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Henry Franklin House, Jr.
Detroit Tigers
Catcher
Born: February 18, 1930, Bessemer, AL
Signed: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, before the 1949 season
Major League Teams: Detroit Tigers 1950-1951, 1954-1957; Kansas City Athletics 1958-1959; Cincinnati Reds 1960; Detroit Tigers 1961
Died: March 13, 2005, Birmingham, AL (age 75)
Frank House served as a back-up or part-time catcher for all of his 10-year big league playing career, splitting catching duties for the Tigers with Red Wilson (#92) between 1954 and 1957. A career .248 hitter, House missed two full seasons in 1952 and 1953 while serving in the military.
Following his playing career, House served in the Alabama House of Representatives, helping to establish the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Building the Set
July 31, 1993 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #114
This is one of five 1956 Topps cards I purchased at the Ocean City baseball card show during the summer of '93. My notes indicate we paid $6 for the card, and it's in absolutely pristine shape.
After missing much of my freshman spring semester with a bad case of mono, I spent the summer mostly resting at home and taking make-up classes at nearby Rowan University. Looking back now, it's strange to me that I have so few memories or pictures from that summer. I found pictures I took from an Orioles-Twins game at Camden Yards with shots of Fernando Valenzuela pitching to Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett, and another picture of Cal Ripken at bat. There were also pictures of my Nana's house in Sea Isle, which I think I spent part of that summer painting (again). But that's it.
I know it was just another summer day at the time, but I'd love to have one picture of my Dad and me as we were about to attend this baseball card show that Saturday afternoon in Ocean City.
The Card
House is in a tough position in the set, coming after the iconic cards of Jackie Robinson (#30) and Hank Aaron (#31) and right before we get to the equally fantastic Roberto Clemente (#33) card. Collectors would have seen the exact some portrait photo on House's 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.
The action shot most likely comes from one of the 13 games for which House was behind the plate for the Tigers in 1955 when they faced off against the Kansas City Athletics. It sure looks as if the runner is out, and House successfully blocked the plate, but the umpire seems to be calling him safe.
Given House's status as a part-time catcher, the artist for the panel on the back didn't have a lot to work with but did an admirable job nevertheless. We get panels celebrating House's high school play, his habit of attending Tigers games on his days off in the minors, and finally a representation of his steady defense behind the plate.
1956 Season
House was coming off his career best year, having hit .308 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs for the Tigers in 1955. (Maybe a panel on the back of the card could have mentioned that?) At 26 years old, he split catching duties for the Tigers with Red Wilson, with House getting 78 starts behind the plate to Wilson's 70. House appeared in 94 games in 1956, hitting .240 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs.
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First Mainstream Card: 1952 Topps #146
First Topps Card: 1952 Topps #146
Last Topps Card: 1960 Topps #313
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1994 Topps Archives 1954 #163
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8): 1952, 1954-1960
21 - House non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/19.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year. Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.
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Order Collected: #157 Dick Brodowski - Washington Nationals / #46 Gene Freese - Pittsburgh Pirates
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