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Topps included full team photos in its baseball card set for the first time in 1956, having previously experimented with team cards in a limited edition 1951 stand-alone set.
Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #321
The Card / White Sox Team Set
I found a copy of the original team photo for sale in an eBay auction and this gives a better view of the Comiskey Park bleachers behind the team, as well as a mysterious person standing directly behind the team in the stands. It looks as if the person is holding something? In any event, the dimensions of Comiskey Park were consistent to both corners (352 feet) and center field (425). Given the 365 foot sign behind the team, this photo was taken either against the right or left field wall.
White Sox Cards That Never Were
There are a few regulars from the 1956 White Sox line-up in the set, but on other teams, including third baseman Fred Hatfield (#318) with the Tigers and starting pitcher Jim Wilson (#171) with the Orioles. If I were put in charge of a fifth series for the set, here are the White Sox cards I'd include:
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #321
I first shared this story with the Roberto Clemente (#33) post, but I'll repeat myself, in an edited version, here. The way my Dad and I finished the 1956 Topps set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory. Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set. Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning. I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired to finish off the set. And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards. This was one of three team cards included within that final lot of 29 cards, along with the Nationals team card (#146) and the upcoming Tigers team card (#213).
The Card / White Sox Team Set
There are quite a few people on this card, and this looks to be one of the more crowded team cards in the set. Listed below are the players, coaches, batboy and club personnel featured on the card. The photo was taken late in the 1955 season as Ron Northey was acquired from the Giants on August 26th and he's standing on the back row here. Al Papai was purchased from Oklahoma City in the Texas League on September 1st, and he's seated in the front row.
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The back of the card omits any mention of the 1919 Black Sox, but it does reference the White Sox' two World Championship titles from 1917 and 1906. The White Sox would return to the World Series again in 1959, but they wouldn't win another title until 2005. Pitchers Ed Walsh (1904-1916), Clark Griffith (1901-1902) and Ed Cicotte (1912-1920) are referenced, with Cicotte one of the eight players banned from the game for life after the 1919 scandal. Here are the updated statistical categories through the 2021 season, and Topps didn't update this card for the 29 runs scored in a game against the Athletics on April 23, 1955:
Most Hits - 1,615 in 2000
Most Home Runs - 242 in 2004
Most Double Plays - 190 in 2000
Most Games Won - 106 in 2019
Most Runs Scored in One Game - 29 in 1955
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1959, 1983, 1993, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2021
Additional Championship Teams - 2005
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1959, 1983, 1993, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2021
Additional Championship Teams - 2005
The White Sox played their final game in old Comiskey Park in 1990, moving into new Comiskey Park in 1991. Selling the ballpark's naming rights changed the name of the new park to U.S. Cellular Field (2003-2016) and then Guaranteed Rate Field (2017-Present).
1956 Season
The White Sox earned a third place finish in 1956, with a record of 85-69. It was their fifth year in a row finishing in third place. They'd finish in second place in 1957 and 1958, before finally clinching a first place finish and the American League pennant in 1959. In 1956, left fielder Minnie Minoso (#125) and center fielder Larry Doby (#250) paced the offense. Minoso led the team with a .316 average while Doby led with 24 home runs and 102 RBIs. Billy Pierce (#160) was the ace of the pitching staff, going 20-9 with a 3.32 ERA. The bullpen was a weak spot and two of the team's top relievers were Paul LaPalme and Ellis Kinder (#336).
The White Sox earned a third place finish in 1956, with a record of 85-69. It was their fifth year in a row finishing in third place. They'd finish in second place in 1957 and 1958, before finally clinching a first place finish and the American League pennant in 1959. In 1956, left fielder Minnie Minoso (#125) and center fielder Larry Doby (#250) paced the offense. Minoso led the team with a .316 average while Doby led with 24 home runs and 102 RBIs. Billy Pierce (#160) was the ace of the pitching staff, going 20-9 with a 3.32 ERA. The bullpen was a weak spot and two of the team's top relievers were Paul LaPalme and Ellis Kinder (#336).
White Sox Cards That Never Were
There are a few regulars from the 1956 White Sox line-up in the set, but on other teams, including third baseman Fred Hatfield (#318) with the Tigers and starting pitcher Jim Wilson (#171) with the Orioles. If I were put in charge of a fifth series for the set, here are the White Sox cards I'd include:
- Marty Marion (manager) - Marty Marion was the 1944 National League MVP and an eight-time All-Star. He managed the White Sox between 1954 and 1956.
- Sammy Esposito (utility) - Sammy Esposito appeared in 81 games for the White Sox in 1956, and his rookie card would appear in the 1957 Topps set.
- Les Moss (catcher) - Back-up catcher Les Moss appeared in 32 games in 1955 and 56 games in 1956. He'd have to wait for the 1957 Topps set for his first mainstream White Sox card.
- Paul LaPalme (pitcher) - Selected off waivers from the Reds in June, LaPalme would make 29 relief appearances for the White Sox and he'd appear on his final Topps flagship card in the 1957 set.
- Bubba Phillips (outfield) - Similar to Esposito, Moss and LaPalme, reserve outfield Bubba Phillips would have to wait for the 1957 Topps set for his first mainstream White Sox card.
- George Myatt (coach) - It's a stretch, but coach George Myatt would get a card. Myatt was only with the White Sox in 1955 and 1956, but he served as a coach in majors between 1950 and 1972 with six different organizations. He briefly managed the Phillies in 1968 and 1969.
Sources
Baseball Reference
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