155 lbs. of Ballast
Sometimes general managers want to skip the whole “player to be named later” formality.
1952 Topps
Abbreviated Pitching
Professional longevity in the 1950s could be hard to come by when your resume has you moving from a team called the “Commies” to one called the “Reds.”
A Baseball Card-Inspired Experiment
The Bill Werle card in my 1952 Topps set building project has me crawling around in the dirt and conducting a science experiment.
Lou Brissie
Nearly blown up by Nazis, this pitcher practically dragged himself to the forefront of the Philadelphia Athletics’ pitching rotation. He even had a racehorse named after him.
Adding the 1952 Topps Willie Mays
My quest to build a ’52 Topps set meets the first (and best) name on this landmark set’s Mt. Rushmore of baseball cards. It’s a card so good I have owned it twice.
Off to the Races in DC
If you need to sum up outfielder Gil Coan in a single word it would be “speed.” Before the Washington Nationals entertained fans with presidential mascots running footraces, one of the city’s predecessor teams was sending Coan out to run laps against track stars. He even raced a horse (and won!) from right field to home plate. Perhaps the fact that he was missing one of his thumbs made him more aerodynamic.
When It Rains It Pours
Sam Zoldak was a big league pitcher whose abilities seemed to be just a hair above average. There’s not a lot to write about when a player shows up and just does his job competently. There are, however, two small items from his story that make me take notice.
Cards Through Rose Colored Glasses
The world came oh so close to getting a ’52 Topps card with an image of a pitcher wearing sunglasses.
The Overlap of John Hamm and St. Louis Baseball
Before St. Louis’ hometown actor played an oblivious himbo on 30 Rock, the city had its own version on the mound with the Veeck-era Browns.
Top Quintile Talent
If you find yourself in the top 1% of your profession, you are almost certainly doing well in your chosen field. Indeed, being ranked in the top 5% likely indicates a similar measure of skill. The top 10, 20, or even 50th percentile may imply some level of success. This does not quite hold true in baseball.