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Alfonso Ramon Lopez
Boston Bees
Catcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'11" Weight: 165
Born: August 20, 1908, Tampa, FL
Born: August 20, 1908, Tampa, FL
Major League Teams: Brooklyn Robins 1928, 1930-1931; Brooklyn Dodgers 1932-1935; Boston Bees 1936-1940; Pittsburgh Pirates 1940-1946; Cleveland Indians 1947
As a Manager: Cleveland Indians 1951-1956; Chicago White Sox 1957-1965, 1968-1969
Died: October 30, 2005, Tampa, FL (age 97)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1977
Died: October 30, 2005, Tampa, FL (age 97)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1977
As a catcher, Al Lopez played in 19 seasons and was a two-time All-Star in 1934 with the Dodgers and 1941 with the Pirates. Durable behind the plate, he at one time held the record for total games caught with 1,918, broken by Bob Boone in 1987 and since bested by nine other backstops. Known more for his defense than his bat, Lopez was still a career .261 hitter and he hit 51 home runs with 652 RBIs over 1,950 games.
As a manager, Lopez built a Hall of Fame resume by leading the 1954 Indians and 1959 White Sox to the World Series, interrupting a dynasty of Yankee pennant winning teams between 1949 and 1964. Over 17 seasons as a manager he compiled a lifetime winning percentage of .584, going 1,410-1,004. In the years between 1951 and 1965, his teams finished in second place or won the pennant 12 out of 15 times. The Veterans Committee elected him into the Hall of Fame in 1977. At the age of 97, Lopez watched the White Sox win the World Series in 2005, their first title since 1917. He passed away four days later and at the time of his death he represented the last living ballplayer who had played in the Majors in the 1920s.
As a manager, Lopez built a Hall of Fame resume by leading the 1954 Indians and 1959 White Sox to the World Series, interrupting a dynasty of Yankee pennant winning teams between 1949 and 1964. Over 17 seasons as a manager he compiled a lifetime winning percentage of .584, going 1,410-1,004. In the years between 1951 and 1965, his teams finished in second place or won the pennant 12 out of 15 times. The Veterans Committee elected him into the Hall of Fame in 1977. At the age of 97, Lopez watched the White Sox win the World Series in 2005, their first title since 1917. He passed away four days later and at the time of his death he represented the last living ballplayer who had played in the Majors in the 1920s.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
January 6, 2024 from Tomball, TX (The Battersbox) - Card #102
Wanting to start the new year off appropriately, I impulsively took advantage of a storewide sale at The Battersbox on New Year's Day, with this Lopez card as the cornerstone of my purchase. Lopez arrived five days later from Texas, along with three other cards from sets I'm actively collecting (1969 Topps) or soon to be collecting (1955 Bowman and 1959 Topps).
The addition of this card drops the total needed to 17 for my version of a master set, which includes eight more elusive (and expensive) third series cards.
Variations Available
1 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright
Lopez is found earlier in the set as card #28, and he's listed as a member of the Dodgers on the back of that card.
The final 12 cards in the Diamond Stars set, released as part of series three in 1936, contain the exact same photos and players as earlier cards from the set. Lopez shows up again as card #97, with the same text on the back save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics, and the mention that Lopez is now a member of the Boston Bees. The ink on the back of card #97 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.
The Card / Bees Team Set
As I wrote with the post for card #28, this is Lopez's rookie card, and it's one of the more recognizable cards in the set. There's so much going on here and so many different elements to the action scene depicted on the front. Lopez is shown tossing off his catcher's mask in an attempt, I think, to catch a foul pop up. Granted, the angles and the depth perception are all wrong here, but a baseball fan would get the gist of what is supposed to be happening. We've got shadows behind Lopez and the mystery batter, the mystery batter's hand holding the bat as he completes his backswing and four multi-color pennants in the background to fill the open yellow space beyond the outfield wall. The back of the card gives the collector a tip on how to prepare as a catcher to throw out a would-be base stealer. And in what is a first for me, or at least the first time I've seen it on the back of one of these cards, we have a reference to another card in the set! The collector is directed to view Mickey Cochrane's (#9) card for further catching tips.
1936 Season
On December 12, 1935, the Dodgers dealt Lopez, Ray Benge, Tony Cuccinello and Bobby Reis to the Boston Bees in exchange for Ed Brandt and Randy Moore. As the regular catcher for the Bees, who had changed their name temporarily from the Braves following the 1935 season, Lopez played in 128 games, batting .242 with seven home runs and 50 RBIs.
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Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars (R327) #28
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1960-1965, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2023 Panini Prize #267
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1960-1965, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2023 Panini Prize #267
228 - Lopez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/31/24.
Sources:
1965 Topps Blog
1965 Topps Blog
Previous Card: #96 Lew Riggs - Cincinnati Reds
Next Card: #98 "Schoolboy" Rowe - Detroit Tigers
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