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Edward Thomas Miksis
Chicago Cubs
Outfield
Born: September 11, 1926, Burlington, NJ
Signed: Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams: Brooklyn Dodgers 1944, 1946-1951; Chicago Cubs 1951-1956; St. Louis Cardinals 1957; Baltimore Orioles 1957-1958; Cincinnati Redlegs 1958
Died: April 8, 2005, Huntingdon Valley, PA (age 78)
Eddie Miksis was a big league infielder and outfielder for 14 seasons, serving primarily as a back-up utility player with the Dodgers in the late 1940s / early 1950s and as a semi-regular with the Cubs in the early to mid 1950s. Miksis originally came up with the Dodgers in 1944, but missed all of 1945 while serving during World War II. He'd rejoin the Dodgers in 1946, playing all four infield positions and some left field. A member of two pennant winners with the Dodgers in 1947 and 1949, Miksis batted .273 (3 for 11) in eight World Series games, with the Dodgers falling to the Yankees both times. Dealt to the Cubs in June 1951 as part of a eight-player trade, Miksis cemented himself in Chicago baseball folklore by lending his glove to Ernie Banks (#15) in early 1954 as the rookie entered his first spring training with the Cubs.
Miksis enjoyed his best seasons with the Cubs in 1955 and 1956, playing 131 games in 1955 and batting .235 as their regular center fielder. Miksis was a strong defender and he'd lead all National League outfielders with a .989 fielding percentage during his first year regularly playing the outfield. He'd settle into a bench role again over his final two seasons with the Cardinals, Orioles and Redlegs, retiring following the 1958 season. In 1,042 big league games, Miksis batted .236 with 44 home runs and 228 RBIs.
Building the SetAugust 13, 1989 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #82
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!
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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 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 / Cubs Team Set
Our version of the card is a little beat up with some staining and paper loss on the front. This card marks Miksis' return to Topps sets after a two-year absence, and that could be anyone up to bat in the action shot. The cartoons on the back of the card highlight his ability to play all over the infield, and his move to the outfield in 1955. His veteran status, mentioned in the final cartoon panel, can be explained by the lack of players available during the war years. Miksis made his debut with the Dodgers on June 17, 1944, less than three months before his 18th birthday.
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1951 Bowman #117
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6): 1952-1953, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1991 Topps Archives 1953 #39
33 - Miksis non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/30/24.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
The Trading Card Database
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Order Collected: #275 Jim Greengrass - Philadelphia Phillies / #295 Clem Labine - Brooklyn Dodgers
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