1934-36 Diamond Stars

Sunday, July 25, 2021

#19 Van Mungo - Brooklyn Dodgers

Van Lingle Mungo

Brooklyn Dodgers

Pitcher

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

Born: June 8, 1911, Pageland, SC

Major League Teams: Brooklyn Dodgers 1931-1941; New York Giants 1942-1943, 1945

Died: February 12, 1985, Pageland, SC (73)

I had heard of Van Lingle Mungo through the 1969 novelty song by Dave Frishberg, before I knew about his baseball career. By most accounts, Mungo was a character known for his off-field adventures but he was also a five-time All-Star for the Dodgers and he led the National League in strikeouts in 1936 with 238. He averaged 16 wins per season between 1932 and 1936, but his erratic fastball also contributed to him leading the league in walks in 1932, 1934 and 1936. Mungo was combative on the field, often clashing with his own teammates and by his own estimation he led all of baseball in terms of fines for his era, tallying in excess of $15,000 for his behavior. His Dodgers won the pennant in 1941, but Mungo spent most of that season playing for their top farm team in Montreal. After a decade-plus with the Dodgers, Mungo was dealt to the cross-town Giants before the 1942 season. He missed the entire 1944 season while serving in the military during World War II and after 26 starts for the Giants in 1945, his big league career was over.

In 364 games, Mungo had a career record of 120-115 with a 3.47 ERA and 1,242 strikeouts to 868 walks.

Building the Set

June 5, 2021 from Tomball, TX (The Battersbox) - Card #19

This was a bonus inclusion in a large purchase of 1965 Topps commons I made in late May from The Battersbox in Tomball, Texas. Wanting to add a bunch of commons to my growing 1965 Topps set, and taking advantage of a Memorial Day Weekend online sale, I added 20 commons along with this Mungo card. After applying the discount, this card was by far the most expensive card I added that weekend at a little over $30.

Variations Available

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

2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 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. Mungo shows up again as card #102, 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 #102 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.

The Card / Dodgers Team Set

I've no clue why the artist for this card decided to give Mungo a yellow/orange warm-up jacket and a red hat. It's one of the more striking cards in the entire set since the photo's colors are so vivid and contrary to what you'd expect to see on a Dodgers card. The tip on the back of the card explains how to bunt, and cautions against alerting the fielders too soon you're about to bunt.

1935 Season

Mungo missed the beginning of spring training as he was holding out for a larger salary. Upon reporting, he turned in another All-Star season, going 16-10 with a 3.65 ERA over 37 games and 214 1/3 innings pitched. He missed time in July and August with a injury to his middle finger, although he did occasionally pitch in relief while the finger healed. On September 29th, in his final game of the season, Mungo struck out 15 Phillies setting a season high. He was also quite adept with the bat, hitting .289 for the season with three doubles and 19 RBIs.

1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #26

1938 Goudey #254

1939 Play Ball #111

1940 Play Ball #64

1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1107

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1934-36 Batter-Up (R318) #26

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1994 Conlon Collection TSN #1107

49 - Mungo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/11/21.

Sources:

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #18 "Chick" Hafey - Cincinnati Reds

Next Card: #20 "Shanty" Hogan - Boston Braves

Sunday, July 18, 2021

#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

Sunday, July 11, 2021

#151 Floyd Vaughan - Pittsburgh Pirates

Joseph Floyd Vaughan
Pittsburgh Pirates
Shortstop

Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 5'10" Weight: 175
Born: March 9, 1912, Clifty, AR
Major League Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates 1932-1941; Brooklyn Dodgers 1942-1943, 1947-1948

World Series Appearances: Brooklyn Dodgers 1947

Died: August 30, 1952, Eagleville, CA (40)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1985

Shortstop Floyd "Arky" Vaughan was a nine-time All-Star with the Pirates and won a batting title in 1935 with his incredible .385 average - still a Pittsburgh single-season record. Vaughan was the model of consistency for a dozen years between 1932 and 1943, batting over .300 in all but one season. At the risk of sounding redundant, he led the league in three different seasons in each of these offensive categories - runs scored, triples, walks and on-base percentage. Despite his offensive leadership, Vaughan's Pirates never won a National League pennant, finishing as the runner up in the league in 1932, 1933 and 1938. With the Dodgers, he led the league in stolen bases with 20 in 1943. He left baseball for three years following a falling out with Dodgers manager Leo Durocher (#127), but made a comeback in 1947 when Durocher was suspended for the season. Serving in a utility role, Vaughan hit .325 and saw his only postseason action with the Dodgers falling to the Yankees in the World Series in seven games.

He would have received more accolades had he played on a contending team and as of this writing, Vaughan's WAR of 78.0 for position players is 43rd on the all-time list. He retired with a .318 career average, 2,103 hits, 1,173 runs scored, 96 home runs and 926 RBIs. Vaughan died tragically in a boating accident at the age of 40. 33 years later, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee.

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.

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 / Pirates Team Set

Vaughan's surname is misspelled on the back of this card. Like a lot of the big stars of the day, Vaughan was omitted from the original 1934-36 Diamond Stars set. The back of the card mentions his strong defense at shortstop and no other player played more games at the position than he did between 1933 and 1940. Vaughan finished third in the 1935 National League MVP voting behind the Cubs' Gabby Hartnett (#134) and the Cardianls' Dizzy Dean (#124). It's hard to compare Vaughn to Dean, but Vaughan had better statistics (by quite a margin) in every offensive category over Hartnett.

1936 Season

Vaughan didn't let up in 1936, appearing in a league-leading 156 games and also leading the league in runs (122), walks (118) and on-base percentage (.453). He batted .335 with nine home runs and 78 RBIs and was the top offensive player on the Pirates.

1933 Goudey #229

1934 Goudey #22

1939 Play Ball #55

1941 Play Ball #10

1960 Fleer Baseball Greats #11

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1933 Goudey #229

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2015 Panini Cooperstown #4

128 - Vaughan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/17/21.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #150 "Casey" Stengel MG - Brooklyn Dodgers

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

Sunday, July 4, 2021

#130 Lou Gehrig - New York Yankees

Henry Louis Gehrig

New York Yankees

First Base

Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 6'0" Weight: 200

Born: June 19, 1903, Bronx, NY

Major League Teams: New York Yankees 1923-1939

World Series Appearances: New York Yankees 1926-1928, 1932, 1936-1938

Died: June 2, 1941, Bronx, NY (37)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1939

One of the greatest baseball players of all time, Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, was a dominant offensive force for the Yankees' dynasty in the 1920s and 1930s before the disease that now bears his name claimed his life. Gehrig was the A.L. MVP in 1927 and 1936, and won the triple crown in 1934. He was a seven-time All-Star and a six-time World Champion batting .361 over seven World Series appearances. Gehrig led the league five times in RBIs and his 1,995 career total is currently 7th all-time. His .340 lifetime batting average is 17th all-time. At one time, he sat atop the all-time list for grand slams with 23 (a record since broken by Alex Rodriguez) and consecutive games played with 2,130 (broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1995).

Gehrig retired as a result of the debilitating effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) giving his iconic "Luckiest man on the face of the Earth" speech at Yankee Stadium in 1939. He became the first player to have his uniform number retired when the Yankees retired his #4, and the Hall of Fame inducted him via special election in 1939 as well. In 1999, Gehrig was the leading vote-getter for the MLB All-Century Team.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

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 / Yankees Team Set

Both Gehrig and Babe Ruth (#110b) are glaring omissions from the original Diamond Stars set, and the silver lining to those omissions is that the set becomes more attainable because of their absence. As noted in the Anson Whaley article on the set in the December 2020/January 2021 issue of Beckett Vintage Collector, some collectors assume the reason for the two sluggers' omission is an exclusive contract with Goudey. Whatever the case for Gehrig being left out of the original set, this "what if" card is a welcome addition to the Diamond Stars lineage. This is the first of two "what if" cards issued for Gehrig with the second card featured here and released in 2014.

The back of this card references that Gehrig was hitting around .380 with 40 home runs at the time of it's imagined issuance, meaning the card's imaginary release date would have been around August 23, 1936 when Gehrig had 40 home runs and was batting .381.

1936 Season

Gehrig was still a powerhouse, winning his second MVP award. He led the league in runs scored (167), home runs (49), walks (130), on-base percentage (.478) and slugging percentage (.696) while driving in 152 runs. The Yankees made it back to the World Series after a four-year absence, defeating the Giants in six games. Gehrig hit a key home run in Game 4 off the Giants' Carl Hubbell (#39), giving the Yankees a 4-0 lead in a game they'd eventually win.

1962 Topps #140

1973 Topps #472

1976 Topps #341

2010 Topps #637

2021 Topps Legend Variation #186

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1925 Exhibits W461

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5): 1961-1962, 1973, 1976, 2010

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2021 Topps Tribute #3

1,854 - Gehrig non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/17/21.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #129 Carl Fischer - Buffalo Bisons

Next Card: #131 "Bump" Hadley - New York Yankees

Sunday, June 27, 2021

#142 Connie Mack MG - Philadelphia Athletics

Cornelius Alexander Mack

Philadelphia Athletics

Manager

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'1" Weight: 150

Born: December 22, 1862, East Brookfield, MA

Major League Teams: Washington Nationals 1886-1889; Buffalo Bisons 1890; Pittsburgh Pirates 1891-1896

World Series Appearances: XX

As a Manager: Pittsburgh Pirates 1894-1896; Philadelphia Athletics 1901-1950

Died: February 8, 1956, Philadelphia, PA (93)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1937

Connie Mack had a decent playing career as an above-average defensive catcher for 11 seasons, appearing in 724 games and batting .244 with five home runs. He led the league twice in runners caught stealing (1890 and 1892) and was one of the most regularly used backstops of the late 1890s. After his playing career was over, Mack embarked on a 53-year odyssey as a big league manager, with 50 of those seasons spent with the Philadelphia Athletics. He's the longest serving manager in Major League Baseball history with his tallies for wins (3,731), losses (3,948) and overall games managed (7,755) not likely to ever be surpassed. Mack won World Series titles with his Athletics in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929 and 1930, and he won the American League pennant nine times. As part-owner of the Athletics, he was constantly battling financial troubles which led to the selling off and rebuilding of the team several times throughout his 50 years at the helm.

Mack, known as "the Tall Tactician" is best known for wearing a full suit and usual a hat in the dugout, scorecard ever at the ready. He created a code of conduct for his teams and according to baseball historian Bill James he looked for seven characteristics in his players - "physical ability, intelligence, courage, disposition, will power, general alertness and personal habits." He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, and then managed 13 more seasons. Nearing bankruptcy, Mack was forced to sell his team in November 1954, with Arnold Johnson being awarded the franchise for $1.5 million. Johnson promptly moved the team to Kansas City, and the Athletics sold their ballpark to the Phillies. the ballpark, originally called Shibe Park, had been renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953. Mack, along with Robin Roberts, was in the inaugural class of inductees to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in 1978 and a statute of the former Athletics manager still stands outside the entrance of Citizens Bank Park.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

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 / Athletics Team Set

This is actually the first card of Mack's in my collection and it's a welcome addition. A quick story on the origin of the Athletics' elephant logo in case you've not heard it before. In 1905, New York Giants manager John McGraw remarked that Mack's team had "a big white elephant on his hands," implying no one else wanted any of their players. Mack, showing he had a sense of humor and a slightly ornery side, adopted the white elephant as an unofficial logo and the team still uses it today. As I compose this post, news emerged this week the Athletics are again exploring a potential move with Las Vegas mentioned as a possible landing site. The team spent only 13 seasons in Kansas City (1955-1967) before moving to Oakland in 1968.

1936 Season

Mack's Athletics were awful, going 53-100 and finishing dead last in the American League. This was during one of their many rebuilding periods and they wouldn't have a winning record again until 1947. Harry Kelley was their top pitcher, going 15-12 with a 3.86 ERA over 35 appearances. Wally Moses led the team in hitting with a .345 average while Bob Johnson (#138) led the team in home runs (25) and RBIs (121).

1887-90 Old Judge
(N172)

1910 E98 Set
of 30 #29

1914 Cracker Jack #12

1933 Tattoo Orbit

1940 Play Ball #132

1960 Fleer Baseball Greats #14

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1887-90 Old Judge (N172) - 4 different variations

Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2014 Panini Golden Age #31

256 - Mack non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/17/21.

Sources:

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

Wikipedia

Previous Card: #141 Fred Lindstrom - Brooklyn Dodgers

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

Sunday, June 20, 2021

#133 "Bad News" Hale - Cleveland Indians

Arvel Ordell Hale

Cleveland Indians

Second Base

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

Born: August 10, 1908, Hosston, LA

Major League Teams: Cleveland Indians 1931, 1933-1940; Boston Red Sox 1941; New York Giants 1941

Died: June 9, 1980, El Dorado, AR (71)

Odell "Bad News" Hale was an infielder for the Indians throughout the 1930s, hitting .300 or better in four different seasons. He also drove in 101 runs in both 1934 and 1935 and hit 10 home runs or more in four straight seasons between 1933 and 1936. Hale was given his shot as a big league starter by Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson, who managed the Tribe between 1933 and 1935. He was a reliable second baseman his first few seasons and moved to third when the need arose. Hale was also speedy for his era, stealing a career high 15 bases in 1935, but also leading the league in times caught stealing with 13.

On September 7, 1935, Hale took place in the play he's best remembered for as he was able to use his head in starting an Indians' triple play. With runners on first and second, the Red Sox' Joe Cronin (#123) hit a line drive to third that caromed off Hale's head into the glove of shortstop Bill Knickerbocker. Knickerbocker threw to second baseman Roy Hughes who stepped on the bag and relayed the throw to first baseman Hal Trosky (#70) for the 5-6-4-3 triple play. Hale last played in the majors in 1941 and spent part of a season with the Double-A Milwaukee Brewers in the Cubs' system before retiring as a player. In 1,062 career games, he batted .289 with 1,071 hits, 73 home runs and 573 RBIs.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

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 / Indians Team Set

Having never heard of "Bad News" Hale before, I wanted to feature this card solely to learn why he was given that nickname. The card itself is mysterious with ominous looking spectators over Hale's left shoulder and a fan reading a newspaper over his right shoulder. The newspaper's headlines are, "Skeletons Found in Park" and "Yanks Hit Harder - Tribe Loses." The fan holding the newspaper looks to be straight out of central casting for 1930s bad guy. But I found Hale earned the nickname solely on the merit of his clutch hitting being bad news for opposing pitchers. The artist for this card took the liberty of adding the bad news headlines to the newspaper, taking Hale's nickname for its literal meaning. What I thought would be dark and mysterious story around the nickname's origin is actually just a simple story of Hale coming through with timely hits.

The back of the card discusses Hale's move from second to third and his involvement in the unusual 1935 triple play.

1936 Season

This was Steve O'Neil's (#87) first full season as manager of the Indians, and Cleveland finished with a 80-74 record and in fifth place in the American League. Hale had been the subject of offseason trade rumors as both the Red Sox and Yankees tried to pry him away from the Indians. He missed the first few games of the season, but then resumed his status as the club's everyday second baseman, starting 152 of their 157 games at the position. He batted .316 with 14 home runs and 87 RBIs for an Indians team heavy on offense but short on pitching.