1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #14 Bill Terry MG

Sunday, February 12, 2023

#14 Bill Terry MG - New York Giants

William Harold Terry

New York Giants

First Base-Manager

Bats: Left Throws: Left Height: 6'1" Weight: 200

Born: October 30, 1898, Atlanta, GA

Major League Teams: New York Giants 1923-1936

World Series Appearances: New York Giants 1924, 1933, 1936-1937

As a Manager: New York Giants 1932-1941

Died: January 9, 1989, Jacksonville, FL (90)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1954

For nearly two decades, Bill Terry starred for and then managed the New York Giants, winning four National League pennants and one World Series title in 1933. A left-handed first baseman, Terry was one of the best hitters of his era, batting .320 or better in nine straight seasons between 1927 and 1935. In 1930, considered his best season, Terry led the league in hits (254) and batting average (.401), while hitting 23 home runs and collecting a career-best 129 RBIs. He's the last National League batter to eclipse the .400 mark in a season. Terry drove in at least 100 runs each season between 1927 and 1932, with 1932 being his first year as the Giants' player-manager. He was the National League's starting first baseman in the first All-Star Game in 1933, and his .992 career fielding position is evidence he played strong defense as well. He led the Giants, bolstered by fellow future Hall of Famers Mel Ott (#50) and Carl Hubbell (#39), to their fourth World Series title in 1933, defeating the Senators in five games. Terry retired with a .341 average, which is highest all-time for a National League left-handed batter. He had 2,193 hits, 1,120 runs scored, 154 home runs and 1,078 RBIs.

Terry succeeded the legendary John McGraw as manager of the club, who had managed the Giants for 31 seasons between 1902 and 1932. In his 10 years at the helm, Terry's managerial record was 823-661. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954, and The Sporting News ranked him 59th on their list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 1999. His #3 was retired by the Giants in 1984.

Building the Set

February 11, 2023 from Los Angeles, CA (Greg Morris Cards) - Card #71

There are a few cards I've added to this set that won't have a backstory attached to its acquisition, and this is one of those cards. Browsing eBay one afternoon in early February, I noticed Greg Morris Cards was doing yet another Diamond Stars set break. I bid on several cards I needed and this Terry card was the only card I successfully won. Simple as that. It arrived on the Saturday afternoon before the Eagles' Super Bowl appearance, and on a day I spent mostly working at my chosen profession.

Variations Available

1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright

2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅

The Card / Giants Team Set

Based on the scoreboard in the background, Terry is making a play at home at the Polo Grounds and the score is tied (or had been tied) 1-1 following two innings. This must have been a popular pose for Terry to make as a search through Getty images shows him in similar poses throughout his career. The back of the card explains how Terry ranges to his right whenever there's a ball hit into the hole, depending on his pitcher to cover first base. And while this card was issued in 1935, given Terry's .354 batting average from 1934 is on the bottom, the write-up still refers to the Giants as the "world's Champions." As mentioned above, the Giants had won the World Series in 1933, but the Cardinals won in 1934.

1935 Season

Terry was a still an incredible threat at the plate in 1935, his penultimate season as a player. He batted .341, finishing sixth in the league, with 203 hits, six home runs and 64 RBIs. He was in his fourth year of managing the club and was still the regular first baseman, starting all but the final 13 games of the season. The Giants led the league by as much as nine games on July 4th, but the surging Cubs rode a 21-game win streak to overtake the Giants and ultimately take the National League pennant. Terry's team finished in third place with a 91-62-3 record. It was his last season as a regular player, as he'd make just 52 starts at first base in 1936.