1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #64 Jimmie Foxx

James Emory Foxx

Philadelphia Athletics

First Base-Catcher

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'0" Weight: 195

Born: October 22, 1907, Sudlersville, MD

Major League Teams: Philadelphia Athletics 1925-35; Boston Red Sox 1936-42; Chicago Cubs 1942, 1944; Philadelphia Phillies 1945

World Series Appearances: Philadelphia Athletics 1929-31

Died: July 21, 1967, Miami, FL (59)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1951

One of the greatest hitters of all-time, Jimmie Foxx was a veteran of 20 big league seasons, spending most of his career with the Athletics and Red Sox. Foxx was dominant at the plate, winning a pair of batting titles, and a Triple Crown in 1933 when he batted .356 with 48 home runs and 163 RBIs. He helped lead the Athletics to three straight American League pennants, winning World Championships in 1929 and 1930. Foxx clubbed at least 30 or more home runs in 12 consecutive seasons, and drove in at least 100 runs in 13 consecutive seasons, between 1929 and 1941. He was a nine-time All-Star, and the first player to win three MVPs, collecting the awards in 1932, 1933 and 1938.

Foxx became the second member of the 500 home run club, joining Babe Ruth (#110), on September 24, 1940. In 2,317 major league games, Foxx collected 2,646 hits, scored 1,751 runs, had 534 home runs and 1,922 RBIs. His RBI total is still 10th all-time. His .325 average is currently 45th all-time, his on-base percentage of .428 is 12th all-time and his OPS of 1.038 is sixth all-time. A member of the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame, the Athletics Hall of Fame and the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, Foxx was inducted into Cooperstown in 1951.

Building the Set

December 15, 2024 from The Philly Show (707 Sportscards Ltd.) - Card #112

Before starting our drive to the The Philly Show, recently held inside Hall A at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, I texted Doug a photo of Foxx's Diamond Stars card and told him to be on the look-out at the show. Soon after we arrived, he reported back fairly quickly he had found a version of the card on the far side of the showroom floor, but that it was slabbed. He knows I've been avoiding slabbed cards whenever possible, as they tend to carry a premium, and because I'd prefer to display the cards in my sets in their proper home, in order, within the set binder's nine-pocket pages. (I wrote a full post summarizing the show over at The Phillies Room.)

Still, I was curious, and Doug led me to the dealer's table. The Foxx card was in a display case, and having asked to view it, I almost immediately handed it back when I saw the price tag on the back for $725. I'll give the dealer some credit for his assessment of the situation, as he picked the price tag off with his thumbnail and said that price was at least a few years' old. He countered with a price nearly half the original sticker price and after a brief back and forth, I was scanning his phone to send a Venmo payment. Given the importance of this card to the Diamond Stars set (and me), I opted to tuck the card away for 10 days so that Santa would get credit for the gift on Christmas morning.

Variations Available

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

1945 - Foxx with the Phillies
The Card / Athletics Team Set

This is an absolutely iconic card, and a card I've seen many, many times in my 50 years of collecting. I'm thrilled I finally have it in my collection. National Chicle opted to show Foxx as a catcher, even though he hadn't caught a game in the majors since the 1928 season. The Athletics, up until the 1934 season, had Mickey Cochrane (#9) behind the plate, necessitating a position change for Foxx. The first line on the back of the card isn't accurate, as Foxx wouldn't catch a game until the start of the 1935 season, likely after this card was being found in early packs of Diamond Stars cards.

The write-up on the back also credits Foxx's strong wrists to his years spent milking cows on his father's dairy farm in Maryland.

1935 Season

Now in his 11th season, Foxx showed no signs of slowing down. In 147 games for the Athletics, he batted .346 with a league-leading 36 home runs and 115 RBIs. Connie Mack's (#142) team was in shambles following a fire sale of top tier players, leaving Foxx as the sole remaining star on a club that would lose 91 games. Foxx was the opening day catcher, making 24 starts behind the plate before shifting over to first base for the duration of the season. He'd make 121 starts at first. Foxx moved over to third base for the All-Star Game in Cleveland, given the American League squad had Lou Gehrig (#130) at first base. Foxx would lead the American League All-Stars to a 4-1 victory, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs, including a first-inning, two-run home run.

On December 10th, Mack would complete the team's dismantling, dealing Foxx and Johnny Marcum to the Red Sox for George Savino, Gordon Rhodes and cash.

Phillies Career

Foxx finished his legendary career back where it all began, in Philadelphia, but this time he'd be in the National League and playing for the Phillies, who signed the aging slugger on February 10, 1945. With rosters crunched due to the war, the Phillies invited Foxx to spring training and he made the team as a pinch-hitter and surprisingly, an occasional pitcher. Throughout the season, Foxx made 50 starts - 35 at first base, 13 at third base and two starts on the mound.

In his final major league action, he batted .268 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs. As a pitcher, Foxx was a surprising 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in nine games and 22 2/3 innings pitched. Offering to help the team however he could, Foxx started games on August 19th and September 2nd. His lasted into the seventh inning in his August outing. In Foxx's final big league game, he laced a two-run double against the Dodgers on September 23rd, before being lifted for pinch-hitter Tony Lupien in the game's seventh inning.