1934-36 Diamond Stars: #135 "Babe" Herman

Sunday, January 4, 2026

#135 "Babe" Herman - Cincinnati Reds

Floyd Caves Herman

Cincinnati Reds

Outfield

Bats: Left Throws: Left Height: 6'4" Weight: 190

Born: June 26, 1903, Buffalo, NY

Major League Teams: Brooklyn Robins 1926-31; Cincinnati Reds 1932; Chicago Cubs 1933-34; Pittsburgh Pirates 1935; Cincinnati Reds 1935-36; Detroit Tigers 1937; Brooklyn Dodgers 1945

Died: November 27, 1987, Glendale, CA (84)

Babe Herman was one of the game's earliest pure power hitters, and his finest years came with Brooklyn, then known as the Robins, between 1926 and 1931. Herman hit at least 11 home runs in each of those seven seasons with the Robins, and his career year came in 1930 when he batted .393 with a then franchise record 35 home runs and 130 RBIs. That batting average, along with his .678 slugging percentage, 241 hits and 416 total bases are still single-season Dodgers' franchise records. Dealt to the Reds before the start of the 1932 season, Herman led the league in his first season in Cincinnati with 19 triples. Known as a colorful character, Herman endeared himself to baseball fans in spite of his occasional lapses on the base paths or while playing defense.

Herman retired for the first time in 1937, then made a surprise comeback with the Dodgers in 1945, playing in 37 games as baseball dealt with a shortage of players due to World War II. In 1,552 big league games, he batted .324 with 399 doubles, 181 home runs and 997 RBIs. After retiring for a second time as a player, Herman went on to serve as a long-time scout with the Pirates, Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Giants organizations.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company. Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money. Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price.

These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set. What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #121, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Reds Team Set

The back of the card covers Herman's departure from the Reds. His SABR biography, written by Greg Erion, notes, "Herman's elevated salary, advancing age, and inability to play every day led the Reds to place him on waivers in the spring of 1937. Initially there were no takers but eventually the Detroit Tigers purchased his contract. The 11-year National League veteran had come full circle, back to the American League and the team with which he had signed his first professional contract."

1936 Season

In his final full season in the majors, Herman played in 119 games the Reds, batting .279 with 13 home runs and 71 RBIs. He made 88 starts in left field and one start each at first base and right field, with his playing time limited by injuries throughout the season.