1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #15 Dick Bartell

Richard William Bartell

Philadelphia Phillies

Outfield

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'9" Weight: 160

Born: November 22, 1907, Chicago, IL

Major League Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates 1927-1930; Philadelphia Phillies 1931-1934; New York Giants 1935-1938; Chicago Cubs 1939; Detroit Tigers 1940-1941; New York Giants 1941-1943, 1946

World Series Appearances: New York Giants 1936-1937; Detroit Tigers 1940

Died: August 4, 1995, Alameda, CA (87)

An aggressive and fiery competitor, Dick Bartell was a veteran of 18 big league seasons, known for his ability to hit for average and his above average defense at shortstop. Bartell played his first four seasons with the Pirates, making his big league debut at the age of 19. He blossomed with the Phillies, serving as one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bleak roster. Bartell led the league in 1932 and 1933 in sacrifices and was one of the Phillies' first All-Stars in 1933. Bartell started and played shortstop in the first ever All-Star Game, joining teammate Chuck Klein (#139) who started in right field. Dealt to the Giants following the 1934 season, Bartell would enjoy his finest seasons in New York.

He helped the club reach the World Series in 1936 and 1937, although they fell to the Yankees both times. Those were Bartell's best seasons as he batted .298 with 42 RBIs in 1936 and .306 with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs in 1937. Despite his numbers, Bartell's combative disposition led to his frequent trades and he also led the league in getting hit by pitches a stunning five times. He'd return to the Giants for five games in 1946, after serving two years in the Army during World War II, and then retire as a player. Bartell played in 2,016 big league games and had a lifetime average of .284 with 2,165 hits. He led all shortstops in putouts and assists in three seasons and in double plays turned in four seasons, and his name is often mentioned as one of the best, and most underrated, shortstops of his era. His lifetime fielding percentage was .952. Bartell managed in the minor leagues in the 1940s and 1950s, and served on the big league coaching staffs of the Yankees (1946), Tigers (1949-1952) and Reds (1954-1955).

Building the Set

June 10, 2023 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards) - Card #82

I hadn't added any new cards to this set since mid-March, and I was lamenting the lack of activity on this blog in early June when I decided to rectify both issues. Taking advantage of a sale from Kit Young Cards, I added this Bartell card, the Shanty Hogan card (#20), and Bartell's 1955 Bowman card during a particularly bleak day in my office while on a needed mental health break. I was surprised to find this Bartell card at the price being offered, as the Phillies version of this card has eluded me for a few years. The Giants version of the card (see below) seems to be way more readily available than the Phillies version. With the addition of this card, my Phillies team set is complete, joining the Browns, Senators and Dodgers as the first four Diamond Stars team sets completed.

Variations Available

1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright / team on back is the Phillies ✅

2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright / team on back is the Giants

The Card / Phillies Team Set

This is the third of three Bartell cards needed for my version of the set. The first two are both #15, with the version released in 1934 (this version) noting his team as the Phillies (actually the Nationals) on the back. The version released in 1935 updates the back to reflect his trade to the Giants. Finally, Bartell is also card #101 in the set, and that version, released in 1936, removes the Phillies logos from the photo on the front. The tip on the back of the card explains the need for a shortstop to vary his throws depending on the angle of a batted ground ball and the speed of the baserunner.

1934 Season

In his final season with the Phillies, Bartell was once again their everyday shortstop. He batted .310 with nary a home run, 37 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Bartell started 146 of the Phillies' 149 games at shortstop, with Mickey Haslin briefly filling in for him for a three-game stretch in late May. His .384 on-base percentage was 10th best in the league. In the field, Bartell led all shortstops with assists (483) and double plays turned (93). On November 1st, he was traded to the Giants for John Pezzzullo, Blondy Ryan (#40), Johnny Vergez (#21), George Watkins and cash.

Phillies Career

The Phillies acquired Bartell from the Pirates on November 6, 1930 for Tommy Thevenow and Claude Willoughby. With the nickname "Rowdy Richard," Bartell was perhaps the first in a long line of scrappy shortstops to come through Philadelphia. He was the team's opening day and primary shortstop between 1931 and 1934, establishing himself as one of the best at that position in the game. Bartell led all National League shortstops in assists in 1932 and 1934, in putouts between 1932 and 1934, and was in the top ten for fielding percentage between 1932 and 1934. Named as the starting shortstop for the first All-Star Game in 1933, Bartell batted seventh and went 0 for 2, striking out in his first at-bat against Lefty Gomez (#118). In 587 games with the Phillies, Bartell batted .295 with 695 hits, 386 runs scored, 146 doubles and 161 RBIs. As mentioned above, he was dealt to the Giants following the 1934 season.