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John Logan
Milwaukee Braves
Shortstop
Born: March 23, 1926, Endicott, NY
Signed: Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams: Boston Braves 1951-1952; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1961; Pittsburgh Pirates 1961-1963
Died: August 9, 2013, Milwaukee, WI (age 87)
As the regular shortstop for the strong Braves teams of the 1950s, Johnny Logan made four All-Star teams and was a key member of the 1957 World Champions. He was a steady hitter and a fantastic fielder, leading all National League shortstops in fielding percentage three years in a row between 1952 and 1954. Logan led the league in doubles in 1955 with 37 and was an effective bunter, leading the league in sacrifices with 31 in 1956. Logan's play declined as the decade ended and he was traded to the Pirates in June 1961. After 2 1/2 years with the Pirates, Logan returned to Japan, where he had served during World War II, this time to play for the Nankai Hawks for their 1964 season. He retired after 1,503 major league games with a .268 average, 93 home runs and 547 RBIs.
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| June 1983 - Ocean City Baseball Card Show |
Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #14
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post. Along with that Mathews card, this would have been among the first cards added to my collection for a player from the Milwaukee Braves - a team at that point in my life that seemed absolutely ancient.
The Card / Braves Team Set
Logan returned to Topps after a one-year absence, as he presumably had an exclusive contract with Bowman in 1955. In the action shot, it seems as if the Giants runner is out and Logan is about to make the turn to first to attempt the double play. On the back, Logan's fielding skills are highlighted. He finished first among shortstops for assists in four different seasons - 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1958 - and his 4,397 career assists at the position are currently 69th all time. He appeared in 154 games in both 1954 and 1955 and in 1956 he'd only miss three games in August and four games in September.
1956 Season
In 148 games, Logan batted .281 with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs, starting all but 8 games at shortstop for the Braves. Felix Mantilla started at short when Logan didn't, and the regular second baseman that season was Danny O'Connell (#272). The Braves finished second in the National League, falling one game short over the final days of the season as the Dodgers won the pennant. Logan did his part though, providing solid defense and serving as a strong two-hole hitter ahead of both Mathews and Hank Aaron (#31) in the line-up.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1953 Topps #158
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10): 1953-1954, 1956-1963
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2012 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JL
71 - Logan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
This was one of the Original 44, and I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post. Along with that Mathews card, this would have been among the first cards added to my collection for a player from the Milwaukee Braves - a team at that point in my life that seemed absolutely ancient.
The Card / Braves Team Set
Logan returned to Topps after a one-year absence, as he presumably had an exclusive contract with Bowman in 1955. In the action shot, it seems as if the Giants runner is out and Logan is about to make the turn to first to attempt the double play. On the back, Logan's fielding skills are highlighted. He finished first among shortstops for assists in four different seasons - 1954, 1955, 1957 and 1958 - and his 4,397 career assists at the position are currently 69th all time. He appeared in 154 games in both 1954 and 1955 and in 1956 he'd only miss three games in August and four games in September.
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1953 Topps #158
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10): 1953-1954, 1956-1963
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2012 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JL
71 - Logan non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
He grew up in the same town I did! Not a lot of those players around.
ReplyDeleteGreat excuse to track this card down for your set, if you haven't already!
ReplyDelete