of promotions for the major leagues, and serving as director, editor and occasional narrator of the official World Series highlight films between 1943 and 1969.  You can see and listen to a sample of his work with the 1950 World Series highlight film, found here, featuring the Yankees facing off against the Phillies.

Building the Set
October 11, 2022 from Chadds Ford, PA - Card #65
It was quite the unexpected October for Phillies fans, as the team surprisingly advanced to the postseason on October 3rd with a 3-0 win over the Astros in Houston.  The Phillies hadn't been to the postseason since a shocking defeat to the Cardinals in the 2011 NLDS.  It was on this day I added three more cards to my Diamond Stars set, starting with the Jim Bottomley (#59) card and then adding this Fonseca card along with a Roy Mahaffey (#10) variation card from eBay store MnM Vintage Toys & Sportscards, located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.  The Mahaffey and Fonseca cards arrived on October 11th, right after the start of NLDS Game 1 between the Phillies and Braves.  I took the picture shown here in the second inning of that game, before Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez had fallen apart, and way before the Phillies eventually closed out a 7-6 win.

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

The Card / White Sox Team Set
Fonseca is an interesting subject for a card in this set, especially as one of the first cards released in the first series, given he had appeared in only 23 games and batted .203 during the 1933 season.  He was likely still enjoying some popularity as a result of his 1929 batting title though.  The back of the card references he was a former first baseman, but makes no mention he began the 1934 season as Chicago's manager.  The baseball tip explains the importance of a first baseman being able to stretch to receive a throw from an infielder.

1934 Season
As mentioned above, Fonseca lasted just 15 games as manager of the White Sox at the start of the 1934 season.  Owner Lou Comiskey named Dykes as the new player-manager, but didn't inform Fonseca before the game on May 9th.  With Dykes playing third base and Fonseca unaware of his fate, the White Sox defeated the Senators, 8-1, and the win was later credited to Dykes.

Phillies Career
On March 30, 1925, Fonseca was selected off waivers from the Reds by the Phillies.  Seemingly finding a new home and semi-regular playing time, he batted .319 in 126 games, hitting seven home runs and 60 RBIs.  He was the club's opening day second baseman, starting 65 games overall at second base and 52 games at first base.  The Phillies were going through the franchise's darkest stretch and when Fonseca held out for more money following the season, the team sent his contract to the Newark Bears, as mentioned above.

1929 Kashin Publications (R316)
1933 Goudey #43
1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)
1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #27
1972 TCMA The 1930s #335

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1929 Kashin Publications (R316)
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #283

38 - Fonseca non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/5/22.

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Sunday, November 13, 2022

#10 Roy Mahaffey - St. Louis Browns (Variation)


Lee Roy Mahaffey
St. Louis Browns
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  February 9, 1904, Belton, SC
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1926-1927; Philadelphia Athletics 1930-1935; St. Louis Browns 1936
World Series Appearances:  Philadelphia Athletics 1931
Died:  July 23, 1969, Anderson, SC (65)

After a few brief appearances with the Pirates and successful seasons with the Columbia Comers in 1928 in the South Atlantic League and with the Portland Beavers in 1929 in the Pacific Coast League, Roy Mahaffey was acquired by Connie Mack in January 1930 to bolster his Athletics pitching staff.  Mahaffey was a 15-game winner in 1931 and a 13-game winner in both 1932 and 1933.  He pitched just an inning in the 1931 World Series in which the Athletics lost to the Cardinals in seven games.  Relying on a fast ball and a slow curve, Mahaffey went 64-43 during his years in Philadelphia with a 4.82 ERA.  He was sold to the Browns following the 1935 season and he'd struggle through 21 games in St. Louis before retiring from the majors.  He continued pitching through 1941 with various textile league teams throughout South Carolina.

Building the Set
October 11, 2022 from Chadds Ford, PA - Card #65
It was quite the unexpected October for Phillies fans, as the team surprisingly advanced to the postseason on October 3rd with a 3-0 win over the Astros in Houston.  The Phillies hadn't been to the postseason since a shocking defeat to the Cardinals in the 2011 NLDS.  It was on this day I added three more cards to my Diamond Stars set, starting with the Jim Bottomley (#59) card and then adding this Mahaffey variation card and the Lew Fonseca (#7) card from eBay store MnM Vintage Toys & Sportscards, located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.  The Mahaffey and Fonseca cards arrived on October 11th, right after the start of NLDS Game 1 between the Phillies and Braves.  I took the picture shown below in the second inning of that game, before Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez had fallen apart, and way before the Phillies eventually closed out a 7-6 win.

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 / "now St. Louis Browns" on back ✅

I added the 1935 variation of this card to my set back in December 2020.  This Browns variation is one of 10 variations I'll be tracking down for my version of a master set, as that card removes the "A" from the front of Mahaffey's jersey.

It's impressive to me that National Chicle actually bothered to update the bio on the bottom of the cards issued in multiple years.  The 1934 version of Mahaffey's card notes he's 31 years old and that he "Won 13, lost 10 games in 1933."  In 1935, that's updated to note Mahaffey is now 32 years old and he "Won 6, lost 7 games in 1934."  This final variation, issued in 1936, notes Mahaffey is 33 years old and he "Won 8, lost 4 games with Phila. in 1935."

The Card / Browns Team Set
As noted above, this is the 1936 version of Mahaffey's Diamond Stars card and the back has been updated to reflect his 1935 won-loss record.  The pitching tip on the back concerns the necessity of the pitcher to be able to field his position, especially after "hard line drives through the box."  The photo used for the front of the card lends itself to this lesson as Mahaffey is shown set evenly on his feet, ready for whatever is coming his way.

National Chicle removed the "A" from the front of Mahaffey's jersey, but they didn't update the color of the jersey's pinstripes from the blue of the A's to the orange of the Browns.

1936 Season
Mahaffey was sold by Athletics' owner-manager Connie Mack (#142) to the Browns on January 29, 1936.  He didn't fare well in his final season in the majors, making 21 appearances, including nine starts, and going 2-6 with a 8.10 ERA in 60 innings pitched.  The sole bright spot of his season came on April 25th when he threw a complete game against the Indians, earning the first of only two wins of his season.  Mahaffey would last appear in the majors on July 28th, throwing a scoreless inning of relief against the Red Sox.

He'd pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in the latter half of the 1936 season, helping the club reach the Little World Series where they defeated Buffalo in five games.  He'd also later pitch for Appleton Mill in a textile league, with that team going 11-1 in the fall and winning the Anderson County League title.

1933 Goudey #196
1935 Goudey 4-in-1 #31
1992 Conlon Collection TSN #603

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #196
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1992 Conlon Collection TSN #603

14 - Mahaffey non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/5/22.

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Sunday, November 6, 2022

#59 Jim Bottomley - Cincinnati Reds


James Leroy Bottomley
Cincinnati Reds
First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 23, 1900, Oglesby, IL
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1922-1932; Cincinnati Reds 1933-1935; St. Louis Browns 1936-1937
World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1926, 1928, 1930-1931
As a Manager:  St. Louis Browns 1937
Died:  December 11, 1959, St. Louis, MO (59)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1974

Nicknamed "Sunny Jim" as a result of his cheerful personality, slugger Jim Bottomley starred for the Gashouse Gang Cardinals throughout the 1920s, helping his team reach four World Series, winning titles in 1926 and 1931.  Bottomley's first big season came in 1924 when he crossed the 100-RBI plateau for the first of six consecutive seasons.  On September 16, 1924 against the Brooklyn Robins, Bottomley set an all-time single-game record with 12 RBIs, going 6 for 6 with a double and two home runs.  As the regular first baseman for the Cardinals, he enjoyed a career-year in 1925, leading the league in hits (227) and doubles (44) while batting .367 with 128 RBIs.  

He batted .345 in the 1926 World Series, as the Cardinals defeated the Yankees in seven games, giving St. Louis its first franchise series title.  Bottomley consistently hit for average and provided power for the Cardinals, culminating in 1928 when he won National League MVP honors after his league-leading 20 triples, 31 home runs and 136 RBIs.  He nearly won a batting title in 1931, finishing with a .3482 average with Bill Terry (#14) hitting .3486 and winner Chick Hafey (#18) hitting .3489.

Dealt to the Reds following the 1932 season, Bottomley would continue to be productive at the plate although his overall numbers started to decline.  He wrapped up his career with the Browns, spending part of his final season in the majors as the team's player-manager.  Bottomley batted .310 for his career with 2,313 hits, 465 doubles, 219 home runs and 1,422 RBIs, with he and Lou Gehrig (#130) becoming the first two major leaguers to collect 150 or more doubles, triples and home runs.  He was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame in 1974 by the Veterans Committee, and was among 22 inaugural players and personnel inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

Building the Set
October 6, 2022 from Ambler, PA - Card #64
It was quite the unexpected October for Phillies fans, as the team surprisingly advanced to the postseason on October 3rd with a 3-0 win over the Astros in Houston.  The Phillies hadn't been to the postseason since a shocking defeat to the Cardinals in the 2011 NLDS.  It was on this day I added three more cards to my Diamond Stars set, starting with this Bottomley card from eBay seller ercr3727 from Ambler, Pennsylvania.  The card is a bit beat up, but after I had added the card to my watch list the seller sent me a very reasonable discount for the card, and I ended up pulling the trigger.  This card arrived quickly on October 6th with the two other Diamond Stars cards I purchased - Roy Mahaffey (#10) and Lew Fonseca (#7) - arriving on October 11th.  I took the picture shown below in the second inning of NLDS Game 1, before Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez had fallen apart, and way before the Phillies eventually closed out a 7-6 win.

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

The Card / Reds Team Set
It's appropriate to see Sunny Jim smiling here, and there are three uncredited Reds teammates getting ready for the game in the dugout behind him.  A Getty Images search shows the photo is from way back in 1923 and was taken by famed baseball photographer Charles Conlon.  The back explains batting line-up makeup, crediting Bottomley with being a good three or four hole hitter given his power numbers, and further explaining that first baseman are expected to "drive the runs around."  Also name checked in this tutorial are Jimmie Foxx (#64), Gehrig, Terry and Jimmy "Rip" Collins (#116).

Photos of Bottomley show that he was prone to wearing his baseball cap either tilted to the side or turned completely sideways, as modeled on his 1933 Goudey card.

1935 Season
In his final season with the Reds, Bottomley appeared in 107 games, making 96 starts at first base.  He batted .258 with one home runs and 49 RBIs for the Chuck Dressen-led team that finished with a 68-85-1 record.  On March 21, 1936, the Reds dealt Bottomley to the Browns for Johnny Burnett, as Bottomley reunited with Browns' manager Rogers Hornsby (#44).  The two future Hall of Famers had been long-time teammates with the Gashouse Gang, and the extended Diamond Stars set issued in 1981 shows National Chicle intended to include a combo card (#119) for the two Cardinals' legends.

1923-24 Exhibits (W461)
1929-30 R315
1933 Goudey #44
1940 Play Ball #236
1980 SSPC HOF #142

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1923-24 Exhibits (W461)
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Panini Diamond Kings #47

180 - Bottomley non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/5/22.

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