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Robert Albert Lennon
New York Giants
Outfield
Born: September 15, 1928, Brooklyn, NY
Signed: Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1945 season
Major League Teams: New York Giants 1954, 1956; Chicago Cubs 1957
Died: June 14, 2005, Dix Hills, NY (age 76)
Finding most of his success in professional baseball at the minor league level, Bob Lennon appeared in 38 games in parts of three seasons for the Giants and Cubs. Originally signed by his hometown Dodgers, Lennon was left unprotected and drafted by the Giants in the November 1947 minor league draft. He was a veteran of six minor league seasons when he missed all of the 1951 season serving in the Korean War. In 1954, he enjoyed his career year with the Nashville Volunteers, hitting .345 with a record setting 64 home runs and 161 RBIs. Lennon was a September call-up for the Giants following his big season. As he was not eligible for the postseason, he sat in the stands with other fans as the Giants swept the Indians to win the World Championship.
His sole home run came as a member of the Cubs in 1957 in Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, where he had cheered for the Dodgers growing up. In 16 minor league seasons between 1945 and 1961, Lennon hit 278 home runs and batted .281 in 1,784 games.
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| Easter Sunday, 2000 |
April 22, 2000 in Raleigh, NC - Card #197
I paid $2 for this card at the Sports Card & NASCAR Collectibles Show held in Raleigh, NC a week after tax deadline day and the day before Easter. I bought six cards that day, paying a grand total of $20. Pictures from this time in my life are few and far between, but it looks as if my parents paid a visit to Raleigh for Easter weekend as I have photos of them dressed for what has to be for a church service. We're standing outside the apartment complex where I was living at the time. And it's quite possible my Dad attended this baseball card show in Raleigh with me, which would have been a rarity in those days.
This day is also notable as it's almost 10 years to the day before our youngest son Ben was born. There were some bumpy roads coming up for a few years following this picture, but eventually things got back on track.
The Card
The photo is the same used for Lennon's 1955 Topps rookie card. Once again, the cartoons used for the back of this card are fantastic. Lennon's minor league home run prowess is on full display here as is the fact his father, Martin Lennon, was a New York City policeman.
For the record, there have been four Lennon's to play in the majors - Bill (1871-1873), Ed (1928), Bob (1954-1957) and Pat (1991-1999). There have been no McCartney's in the majors, but Baseball Reference lists six McCartney's to have played minor league baseball. George Harrison Wheeler appeared in three games for the 1910 Reds. And there have been four players with the surname of Starr in the majors, but no Starkey's.
Giants Team Set
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1955 Topps #119
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3): 1955-1957
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1957 Topps #371
6 - Lennon non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/26/20.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
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: #91 Gail Harris - New York Giants / #144 Leroy Powell - Chicago White Sox
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