#145 Johnny Mize - St. Louis Cardinals

John Robert Mize

St. Louis Cardinals

First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  215
Born:  January 7, 1913, Demorest, GA
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1936-41; New York Giants 1942, 1946-49; New York Yankees 1949-53

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1949-53

Died:  June 2, 1993, Demorest, GA (80)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1981

Nicknamed "The Big Cat" and "Big Jawn," slugging Johnny Mize found success with the Cardinals, Giants and Yankees over a 15-year career interrupted for three full seasons while he served during World War II.  He earned the first of ten All-Star game nods in 1937, his first superstar season in which he batted a career-best .364.  Mize's two-year tear in 1939 and 1940 saw him lead the league in home runs both seasons, and in 1940 he clubbed 43 home runs.  Mize also collected 137 RBIs in 1940, the first of three seasons in which he'd top the league in that category.  He'd finish as MVP runner-up to Bucky Walters in 1939 and Frank McCormick in 1940.  Dealt to the Giants in December 1941, Mize would put up his typical superstar numbers in 1942 before missing all of 1943, 1944 and 1945 during the war.

He'd have a career year in 1947 with the Giants, leading the league in runs scored (137), home runs (51) and RBIs (138) - all three career high water marks.  Decreased playing time in 1949 resulted in Mize requesting a trade, and he was shipped to the Yankees on August 22nd for $40,000.  While with the Yankees, Mize served as a back-up first baseman and successful pinch-hitter.  He'd win five straight World Series rings with the Yankees between 1949 and 1953, batting .286 (12 for 42) in the postseason with three home runs.  In retirement, Mize worked as a broadcaster and hitting coach for the Giants (1955-60) and Athletics (1961).  

In 1,884 career major league games, Mize batted .312 with 2,011 hits, 359 home runs and 1,337 RBIs.  His .562 slugging percentage is currently 19th all-time.  Mize was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1981.

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.

As I slowly collect the originals from the 1930s, I'll also highlight each of the cards from these extension sets with their own posts.  The complete set came with a small disclaimer card, indicating Dean and five other former players appear under license authorized by Curtis Management Group.

Variations Available

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

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

It's a shame the original Diamond Stars set didn't include Mize's rookie card, but the creators of this extension set right that wrong.  The back of the card recounts Mize's ascent during his rookie season, and there's a bit more about his leg problems in the summary below.

1936 Season

Mize had ended the 1935 season on the voluntarily retired list, at the age of 22, due to the pain caused by spurs on his pelvic bone.  From his SABR biography, written by Jerry Grillo: 

[Cardinals' club surgeon Dr. Robert] Hyland performed a daring bit of surgery that winter, and by the time spring training began, Mize had made an amazing recovery.  He made the Cardinals’ big-league roster and by midsummer had moved [Ripper] Collins (#116) off first base.  Mize’s rookie campaign was nothing short of brilliant - in 126 games he batted .329, with 19 homers and 93 RBIs.  Moreover, he was on pace to lead National League first basemen in fielding percentage had he played in enough games to qualify.  Mize actually led his league in percentage, assists, and putouts twice each.  Then again, he also led in errors twice and finished second in that dubious category three other times.  "He was a big, lumbering guy, and some groundballs got by him, sure, but if he could reach it, if he ever got his hand on the ball, he held it," [Cardinals' teammate] Don Gutteridge said.

1936 National Chicle Pastels (R312)

1941 Double Play #99-100

1949 Bowman #85

1951 Bowman #50

1953 Topps #77

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1936 National Chicle Pastels (R312)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1951-53

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Allen & Ginter #344

800 - Mize non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/1/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #144 Bill McKechnie MG - Boston Bees

Next Card: #146 Johnny Moore - Philadelphia Phillies

#143 Joe McCarthy MG - New York Yankees

Joseph Vincent McCarthy

New York Yankees

Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'8"  Weight:  190

Born:  April 21, 1887, Philadelphia, PA

World Series Appearances:  Chicago Cubs 1929; New York Yankees 1932, 1936-39, 1941-43

As a Manager:  Chicago Cubs 1926-30; New York Yankees 1931-46; Boston Red Sox 1948-50

Died:  January 13, 1978, Buffalo, NY (90)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1957

Despite never having played in the majors, Joe McCarthy would author a Hall of Fame career in the big leagues as a seven-time World Series winner as a manager.  McCarthy played 15 seasons in the minors between 1907 and 1921, spending the last of those six seasons with the Louisville Colonels in the American Association.  A player-manager for the Colonels until 1921, he switched to full-time managing in 1922 and was hired to lead the Cubs in 1926.  McCarthy led the Cubs to the World Series in 1929, but they were defeated in five games by the Athletics, led by McCarthy's boyhood idol, Connie Mack (#142).  Fired by the Cubs at the end of the 1930 season, McCarthy was hired to lead the Yankees beginning in 1931.  He'd win eight pennants for the Yankees, and seven World Series titles, including four championships in a row between 1936 and 1939.  Struggles with alcoholism ended his Yankees tenure, as he resigned at the start of the 1946 season.

McCarthy returned to manage the Red Sox between 1948 and 1950, but again left his post due to health issues.  The first manager to win pennants in the National League and American League, McCarthy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957.  His career winning percentage in the regular season (.615) and postseason (.698) are the highest in major league history, and his 2,125 career wins currently rank 10th all-time.

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 / Yankees Team Set

Lou Gehrig (#130) and Joe DiMaggio (#126) make a cameo in the background of McCarthy's card, depicting a famous photo of Gehrig jumping over a bat held by DiMaggio early in the 1939 season.  The bio on the back of the card recounts his managerial successes to date.

1936 Season

The Yankees were 102-51 in McCarthy's sixth season leading the team, easily winning the American League pennant by finishing 19 1/2 games ahead of the second place Tigers.  They would defeat the Giants in six games in the World Series, the second title overall for McCarthy as manager of the Yankees.

1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums (R314 Type 1)

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #28

2020 Panini Diamond Kings #8

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card*:  1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums (R314 Type 1)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Panini Diamond Kings #8

*This is a tough one.  McCarthy appeared on a bunch of minor league issues, food issues, team issues, pins and postcards between 1911 and the early 1960s, but I wouldn't consider any of the mainstream baseball cards.

229 - McCarthy non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #142 Connie Mack MG - Philadelphia Athletics

Next Card: #144 Bill McKechnie MG - Boston Bees

#140 Mike Kreevich - Chicago White Sox

Michael Andreas Kreevich

Chicago White Sox

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'7"  Weight:  168

Born:  June 10, 1908, Mount Olive, IL

Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1931; Chicago White Sox 1935-41; Philadelphia Athletics 1942; St. Louis Browns 1943-45; Washington Nationals 1945

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Browns 1944

Died:  April 25, 1994, Pana, IL (85)

Short of stature, Mike Kreevich persevered through six full seasons in the minors, earning a cup of coffee with the Cubs in 1931 and with the White Sox in 1935, before earning regular playing time in 1936 as the everyday centerfielder for the White Sox.  His career year would come in 1937 when he led the league with 16 triples and batted .302 with 12 home runs and 73 RBIs for the third place White Sox.  Kreevich was the starting left fielder for the American League All-Stars in 1938, and he'd have another big year for Chicago in 1939, batting a career-best .323 with a career high 77 RBIs.  

Kreevich's speed made him an above-average defender, and modern statistics place him 38th all-time in Range Factor/Game as a center fielder with a 2.62 mark.  He led all outfielders twice in fielding percentage.  Also a skilled bunter, he led the league in sacrifices in both 1939 and 1940, with 22 and 21 respectively.  He steadily declined beginning in 1940, but he did have a late career resurgence with the American League Champion Browns in 1944.  In 1,241 major league games, Kreevich batted .283 with 221 doubles, 75 triples, 45 home runs and 514 RBIs.

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 / White Sox Team Set

Kreevich is depicted making a diving play in the outfield, fitting given his stellar defensive skills.  The back of the card highlights his speed and encourages other short ballplayers to follow Kreevich's example.  For such a successful player from his era, Kreevich has surprisingly few contemporaneous baseball cards.  While not a Hall of Famer, I'm glad he was included in this extended set.

1936 Season

From Kreevich's SABR biography, written by John Gabcik and Jack Zerby: 

Early in the 1935-36 offseason he was projected as the starting third baseman for the White Sox, but by the time spring training ended in late April, he was in center field.  He stayed there, also playing the outfield corners, for the entire season.  Again, he continued to hit well. 

By midseason 1936, "the popular little fellow," still a rookie, was becoming such a fan favorite that the White Sox held Mike Kreevich Day at Comiskey Park on Sunday, June 28.  Honored with a "big floral horseshoe and other gifts," Kreevich sat out the first game of the day's twin bill as Chicago lost.  He failed to hit safely in four trips to the plate in the second game but drove in a run on a double-play grounder.  The fans went home happy as the White Sox beat Washington, 4-1, with their honoree in the lineup.  Later that season Kreevich had a career-high five hits in a game on September 11 against Philadelphia.  He finished the campaign at .307 in 550 at-bats. 

Early in the 1936 season, Chicago had entertained thoughts of trading Kreevich to the Boston Red Sox "for any outfielder on the Boston roster and Boston laughed."  As it developed, he became a fixture in the Comiskey Park outfield of a solid rookie year.

1936 National Chicle Pastels (R312)

1936 S&S Games The National Game

1983 TCMA 1944 Play Ball #3

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1936 National Chicle Pastels (R312)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1983 TCMA 1944 Play Ball #3

18 - Kreevich non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/6/26.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #139 "Chuck" Klein - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card: #141 Fred Windstorm - Brooklyn Dodgers

#99 "Pie" Traynor MG - Pittsburgh Pirates

Harold Joseph Traynor
Pittsburgh Pirates
Third Base-Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170
Born:  November 11, 1898, Framingham, MA
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1920-35, 1937

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1925, 1927

As a Manager:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1934-39

Died:  March 16, 1972, Pittsburgh, PA (73)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1948

The greatest third baseman of his era, Pie Traynor played his entire 17-year big league career with the Pirates.  He helped the club win a World Series title in 1925, batting .346 (9 for 26) in the seven-game series against the Senators.  Traynor batted over .300 in ten different seasons, attaining a career high in hits with 208 in 1923 and hitting a career-high .366 in 1930.  His lifetime batting average was .320.  He drove in over 100 runs in seven seasons, a record for third baseman until surpassed by Mike Schmidt.  Traynor led the league in triples with 19 in 1923, and he's currently 30th on the all-time triples list with 164.  He had 371 career doubles and astonishingly only struck out 278 times over 1,941 games and 8,298 plate appearances.  An adept bunter, Traynor twice led the league in sacrifices.  He was named to the first two All-Star Games in 1933 and 1934, and was the National League's starting third baseman in the 1934 contest.  Exceptional defensively, Traynor's 2,289 career putouts at third base are fifth all-time.

He was named the Pirates' player-manager during the 1934 season, and he held that position through the 1939 season.  Pittsburgh nearly went back to the World Series in 1938, but they fell to the Cubs following the Gabby Hartnett (#134) home run in the infamous Homer in the Gloamin' game at Wrigley Field on September 28, 1938.  Traynor had a lifetime managerial record of 457-406.  Traynor later served as long-time and popular radio host in Pittsburgh between 1944 and 1965.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1948, the first third baseman to be voted in by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.  Traynor threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the 1971 World Series and passed away a few months later.  His #20 was posthumously retired by the Pirates before their home opener in 1972.

Building the Set

March 14, 2025 from Lincoln, MA (Champion Sportcards & Collectibles) - Card #115

My luck continued recently on eBay when I won this late series Traynor card for a final bid price that was less than half what the card's current book price is, according to Beckett.  The card showed up in one of my saved searches, I placed what I thought was a "no way this is going to win" bid, and was pleasantly surprised when no one else entered the auction after my bid.

Unbelievably, I'm down to needing just four cards for my version of a master set . . . or maybe it's just three.  I had wanted both the error and corrected versions of the Hank Greenberg (#54) card, but as I near the end of this collecting journey, maybe just one of those versions is fine.  I'd of course feel differently if the card wasn't the most expensive in the set.  I'm also still on the hunt for the cards of Mel Ott (#50) and the last high-number needed, Stan Hack (#107).

Variations Available

1 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright

This is the second Traynor card in the set, with the Hall of Fame third baseman first appearing on card #27.  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.  This card has the same text on the back as his earlier card, save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics.  Also, the ink on the back of card #99 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.

The Card / Pirates Team Set

The tip on the back of the card provides guidance on where to stand in the batter's box, depending on your arm length and swinging style.  It also implores the reader to study Traynor's form, given the current Pirates manager's success over the years while batting.

Comparing both the easier to find early series Traynor card to this harder to find late series Traynor card, the latter is actually the nicer of the two in my set.

1936 Season

This was the first season Traynor was a full-time manager, not playing in any games, although his SABR biography notes he kept himself on the Pirates' active roster.  His team finished in fourth place in the National League with a 84-70-2 record.  Shortstop Arky Vaughan (#151) was the team's MVP, leading the league with a .453 on-base percentage, 118 walks and 122 runs scored.  Vaughan batted .335.  First baseman  Gus Suhr (#56) led the team with 11 home runs and 118 RBIs.  Cy Blanton (#57) won 13 games and threw a league-leading four shutouts.

1922 American Caramel Series of 240 (E120)

1933 DeLong Gum (R333)

1933 Goudey #22

1940 Play Ball #224

1976 Topps #343

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1922 American Caramel Series of 240 (E120)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1976

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Panini Diamond Kings #108

181 - Traynor non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/15/25.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #98 "Schoolboy" Rowe - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #100 Earle Averill - Cleveland Indians

#103 Bill Dickey - New York Yankees

William Malcolm Dickey

New York Yankees

Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  185

Born:  June 6, 1907, Bastrop, LA

Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1928-1943, 1946

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1928, 1932, 1936-1939, 1941-1943

As a Manager:  New York Yankees 1946

Died:  November 12, 1993, Little Rock, AR (86)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1954

Bill Dickey was an 11-time All-Star catcher for the Yankees, behind the plate for nine American League pennants, which included eight World Series titles between 1928 and 1943.  He replaced Benny Bengough as the Yankees' starting catcher in 1929, a role he'd settle into for the next 15 seasons.  Dickey could hit for power, batted over .300 in 11 seasons and was excellent defensively behind the plate, leading the league four times in fielding percentage.  He hit over 20 home runs with at least 100 RBIs for four straight years between 1936 and 1939, and his .362 average in 1936 stood as the high-water mark for catchers until Joe Mauer batted .365 in 2009.  Dickey's best season statistically came in 1937 when he batted .332 with 29 home runs and 133 RBIs - both career bests.  In 1,789 games with the Yankees, Dickey batted .313 with 202 home runs and 1,209 RBIs.

After two years serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Dickey returned to the Yankees as player-manager for the 1946 season.  He'd serve as a coach with the Yankees from 1949 to 1957, and again in 1960.  During his tenure as Yankees' coach, Dickey helped mentor two of his successors behind the plate - Yogi Berra and Elston Howard.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954, and the Yankees retired #8 in 1972 to honor both Dickey and Berra.

Building the Set

February 22, 2025 from Clifton, NJ (Probstein123) - Card #114

I had no intention of this card actually entering my collection, putting what I thought was an incredibly low bid on a recent eBay auction from seller probstein123.  The card is slabbed and graded 1.5 (fair) according to SGC, but the front of the card looks just fine to me.  Given what comparable cards have sold for over the past few years, I'm happy with the price I paid for this.  The addition of this card drops me to needing five more Diamond Stars cards for my version of a master set - Mel Ott (#50), both the error and corrected versions of the Hank Greenberg (#54) card, Pie Traynor (#99) and Stan Hack (#107).  As I get closer to the end of collecting this set, I'm coming to terms with not really needing two versions of the pricey Greenberg card.

And speaking of the master set . . . I recently spent time over at TCDB updating this set's checklist to include all 170 cards found in a Diamond Stars master set.  It had bugged me for years the TCDB checklist didn't contain any of the many back variations found throughout the set, so I decided to fix that.

Variations Available

1 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright

This is the second Dickey card in the set, with the Hall of Fame catcher first appearing on card #11.  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.  This card has the same text on the back as his earlier card, save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics.  Also, the ink on the back of card #103 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.

The Card / Yankees Team Set

When I posted card #11, I wrote it was the "cheaper" of two Dickey cards in the set, with this second card likely one of the hardest to find out of all Diamond Stars cards.  Given my luck on eBay, I didn't pay much more for this harder to find high-number version than its lower-number counterpart.  The tip on the back explains the catcher's role whenever a batter drops a bunt.

1936 Season

Dickey enjoyed one of his best seasons in 1936, batting a record-setting (for catchers) .362 in 112 games, with 22 home runs and 107 RBIs.  As mentioned above, it was to be the first of four years in a row he'd eclipse the 20-home run and 100-RBI marks.  His batting average was good enough for third in the league, behind Luke Appling (#95), who batted. 388.  Dickey was an All-Star for the third of what would ultimately be 11 appearances.  He didn't fare well in the World Series, batting .120 over six games, but his Yankees defeated the Giants in the first of four straight World Championship titles.

1933 Goudey #19

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #30

1939 Play Ball #30

1941 Play Ball #70

1952 Topps #400

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #19

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1952, 1960

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2017 Panini Diamond Kings #2

558 - Dickey non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/23/25.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #102 Van Mungo - Brooklyn Dodgers

Next Card: #104 Robert Rolfe - New York Yankees

#104 Robert Rolfe - New York Yankees

Robert Abial Rolfe

New York Yankees

Third Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  170

Born: October 17, 1908, Penacook, NH

Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1931, 1934-42

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1936-39, 1941-42

As a Manager:  Detroit Tigers 1949-52

Died:  July 8, 1969, Gilford, NH (60)

Red Rolfe played in 10 major league seasons with the Yankees, reaching the World Series in six of those seasons and winning five World Series rings as a key member of the "Bronx Bombers" of the 1930s.  As the team's regular third baseman, Rolfe went to four All-Star Games and provided both a steady glove and a reliable bat.  His best season came in 1939 when he helped the Yankees reach the World Series by leading the league in runs (139), hits (213) and doubles (46) while hitting his career highs in batting average (.329) and home runs (14).  He tied his career high with 80 RBIs that season as well.  With his glove, Rolfe twice led the league in fielding percentage for third basemen (1935 and 1936).

Retiring following the 1942 season, Rolfe coached baseball and basketball at Yale University before returning to the majors in 1947 as a coach for the Yankees.  He took over as manager of the Tigers beginning in 1949, going 278-256 over four years at the helm.  Rolfe returned to his alma mater, Dartmouth, as their athletic director in 1954 where he stayed until retiring in 1967.  In a 1969 Yankees fan poll, Rolfe was named the third baseman on the Yankees' all-time greatest team.

Building the Set

December 10, 2024 from Los Angeles, CA (Greg Morris Cards) - Card #111

The addition of this high-number Rolfe card was a pleasant surprise, and helped me avoid getting completely shut out from a series of auctions from Greg Morris Cards following yet another Diamond Stars set break by the dealer.  On a whim, I spent an evening in early December searching for any of the final nine cards needed for my version of a Diamond Stars master set.  Greg Morris Cards had a bunch of cards up for auction from the set, including most of the cards I needed.  I entered my highest bid on each of them, waited a few days until the auctions closed, and came away with this Rolfe card for what I deemed to be a reasonable price.

This card joins the less pricey Rolfe card from early in the set (#29), added almost exactly four years to the day prior to this newer card arriving in the mail.

Variations Available

1 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright

As mentioned and shown above, this is the second Rolfe card in the set, with the infielder first appearing on card #29.  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.  This card has the same text on the back as his earlier card, save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics.  Also, the ink on the back of card #104 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.

The Card / Yankees Team Set

There's all kinds of stuff going on in that Art Deco photo.  Rolfe is presumably getting ready to make a throw from third to first while the shortstop (maybe?) looks on and an umpire preemptively makes a safe call even though Rolfe is still holding the ball.  In the distance, a factory's smokestack sends smoke into the cloudless blue sky.  Rolfe is wearing a Yankees road uniform, as those sported "New York" across the front while the Yankees home uniforms contained nothing but pinstripes up until 1936.

The back contains a fielding tip, advising the reader to learn how to anticipate in which direction a batted ball will go based on the location of the pitch.  Rolfe had mastered this, according to the write-up, which is part of the reason he had become a successful fielder.

1936 Season

Rolfe was a year away from stardom and four straight All-Star Game appearances.  The regular third baseman for the Yankees, Rolfe appeared in 135 games, batting .319 with 10 home runs, 70 RBIs, and a league-leading 15 triples.  Manager Joe McCarthy (#143) had Rolfe bat second most of the year, setting the table for the power hitters in the middle of the order, including Joe DiMaggio (#126), Lou Gehrig (#130) and Bill Dickey (#11).  In his first World Series action, Rolfe batted .400 (10 for 25) against the Giants, as the Yankees won in six games.

1934 Goudey #94

1941 Double Play #65

1951 Bowman #319

1952 Topps #296

1973 Fleer Famous Feats #22

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1934 Goudey #94

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1952

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2010 Topps New York Yankees 27 World Series Championships #YC8

123 - Rolfe non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/1/25.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Previous Card:  #103 Bill Dickey - New York Yankees

Next Card:  #105 "Ernie" Lombardi - Cincinnati Reds