#136 Billy Herman - Chicago Cubs

William Jennings Bryan Herman

Chicago Cubs

Second Base

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

Born:  July 7, 1909, New Albany, IN

Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1931-41; Brooklyn Dodgers 1941-43, 1946; Boston Braves 1946; Pittsburgh Pirates 1947

World Series Appearances:  Chicago Cubs 1932, 1935, 1938; Brooklyn Dodgers 1941

As a Manager:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1947; Boston Red Sox 1964-66

Died:  September 5, 1992, West Palm Beach, FL (83)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1975

Named for the three-time Presidential candidate and long-time politician, Billy Herman was an All-Star second baseman for the Cubs throughout the 1930s and into the early 1940s.  He earned a spot on the All-Star Game roster ten times, including his career year of 1935 when he led the league with 227 hits and 57 doubles.  Herman helped his teams win four pennants (1932, 1935 and 1938 with the Cubs and 1941 with the Dodgers) but he was never a World Series winner as a player.  He missed all of the 1944 and 1945 seasons while serving during World War II and he'd play his final years with the Dodgers, Braves and Pirates.  Herman's managerial career began in 1947 as the player-manager for the Pirates, but his team struggled to a 61-92-2 record and seventh place in the National League.  A consistent and steady fielder, Herman led all second baseman in fielding percentage three times and finished in the top ten for the mark 12 times.  Over 1,922 games he collected 2,345 hits while batting .304.

Herman was a long-time coach, spending time with the Dodgers (1952-57), Braves (1958-59) and Red Sox (1960-64) before being named the Red Sox manager at the end of the 1964 season, replacing the departing Johnny Pesky.  Herman's Red Sox lost 100 games in 1965 and they'd lose another 82 in 1966 under his watch until he was replaced by Pete Runnels for the final weeks of the season.  Herman would return to the coaching ranks with the Angels (1967) and Padres (1978-79).  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 by the Veterans Committee.

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

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 / Cubs Team Set

The front of the card features Herman making another clean play in the field, while the back highlights his accomplishments up through the 1935 season.  Cubs teammates Frank Demaree, Stan Hack (#34) and Gabby Hartnett (#134) are all name-checked as the sluggers bringing Herman home once he's reached based.

1936 Season

One of Herman's best seasons statistically, he batted .334 in 153 games with 211 hits, 57 doubles and 93 RBIs.  He was named to his third All-Star team and finished third in the MVP voting behind Carl Hubbell (#39) and Dizzy Dean (#124).

1933 Goudey #227

1933 Tattoo Orbit

1941 Double Play #3-4

1952 Topps #394

1965 Topps #251

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #227
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1952, 1954-55, 1960, 1965-66
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Panini Diamond Kings #35

328 - Herman non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/2/26.

Sources:

1965 Topps Blog

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #135 "Babe" Herman - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card: #137 Waite Hoyt - Pittsburgh Pirates

#120 Lon Warneke - Chicago Cubs

Lonnie Warneke

Chicago Cubs

Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  185

Born:  March 28, 1909, Mount Ida, AR

Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1930-1936; St. Louis Cardinals 1937-1942; Chicago Cubs 1942-1943, 1945

World Series Appearances:  Chicago Cubs 1932, 1935

Died:  June 23, 1976, Hot Springs, AR (67)

Lon Warneke spent his entire 15-year career with the Cubs and Cardinals, and was a 20-game winner in three seasons in the early 1930s.  Warneke joined the Cubs' starting rotation in 1932, going 22-6 while leading the league with a 2.37 ERA.  With no Cy Young Award yet for the league's top pitcher, Warneke finished second that season in the league's MVP voting behind Chuck Klein (#139).  He'd lead the league in complete games in 1933 with 26 and pitched four innings of relief for the National League All-Stars in the first All-Star Game.  Warneke holds the distinction of collecting the first triple and scoring the first National League run in All-Star Game history.  He was a 20 game winner again in 1935, helping the Cubs to their second pennant in four years.

Warneke continued his success with the Cardinals following an October 1936 trade to St. Louis.  He won 18 games in 1937, and 17 games in 1941, while also throwing a no-hitter against the Reds on August 30, 1941.  He retired following the 1945 season with a lifetime record of 192-121 and a 3.18 ERA in 445 pitching appearances.  Warneke recorded 1,140 career strikeouts.  He became an umpire in the Pacific Coast League in 1946, and joined the ranks of National League umpires in 1949, resigning the position following the 1955 season.  Warneke is the only person to have played and umpired in both an All-Star Game and a World Series game in major league history.

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 / Cubs Team Set

If this card was intended to have been released in 1937, the write-up on the back would have indicated Warneke had recently joined the Cardinals - see below.  Thematically consistent with the original Diamond Stars set, the tip on the back encourages pitchers to know how to field their position and to know where to position himself for each potential scenario when a ball is put into play.

1937 Season

On October 8, 1936, the Cubs traded Warneke to the Cardinals for Ripper Collins (#116) and Roy Parmelee.  He'd initially slot in as the Cardinals' number three starter behind Dizzy Dean (#124) and Si Johnson, with Warneke eventually outperforming them both.  He'd go 18-11 with a 4.53 ERA in 36 games, while throwing 18 complete games and a pair of shutouts.

1933 Goudey #203

1933 DeLong Grum #16

1939 Play Ball #41

1940 Play Ball #114

1955 Bowman #299

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #203

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1106

71 - Warneke non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/6/24.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #119 Jim Bottomley / Rogers Hornsby - St. Louis Browns

Next Card: #121 Moe Berg - Boston Red Sox

#34 Stanley Hack - Chicago Cubs

Stanley Camfield Hack

Chicago Cubs

Third Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  170

Born:  December 6, 1909, Sacramento, CA

Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1932-1947

World Series Appearances:  Chicago Cubs 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945

As a Manager:  Chicago Cubs 1954-1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1958

Died:  December 15, 1979, Dixon, IL (70)

The popular Stan Hack, nicknamed "Smiling Sam," played his entire 16-year big league career with the Cubs and was regarded as one of the best third baseman of his era.  Hack was a mainstay in the Cubs line-up between 1934 and his retirement in 1947, and he seemed to get better as he aged.  He led the league in hits twice (1940 and 1941) and was a five-time All-Star, leading off and starting at third base for the National League squad in 1938, 1939, 1941 and 1943.  Hack earned MVP votes in seven straight seasons between 1938 and 1945, finishing as high as seventh place in 1938.  He helped lead the Cubs to four different World Series during his playing days, and while the Cubs would be defeated in each of those series, Hack batted .348 (24 for  69) in 18 total postseason games.  He tallied over 100 runs scored in seven seasons and led the league in stolen bases in 1938 and 1939.

Hack was also a solid defensive third baseman, leading the league in putouts five times, assists twice and fielding percentage twice.  He retired with a lifetime .301 average, 2,193 hits and 165 stolen bases.  Hack's 1,944 putouts at third base are currently 15th all-time.  Following his playing days, Hack was a minor league manager with several stops in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.  He managed the Cubs for three years, beginning in 1954, but they finished with losing records each season.  Hack served as a batting coach for the Cardinals in 1957 and 1958, and took over the club for the final ten games of the 1958 season when manager Fred Hutchinson was fired.  Hack was among the many members of the inaugural Cubs Hall of Fame class in 2021.

Building the Set

January 21, 2022 from Key West, FL (Quality Baseball Cards) - Card #41

Mid-January is never a fun time for me, and needing a break during a long work day I found myself on eBay looking for the remaining Dick Bartell (#15 and #101) variations I needed.  I had recently added his most commonly found card from the set, noting his team as the Giants on the back, but I wanted to try to find his other two cards from the set as well.  

In my travels, I found what I considered to be extremely unusual for this pandemic-induced collecting age - a large group of auctions from seller quality*cards from the Diamond Stars set with no bids, including the elusive Bartell card from the set's third series.  I set my opening bids, and waited a few days for the auctions to close.  Again, much to my surprise, there was little to no action on the auctions until their closing minutes.  I lost a few auctions as the seconds ticked away, but I came away with six new cards overall, including this Hack card for $44.

Variations Available

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

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.  Hack shows up again as card #107, with the same text on the back save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics.  Also, the ink on the back of card #107 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.

The Card / Cubs Team Set

I probably don't spend enough time in these posts discussing the background of each card, but I'll take time here to appreciate the fantastic background on Hack's card.  The yellow cloud, blue sky and reddish city scape make this truly a wonderful looking baseball card.  There's a strangely chosen tip on the back of this card for Hack, as we're taught how a first baseman should position himself at the bag in order to make sure he catches all throws from his infielders.  Hack played 1,879 games on defense during his career, appearing at first base a grand total of 47 times, including 11 times in 1936 and 18 times in 1944.  When this card came out, he had not yet played an inning at the position.

1935 Season

In his fourth season in the majors, Hack would appear in a then career-high 124 games, batting .311 with 133 hits.  He drew 65 walks to only 17 strikeouts, the lowest total of the Cubs regulars.  He was one of the Cubs' most productive hitters, along with catcher Gabby Hartnett (#134), second baseman Billy Herman (#136) and outfielder Augie Galan.  Chicago would win 21 games in a row to stun the front-running Cardinals and Giants and capture the National League pennant.  They'd fall to the Tigers in the 1935 World Series in six games, and Hack slumped in the series, hitting only .227 (5 for 22).

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #137

1941 Double Play #3

1955 Topps #6

1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #110

1991 Conlon Collection TSN #126

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #137

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (1):  1955

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Conlon Collection TSN #126

58 - Hack non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/23/22.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #33 "Schoolboy" Rowe - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #35 Earle Averill - Cleveland Indians

#111 Phil Cavarretta - Chicago Cubs

Philip Joseph Cavarretta

Chicago Cubs

First Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175

Born:  July 19, 1916, Chicago, IL

Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1934-1953; Chicago White Sox 1954-1955

World Series Appearances:  Chicago Cubs 1935, 1938, 1945

As a Manager:  Chicago Cubs 1951-1953

Died:  December 18, 2010, Liburn, GA (94)

Phil Cavarretta made his debut with the Cubs a few months after his 18th birthday, and he spent the next 22 years compiling an impressive playing career in Chicago.  He was a regular with the Cubs from the mid-1930s until the late-1940s, playing first base and all three outfield positions.  Cavarretta enjoyed a career resurgence in the mid-1940s after missing significant time between 1938 and 1940 with a hip injury and a broken ankle.  He made his first of three All-Star teams in 1944, and also led the league that season with 197 hits.  In 1945, Cavarretta won the league's batting title with a .355 mark and was named the National League MVP.  He batted .423 in the 1945 World Series, although the Cubs lost in seven games to the Tigers.  Towards the end of his time with the Cubs, Cavarretta served as the team's player-manager between 1951 and 1953, guiding the team to a 169-213 record and finishing as high as fifth place in 1952.  He spent a final two seasons playing for the White Sox before retiring.  Cavarretta appeared in 2,030 games, collecting 1,977 hits while batting .293.  His 1,927 hits while with the Cubs are currently 10th on the franchise's all-time leader's list, and he was the all-time Cubs leader in games played with 1,953 before Ernie Banks surpassed the mark in 1966.

Cavarretta managed in the minor leagues between 1956 and 1958, and again between 1965 and 1972.  He'd later serve as a major league coach for the Tigers (1961-1963) and Mets (1975-1978).  Cavarretta is a member of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame.

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.)

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.  I found the ad shown here within the pages of the The Sport Americana Baseball Card Price Guide, published in 1982.

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 / Cubs Team Set

This card, along with most of the contemporary cards issued for Cavarretta in the 1930s and 1940s, misspell his name with only one "R."  The text on the back of the card refers to how young Cavarretta was (20 years old as of July 19, 1936) and that he had only spent the 1934 season playing in the minor leagues.

1937 Season

The Cubs finished in second place in the National League, three games behind the pennant-winning New York Giants.  Cavarretta saw action in 106 games, making 84 total starts - 40 at first base, 38 in center field and six in left field.  The Cubs players with more starts at each of those positions than Cavarretta were Ripper Collins at first, Joe Marty in center field and Augie Galan in left field, none of whom appeared in the original Diamond Stars set.  Cavarretta batted .286 with five home runs and 56 RBIs.

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #101

1941 Double Play #103

1949 Bowman #6

1952 Topps #295

1955 Bowman #282

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #101

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1952, 1954

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2014 Panini Golden Age #89

79 - Cavarretta non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 10/22/21.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #110 Pete Fox - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #112 Leon Goslin - Detroit Tigers

#31 "Kiki" Cuyler - Chicago Cubs

Hazen Shirley Cuyler

Chicago Cubs

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180

Born:  August 30, 1898, Harrisville, MI

Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1921-1927; Chicago Cubs 1928-1935; Cincinnati Reds 1935-1937; Brooklyn Dodgers 1938

World Series Appearances:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1925; Chicago Cubs 1929, 1932

Died:  February 11, 1950, Ann Arbor, MI (51)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1968

Outfielder Kiki Cuyler could hit for average, possessed speed on the base paths and provided steady defense for the Pirates, Cubs, Reds and Dodgers over 18 major league seasons.  Cuyler had three 200+ hit seasons while leading the league in runs scored twice, in triples once (with 26) and in stolen bases four times.  He helped lead the Pirates to a World Series title in 1925, driving in six runs in the Series, and finished second in the MVP voting that season behind the Cardinals' Rogers Hornsby (#44).  While his numbers were slightly better overall with the Pirates, Cuyler would play most of his career games with the Cubs, who acquired him following the 1927 season.  With the Cubs, Cuyler was one of the league's top run producers, and as their everyday right fielder he helped the club reach the World Series in 1929 and 1932.  He made one All-Star team (the first game wasn't played until 1933) as the starting right fielder for the 1934 N.L. squad.

Cuyler played in 1,879 career games, collecting 2,299 hits and batting .321 with 328 stolen bases.  His 157 career triples is 45th on the all-time list.  He briefly managed in the minor leagues after retiring as a player and was a coach for the Cubs (1941-1943) and Red Sox (1949).  Cuyler was inducted posthumously into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968 by the Veteran's Committee.

Building the Set

July 16, 2021 from Brooklyn, NY - Card #23

A boring virtual work meeting got the best of me in mid-July and I found myself browsing eBay for reasonably priced cards to add to my slowly growing Diamond Stars set.  I have no rhyme or reason as to how I'm collecting this set, and I imagine I'll get to the point where all I need are the pricey Hall of Fame cards of the more well known players.  For this particular mission however, I set out searching for commons, relatively speaking, and semi-stars and I happily came away with four new cards.  Three cards came from Clean Sweep Auctions in Port Washington, New York, and a fourth, this Cuyler card, a surprisingly non-pricey Hall of Fame card, came separately from eBay seller booklyn426 from, appropriately enough, Brooklyn.  It's been slow-going building this set, and that's honestly what I expected.  With my disposable income focused on building our 1965 Topps set, and with decent cards from the Diamond Stars set averaging $30 to $40 a piece, I'm happy to take my time and enjoy what could be a lengthy journey.

Variations Available

1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright / team on back is the Cubs ✅

2 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright / team on back is the Reds

The Card / Cubs Team Set

Until reading and learning about Cuyler, I had always assumed his nickname was pronounced "Kee Kee" but it turns out it's actually pronounced "Ky Ky," rhyming with "eye eye."  He was given the nickname as a result of teammates shortening his last name.  Cuyler is looking pretty serious in this photo, but a lot of his baseball cards show him smiling.  The back of the card gives a fielding tip about always knowing where to position yourself in order to back-up any play.

1935 Season

Cuyler was 36 years old on opening day and he was the Cubs' opening day center fielder with rookie Augie Galan in left and fellow veteran Chuck Klein (#139) in right.  He'd appear in 45 games for the Cubs, batting .258, before the club released the former All-Star on July 5th.  It was apparently a surprising move, and at least six teams bid on Cuyler's services before he opted to sign with the Reds.  With the Reds, Cuyler appeared in 62 games and batted .251, while playing for a losing team for the first time in his career.  For the entire season, Cuyler played in 107 games and batted just .258 with three stolen bases.

1925  Exhibits (W461)

1933 Goudey #23

1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)

1934 Goudey #90

1960 Fleer Baseball Greats #75

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1925 Exhibits (W461)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Panini Diamond Kings #41

131 - Cuyler non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/26/21.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #30 "Heinie" Manush - Washington Senators

Next Card: #32 Sam Rice - Cleveland Indians

#52 George Stainback - Chicago Cubs

George Tucker Stainback

Chicago Cubs

Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175

Born:  August 4, 1911, Los Angeles, CA

Major League Teams:  Chicago Cubs 1934-1937; St. Louis Cardinals 1938; Philadelphia Phillies 1938; Brooklyn Dodgers 1938-1939; Detroit Tigers 1940-1941; New York Yankees 1942-1945; Philadelphia Athletics 1946

World Series Appearances:  New York Yankees 1942-1943

Died:  November 29, 1992, Camarillo, CA (81)

George "Tuck" Stainback was a journeyman back-up outfielder who played for seven different teams during his 13-year big league career.  His finest season was perhaps his first as he played in a career-high 104 games for the Cubs as a rookie in 1934, batting .306.  He was a member of the 1935 Cubs team that advanced to the World Series, and while he didn't appear in any games, he was ejected during Game 3 for yelling at the home plate umpire from the Cubs' bench.  After four seasons with the Cubs, Stainback was one of three players (along with $185,000 cash) traded to the Cardinals in early 1938 for pitcher Dizzy Dean (#124).  He played in only six games for the Cardinals before moving on to the Phillies, Dodgers and Tigers over the next two seasons.  He found a stable home for four seasons with the Yankees, filling a key outfield role for the club in 1943, the year they defeated the Cardinals in five games in the World Series.

With the Phillies in 1938

After spending the 1947 season with the Cubs' top farm team in Los Angeles, and a comeback attempt with the Spokane Indians in 1949 at the age of 37, Stainback retired as a player.  For his career, he appeared in 817 major league games and batted .259 with 17 home runs and 204 RBIs.  He joined the Dodgers' front office in 1956 in anticipation of the team's move west to Los Angeles.  Working in their ticket office, he established the club's first group sales program and he continued to work for the Dodgers until his retirement in 1977.

Building the Set

May 21, 2021 from Lebanon, NH (Card Agents) - Card #18

Browsing eBay one afternoon, I came across this reasonably priced card with a Buy It Now price along with a Best Offer option.  I sent the seller, Card Agents from Lebanon, New Hampshire, a counteroffer and they accepted.  This card arrived during a few day period in which several bubble mailers appeared in our mailbox with 1965 Topps commons I had added over a several-day, mid-May buying binge.

Variations Available

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

The Card / Cubs Team Set

This is Stainback's first baseball card appearance, and most likely due to his frequent  moves, he didn't appear on many cards during his playing days.  There are two unidentified teammates lurking in the background.  The write-up on the back is a bit odd as it discusses Stainback's ability to judge the type of pitch he's about to receive when up at bat.  The author could have discussed his speed on the base paths or even his strong throwing arm from the outfield.

1935 Season

Managed by Charlie Grimm, the Cubs captured the 1935 National League pennant with a record of 100-54.  Stainback was the fifth outfielder on the club with Chuck Klein (#139), Augie Galan and Frank Demaree getting most of the playing time and Kiki Cuyler (#31) serving as the team's fourth outfielder.  Still, Stainback appeared in 47 games, making one start in center field and 19 starts in right.  He batted .255 with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

Phillies Career

The Phillies selected Stainback off waivers from the Cardinals on May 26, 1938.  He appeared in 30 games, batting a respectable .259 with a home run and 11 RBIs.  Stainback started 19 games for the Phillies - ten in left field, three in center field and six in right field.  Less than two months after acquiring him, the Phillies dealt Stainback to the Dodgers for outfielder Gibby Brack with Brack having to persevere in Philadelphia through the rest of the team's 103-loss season.

1934 Diamond Matchbooks

1983 TCMA 1945 Play Ball #10

1995 Conlon Collection TSN #1393

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars #52

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1995 Conlon Collection TSN #1393

13 - Stainback non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/7/21.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #51 John Whitehead - Chicago White Sox

Next Card: #53 Oscar Melillo - St. Louis Browns