#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

#106 "Red" Lucas - Cincinnati Reds

Charles Fred Lucas

Cincinnati Reds

Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  170

Born:  April 28, 1902, Columbia, TN

Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1923; Boston Braves 1924; Cincinnati Reds 1926-1933; Pittsburgh Pirates 1934-1938

Died:  July 9, 1986, Nashville, TN (84)

A steady starting pitcher for parts of 15 big league seasons, as well as a consistently reliable pinch-hitter, Red Lucas led the league three times in complete games and won at least 10 games in nine different seasons.  Lucas was an early two-way player, able to successfully pitch and serving as a valuable bat off the bench for his teams.  On the mound, his best season came in 1929 when he went 19-12 with a 3.60 ERA while leading the league in complete games (28) and WHIP (1.204).  He finished sixth in the N.L. MVP voting that season.  Lucas pitched in 396 games over his career, going 157-135 with a 3.72 ERA and 602 strikeouts.

Along with those solid pitching numbers, Lucas was one of the best pinch-hitters of his era.  He possessed a lifetime .272 average as a pinch-hitter,  going 116 for 426 overall in the role.  He fared even better at the plate when not pinch-hitting, having a lifetime average of .281 with 404 hits and 13 home runs.  To complete the trifecta of a complete ballplayer, Lucas was an above-average fielder as well, leading the league among all pitchers in four different seasons with a 1.000 fielding percentage.  After retiring as a player, Lucas served as a minor league coach and manager between 1939 and 1949.  He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Building the Set

April 9, 2024 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #106

On April 7th, I received an e-mail from Gar Miller, hobby icon, informing me and other customers he had recently updated his inventory of vintage baseball cards for sale at garmillercards.com.  In need of some vintage cardboard, and wanting to see if Miller had any Diamond Stars cards I needed, I decided to check out the new inventory.  This high-number Lucas card was reasonably priced, so I added it, a few cards needed for our 1969 Topps set and a few random Phillies-related cards to my cart and submitted my order.  Given the proximity of Miller to our house, the cards were here in two days.

I'm now down to 13 cards needed for my version of a 1934-36 Diamond Stars master set.  I have set a goal of wrapping up the set (and this blog) at some point hopefully in 2025.

Variations Available

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

The Card / Reds Team Set

This is the second Lucas card in the set, with the first version appearing at card #46 and issued in 1935 with 1934 statistics.  It's odd the write-up on the back references Lucas as a Reds' pitcher, when he spent the entire 1934 and 1935 seasons with the Pirates.  The Trading Card Database lists the outdated team designation as an uncorrected error.  After eight seasons with the Reds, he was dealt to the Pirates on November 17, 1933 with Wally Roettger for Adam Comorosky and Tony Piet (#72).  The tip on the back tells players how to pitch when runners are on base, including when there's a runner on third who attempts to steal home.

1936 Season

Lucas was 15-4 with a 3.18 ERA for the Pirates, appearing in 27 games and making 22 starts.  He was the club's fourth starter behind Bill Swift, Cy Blanton and Jim Weaver, and Lucas' 12 complete games were one more than Weaver's.  At the plate, Lucas batted .241 with four doubles and 14 RBIs.

1933 Goudey #137

1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)

1935 Goudey 4-in-1 #36

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #190

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #137

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  XX

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #190

36 - Lucas non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/12/24.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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

Next Card: #107 Stanley Hack - Chicago Cubs

#115 Gene Moore - Boston Bees

Eugene Moore

Boston Bees

Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 26, 1909, Lancaster, TX

Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1931;  St. Louis Cardinals 1933-1935; Boston Bees 1936-1938; Brooklyn Dodgers 1939-1940; Boston Bees 1940; Boston Braves 1941; Washington Senators 1942-1943; St. Louis Browns 1944-1945

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Browns 1944

Died:  March 12, 1978, Jackson, MS (68)

Slugger Gene Moore played in 14 major league seasons, finding his most success as a member of the Boston Bees between 1936 and 1938.  Moore played sparingly for the Reds and Cardinals between 1931 and 1935, finally getting a chance as an everyday player with the Bees in 1936 as their regular right fielder.  Moore batted .290 that season with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs.  A year later he'd be named to the National League All-Star team and reach career highs in both home runs (16) and RBIs (70).  Moore had a strong throwing arm and twice led all outfielders in assists in 1936 and 1937.  He continued to find regular playing time into the mid-1940s, finishing up his career with the Browns with two straight seasons of at least 50 RBIs in 1944 and 1945.  Moore saw his only World Series action in 1944 with the Browns, but his team fell to the city rival Cardinals in six games.  In 1,042 major league games, Moore collected 958 hits and batted .270, with 58 home runs and 436 RBIs.

Building the Set

December 11, 2020 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards)

On the night I impulsively decided to collect the original Diamond Stars set, and I subsequently purchased the Harvey Hendrick (#41) card from Kit Young Cards, I also added the complete, and first, extended set to my cart for the very reasonable price of $7.50.  The 12 cards in this first extended set were originally issued in 1981.

In the early 1980s, a family member of a former National Chicle employee discovered an uncut sheet of 12 unused cards presumably meant as a 1937 continuation of the Diamond Stars set.  As originally advertised, and as mentioned on the back of every card issued, the company had intended for the set to contain 240 subjects.  They only produced 108 cards before production was halted, and the theory is this newly found sheet represented a "lost" continuation of the set.  Fortunately, the images of the cards made their way into the collecting world and a 12-card "what if" set was created.  (More on the uncut sheet can be found here from SABR's Baseball Cards Research Committee and from this Ryan Cracknell article for Beckett.)

Another great article was recently published to SABR's Baseball Cards Research Committee website taking a closer look at these extended cards.

The Beckett online database lists the set as "1981 Diamond Stars Continuation Den's" and the set's description notes "This set was created and produced by Denny Eckes.  Hobbyist Mike Galella was involved in bringing this sheet to the the public.  These cards were originally available from the producer for $3."  The back of the cards have a 1981 copyright attributed to Den's Collectors Den, the company belonging to the aforementioned Eckes.

The 12 cards include more ambitious geometric designs than the original Diamond Stars cards,  although the overall color template remains the same as their 1934 to 1936 counterparts.

Variations Available

1 - 1981 / blue back / 1936 statistics / 1981 copyright

The Card / Bees Team Set

Boston's National League team changed its name to the Bees between 1936 and 1940, but the back of this card still refers to Moore's team as the Braves.  As has been the case with all of these extended cards from 1981, the write-up on the back stays true to the spirit of the original Diamond Stars cards.  Moore's card contains a tip for being ready, but relaxed, in the outfield, ready to react to a batted ball "with the carck of the bat."

1937 Season

As mentioned above, this was one of Moore's best seasons and he played in 148 games for the fifth place Bees.  His bWAR of 5.5 was the top among all offensive players for the Bees, and second on the team to only pitcher Jim Turner (bWAR 6.1) who was 20-11 with a 2.38 ERA.  Moore made 148 starts in right field, and interestingly enough the only games in which he wasn't the starting right fielder were the Bees' first two and last two games.  Moore was named to but didn't get into the All-Star Game.

1935 Goudey 4-in-1 (R321)

1939 Play Ball #160

1941 Double Play (R330) #122

1941 Play Ball #25

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #77

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1935 Goudey 4-in-1 (R321)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #77

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

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #114 Roger Cramer - Boston Red Sox

Next Card: #116 Rip Collins - St. Louis Cardinals

#23 Bill Hallahan - St. Louis Cardinals

William Anthony Hallahan

St. Louis Cardinals

Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170

Born:  August 4, 1902, Binghamton, NY

Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1925-1926, 1929-1936; Cincinnati Reds 1936-1937; Philadelphia Phillies 1938

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1926, 1930-1931, 1934

Died:  July 8, 1981, Binghamton, NY (78)

Given the nickname "Wild Bill" due to his penchant for walks, Bill Hallahan pitched for 10 seasons with the Cardinals, helping his club to four World Series appearances and three World Championships.  Hallahan had a few brief stints with the Cardinals in 1925 and 1926, before coming up for good in 1929 and becoming one of the workhorses of the Gashouse Gang's pitching staff.  He led the league in both strikeouts and walks in 1930 and 1931, and was a 19-game winner in 1931 with a 3.29 ERA.  Hallahan was stellar in most of his World Series appearances, going 3-1 with a 1.36 ERA in seven games, five starts and 39 2/3 innings pitched.  He was the winning pitcher in Games 2 and 5 of the 1931 World Series, and recorded the final out in Game 7 to earn the save.  Hallahan pitched in at least 162 innings for seven straight seasons between 1930 and 1936.

Hallahan was the National League's starting pitcher in the first ever All-Star Game in 1933, held in Chicago's Comiskey Park.  He'd win another World Series title in 1934, and won 15 games in 1935, his fourth and final season claiming as many wins.  His Cardinals' career came to an end on May 31, 1936, when he was sold to the Reds.  After 2 1/2 seasons of mediocre pitching performances, Hallahan retired, seeing his last action with the Phillies in 1938.  He was 102-94 lifetime, with a 4.03 ERA in 324 games pitched.  Hallahan had 856 strikeouts to 779 walks in 1,740 1/3 career innings pitched.

Building the Set

December 3, 2023 from Oaks, PA (The Philly Show - Clean Sweep Auctions) - Card #95

This was the only Diamond Stars card I thought I'd add from the recent Philly Show, but I'd end up adding two more.  Hallahan has eluded me over the nearly three years I've collected this set, which is odd given he's a non-Hall of Famer, non-high number and non-Yankees player.  Most of the cards featuring players similar to Hallahan have been available in multiple eBay auctions or at The Philly Show over the past three years, with Hallahan and the card for Max Bishop (#6) being somewhat difficult to track down.  As of this writing, I need 26 more cards with Bishop and a variation of the Dixie Walker card (#12) being the only two non-Hall of Famer, non-high number cards remaining.

I found this Hallahan card in a stack of "commons" at the Clean Sweep Auction table, and given I had rarely seen a copy of this card available for sale, I gladly paid the $30 being asked for it.  I wrote a full report of the December Philly Show over at The Phillies Room.

Variations Available

1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅

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

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

The tip on the back of the card concerns how to stand on the mound without embarrassing yourself.  And I learned something here too.  The tip advises young pitchers to "read the thirteen ways that a balk can be made and school yourself to avoid them."  To this day, nearly 100 years later, there are 13 different ways a pitcher might commit a balk.  I honestly had no idea there were that many, and lists are readily available online.

1934 Season

Hallahan was the veteran on the Cardinals' pitching staff, and he struggled following his successful 1933 campaign.  The typical rotation for the eventual World Champions consisted of Dizzy Dean (#124), Paul Dean (#125), Tex Carleton, Bill Walker and Hallahan.  Hallahan was 8-12 with a 4.26 ERA, throwing 10 complete games and a pair of shutouts.  He started Game 4 of the World Series, facing off against the Tigers' Schoolboy Rowe (#33).  Hallahan departed the game with one out in the ninth, with the score tied 2-2.  Walker would lose the game in the 12th on an RBI single by Goose Goslin (#112) to score Charlie Gehringer (#77).  Rowe pitched a complete game, lasting all 12 innings.

Phillies Career

The Phillies were terrible in the 1930s, and Hallahan's former teammate Jimmie Wilson (#22) was their player-manager.  Wilson brought Hallahan on board, signing the pitcher on February 7, 1938, and giving him a front row seat to the Phillies' 105-loss season.  His last great pitching performance came on August 25th against the Pirates, when he threw an 11-inning complete game victory, and gave up only a run on five hits.  Hallahan was 1-8 with a 5.46 ERA in 21 games, including 10 starts.  He pitched 89 innings in his final big league season, striking out 22 and walking 45.

He was released on December 19, 1938, and he'd attempt a comeback in 1939 with the minor league Minneapolis Millers before retiring from baseball.  There's one Hallahan Phillies baseball card available, from the 1974 TCMA Nicknames set, and I've added that card to my want list.

1933 Goudey #200

1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)

1934 Goudey #82

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #121

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #214

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #200

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1993 Conlon Collection TSN #685

51 - Hallahan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 12/4/23.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #22 Jimmy Wilson MG - Philadelphia Phillies

Next Card: #24 "Sparky" Adams - Cincinnati Reds

#20 "Shanty" Hogan - Boston Braves

James Francis Hogan

Boston Braves

Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  240

Born:  March 21, 1906, Somerville, MA

Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1925-1927; New York Giants 1928-1932; Boston Braves 1933-1935; Washington Senators 1936-1937

Died:  April 7, 1967, Boston, MA (61)

Known off the field for his prodigious eating ability and his successful vaudeville act, Shanty Hogan played in parts of 13 seasons in the major leagues.  Hogan was a large man and many of his managers attempted to corral his diet throughout his career.  He played sparingly during his initial stint with the Braves between 1925 and 1927, and his playing time increased following a trade to the Giants in January 1928 in exchange for future Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby (#44).  Hogan had one of his best years in 1928 as the regular catcher for John McGraw's Giants, batting .333 with 10 home runs and 71 RBIs in 131 games played.  His power numbers peaked in 1930 when he batted .339 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs, but the postseason would again elude McGraw's Giants.  It was during these seasons in the early 1930s he joined teammate and second baseman Andy Cohen as part of a joke-telling and singing duo on the vaudeville circuit.

Hogan would have one more successful year in 1932, batting .287 with a career-high 77 RBIs, but he was replaced by Gus Mancuso upon McGraw's firing and the hiring of first baseman Bill Terry (#14) as the club's player-manager.  In 989 big league games, Hogan batted .295 with 61 home runs and 474 RBIs.  One of the best fielding catchers of his day, despite his size, he twice led the league in fielding percentage (1931 and 1933) and caught stealing percentage (1927 and 1933).

Building the Set

June 10, 2023 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards) - Card #83

I hadn't added any new cards to this set since mid-March, and I was lamenting the lack of activity on this blog in early June when I decided to rectify both issues.  Taking advantage of a sale from Kit Young Cards, I added this Hogan card, the Dick Bartell "Philadelphia Nationals" card (#15), and Bartell's 1955 Bowman card during a particularly bleak day in my office while on a needed mental health break.  I'm finding the cards from the set's first series are somewhat harder to find, and most of the cards I'm finding from the first series, at least in decent shape, are from the card's second printing in 1935.  This Hogan card is the 1935 version, with his 1934 batting average listed on the back bottom.

Variations Available

1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright

2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅

The Card / Braves Team Set

This is a great card for collector's of catchers, as Hogan is shown modeling a full set of pre-war catcher's gear.  The artist must have felt a player standing in the background was needed to round out the photo.  That's a great tip on the back of the card about successfully hitting a curve ball, and it warns of never guessing where to swing:  "You will be swinging where it ought to be but where, more often, it is not."

1935 Season

This was the final year of Hogan's second stint with the Braves.  In 59 games, he batted .301 with a pair of home runs and 25 RBIs.  This Braves club was awful, with a record of 38-115 under manager Bill McKechnie (#144).  Hogan was the club's opening day catcher, making 54 starts overall at the position up until early August.  The Braves released him on August 5th due to what media reports claimed was a result of his excessive weight.  Hogan signed with the Cleveland Indians a week later, playing the balance of the season with their top farm team, the Minneapolis Millers.  With the Millers, Hogan batted .294 in 36 games.  Despite finding some success with the Millers, the Indians would ship him to the Senators that December.

1928 Exhibits (W461)

1933 Goudey #30

1934 Goudey #20

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #294

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1928 Exhibits (W461)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #294

31 - Hogan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/12/23.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #19 Van Mungo - Brooklyn Dodgers

Next Card: #21 Johnny Vergez - New York Giants

#75 Irving Burns - St. Louis Browns

John Irving Burns

St. Louis Browns

First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  175

Born:  August 31, 1907, Cambridge, MA

Major League Teams:  St. Louis Browns 1930-1936; Detroit Tigers 1936

Died:  April 18, 1975, Brighton, MA (67)

Jack Burns was given the nicknames "Slug" or "Slugger" at an early age, and from what I can tell didn't officially go by his middle name, Irving, as shown on this Diamond Stars card.  Burns rose to stardom in New England where he played for a number of semi-pro teams, tallying high home run totals, before the Browns signed him in 1929.  He'd take over regular first base duties for the Browns in 1931, playing in almost all of the Browns' games between 1931 and 1935.  Burns was consistent, driving in at least 70 runs each year between 1931 and 1934.  He peaked in 1932 when he batted .305 with 111 runs scored, 11 home runs and 70 RBIs, and was one of the Browns' top hitters along with catcher Rick Ferrell (#48).  Burns saw his last major league action in 1936 with the Tigers, and then spent the next four seasons playing in the minor leagues.  In 890 big league games, he batted .280 with 44 home runs and 417 RBIs.

Burns would stay in baseball, coaching and managing in the minor leagues through the 1946 season.  He'd work in the Red Sox organization as a scout and minor league manager between 1947 and 1954, then serve as the third base coach for the Red Sox between 1955 and 1959.  Burns scouted for the Red Sox between 1960 and his death in 1975, and he's credited with recommending the Red Sox sign Carlton Fisk, who was a first-round selection in the January 1967 amateur player draft.

Building the Set

February 13, 2023 from Pembroke, MA - Card #73

In early February, I came across a few auctions from eBay seller vg-grego with reasonably set Buy It Now prices, and also with Make Offer options.  There were two cards I needed, this Bruns card and the Zeke Bonura (#65) card, so I submitted reasonable offers for both cards simultaneously and both offers were quickly accepted.  That in itself was the boring part of the story.  The fun part of the story is how the cards arrived.  On February 13th, while working from home, I checked our mailbox mid-afternoon and was surprised to see two identical bubble-wrapped cylinders stuffed in our mailbox from Pembroke, Massachusetts.  The packages were light and addressed to me, and I had absolutely no idea what could be inside.  Coffee mugs?  Something fragile I had ordered and forgotten about?  I usually wait until after my work day to open and admire mailday treasures, but I had to see what was in these packages.

I carefully cut open the top of the first bubble wrapped package, which had been tightly wound with packing tape.  Inside was a tube of bubble wrap, with "Zeke" written in Sharpie on it, and once I unwound the tube, I found the Bonura card in a sandwich bag in a thick screw-down plastic holder.  Burns was behind the wall of bubble wrap with "Irving" written on it.  This was the most impressively packaged, and protected, eBay mailings I had ever received.  If you ever purchase anything from eBay seller vg-grego, rest assured your parcel will arrive safe and secure.

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 Burns card for my set is the third of the three variations available, issued in 1936.

The Card / Browns Team Set

There's a fantastic art deco style scene of an imaginary St. Louis skyline behind Burns on this card, complete with a clock tower, smoke from a distant factory's smokestacks, and construction on a building in progress behind Burns' bat.  The tip on the back covers how to stretch for the ball, catching it one-handed, on close plays at first base.  The last line is great, describing how umpires listen "for the the spat of the ball on the baseman's mitt," in order to judge if the runner is safe or out.

1936 Season

Burns had slumped somewhat in 1935, and it appears he lost the Browns' starting first baseman's job to Jim Bottomley (#59) to start the 1936 season.  After just nine games with the Browns in April, he was traded to the Tigers on April 30th for left-handed pitcher Elon Hogsett.  Burns took over the first base job from Hank Greenberg (#54), who had suffered a wrist injury early in the season.  In 138 games with the Tigers, Burns batted .283 with four home runs and 63 RBIs.  The 29-year-old played in his final big league game on September 27th, going 0 for 2 against the Indians.  He remained in the Tigers' system, but with Greenberg returning to full health in 1937, Burns' services were no longer needed at the big league level.

1933 Goudey #198

1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)

1934-36 Batte-Up (R318) #18

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #131

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #198

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #131

29 - Burns non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/19/23.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #74 Tony Lazzeri - New York Yankees

Next Card: #76 Bill Rogell - Detroit Tigers