#144 Bill McKechnie MG - Boston Bees

William Boyd McKechnie

Boston Bees

Manager

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160

Born:  August 7, 1886, Wilkinsburg, PA

Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1907, 1910-12; Boston Braves 1913; New York Yankees 1913; Indianapolis Hoosiers 1914; Newark Pepper 1915; New York Giants 1916; Cincinnati Reds 1916-17; Pittsburgh Pirates 1918, 1920

As a Manager:  Newark Pepper 1915; Pittsburgh Pirates 1922-26; St. Louis Cardinals 1928, 1929; Boston Braves 1930-35; Boston Bees 1936-37; Cincinnati Reds 1938-46

Died:  October 29, 1965, Bradenton, FL (79)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1962

Bill McKechnie had a respectable career as a major league player, playing in 11 seasons overall and enjoying his best season in 1914 as the starting third baseman for the the Frontier League's Indianapolis Hoosiers.  He batted .304 that season with 47 stolen bases.  McKechnie would begin his lengthy and successful managerial career the following year as the player/manager for the Newark Pepper, and he'd get his first National League job with the Pirates in 1922.  McKechnie guided the Pirates to a National League pennant in 1925, with his club defeating the Washington Nationals in seven games in the World Series.  After an acrimonious end to his time with the Pirates, McKechnnie briefly managed the Cardinals, leading that team to a World Series in 1928.  They were swept by the powerhouse Yankees.

McKechnie would spend eight years at the helm for the Braves/Bees, never finishing higher than fourth place in the league.  He'd join the Reds in 1938, with Cincinnati winning back-to-back pennants in 1939 and 1940, and winning the World Series in 1940 with a seventh game win over the Tigers.  Focusing on strong pitching and defense throughout his career, McKechnie became the first manager to win a World Series title with two different teams.  He retired as a manager following the 1946 season with 1,892 career managerial wins, ranking fourth in major league history at the time.  McKechnie would coach for the Indians (1947-48) and Red Sox (1952-53), winning another World Series ring with the Indians in 1948.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.

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 / Bees Team Set

The back of the card mentions the low point of McKechnie's Hall of Fame career - the 115 loss season with the Braves in 1935.  It also foreshadows his success yet to come with the Reds in a few years.

1936 Season

In a huge improvement over the disastrous 1935 season, the newly-named Bees finished the season with a 71-83 record, in sixth place in the National League, 21 games behind the pennant-winning Giants.  From McKechnie's SABR biography, written by Warren Corbett: 

[Boston owner] Judge Fuchs had run out of money, credit, and hope.  Before the 1936 season the National League took over the franchise and engineered a recapitalization with the longtime baseball executive Bob Quinn as principal owner.  The 65-year-old Quinn had a knack for picking lost causes.  He had owned the Red Sox after Harry Frazee plundered the team and then served as president of the debt-ridden Brooklyn Dodgers.  Quinn changed the team nickname to Bees but kept the manager.  McKechnie started rebuilding again.  He acquired a few useful players, including Al Lopez (#97) and Tony Cuccinello (#55), possibly as an act of charity by the rest of the league, and improved the club’s record by 33 wins in 1936, good enough for sixth place.

1912 American Tobacco (T207)

1940 Play Ball #153

1980-87 SSPC HOF #88

1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1066

2004 Topps Fall Classic Covers #FC1928

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1912 American Tobacco Company Brown Background (T207)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2004 Topps Fall Classic Covers #FC1928

47 - McKechnie non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/22/26.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #143 Joe McCarthy MG - New York Yankees

Next Card: #145 Johnny Mike - St. Louis Cardinals

#153 Judge Kenesaw Landis - Commissioner

Kennesaw Mountain Landis

Commissioner

Bats:  Unknown  Throws:  Unknown 

Born:  November 20, 1866, Millville, OH

As Commissioner:  1920-44

Died:  November 25, 1944, Chicago, IL (78)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1944

Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt.  Tough on big business and and those he thought were opposing the country's war efforts during World War I, Landis was named the first commissioner of Major League Baseball in 1920, as the owners sought an iron fist to rule over the game.  One of Landis' first actions was the permanent banning of eight White Sox players allegedly involved in throwing the 1919 World Series.  Ironically, given the proliferation of sports betting in all major sports these days, Landis focused on cracking down on gambling during his tenure as commissioner.  And while he restored confidence in baseball as a fair game, uninfluenced by gambling, he's viewed as having stalled the overall segregation of the game.  Landis instituted the All-Star Game, with the contest first being played in 1933.  He was inducted by special vote into the Hall of Fame in 1944, a few weeks following his death.

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

Landis sure does look ornery here, and I imagine he was a difficult personality to be around.  The back of the card references the first instance a designated hitter rule was considered for the game, back in 1928.  It's also safe to surmise that Landis' leadership along with the spectacle of Babe Ruth (#110) helped restore the game and increase its overall popularity following the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.

1936 Season

The Yankees easily won the American League pennant and then defeated the Giants in the World Series in six games.  An article in The New York Times from October 23rd wrote that Landis had mailed checks for $6,430 to each Yankee player as the winning share from the series, with each Giants player receiving $4,655.

1960 Fleer Baseball Greats #64

1980-87 SSPC HOF #28

1994 Upper Deck Baseball: The American Epic #33

2014 Panini Golden Age #50

2019 Topps Revolution of the Game #REV-2

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1944-45 Albertype Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards (Type 1)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Revolution of the Game #REV-2

56 - Landis non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/26.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #152 "Gee" Walker - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #1 James "Cool Papa" Bell - Pittsburgh Crawfords

#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

#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

#66 "Ducky" Medwick - St. Louis Cardinals

Joseph Michael Medwick

St. Louis Cardinals

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  187

Born:  November 24, 1911, Carteret, NJ

Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1932-1940; Brooklyn Dodgers 1940-1943; New York Giants 1943-1945; Boston Braves 1945; Brooklyn Dodgers 1946; St. Louis Cardinals 1947-1948

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1934; Brooklyn Dodgers 1941

Died:  March 21, 1975, St. Petersburg, FL (63)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1968

A fierce competitor and by some accounts difficult to get along with in the clubhouse, Joe Medwick compiled a Hall of Fame career over 17 seasons and is the last National League player to have won the Triple Crown.  Medwick became a regular with the Gashouse Gang in 1933, and as the club's everyday left fielder between 1934 and 1940, he made seven All-Star Games and helped propel the Cardinals to a World Series title in 1934.  It was during Game 7 of that 1934 World Series that Medwick was ejected from the game for his own safety, when play had been interupted as Detroit fans threw garbage and other objects onto the playing field.  Medwick had slid hard into Tigers' third baseman Marv Owen (#67), sparking the fans' revolt.  He led the league three years in a row between 1936 and 1938 in doubles and RBIs, with his 64 doubles in 1936 still a National League record.  Medwick's career year came in 1937 when his .374 average, to go along with 31 home runs and 154 RBIs, won him the Triple Crown and league MVP honors.

Dealt to the Dodgers in June 1940, his former Cardinals teammate Bob Bowman beaned him in just his sixth game with Brooklyn, knocking him unconscious and landing Medwick in the hospital.  The beaning caused bad blood between the two teams and an investigation, with Bowman insisting he never meant to hurt Medwick.  Medwick made two All-Star teams with the Dodgers in 1941 and 1942, and made his final All-Star Game appearance with the Giants in 1944.  He was a 10-time All-Star for his career.  His last action in the majors came in 1948 with his old Cardinals' team and he retired as a player after attempting a minor league comeback in the early 1950s.  Medwick batted .324with 2,471 hits, 540 doubles, 205 home runs and 1,383 RBIs.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968 in his final year of eligibility.

Building the Set

December 3, 2023 from Oaks, PA (The Philly Show -  Bagger's Auctions) - Card #96

I wrote a full write-up of The Philly Show from December over at The Phillies Room.  Having added another 145 commons to our 1969 Topps set build, and then securing autographs from Tom Herr and Bobby Wine, Doug and I were ready to call it a day.  

On our way out, I stopped at a table near the exit when I noticed a display with baseball cards from the 1930s, including a few Diamond Stars cards.  I've been watching the Carl Hubbell (#39) card for a while on a few eBay auctions, and given the reasonable price tag on this card for $110, I started a short negotiation with the dealer.  He pointed out there were some other Diamond Stars cards in a bargain bin next to the case, and I was pleasantly surprised to find this extremely reasonably priced Medwick card to pair with the Hubbell purchase.  Both cards joined my Diamond Stars set build and we quickly exited the show soon afterwards, given my now completely empty wallet.

Variations Available

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

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

As discussed in this SABR article, there's some interesting action going on behind Medwick as the slugger takes his swing.  This thread from the social media site formerly known as Twitter has some good theories as to what's going on, and it does appear as if two players and (inexplicably) an umpire are standing around an early batting cage.  The write-up on the back of the card is fantastic.  The author refers to Medwick as "aggressive" and "spirited" and several of his Gashouse Gang teammates are name dropped.  Dizzy (#124) and Paul Dean (#125), Frankie Frisch (#17), Pepper Martin (#26), Leo Durocher (#127) and Bill DeLancey (#81) are all mentioned.  Only Frisch, Martin and DeLancey appear in the original Diamond Stars set with Medwick.

The back also refers to the "sensational" 1934 World Series against the Tigers, and refers to the War, which at the time was World War I.  The world had no idea what was coming in less than a decade.

1935 Season

In his third full season in the majors, Medwick started all 154 games in left field for the Cardinals.  The team's top offensive force, he batted .353 with 23 home runs and 126 RBIs, clinching the club's Triple Crown.  First baseman Ripper Collins (#116) tied Medwick for the team lead in home runs.  The Cardinals finished in second place in the National League, four games behind the Cubs.

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #145

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #286

1941 Double Play #21-22

1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #61

1980-87 SSPC HOF #110

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1935 National Chicle Diamond Stars #66

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Panini Golden Age 5x7 Box Toppers #8

261 - Medwick non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/15/23.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

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

Next Card: #67 Marvin Owen - Detroit Tigers

Negro League Stars #1 James "Cool Papa" Bell - Pittsburgh Crawfords

James Thomas Bell

Pittsburgh Crawfords

Outfield

Bats:  Both  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  155

Born:  May 17, 1903, Starkville, MS

Major League Teams:  St. Louis Stars 1922-1929; Chicago American Giants 1930; St. Louis Stars 1930-1931; Detroit Wolves 1932; Pittsburgh Crawfords 1933-1937; Chicago American Giants 1942; Homestead Grays 1943-1946

World Series Appearances:  Homestead Grays 1943-1945

Died:  March 7, 1991, St. Louis, MO (87)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1974

Considered to be one of the fastest men to ever play the game of baseball, Cool Papa Bell was a star of the Negro Leagues for over two decades.  Originally a pitcher, Bell earned his nickname after striking out league superstar Oscar Charleston during his first season with the St. Louis Stars in 1922.  After moving full-time to the outfield, Bell learned to switch hit.  A constant threat on the base paths, a walk or single usually meant the speedy Bell would ultimately arrive on third base following a pair of stolen bases.  Frequently leading the league in stolen bases and runs scored, Bell led the Stars to league championship titles in 1928, 1930 and 1931.  He'd move to the Crawfords in 1933, forming what was considered to be the best outfield in the Negro Leagues along with Ted Page and Jimmie Crutchfield.  Bell and five of his Crawfords teammates from the 1936 season were ultimately inducted into the Hall of Fame.  He'd play in Mexico in 1940 for the Algodoneros de Union Laguna, becoming the first player to win the Mexican League Triple Crown when he batted .437 with 12 home runs and 79 RBIs.

Later in his career with the Homestead Grays, and playing along side Josh Gibson (Negro League Stars #2), Bell would win two World Championships in 1944 and 1945.  Though likely incomplete, Bell's records show him appearing in 1,199 Negro League games, batting .325 with 262 doubles, 72 triples and 285 stolen bases.  He was an eight-time All-Star for the league, and he seemingly never stopped playing baseball year-round between 1922 and 1950.  His Hall of Fame plaque mentions he "Played 29 summers and 21 winters" of professional baseball.  Bell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974, and was ranked 66th in 1999 by The Sporting News in their list of Baseball's Greatest Players.  By all accounts, not only was Bell one of the fastest to ever play the game, he was also one of the nicest and most respected.

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 #120, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.  The final three cards in this set pay tribute to three Negro League greats, including Bell.  There are also cards of his Crawfords teammates, Gibson and Satchel Paige.

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.

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / no statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Crawfords Team Set

I'm grateful the makers of this set made the decision to include three wonderful cards of Negro League stars Bell, Gibson and Paige.  If there's ever an additional extension series produced, I'd love to see more cards for these Negro League stars.

1936 Season

Baseball Reference has Bell playing in 41 games for the Crawfords in 1936, batting .291 as the team's primary center fielder.  He played in three games for the Negro League All-Stars, batting .385 (5 for 13).

1980-87 SSPC HOF #141

1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes #25

2001 Topps Chrome What Could Have Been #WCB4

2004 Topps Tribute HOF #7

2022 Panini Diamond Kings #62

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1980-87 SSPC Hall of Fame #141

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2022 Panini Diamond Kings #62

First mainstream card is fairly subjective here, as Bell would have appeared on a Cooperstown Hall of Fame Plaque postcard beginning in 1974.  He's also in a bunch of oddball sets, including the 1974 Laughlin Old-Time Black Stars and 1976 Shakey's Pizza sets.

115 - Bell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/5/23.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #153 Judge Kennesaw Landis - Commissioner

Next Card:  Negro League Stars #2 Josh Gibson - Pittsburgh Crawfords