Set Collecting
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.
Barry Bonds vs. The Hall of Fame
There are tons of examples of writing that argue for or against the inclusion of Barry Bonds into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This isn’t one of them.
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.
(The Original) Fish Man Good
Tim Salmon was the first of the Angels’ big fish. He was also attacked by a houseboat and his baseball cards were part of a major shift in how we chase rookie cards.
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.
We’ll Never See Another…Never Mind
Nolan Ryan’s retirement came at the same time as the emergence of a nearly identical pitcher.