#112 Joe DiMaggio - New York Yankees

Joseph Paul DiMaggio

New York Yankees

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  193

Born:  November 25, 1914, Martinez, CA

Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1936-42, 1946-51

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1936-39, 1941-42, 1947, 1949-51

Died:  March 8, 1999, Hollywood, FL (84)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1955

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, reached almost mythic status during his 13 years with the Yankees.  Beloved by the Bronx fans and famous worldwide, DiMaggio made his debut on May 3, 1936, and was a bona fide superstar from his time as a rookie to his retirement in 1951.  He was an American League All-Star each year he played and helped guide the Yankees to 10 pennants and nine World Championships.  He batted .346 in his sophomore season of 1937, attaining career best marks for home runs (46) and RBIs (167).  DiMaggio won MVP honors in 1939, 1941 and 1947, the latter award made even more impressive due to the fact he had missed three full seasons while serving in the military during World War II.  His best season was perhaps 1941 when he accumulated a 56-game hitting streak, finishing the year with a .357 average, 30 home runs and 125 RBIs.

DiMaggio retired following the 1951 season, ranking fifth all-time in career home runs (361) and sixth all-time in slugging percentage (.579).  In 1,736 regular season games, DiMaggio batted .325 with 2,214 hits, including 389 doubles and 131 triples.  His #5 was retired by the Yankees in 1952, and DiMaggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955.  He remained in the spotlight following his retirement from baseball, marrying Marilyn Monroe in 1954 and forever immortalized in Simon & Garfunkel's 1968 song, "Mrs. Robinson."  DiMaggio continues to be regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time.

Building the Set

December 22, 2020 from McKeesport, PA (Steel City Collectibles)

In 2014, the third and final "extended" set of Diamond Stars cards was released, repeating three of the players available in the 1993 extended set, including DiMaggio, and adding a pair of cards for Babe Ruth (#109b and #110b).  According to this article, the five cards were made available at the 2014 National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC) held in Cleveland between July 30 and August 3, 2014.  The cards were originally slabbed by PSA, numbered to 500, and given away to collectors when they signed up for a Gold or Platinum level PSA Collectors Club membership.

Steel City Collectibles was selling a lot of four of these five-card sets on eBay for the reasonable price of $17.95 before Christmas, and I eagerly added these cards to my collection.  One set now lives in my Diamond Stars set binder and another set made its way into my oldest son's Doug's collection.  That leaves me with two extra sets looking for a good home or homes.

I wish PSA and the sponsor of these sets, Historic Autograph Company, had paid attention to the extended sets issued earlier.  Instead of repeating card numbers 109 to 113, they could have started with card number 154, picking up where the 1993 extended set had left off.

Variations Available

1 - 2014 / green back / 1935 statistics / 2014 copyright

The Card / Yankees Team Set

I'm partial to the first "what if" version of this Diamond Stars card, from the Chicle Fantasy Extended Edition set, issued in 1993 (#126).  The write-up on the back of this card highlights DiMaggio's fast rise to fame via the Pacific Coast League.  The four players the Yankees gave up for DiMaggio were Doc Farrell, Floyd Newkirk, Jimmy Densmore and Ted Norbert.  Farrell refused to report to the Seals, with the Yankees adding in $5,000 to complete the deal.

1936 Season

DiMaggio entered spring training as the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (#109), who had departed the Yankees two years prior.  Roy Johnson was the team's opening day left fielder, but DiMaggio made his debut and first start on May 3rd in left, moving to center field in late July.  He'd hit .323 his rookie season, with 29 home runs and 125 RBIs.  DiMaggio was one of five players in the powerful Yankee line-up with at least 100 RBIs, with Lou Gehrig's (#130) 152 leading them all.  The Yankees defeated the Giants in the World Series, with DiMaggio playing every inning in center field for all six games.  He batted .346 (9 for 26) in his first postseason play.

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #250

1939 Play Ball #26

1941 Play Ball #71

1948-49 Leaf #1

1980-87 SSPC HOF #75

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1938 Goudey Heads-Up (R323) #250

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2025 Topps Living #832

2,103 - DiMaggio non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/31/26.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #111 Lou Gehrig - New York Yankees

Next Card: #113 Bob Feller - Cleveland Indians

#64 Jimmie Foxx - Philadelphia Athletics

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.

1933 Goudey #29

1934-36 Batter-Up #28

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #249

1941 Play Ball #13

1960 Fleer Baseball Greats #53

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1927 Playing Cards (W560)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Panini Chronicles Classics #33

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

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #63 "Stonewall" Jackson - New York Giants

Next Card:  #65 "Zeke" Bonura - Chicago White Sox

#131 "Bump" Hadley - New York Yankees

Irving Darius Hadley

New York Yankees

Second Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  190

Born:  July 5, 1904, Lynn, MA

Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1926-31; Chicago White Sox 1932; St. Louis Browns 1932-34; Washington Senators 1935; New York Yankees 1936-40; New York Giants 1941; Philadelphia Athletics 1941

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1936-38, 1939

Died:  February 15, 1963, Lynn, MA (58)

"Bump" Hadley excelled in several sports during his schooling in New England that included time at Brown University.  He'd join the Senators' organization in 1926 and he'd win at least 10 games in eight of his next nine seasons with the Senators and Browns.  Perhaps his best season in the majors came in 1933 with the Browns when Hadley was 15-20 with a 3.92 ERA in a league-leading 316 2/3 innings pitched.  Frequently wild, he led the league in walks twice and was typically near the top of the rankings in hit batters.  In January 1936, Hadley departed the second division and became a household name in New York when the Yankees acquired him and Roy Johnson from the Senators for Jimmie DeShong and Jesse Hill.

Hadley displayed flashed of brilliance with the Yankees during his five seasons in the Bronx, going 14-4 in his first season with the team in 1936 and leading the league with a .778 winning percentage.  Hadley won a pair of games in the World Series for the Yankees, and won four rings overall with the team in the late 1930s.  He threw eight shutout innings in Game 3 of the 1936 World Series against the Giants, and was again the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the 1939 World Series against the Reds.  He notoriously threw the pitch in 1937 that fractured catcher Mickey Cochrane's (#9) skull, ending the future Hall of Famer's playing career.  For his career, Hadley was 161-165 with a 4.24 ERA in 528 games pitched, striking out 1,318 and walking 1,442 in 2,945 2/3 innings.

Header cards included with the complete set

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

I believe that's future Hall Famer and Yankees' catcher Bill Dickey (#11) making a cameo behind Hadley on the front of the card.  The write-up on the back explains how Hadley first earned a spot start following an illness to Lefty Gomez (#118).  This would have been on May 16, 1936, when Hadley pitched a complete game victory over the White Sox to improve to 2-1.  His record stood at 11-1 following another complete game win over the Senators on August 12th.

1936 Season

In his first season with the Yankees, Hadley pitched in 31 games, making 17 starts and throwing 173 2/3 innings.  He was the fifth starter on the pennant-winning team, with Red Ruffing (#60), Monte Pearson, Johnny Broaca and Gomez all ahead of him in games started.  Hadley's first Yankee roommate was rookie prospect Joe DiMaggio (#126).  Not only was Hadley an asset on the mound, his sign-stealing skills came in handy throughout the season as well.

1929 Kashin Publications (R316)

1933 Goudey #140

1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #251

1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #111

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1929 Kashin Publications (R316)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1992 Conlon Collection TSN #508

35 - Hadley non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/26/24.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #130 Lou Gehrig - New York Yankees

Next Card: #132 Jesse Haines - St. Louis Cardinals

#126 "Joe" DiMaggio - New York Yankees

Joseph Paul DiMaggio

New York Yankees

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  193

Born:  November 25, 1914, Martinez, CA

Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1936-1942, 1946-1951

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1936-1939, 1941-1942, 1947, 1949-1951

Died:  March 8, 1999, Hollywood, FL (84)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1955

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, reached almost mythic status during his 13 years with the Yankees.  Beloved by the Bronx fans and famous worldwide, DiMaggio made his debut on May 3, 1936, and was a bona fide superstar from his time as a rookie to his retirement in 1951.  He was an American League All-Star each year he played and helped guide the Yankees to 10 pennants and nine World Championships.  He batted .346 in his sophomore season of 1937, attaining career best marks for home runs (46) and RBIs (167).  DiMaggio won MVP honors in 1939, 1941 and 1947, the latter award made even more impressive due to the fact he had missed three full seasons while serving in the military during World War II.  His best season was perhaps 1941 when he accumulated a 56-game hitting streak, finishing the year with a .357 average, 30 home runs and 125 RBIs.

DiMaggio retired following the 1951 season, ranking fifth all-time in career home runs (361) and sixth all-time in slugging percentage (.579).  In 1,736 regular season games, DiMaggio batted .325 with 2,214 hits, including 389 doubles and 131 triples.  His #5 was retired by the Yankees in 1952, and DiMaggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955.  He remained in the spotlight following his retirement from baseball, marrying Marilyn Monroe in 1954 and forever immortalized in Simon & Garfunkel's 1968 song, "Mrs. Robinson."  DiMaggio continues to be regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time.

Header cards included with the complete set

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

The original Diamond Stars release would have been a lot more popular had they managed to release DiMaggio's rookie card in the set's underwhelming third series.  The back of the card mentions his excellent minor league play with his hometown San Francisco Seals between 1932 and 1935.  His older brother Vince played 10 seasons with the Braves, Reds, Pirates, Phillies and Giants between 1937 and 1946.  His younger brother Dom played 11 seasons with the Red Sox, and was a seven-time All-Star between 1940 and 1953.

1936 Season

DiMaggio entered spring training as the heir apparent to Babe Ruth (#109), who had departed the Yankees two years prior.  Roy Johnson was the team's opening day left fielder, but DiMaggio made his debut and first start on May 3rd in left, moving to center field in late July.  He'd hit .323 his rookie season, with 29 home runs and 125 RBIs.  DiMaggio was one of five players in the powerful Yankee line-up with at least 100 RBIs, with Lou Gehrig's (#130) 152 leading them all.  The Yankees defeated the Giants in the World Series, with DiMaggio playing every inning in center field for all six games.  He batted .346 (9 for 26) in his first postseason play.

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #250

1939 Play Ball #26

1941 Play Ball #71

1948-49 Leaf #1

1980-87 SSPC HOF #75

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1938 Goudey Heads-Up (R323) #250

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Panini Chronicles Pinnacle #21

2,014 - DiMaggio non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/7/24.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #125 Paul Dean - St. Louis Cardinals

Next Card:  #127 Leo Durocher - St. Louis Cardinals

#77 Charlie Gehringer - Detroit Tigers

Charles Leonard Gehringer

Detroit Tigers

Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  180

Born:  May 11, 1903, Fowlerville, MI

Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1924-1942

World Series Appearances:  Detroit Tigers 1934-1935, 1940

Died:  January 21, 1993, Bloomfield Hills, MI (89)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1949

Nicknamed "The Mechanical Man" due to his multi-decade consistency at the plate and in the field, Charlie Gehringer was on of the best second baseman in the history of the game.  Debuting in 1924, Gehringer took over everyday second base duties for the Tigers in 1926 and wouldn't relinquish the position until 1942.  He played every inning at second base during the first six All-Star Games beginning in 1933, batting .500 in 20 at-bats.  Gehringer's best seasons coincided with the Tigers winning the American League pennants in 1934 and 1935.  The Tigers were World Champions in 1935, with Gehringer leading the way with a .375 average in the World Series.  He had seven seasons with at least 200 hits, and won a batting title in 1939 when he batted a career-best .371.  Gehringer also won MVP honors for his 1939 season.

An outstanding defender as well, Gehringer often led the league in assists, double plays turned and fielding percentage.  He's second all-time with 7,068 assists at second base, and sixth all-time at overall games at second base with 2,206.  Gehringer collected 2,839 career hits while batting .320 with a .404 on-base percentage.  His 574 doubles are currently 25th all-time.  He retired in 1942, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1949 and had his #2 retired by the Tigers in 1983.

Building the Set

March 16, 2024 from Jupiter, FL - Card #105

My chosen profession requires working six days a week beginning in January through at least the end of March, and this will be the 26th year I've spent most Saturdays in the early months of the year toiling away.  Our oldest son Doug is in his junior year of high school, and baseball practice has begun in earnest, with scrimmages already started.  My work schedule and Doug's baseball schedule conspired against us traveling to the recent Philly Show a few weekends ago, so I decided to have a baseball card show of my own.  

I was the winning bidder on this Gehringer card and the card of fellow Hall of Famer Al Simmons (#2), in auctions from seller 01sham from Jupiter, Florida.  I was the winning and only bidder on both cards, with both having reasonable opening bids.  Given the lack of activity on both auctions, an occurrence that's happening a lot more lately, I'm starting to think the pandemic-era boom in vintage baseball cards and set building has finally waned.  That's great news for me, as I don't plan to stop collecting, and the remaining 14 cards needed for my Diamond Stars set are all fairly pricey.

Variations Available

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

2 - 1935 / blue back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright

3 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright 

Cards 73 through 84 were issued in 1935 with either green or blue ink on the back and statistics from 1934.  These same 12 cards were issued again in 1936 with blue ink on the back and statistics from 1935.  The Gehringer card for my set is the first of the three variations available, issued in 1935 with green ink used for the back.

The Card / Tigers Team Set

A pair of unknown players make a cameo behind Gehringer on this card.  The pose here works well with National Chicle's choice to have the card horizontally-oriented, and it's one of the few horizontal cards in the set.  The back of the card explains how rare it is that Gehringer can both hit and field well.  With the advent of the designated hitter decades letter, this statement is especially prescient:  "Remember boys, a hard hitter can always find a place on any team, even though he may be an awkward and sloppy fielder."

1935 Season

Consistent as usual, this was one of Gehringer's strongest seasons of his career.  In 150 games, starting all but four games in mid-August at second base, Gehringer batted .330 with 19 home runs and 108 RBIs.  Leading the team offensively along with first baseman Hank Greenberg (#54), Gehringer helped the Tigers reach the World Series for the second year in a row.  The Tigers defeated the Cubs in six games, winning their first ever World Series title.

1926 Exhibits (W461)

1933 DeLong Gum #5

1934 Goudey #23

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #241

1941 Play Ball #19

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1926 Exhibits (W461)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Panini Diamond Kings #26

406 - Gehringer non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/24/24.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #76 Bill Rogell - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #78 Joe Kuhel - Washington Senators

#97 "Al" Lopez - Boston Bees

Alfonso Ramon Lopez

Boston Bees

Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  165
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

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.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set

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.

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #281

1951 Bowman #295

1960 Topps #222

1969 Topps #527

2022 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary #85

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

228 - Lopez non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/31/24.

Sources:  
1965 Topps Blog

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

Previous Card:  #96 Lew Riggs - Cincinnati Reds

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