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Donald Frederick Mueller
New York Giants
Outfield
Born: April 14, 1927, St. Louis, MO
Signed: Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams: New York Giants 1948-1957; Chicago White Sox 1958-1959
Died: December 28, 2011, Chesterfield, MO (age 84)
Nicknamed "Mandrake the Magician" for his ability to collect seeing-eye singles through seemingly any defensive infield alignment, Don Mueller spent a decade with the Giants, helping his club to two National League pennants. Mueller took over regular right field duties for the Giants in 1950, with Willie Mays (#130) most often playing to his right in center field. He drove in a career-high 84 runs in 1950 and hit a career-high 16 home runs in 1951 as the Giants bested the Dodgers in a three-game playoff to advance to the World Series. In the decisive Game 3 of that playoff series, and with the Giants trailing 4-1 in the ninth inning, Al Dark (#148) and Mueller singled to start the inning. Whitey Lockman (#205) would double Dark home, and Mueller would need to leave the game after spraining his ankle sliding into third base. Bobby Thomson (#257) would hit his Shot Heard 'Round the World, scoring Lockman and pinch-runner Clint Hartung to send the Giants to the World Series.
While Mueller missed the entire 1951 World Series with his ankle injury, he helped the Giants return to the series in 1954 - his best season. He was named to his first of two All-Star teams in 1954, led the league with 212 hits and finished as runner-up to Mays in the batting race. Mueller hit for the cycle on July 11, 1954 against the Pirates. For the season, Mueller hit .342 and Mays squeaked by him with a .345 average to win the batting title. In the World Series, Mueller batted .389 (7 for 18) as the Giants swept the Indians in four games. Mueller batted .296 for his career with 1,292 hits, 499 runs scored, 65 home runs and 520 RBIs. A fine fielder as well, he led all National League right fielders in fielding percentage in 1950, 1956 and 1957.
The Card / Giants Team Set
Despite his key role for the Giants in 1954, Mueller was left out of both 1955 Bowman and Topps sets. The main photo here is the same as used for his 1954 Topps card. The cartoons on the back play up Mueller's ability to hit for average and his success against the Indians in the 1954 World Series.
1956 Season
Again the regular right fielder for the Giants, Mueller played in 138 games, batting .269 with five home runs and 41 RBIs. The Giants slumped to sixth place in the league with Mueller, Mays and Jackie Brandt as their most used outfielders.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1950 Bowman #221
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6): 1952, 1954, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2003 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TN4
57 - Mueller non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/1/23.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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| December 25, 2006 |
Building the Set
December 25, 2006 from Mays Landing, NJ - Card #285
I was officially given this card on Christmas Day in 2006, but my Dad had purchased it several weeks (months?) earlier at a baseball card show held at the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
This was one of nine cards I received that Christmas from my Dad, and he spent a total of $210 on all nine cards with the Hank Aaron (#31) card being the big ticket item at $150. Like all his purchases, he was extremely proud of this card's condition and I'm sure there was a negotiation story that went along with the acquisition.
Our first son Doug was born a few weeks before Christmas that year and we brought him home just in time for the big day. He obviously doesn't remember much from his first Christmas, but he spent the holidays being held and loved by his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. The picture shown here is from Christmas Day 2006, shortly after I had added those nine cards to our (and one day Doug's) 1956 Topps set. One of the great joys of my life was seeing how proud my Dad was to have a grandson.
December 25, 2006 from Mays Landing, NJ - Card #285
I was officially given this card on Christmas Day in 2006, but my Dad had purchased it several weeks (months?) earlier at a baseball card show held at the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
This was one of nine cards I received that Christmas from my Dad, and he spent a total of $210 on all nine cards with the Hank Aaron (#31) card being the big ticket item at $150. Like all his purchases, he was extremely proud of this card's condition and I'm sure there was a negotiation story that went along with the acquisition.
Our first son Doug was born a few weeks before Christmas that year and we brought him home just in time for the big day. He obviously doesn't remember much from his first Christmas, but he spent the holidays being held and loved by his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. The picture shown here is from Christmas Day 2006, shortly after I had added those nine cards to our (and one day Doug's) 1956 Topps set. One of the great joys of my life was seeing how proud my Dad was to have a grandson.
The Card / Giants Team Set
Despite his key role for the Giants in 1954, Mueller was left out of both 1955 Bowman and Topps sets. The main photo here is the same as used for his 1954 Topps card. The cartoons on the back play up Mueller's ability to hit for average and his success against the Indians in the 1954 World Series.
At first I thought the other player in the action photo was a teammate, perhaps the on-deck batter imploring Mueller to slide into home for the play at the plate. But the Giants didn't have anyone on their roster wearing #2 in the early 1950s. Looking at the National League uniform numbers from 1954 and 1955, there are no catchers who wore #2 during those years. Assuming the uniform number starts with a "2" and the second number is obscured, it could be Walker Cooper (#273) from the Cubs who wore #25 in 1955, but that seems like a stretch. At second look, the second player appears to be leaning on a bat? In that case, maybe it is a Giants teammate and it could be Mays, who wore #24, making a cameo here.
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1950 Bowman #221
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6): 1952, 1954, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2003 Topps Heritage Then and Now #TN4
57 - Mueller non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/1/23.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
The Trading Card Database
Previous Card / Next Card
Order Collected: #224 "Bud" Podbielan - Cincinnati Redlegs / #270 Billy Loes - Brooklyn Dodgers
His height is listed as 6 inches (6'') on the back of the card.
ReplyDeleteNever noticed that before!
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