#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

#65 "Zeke" Bonura - Chicago White Sox

Henry John Bonura

Chicago White Sox

First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  210

Born:  September 20, 1908, New Orleans, LA

Major League Teams:  Chicago White Sox 1934-1937; Washington Senators 1938; New York Giants 1939; Washington Senators 1940; Chicago Cubs 1940

Died:  March 9, 1987, New Orleans, LA (78)

Zeke Bonura was an above-average first baseman for seven seasons in the majors, but it was his off field exploits that gained him the most fame in the baseball world.  Way before the beginning of his baseball career, in 1925, Bonura became the youngest male athlete to win an event at the National Track and Field Championships when he set a record with a 68.18 meter javelin throw.  He was just 16 at the time.  Bonura possessed the ability to both hit for average and power, batting above .300 in four of his seven seasons, and driving in at least 100 runs four times as well.  His rookie season in 1934 was one of his best, as he hit .302 with a career-high 27 home runs and 110 RBIs.  He earned MVP votes in both 1935 and 1936, driving in a career-high 138 runs in 1936.  In 1937, his final season with the White Sox, Bonura batted .345, finishing fourth in the league behind Charlie Gehringer (#77), Lou Gehrig (#130) and Joe DiMaggio (#126).

In 1941, Bonura prematurely ended his baseball career and joined the army.  He was stationed in Oran, Algeria on the coast of Northern Africa in 1943, assuming the role of the U.S. Army's athletic director in Algeria.  Bonura organized a huge baseball league, consisting of 150 teams in six leagues and culminating in playoffs and eventually the 1943 North African World Series.  The winning team, the Casablanca Yankees, were presented with baseballs autographed by General Eisenhower.  In 1944, he worked to organize military baseball teams in the south of France.  Bonura was discharged in 1945 and he'd be awarded the Legion of Merit medal for his service.  Upon his return to the states, he'd play and manage in the minor leagues through the early 1950s.

Bonura hit .307 in 917 big league games, with 119 home runs and 704 RBIs.

Building the Set

February 13, 2023 from Pembroke, MA - Card #72

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 Bonura card and the Irving Burns (#75) 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 this Bonura card in a sandwich bag in a thick screw-down plastic holder.  It 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

The Card / White Sox Team Set

This is another classic baseball card that I remember seeing at baseball card shows and in baseball card books throughout the years, never knowing anything about Bonura.  His 1938 Goudey Heads-Up card is also a card that is very familiar to me too for some reason, and I think maybe I owned a reprinted version of this card?  There's an uncredited White Sox player making a cameo behind Bonura here, picking out his lumber.  

The write-up on the back offers biographical information in lieu of a tip.  His collegiate career is mentioned, but Bonura didn't play baseball at Loyola New Orleans as the school didn't have a baseball team.  Instead, he was a star in basketball, football, and track and field.  Three Italian-American baseball stars are name-checked - Tony Cuccinello (#55), Tony Lazzeri (#74) and Ernie Lombardi (#36) - all of whom had cards in the Diamond Stars set.  I'm going to tag this as a First Mainstream Card, as Bonura's 1934-36 Batter-Up card would have been released right around the same time as this card.

1935 Season

The White Sox would finish in fifth place in 1935 with a 74-78-1 record under manager Jimmy Dykes (#42).  Bonura was again the club's regular first baseman, and his 21 home runs and 92 RBIs were best on the team.  He batted .295 overall in 138 games.  Per his SABR biography, it was around this time Bonura was voted the  most popular Chicago baseball player by Chicago fans, topping all his White Sox teammates and all Cubs players.

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #141

1936 Goudey (R322)

1938 Goudey Heads-Up #252

1939 Play Ball #144

1940 Play Ball #131

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1934-36 Batter-Up ($318) #65

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1993 Conlon Collection TSN #738

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

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #64 Jimmie Foxx - Philadelphia Athletics

Next Card: #66 "Ducky" Medwick - St. Louis Cardinals

#14 Bill Terry MG - New York Giants

William Harold Terry

New York Giants

First Base-Manager

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  200

Born:  October 30, 1898, Atlanta, GA

Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1923-1936

World Series Appearances:  New York Giants 1924, 1933, 1936-1937

As a Manager:  New York Giants 1932-1941

Died:  January 9, 1989, Jacksonville, FL (90)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1954

For nearly two decades, Bill Terry starred for and then managed the New York Giants, winning four National League pennants and one World Series title in 1933.  A left-handed first baseman, Terry was one of the best hitters of his era, batting .320 or better in nine straight seasons between 1927 and 1935.  In 1930, considered his best season, Terry led the league in hits (254) and batting average (.401), while hitting 23 home runs and collecting a career-best 129 RBIs.  He's the last National League batter to eclipse the .400 mark in a season.  Terry drove in at least 100 runs each season between 1927 and 1932, with 1932 being his first year as the Giants' player-manager.  He was the National League's starting first baseman in the first All-Star Game in 1933, and his .992 career fielding position is evidence he played strong defense as well.  He led the Giants, bolstered by fellow future Hall of Famers Mel Ott (#50) and Carl Hubbell (#39), to their fourth World Series title in 1933, defeating the Senators in five games.  Terry retired with a .341 average, which is highest all-time for a National League left-handed batter.  He had 2,193 hits, 1,120 runs scored, 154 home runs and 1,078 RBIs.

Terry succeeded the legendary John McGraw as manager of the club, who had managed the Giants for 31 seasons between 1902 and 1932.  In his 10 years at the helm, Terry's managerial record was 823-661.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954, and The Sporting News ranked him 59th on their list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 1999.  His #3 was retired by the Giants in 1984.

Building the Set

February 11, 2023 from Los Angeles, CA (Greg Morris Cards) - Card #71

There are a few cards I've added to this set that won't have a backstory attached to its acquisition, and this is one of those cards.  Browsing eBay one afternoon in early February, I noticed Greg Morris Cards was doing yet another Diamond Stars set break.  I bid on several cards I needed and this Terry card was the only card I successfully won.  Simple as that.  It arrived on the Saturday afternoon before the Eagles' Super Bowl appearance, and on a day I spent mostly working at my chosen profession.

Variations Available

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

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

The Card / Giants Team Set

Based on the scoreboard in the background, Terry is making a play at home at the Polo Grounds and the score is tied (or had been tied) 1-1 following two innings.  This must have been a popular pose for Terry to make as a search through Getty images shows him in similar poses throughout his career.  The back of the card explains how Terry ranges to his right whenever there's a ball hit into the hole, depending on his pitcher to cover first base.  And while this card was issued in 1935, given Terry's .354 batting average from 1934 is on the bottom, the write-up still refers to the Giants as the "world's Champions."  As mentioned above, the Giants had won the World Series in 1933, but the Cardinals won in 1934.

1935 Season

Terry was a still an incredible threat at the plate in 1935, his penultimate season as a player.  He batted .341, finishing sixth in the league, with 203 hits, six home runs and 64 RBIs.  He was in his fourth year of managing the club and was still the regular first baseman, starting all but the final 13 games of the season.  The Giants led the league by as much as nine games on July 4th, but the surging Cubs rode a 21-game win streak to overtake the Giants and ultimately take the National League pennant.  Terry's team finished in third place with a 91-62-3 record.  It was his last season as a regular player, as he'd make just 52 starts at first base in 1936.

1925 Exhibits (W461)

1933 DeLong Gum #4

1933 Goudey #125

1961 Fleer Baseball Greats #142

2020 Panini Diamond Kings #35

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1925 Exhibits (W461)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Panini Diamond Kings #35

283 - Terry non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/11/23.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #13 George Blaeholder - St. Louis Browns

Next Card: #15 Dick Bartell - Philadelphia Phillies

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

#91 Bucky Harris MG - Washington Senators

Stanley Raymond Harris

Washington Senators

Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  156

Born:  November 8, 1896, Port Jervis, NY

Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1919-1928; Detroit Tigers 1929, 1931

World Series Appearances:  Washington Senators 1924-1925; New York Yankees 1947

As a Manager:  Washington Senators 1924-1928; Detroit Tigers 1929-1933; Boston Red Sox 1934; Washington Senators 1935-1942; Philadelphia Phillies 1943; New York Yankees 1947-1948; Washington Senators 1950-1954; Detroit Tigers 1955-1956

Died:  November 8, 1977, Bethesda, MD (81)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1975

Bucky Harris had a decent career as a second baseman for the Senators and Tigers between 1919 and 1931, with his biggest claim to fame being he led the league in being hit by a pitch for three seasons in a row between 1920 and 1922.  As a player, he batted .274 in 12 seasons and also led the league three time in sacrifice bunts.  Harris led all second baseman in fielding percentage with a .972 mark in 1927, and his 817 doubles plays turned at the position are currently 61st all-time.  In 1924, at the age of 27, he was named player-manager of the Senators and he led his team to a World Championship title, defeating the Giants in the seven game series.  It was the first and only World Series win in Washington Senators history and Harris became the youngest manager to ever win a title.  Harris would manage in the majors for 29 seasons, winning three pennants and two World Series titles - with the Senators in 1924, and the Yankees in 1947.  Harris, who managed the Senators in three different stints once commented, "Only Franklin D. Roosevelt had more terms in Washington than I did."

Harris would later briefly serve as general manager for the Red Sox (1959-1960, a scout for the White Sox (1961-1962) and a special assistant for the expansion Senators, before their move to Arlington, Texas.  He'd spend over 55 years in professional baseball and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1975.

Building the Set

January 28, 2023 from Los Angeles, CA (Greg Morris Cards) - Card #70

I somewhat surprisingly won this card from Greg Morris Cards and his latest Diamond Stars set break auctions on eBay.  I say surprisingly because I thought for sure the final bid I entered for the card would be surpassed, but it was not.  What also surprised me was I had bid on several other cards from the same set of auctions with fairly high final bids, and I ended up losing all those auctions.  I expected to add two or three non-Hall of Fame "commons" from the set, and instead I ended up with this Harris card from the somewhat harder to find third series.

The card arrived during a stressful day in our household.  Our youngest son Ben was preparing for his piano recital later that day where he was set to play "Feed the Birds" in front of his extended family and 100 or so strangers.  Pregame nerves were high and his Mom and me rolled out the best pep talks we could muster.  I noticed the arrival of this card during one of these many pep talks, and I didn't bother to open the envelope until the following morning still glowing from the amazing performance Ben had delivered during his recital the night before.  He nailed it, and we're incredibly proud of him.  Harris seems to be respectfully showing his approval on this card.

Variations Available

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

The Card / Senators Team Set

This card polishes off the Senators team set for me, the first team set I've completed in within the Diamond Stars set.  The back of the card refers to his status as the "boy manager" of the 1924 Senators.  Michey Cochrane (#9), who replaced Harris in Detroit is referenced, as is Joe Cronin (#123).  Cronin and Harris swapped places for the 1935 season.  Harris had managed in Boston in 1934 and came back to Washington in 1935.  Cronin had managed the Senators in 1934 and took over for the Red Sox in 1935.

1936 Season

Harris was just 39 during the 1936 season, and his Senators team went 82-71 for a third place finish in the American League.  Outfielder John Stone had a career year, batting .341 with 15 home runs and 90 RBIs.  First baseman Joe Kugel batted .321 and surpassed Stone's power numbers with 16 home runs and 118 RBIs.  Bobo Newsom (#148) and Jimmie DeShong won 17 and 18 games respectively, with Newsom throwing 24 complete games.

Phillies Career

Harris had a brief stint as Phillies manager between April and July 1943.  Hired to replace Hans Lobert, whose Phillies team had lost 109 games in 1942, Harris guided the team to a 39-53-2 record and was abruptly fired by new Phillies owner William D. Cox on July 27th.  Harris had been popular with the Phillies team, and his players apparently threatened to strike when they heard the news.  The reason for the firing was attributed to the clashing between owner Cox and manager Harris, with Cox continually interfering with the day-to-day running of the club.

Following the firing, Harris informed the media he had evidence Cox was betting on baseball.  Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis (#153) would ban Cox for life from the game, forcing him to sell the club.  In November 1943, R.R.M Carpenter bought the Phillies from Cox, and the Carpenter family would retain ownership until 1981.

1921-23 National Caramel (E220)

1936 Goudey (R322)

1940 Play Ball #129

1951 Bowman #275

1959 Fleer Ted Williams #68

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1921-23 National Caramel (E220)

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2003 Topps Gallery Hall of Fame #38

105 - Harris non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/29/23.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card:  #90 Ray Hayworth - Detroit Tigers

Next Card: #92 Ethan Allen - Philadelphia Phillies

#124 "Dizzy" Dean - St. Louis Cardinals

Jay Hanna Dean

St. Louis Cardinals

Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  182

Born:  January 16, 1910, Lucas, AR

Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1930, 1932-1937; Chicago Cubs 1938-1941; St. Louis Browns 1947

World Series Appearances:  St. Louis Cardinals 1934; Chicago Cubs 1938

Died:  July 17, 1974, Reno, NV (64)

Hall of Fame Induction:  1953

Known for his colorful, boastful personality and the occasional butchering of the English language, Dizzy Dean had a brief, phenomenal pitching career followed by a lengthy second life in the broadcast booth.  Dean won at least 18 games each season between 1932 and 1936, leading the league in strikeouts in four straight seasons between 1932 and 1935.  He's the last National League pitcher to win 30 games, as he went 30-7 for the 1934 Cardinals on their way to a World Championship title.  In that World Series against the Tigers, Dean started three games, including the decisive Game 7 where he pitched a complete game shutout.  His brother Paul Dean (#125) was on the team as well, with Paul going 19-11 to complement his older brother.  In Game 4 of that World Series, Dizzy Dean took a thrown ball to the head while trying to break up a double play, knocking him unconscious.  The now legendary summary of the incident in the next day's newspaper stated, "X-ray of Dean's head reveals nothing."  He'd be named the league's MVP for the 1934 season as well.

His pitching career was cut short after an Earl Averill (#35) line drive in the 1937 All-Star Game hit Dean on the foot, fracturing it, and forever altering his pitching motion.  Dean would pitch sparingly over his final four seasons, losing his greatest weapon - his nearly unhittable fastball.  Dean pivoted to the broadcast booth, where he became one the game's most well-known voices.  He worked in the radio booths of the Cardinals (1941-1946), Browns (1941-1948), Yankees (1950-1951) and Braves (1966-1968), and called games nationally (1952-1965).  While a member of the Browns broadcast team in 1947, he made a one game comeback, pitching four scoreless innings but retiring for good when he pulled a hamstring running out a single.

For his career, Dean was 150-83 with a 3.02 ERA and 1,163 strikeouts over 1,967 1/3 innings pitched.  He threw 154 complete games and 26 shutouts.  Dean was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1953, and the Cardinals retired his #17 in 1974.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company.  Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money.  Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price.  These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set.  What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #121, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.

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

Variations Available

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

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

There are two men behind Dean on this card making cameo appearances, a peanut vendor and who I'm assuming is Dean's father, Monroe Dean.  A sharecropper from near the Arkansas Ozarks, Monroe Dean often played sandlot baseball with his sons while not picking cotton.  The back of the card recounts another incident when Dean was struck in the head with a baseball.  On July 11, 1936, with Dean facing off against the Giants and holding a 2-0 lead, Burgess Whitehead doubled off Dean with the ball apparently hitting Dean first and then landing in center field.  Reliever Ed Heusser would replace Dean, with Dean not missing much time at all.

1936 Season

This was the third of four consecutive All-Star seasons for Dean, and he was 24-13 for the Cardinals with a 3.17 ERA in 51 appearances, including 34 starts.  He led the league with 28 complete games, 11 saves and 315 innings pitched.  The Cardinals would finish in a tie for second place with the Cubs, five games behind the Giants.

1933 Goudey #223

1933 Tattoo Orbit (R305)

1934 Goudey #6

1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes #29

2019 Topps Archives #233

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card:  1933 Goudey #223

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0):  N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Archives #233

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

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

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