1952 Topps Profile

Apr
15
2025

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.

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Mar
12
2025

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 their 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.

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Mar
07
2025

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.

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Feb
01
2025

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.

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Jan
24
2025

Jazz In the Lineup

Hi De Hi De Ho! The first written use of the word “jazz” was used in describing a baseball game. It’s probably not a coincidence that the swing bands of the 1930s had enough musicians to field a team.

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