#321 Jim Konstanty - New York Yankees

Casimir James Konstanty
New York Yankees
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  202
Born:  March 2, 1917, Strykersville, NY
Acquired:  Sent from the Springfield Nationals (Eastern League) to the Cincinnati Reds in an unknown transaction before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1944; Boston Braves 1946; Philadelphia Phillies 1948-54; New York Yankees 1954-56; St. Louis Cardinals 1956

Died:  June 11, 1976, Oneonta, NY (age 59)

To date, Jim Konstanty is the only National League relief pitcher to win MVP honors, a feat he accomplished as the top reliever for the Phillies' 1950 pennant-winning team, the Whiz Kids.  Konstanty pitched briefly for the Reds and Braves in the 1940s, missing the entire 1945 season while serving in the U.S. Navy.  He'd earn a September call-up from the Phillies in 1948, joining the club's bullpen for good in 1949.  His career year came in 1950 when he was 16-7 with a 2.66 ERA while leading the league with 74 relief appearances.  Konstanty threw 152 innings, using a slider and change-up to help him record a league-best 22 saves.  Even though he hadn't started a game in the majors since 1946, Phillies' manager Eddie Sawyer named Konstanty as his starting pitcher for Game 1 of the 1950 World Series against the Yankees.  Konstanty would allow a run over his eight innings of work, but was out-dueled by Vic Raschi in a 1-0 win for the Yankees.  The Phillies would be swept in the series, and not return to the postseason until 1976.

Konstanty received 18 first place votes in the league's MVP voting, with Stan Musial finishing a distant second.  He'd never again repeat the success from that 1950 season, pitching in 3 1/2 more seasons with the Phillies, parts of three seasons with the Yankees and a final 27 games with the Cardinals in 1956.  In 433 big league games, Konstanty was 66-48 with a 3.46 ERA and 76 saves.  He served as a pitching instructor in the Cardinals and Yankees systems throughout the 1960s.

Building the Set
December 25, 1993 from Deptford, NJ - Card #123
On Christmas morning 1993, I unwrapped two cards needed for our 1956 Topps set - this Konstanty card and the Ted Williams (#5) card.  Unfortunately for Konstanty, the addition of the Williams card far out shadowed the addition of his card.  I would have known who Konstanty was, given my interest in the Phillies and their history, and I can vaguely recall not knowing he had ever pitched for the Yankees.  My records show my Dad had secretly purchased this Konstanty card at a Deptford Mall baseball card show held earlier in the fall, paying just $6 for the card.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
This is Konstanty's final appearance in a Topps set during his career, and he'd pop up again in the 1961 Topps set as one of the MVP subset cards.  There's a Yankees teammate making a cameo appearance behind Konstanty, carrying what appears to be a winter coat?  The back of the card highlights his success in 1950 and since joining the Yankees' bullpen.  The final cartoon panel mentions his two important wins down the stretch for the Yankees in 1955, but Konstanty would not appear in the 1955 World Series against the Dodgers.

1956 Season

Konstanty began the season in the Yankees' bullpen, appearing in eight games and pitching to a 4.91 ERA with no record.  The Yankees released him on May 18th, and he'd sign a few weeks later, on June 4th, with the Cardinals.  He'd appear in his final 27 big league games with the Cardinals, going 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 27 games, and 39 1/3 innings pitched.

Phillies Career
It's always seemed like a huge oversight to me that Konstanty was never inducted onto the Phillies' Wall of Fame.  His 1950 MVP campaign alone makes him a more likely candidate than some of the recent inductees, but the Phillies probably realize they wouldn't sell many more tickets on a day featuring a pregame ceremony to honor the bespectacled pitcher from the 1950s.

The Phillies acquired Konstanty before the 1948 season as part of a minor league working agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who would soon become the Phillies' Triple-A team.  He appeared in six games, all in relief, in September 1948.  Konstanty was a workhorse coming out of the bullpen for the Phillies between 1949 and the first part of the 1953 season, appearing in 53, 74, 58, 42, 48 and 33 games, in each of those seasons.  1950 was by far his career year, but he'd put up respectable numbers in each season with the Phillies thereafter.  On August 22, 1954, the Yankees selected him off waivers, ending his Phillies career.  Konstanty was 51-39 with a 3.64 ERA and 54 saves in 314 games with the Phillies.

He'd work in the Cardinals' minor league system in the early 1960s, where he's credited with teaching a young Steve Carlton how to master his slider and change-up.  That alone could be worthy of a Phillies Wall of Fame induction.

1950 Bowman #226

1951 Bowman #27

1952 Topps #108

1953 Bowman Black & White #58

1961 Topps #479

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #226
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1952, 1956, 1961
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1987 TCMA 1950 Philadelphia Phillies #3

47 - Konstanty non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/8/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Phillies Room

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #320 Joe Adcock - Milwaukee Braves / #322 Karl Olson - Washington Nationals

Order Collected: #5 Ted Williams - Boston Red Sox / #139 Tommy Carroll - New York Yankees

#320 Joe Adcock - Milwaukee Braves

Joseph Wilbur Adcock
Milwaukee Braves
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  210
Born:  October 30, 1927, Coushatta, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1950-52; Milwaukee Braves 1953-62; Cleveland Indians 1963; Los Angeles Angels 1964; California Angels 1965-66

As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1967

Died:  May 3, 1999, Coushatta, LA (age 71)

Blocked at first base by slugger Ted Kluszewski (#25), the Reds tried moving Joe Adcock to left field for the first three seasons of his career.  Adcock was steady at the plate during those years, but wanting to play regularly at first base, he requested and was granted a trade to the Braves.  He'd play ten seasons in Milwaukee, helping the club to National League pennants in 1957 and 1958, and the World Series title in 1958.  Adcock's best season came in 1956 when he batted .291 while reaching career highs in home runs (38) and RBIs (103).  With Henry Aaron (#31) and Eddie Mathews (#107) in the line-up, Adcock was often overlooked, but in his decade with the Braves, he clubbed 239 home runs and drove in 760 runs, hitting at least 20 home runs in six seasons.  On July 31, 1954, he hit four home runs, off four different pitchers, in one game against the Dodgers at Ebbets Field.  Adcock was an All-Star in 1960.

Dealt to the Indians following the 1962 season, Adcock played four more years in the majors.  He'd have a late career resurgence with the early Angels teams, connecting for 18 home runs in his final season in 1966.  Adcock managed the Indians for one season in 1967, with the team finishing in eighth place with a 75-87 record.  In 1,959 games, Adcock batted .277 with 1,832 hits, 336 home runs and 1,122 RBIs.  He's still in the top 100 for many fielding categories for first basemen.  In 2022, Adcock was posthumously inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame.

Building the Set
Sometime in 1998, no record of purchase - Card #174
This is the fourth and final card in our set that appeared with no record of how or when we acquired it.  Adcock joins the quartet of Joe Astroth (#106), Robin Roberts (#180) and Max Surkont (#209) as the sadly undocumented additions to our collection.  Based on checklists from the time, it looks as if the card was added at some point in 1998, as checklists from 1998 show the card as being needed, while checklists from 1999 and later show the card crossed out.

I entered the work force in the fall of 1997, and 1998 would have been my first full year as a newly hired associate at the biggest accounting firm in the world, Arthur Andersen.  (Some would say the firm was too big to ever fail.)  I would have still been working in Philadelphia at that time, at least through the summer, and likely working anywhere from 50 to 80 hours a week, as was the expectation back then.  Still, it's a little frustrating to have no idea when or how we added this Adcock card to our set, especially as it's in such great shape.

The Card / Braves Team Set
This card marks Adcock's return to Topps sets, as he had appeared exclusively in Bowman sets since 1953.  He wore #9 with the Braves, so the action shot is definitely the slugger crossing home plate.  I was actually able to find the photo from Getty Images, and this is the original caption:  "Milwaukee's Joe Adcock, who got himself into the record books by hitting four homers in yesterday's game against the Dodgers, is shown scoring from second on Johnny Logan's (#136) pop single into left field in today's game at Ebbets Field. Adcock was carried off the field on a stretcher in the fourth inning after being hit in the head by a pitched ball thrown by Clem Labine (#295)."  A quick check of Baseball Reference shows this photo would have been from the Braves-Dodgers game on August 1, 1954.  Braves' pitcher Gene Conley (#17) would plunk Duke Snider (#150) in the fourth inning, and the Braves would have the last laugh, winning the game, 14-6.

The cartoons on the back summarize Adcock missing time in 1955 with a broken arm, and highlight his four home run game agains the Dodgers, along with the home run he hit into the bleachers at the Polo Grounds.  That Polo Grounds home run was his first with the Braves, on April 29, 1953.  Topps reprinted the card in its 2002 Topps Archives set.

1956 Season

As mentioned above, this was Adcock's best season in the majors.  He played in 137 games, making 129 starts at first base, batting second in the line-up for most games.  He finished second in the league in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage with a .597 mark.  Adcock led all first baseman with a .995 fielding percentage, the first of four times in his career he'd lead the league in that category.

1951 Bowman #323

1952 Topps #347

1958 Topps #325

1962 Topps #265

1967 Topps #563

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #323
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1952, 1956-63, 1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2007 SP Legendary Cuts #42

133 - Adcock non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/8/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #319 Jack Crimian - Kansas City Athletics / #321 Jim Konstanty - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #145 Gil Hodges - Brooklyn Dodgers / #21 Joe Collins - New York Yankees

#319 Jack Crimian - Kansas City Athletics

John Melvin Crimian

Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  February 17, 1926, Philadelphia, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1951-52; Kansas City Athletics 1956; Detroit Tigers 1957

Died:  February 11, 2019, Middletown, DE (age 92)

The Philadelphia Phillies signed local product Jack Crimian prior to the 1944 season, but the right-handed pitcher would never suit up for either of the two major league teams then playing in his hometown.  Crimian spent six seasons in the minors, with a year of playing time lost while he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.  He'd earn brief promotions in 1951 and 1952 with the Cardinals, pitching in 16 games, all in relief, but struggling with a 9.24 ERA over 25 1/3 innings pitched.  He'd be back in the minors for three more full seasons between 1953 and 1955, finding success with the International League's Toronto Maple Leafs.  Crimian's sole full year in the majors came in 1956 with the Athletics and he led the 102-loss team with 54 appearances, including seven starts.

Before the 1957 season, Crimian was part of an eight-player deal with Detroit, and he'd pitch in his final four big league games with the Tigers.  Crimian returned to Toronto for the 1958 and 1959 seasons before retiring from baseball.  In 74 big league games, he was 5-9 with a 6.36 ERA, collecting 69 strikeouts and 65 walks in 160 innings pitched.  Crimian was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Building the Set
September 15, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #302
Our first son Doug was born in December 2006, and this happy event led directly to my Dad visiting us on a more regular basis.  Dad was living by himself at this point in Mays Landing, New Jersey and he detested the 40 minute ride north to our house.  Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact that he absolutely seemed to loathe driving and that loathing increased exponentially if there was traffic or if it were dark.  But he made the trips anyway, sometimes staying no more than an hour, because he was so incredibly anxious and excited to spend time with his grandson. 

By the time his second grandson (Ben) was born in April 2010, my Dad's health had begun failing and whatever visits we had were pre-arranged or consisted of us visiting him.  Which is why these visits during Doug's infancy and first few years are so special to me.  My Dad would show up, ecstatic to see Doug, there would be some small talk and we'd complain about the Phillies, and then he'd leave.  But on his way out, he'd always say he'd see us again in a few days and I'd look forward to these visits.

August 2007 - Dad with Jenna, Doug and me riding a merry-go-round
in Ocean City, NJ

This background is needed to better explain how this Crimian card came into our set.  In 2007, My Dad's days mostly consisted of an occasional round of golf, calls and visits to his kids - my sister and me, watching cable news, an afternoon nap and scouring eBay. Most (but not all) of his eBay purchases benefitted me in the form of 1956 Topps cards we needed for our set.  He'd show up at our house for a visit with Doug and nonchalantly hand me one of his recent purchases.  He handed me this Harshman card on September 15, 2007, along with a Jack Harshman (#29) card.

Throughout 2007, I suspect he had a backlog of purchased 1956 Topps cards piled up on his desk at his house, and he'd grab one or two to deliver to me as he was heading out the door to make the 40 minute drive to visit Doug.  Not to ruin the ending for this blog, but this is how we finished the 1956 Topps set.  Not with one last glorious purchase at a baseball card show, but with my Dad systematically and methodically checking off cards from our checklist through eBay purchases.

Together with my Mom, he'd deliver the last 29 cards we needed to complete the set as a Christmas present to me that year.

1957 Topps #297

The Card / Athletics Team Set
This is Crimian's rookie card, and he'd appear on one more Topps card in 1957.  His only other baseball card following 1957 came in the form on a reprint of his 1957 Topps card for the 2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set, which Crimian signed.  The back of this card highlights his MVP win in 1955 while pitching for the Maple Leafs.  It was by far his best professional season, leading directly to his spot in the Athletics' bullpen in 1956.  Crimian was 19-6 in 1955 with a 2.10 ERA in 40 appearances, including 21 starts.  He threw 16 complete games, with four of those shutouts.

1956 Season

As mentioned above, Crimian was frequently used throughout the season by manager Lou Boudreau, and over 80% of his major league output came during the 1956 season.  He was 4-8 with a 5.51 ERA in 129 innings pitched, converting three saves.  On December 5th, Crimian, Jim Finigan (#22), Bill Harrington and Eddie Robinson (#302) were traded to the Tigers for Wayne Belardi, Ned Garver (#189), Gene Host, Virgil Trucks (#117) and $20,000.

Phillies Connection
Crimian pitched for the Wilimington Blue Rocks and the Bradford Blue Wings, both low-level Phillies minor league teams, during the 1944 season.  He'd miss all of 1945 while in military service, and then return to the Blue Rocks in 1946.  On November 5, 1946, the Cardinals selected Crimian from the Phillies in the minor league draft. 

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #319
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1956-57
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JCR

5 - Crimian non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/26/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #318 Fred Hatfield - Detroit Tigers / #320 Joe Adcock - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #29 Jack Harshman - Chicago White Sox / #301 Marv Grissom - New York Giants

#318 Fred Hatfield - Detroit Tigers

Fred James Hatfield
Detroit Tigers
Second Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  171
Born:  March 18, 1925, Lanett, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1950-52; Detroit Tigers 1952-56; Chicago White Sox 1956-57; Cleveland Indians 1958; Cincinnati Redlegs 1958

Died:  May 22, 1998, Tallahassee, FL (age 73)

Signed when he was 17 by the Boston Red Sox in 1942, Fred Hatfield missed three years of playing time while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.  He'd return to baseball in 1946, and after 4 1/2 more years in the minors Hatfield finally earned a promotion to the Red Sox.  He'd play sparingly in Boston before a blockbuster nine-player deal sent him to Detroit in June 1952.  Hatfield would enjoy his best seasons with the Tigers in the mid-1950s.  As a frequently used infielder, Hatfield played in at least 100 games in four seasons between 1952 and 1956.  He led all American League third baseman in assists (276) and fielding percentage (.971) in 1952, and offensively his best season came in 1954 when he batted .294 for the Tigers.  In 722 major league games over nine seasons, he batted .242 with 493 hits, 25 home runs and 165 RBIs.

After retiring as a player, Hatfield was a collegiate and minor league manager between 1960 and 1986, and was the Tigers' third base coach for two seasons in 1977 and 1978.  He was the head coach for the Florida State Seminoles between 1964 and 1968, guiding the club to a 161-57 record.  Hatfield was posthumously inducted into the Florida State University Hall of Fame in 1999.

Winter 1994 - Dad inspecting the new construction

Building the Set
December 25, 1994 from San Diego, CA - Card #140
The Roy Campanella (#101) card was my "big" present from Santa for Christmas 1994.  With my Dad's help, Santa secured the Campanella card from Kit Young Cards in San Diego for what my notes say was $75.  That price seems steep, but there were six other cards from the 1956 Topps set under the Christmas tree that year from Kit Young Cards, including this Hatfield card, with the other six cards costing a combined $20.  In December 1994, I would have been home from college for the winter break of my junior year.

This was the last Christmas my family and I spent in the house on 12th Street in my hometown where I grew up.  My parents were in the process of building a new house and we'd visit the construction site throughout that winter break.  I had a tough time leaving my childhood home behind and the 1994-95 timeframe brought about quite a few major changes in my life.

The Card / Tigers Team Set
Hatfield was exclusive to Bowman in 1954 and 1955, and this card marks his return to Topps sets.  He wore #1 with the Tigers, so that's likely him hopping (in the grass?) in the action photo.  The cartoons on the back highlight his graduation from Alabama State Teachers College in 1950, his breaking up Early Wynn's (#187) no-hitter in 1955 and his "Scrap Iron" nickname.  His hit to break up Wynn's no-hitter wasn't as dramatic as depicted in the cartoon, and I don't think Wynn was nearly that wide.  Hatfield singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth for the Tigers' only hit against Wynn on May 22, 1955.

1956 Season

Hatfield lost the Tigers' regular third base job to Frank Bolling to start the 1956 season, and after appearing in just eight games for the Tigers, he was traded to the White Sox on May 15th.  Hatfield and Jim Delsing (#338) headed to Chicago with Jim Brideweser, Harry Byrd and Bob Kennedy (#38) moving to Detroit.  Hatfield took over the everyday third base duties for the White Sox, appearing in 106 games and batting .262 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs - a career high.

1952 Bowman #153

1953 Bowman Color #125

1953 Topps #163

1957 Topps #278

1958 Topps #339

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Bowman #153
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1952-53, 1956-58
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1991 Topps Archives 1953 #163

18 - Hatfield non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/4/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #317 Al Aber - Detroit Tigers / #319 Jack Crimian - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #290 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies / #338 Jim Delsing - Detroit Tigers

#317 Al Aber - Detroit Tigers

Albert Julius Aber
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Left  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  July 31, 1927, Cleveland, OH
Signed:  Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent before 1946 season
Major League Teams:  Cleveland Indians 1950, 1953; Detroit Tigers 1953-57; Kansas City Athletics 1957

Died:  May 20, 1993, Garfield Heights, OH (age 65)

On September 15, 1950, Al Aber made his big league debut with his hometown Indians, pitching a complete game victory over the Nationals and allowing just a pair of runs.  It would be his last baseball action until 1953, as Aber served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War for two years.  Back with the Indians for at least the start of the 1953 season, Aber was soon included in an eight-player deal with the Tigers that June 15th.  He'd have his best seasons pitching out of the Tigers' bullpen, relying on his effective sinker ball to keep hitters off-balance.  Aber pitched in 39 games in 1955, going 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA over 80 innings.  He'd convert a career-best seven saves in 1956 while also appearing in a career-high 42 games.  Aber would finish up his playing days with the Athletics, after the team picked him up on August 27, 1957 via a waiver claim.

Aber had a lifetime major league record of 24-25 in 168 games pitched, with a 4.18 ERA and 14 career saves.

Building the Set

May 1997 - College graduation

July 19, 1997 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #158
My Dad and I added this card to our set at the Ocean City baseball card show held inside the Music Pier.  We purchased 11 cards that July day - Aber and eight other commons, along with the Warren Giles (#2) card for $10 and the Ray Boone (#6) card for $5.

I graduated college in the spring of 1997, and that summer was a good one as I worked on the Sea Isle Promenade at a few t-shirt stores.  My days were spent jogging, barely working, reading and sitting on the beach.  Dinner would usually come from Phil's on 37th and Landis Avenue, and ice cream was consumed nightly.

Dad was still working in Millville at the time, and we probably met up in front of the Music Pier prior to his show.  The baseball card collecting landscape changed drastically in the ten year period between 1987 and 1997, with autographed cards making their way into packs and multiple parallel versions of the same card confusing us as "old school" collectors.  Still, I'd give anything to be back inside the Music Pier with my Dad searching for the next 1956 Topps card to add to our set.  I'm sure he was thrilled to find a dealer selling a bunch of '56s in good shape and at around $2 a card.  

The Card / Tigers Team Set
Aber was exclusive to Bowman in 1955, and this card, his return to Topps, uses the same photo as his 1954 Topps card.  The cartoons on the back highlight his control, his successful minor league season in 1950 and his trade to the Tigers along with Ray Boone (#6) and Steve Gromek (#310).  Dick Welk, a right-handed reliever who also went with Aber, Boone and Gromek to the Tigers, was omitted from the final panel of the cartoon.  Welk last pitched for the Tigers in 1954, and had a 10.85 in 21 games with the club.

1956 Season

Aber got the call from the Tigers' bullpen more than any other pitcher in 1956.  He was 4-4 with a 3.43 ERA, pitching only 63 innings over his 42 relief appearances.

1953 Topps #233

1954 Topps #238

1955 Bowman #24

1957 Topps #141

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1953 Topps #233
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (4):  1953-54, 1956-57
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #238

11 - Aber non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #316 Jerry Coleman - New York Yankees / #318 Fred Hatfield - Detroit Tigers

Order Collected: #279 Johnny Groth - Kansas City Athletics / #335 Don Hoak - Chicago Cubs

#316 Jerry Coleman - New York Yankees

Gerald Francis Coleman
New York Yankees
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  165
Born:  September 14, 1924, San Jose, CA
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1949-57

As a Manager:  San Diego Padres 1980

Died:  January 5, 2014, La Jolla, CA (age 89)

Joe Coleman was an All-Star second baseman and World Champion with the Yankees, a highly decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean War, and a Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster whose career in the booth spanned over five decades.  Not a bad run!  In between stints in the military, Coleman played in nine seasons for the Yankees with his best season coming in 1950.  He hit career highs with his .287 batting average, six home runs and 69 RBIs and his clutch hitting in the 1950 World Series against the Phillies earned him World Series MVP honors.  Injuries forced Coleman from the game following the 1957 season, and his last action came in the 1957 World Series in which he batted .364 against the Braves.

Coleman's broadcasting career began in 1960.  He was a member of the Yankees (1963-69) and Angels (1970-71) broadcast booths before joining the Padres in 1972.  Coleman was the beloved radio voice for the Padres every year between 1972 and 2013, with the exception of the 1980 season when he left the booth to briefly manage the Padres for a year.  The Padres finished in sixth place in the National League West under Coleman, with a 73-89 record.  Coleman was inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame in 2001, and was the Ford C. Frick Award winner for broadcasting excellence in 2005.  

August 1989 - Trip to Cooperstown

Building the Set
August 13, 1989 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #88
We went nuts at the Bridgeton Baseball Card Show in August 1989, buying 12 different cards for our 1956 Topps set, all at $1.50 a piece.  That's an impressive haul for $18!

I have no other information on the location of this show, other than it was held in the nearby city of Bridgeton, New Jersey.  What I do have however is the checklist I brought with us to the show.  I believe this is the second full checklist we carried around, having retired the prior version I created in 1988 and posted with the William Harridge (#1) card.

Just looking at this checklist (shown here) brings back fond memories of finding the cards, deciding to make a purchase, negotiating a price and then finding a flat surface so that we could cross off the newest additions.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
Coleman returned to Topps sets with this card after a four-year absence, and that definitely looks to be Coleman turning the double play in the action photo.  There's no telling who the runner, wearing #8, could be.  The back of the card highlights his military service and his career year in 1950.  While Ted Williams (#5) also served in World War II and the Korean War, Coleman was the only major league player to see combat in both wars.

1956 Season

Manager Casey Stengel had four interchangeable infielders at his disposal with Coleman, Billy Martin (#181), Gil McDougald (#225) and Andy Carey (#12) all getting playing time.  Coleman made 51 starts throughout the season - 27 at second base, 18 at shortstop and six at third base - while appearing in 80 games overall.  He batted .257 with 18 RBIs, and started Game 2 of the World Series, going 0 for 2.  The Yankees defeated the Dodgers in seven games, giving Coleman his fifth World Series ring with the club.

1949 Bowman #225

1952 Topps #237

1954 Bowman #81

1957 Topps #192

1980 Topps #356

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #225
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1951-52, 1956-57, 1980
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-JC

60 - Coleman non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/3/25.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #315 Milt Bolling - Boston Red Sox / #317 Al Aber - Detroit Tigers

Order Collected: #314 Hobie Landrith - Chicago Cubs / #322 Karl Olson - Washington Nationals