The Imaginary White Sox Outfielder in ’52 Topps
An optimistic Sy Berger once saw a member of the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league affiliate lead the league in home runs. He promptly assigned him a role with the White Sox in the 1952 checklist.
1952 Topps
Sauer, Kiner, and Wrigley’s Tobacco Infused Foliage
The Cubs and Pirates routinely fought for last place despite having batting orders anchored by two of the most prodigious home run hitters in the game’s history.
Walk-Off Triple Play!
You can feel the air leaving the stadium when the first two batters of a visiting team get on base. Optimists don’t mind, as this is only setting the...
A Lethal Cannon For an Arm
Sherry Robertson had a lifetime .230 batting average, struck out in every at-bat of the 1941 season, and may have owed his job to being a relative of Senators’ owner Clark Griffith. He did, however, possess a strong arm.
A Prototypical Early-50s Pittsburgh Pirate
The Pirates sucked in the early ’50s. And yes, Bill Howerton absolutely looks like a grown-up version of The Sandlot’s Ham Porter.
Active Duty at Fort Eustis
With more than 50% of the players appearing in the 1952 Topps checklist having been in the military, there was bound to have been a lot of baseball played on military bases.
A Bullpen Catcher’s Baseball Card Sent a Half Dozen People to the World Series
Johnny Bucha batted just .205 with a negative WAR in a short career. A surprisingly impressive baseball card sent some of his fans to the World Series.
The Patch Card in 1952 Topps
A staple of modern collecting, patch cards take on a different meaning when trying to pin down when a player was photographed for his card.
Say “Cheese!”
Chris Van Cuyk looks absolutely thrilled to be on his first baseball card. It looks like he is saying, “cheese” for the photo, but when did people start doing this when posing for pictures?
Murry Dickson the Magician
Distraction and sleight of hand work together to create successful performances of magic tricks. Murry Dickson was a master of both and employed these skills to create one of the most steady pitching performances of a career that reached into parts of three decades. This story has it all, from card tricks and baseballs that seemingly pass through opposing bats to vanishing bank robbers and an arm that made Father Time a liar.